Consumed » Kai Parker

Seventeen

The rest of the week goes on, the days dragging on with me sleeping the mornings away due to nightmares jolting me awake every night screaming. It was the same one every night in my old house with a few alterations: every night, the loved one I find laying lifelessly on the floor is different. These past few nights, it'd been Bonnie, Caroline, Matt, Tyler, and last night it was Alaric that had been murdered by dream Joshua.

Liv and Luke haven't taken part in these horrible dreams yet. Though it'd be very strange if they were a part of them, being murdered by their own father, nightmare or not.

I can't take anymore of it. The nightmares that have been disturbing my slumber every night for the past week are stripping me of energy and life. In the day time, I'm practically a zombie, something Kai has pointed out the afternoon after the Caroline nightmare when I walked into the kitchen.

"Look who decided to-oh, woah. You look like the walking dead."

"Thanks," I replied sarcastically. "What every girl loves to hear."

This morning, I wake up to a pillow hitting me in the face.

I groan, pushing it away and my eyes open, glancing over to Kai, standing over my, or rather Stefan's, bed with a pillow in hand and a bright smile in contrast to my glare.

"Leave," I snap, turning away from him.

"Good morning to you too," He snorts. "Well, afternoon, really."

"What time is it?" I mumble, staring out the window.

"Two o'clock," He replies. "Bad news is you missed breakfast but good news is you're up just in time for lunch."

I sigh, having no intention of getting out of bed right this second. "I'll be down later."

Footsteps pad across the wooden floor and he's in front of me again, reaching down and ripping the sheets off of me.

"Hey!"

"You'll be down now," He says, gripping my hands in his and pulling me up against my will. I fight his tugging, trying to sink back down into bed, but he's winning the battle.

"Stop it," I nearly growl, trying to pull my hands free. He rolls his eyes, releasing me once I'm fully sitting up and scowling at him. Scanning me thoughtfully, he pauses before bending down and wrapping an arm around my torso, tossing me over his shoulder.

I shriek with surprise as he walks toward the door, keeping his arm locked tightly around me. I pound my fists against his back, trying and failing to make him put me down.

"Charlie, I'll drop you if you keep doing that," He threatens.

I huff as he goes down the hall, thinking for a moment before reaching down for his sides, tickling him. He jumps at the touch, bursting into laughter, reaching back with his free hands to slap mine away. His giggles filling the air make me involuntarily smile.

"Charlie," He says between laughs when I keep going. "I swear I'll accidentally drop you down these stairs."

"Let me down then," I demand, not letting up on the tickling. When we get to the top of the stairs, he pauses then loosens his hold on me and pretends to fall forward slightly, causing me to abruptly slide down his torso so I can see his face now. I gasp startled and instinctively lock my legs around his waist, heart pounding as I grip his gray tee shirt.