Changing Will [boyxboy]

Changing Will {15}

                I bolted up in bed, scrambling sideways against the wall. I was panting heavily, my eyes darting around. My body was covered in cold sweat, and my heart was hammering against my chest, the sound filling my ears.

                I carefully scanned every inch of my bedroom, making sure that there was really nothing in there. I pushed my hair out of my face.

                “Just a dream,” I mumbled to myself. I couldn’t remember what it had been about. But it hadn’t been real, and that’s all that really mattered.

                Still, my body was trembling. I found myself fumbling with my cell phone, dialing Will’s number and holding the phone to my ear.

                I backed myself into the corner, pulling my knees up to my chest and allowing my eyes to dart around my room again. It was dark, the only light coming from a streetlight outside. It cast a dull orange glow through my room, illuminating it just enough for me to see everything.

                “Hello?”

                Will’s voice was sleepy, but I could tell by the tone that he had already been awake. I mentally kicked myself. I shouldn’t have called him. If I had called him while he had been sleeping, I would’ve beaten myself up over it. The kid needed to sleep.

                “Hey, were you already up?” I asked.

                “Yea. I never went to bed. I’ve been working on a paper,” he said, yawning. “Why, what’s up? It’s three in the morning.”

                I checked the clock. It red out 3.17, and I knew I wasn’t going to be falling back to sleep anytime soon.

                “You should go to bed,” I said.

                “I know you didn’t just call me at three in the morning to tell me to go to bed. What’s up?” he asked.

                “I couldn’t sleep. So I figured I’d call you, I guess,” I said, slowly uncurling my body and cautiously lying down. I rolled over so that I was facing my room, my eyes continuing their patrol.

                “Nightmare?” he guessed.

                “You could say that. I don’t know. I can’t remember what it was,” I said.

                “What’s the worst dream you’ve ever had?” he asked.

                Normally, I would’ve made some snarky comeback. But I had just woken up violently, and I was exhausted. I wasn’t thinking right. So I answered honestly.

                “I once had a nightmare that I got killed in a hit and run. No one came to my funeral, and no one remembered who I was by the next day. Not even my own parents. My ghost floated around, trying to get someone’s attention to remind them that I had been alive. To let them know that I was still there. But everyone forgot about me, and I faded away. Then I just…woke up.” I rubbed at my eyes. God, I was so tired.

                “Do you want me to come over?” he asked.

                “No,” I said, shaking my head even though he couldn’t see me. “I want you to go to bed.”

                “Do me a favor, Ethan. Close your eyes,” he said.

                But I didn’t want to close my eyes. I didn’t want to risk something crawling out of its hiding place in my room and getting me.