In His Name

chapter 23 - Night terrors

Rosco is not a light sleeper, once he's out, he's gone until daybreak. But something is pulling at him, luring him away from his dreams. A song maybe? Or a smell? Not awake enough to tell the difference between his senses, he followed, enticed by the feeling promised at the end. It felt strange, like swimming up to the surface of the water but never quite being able to breach the top. He felt something small and familiar brush against his cheeks, like little hands, soft as petals. He knows this touch, he stops, wanting to think this through, but whatever was calling to him grew louder in response, or stronger? Nothing is making any sense, but whatever he's heading towards must be important, for beckoning to him so insistently. Then comes a sharp, rather painful yank of his hair. Oh, that's Tansy, trying to wake him up. Wait, isn't he already awake? The pull came again, forcing his eyes open.

Tansy hovers above him, panic stricken, their voice a mess of anger and worry. The wildflower is practically screaming in his ears, roughly pulling at his hair.

The stable loft is still drenched in the heavy darkness of deep night. Rosco blinks at his little friend, confused and drowsy, "Tansy, what's the matter with you?" he grumbles, rubbing his eyes, "It's still night." Letting out a deeply relieved breath, Tansy looks over their shoulder, urgently pointing out into the surrounding darkness. Desperately trying to tell him something, repeating the same little words over and over, Rosco has no idea what they mean of course. The boy moves, propping up on his elbows, trying to force his bleary eyes to focus in the direction Tansy is pointing. All he sees is strange lumpy black shapes shifting in the darkness.

Strange lumpy black shapes shifting in the darkness?!

Surging forward, his eyes shoot open, finally awake enough to notice he's surrounded by nightmarish twisting black ghosts.

"Light!" he yells, momentarily blinding himself when his magic lamp bursts to life at his command, filling the sleepy loft with its illumination. The shapeless black things recoil against the glow. Tansy breathes something sounding a lot like 'finally', twisting to put themselves in between Rosco and the nightmares. Despite the light and noise, the other men remain motionless in their beds. A sick feeling rises in the back of Rosco's throat, draining the color from his face. "Tansy, what the fuck is going on?!" he hisses, pressing his back against the wall behind him. Heart beating so hard and fast, it's visible through his clothes. Tansy ignores him, crossing their arms at the invaders with a posture that would have been intimidating if Tansy were several times larger than they are, speaking with a tone so intense Rosco doesn't need to understand to know they are spouting threats. Something Tansy says gets the ghost's attention, making them all slither away another few inches before closing back in. Taking the tiny opportunity, Tansy looks back at Rosco over their shoulder, passing him a command.

"I-I don't understand!" he stammers, panicked fingers knotting in his hair. There's no way around these monsters and only a 4-inch spirit between him and their twisting shapes.

Tansy huffs in frustration before an idea lights behind their eyes. Tansy starts urgently tapping on their thumb, in the same place Hayden's ring is on Rosco's.

It takes Rosco's frightened mind longer than he'd like to catch on, but he gets it eventually, "Hayden?"

Tansy nods.

"What about him?" he snaps, "he's not here!"

Groaning, Tansy taps at their throat, gesturing to Rosco.

"You want me to call him?! Don't be ridiculous," he whisper-shouts, "he can't hea-" Tansy shuts him up with a glare that could kill. The black forms inch closer again, slowly overcoming their dislike of the light. Knotting his fingers back in his hair, Rosco squeezes his eyes shut, curling in on himself, with no other ideas, he does as he's told, "Hayden!" screaming the name with all his might.