Apprentice of Nightmares

Annoyances

"Your parents are very worried about you, you know."

        Josh let out a near-silent breath as he listened. It wasn't like he had a choice to see this guy, as his parents pretty much dragged him to the office right after school. There wasn't anything to distract the teen, unfortunately. The ticking clock would get him angry, and the overall decor was lacking in interest. He couldn't even fall asleep despite the couch being so soft and comfortable. He'd take it if he actually wanted to, but he had common sense.

"Josh?", the man's voice snapped him from his thoughts, making him look to the occupied chair not too far from the couch.

"I'm listening.", he said monotonously as he looked at the man's worried expression. It remained for a few seconds before he looked at his notepad.

"As I was saying, your behavior reminds me of a child who died a few years ago. He was much like you: gloomy and reserved. The difference is that he was being bullied by his big brother a lot. He claimed to have nightmares about the old animatronics at Fredbear's Family Diner."

That made Josh's expression shift to curiosity, "You mean The Bite?"

The therapist gave a look of minor disapproval before nodding, "I assume you already know the story. The boy's brother got together with his friends on his birthday and brought him close to Fredbear, even putting him in his mouth. His tears loosened the spring locks and...you already know what happened after that."

The teen nodded solemnly, "I guess you think I'll end up like him, huh?"

"Not completely, but I do believe that you two share a bit in terms of personality. Your parents told me that you were bullied quite a bit when you were young. Could you expand on that?"

He visibly scowled at the memory, "I wasn't exactly the best at wording myself growing up. In fact, I got squeamish every time I had to stand in front of other kids. In one way or another, I'd end up making a complete fool of myself and getting laughed at. I worked past it, which is good, but I can't say my personality survived."

"I see...", came the solemn reply, "Perhaps that's why you behave the way you do now."

"Why I'm a complete emotional zombie ninety-five percent of the time? Maybe, but I don't even know myself."

Aged cyan eyes looked at him with worry, "I suppose we may have to discuss this more in our next session. For now, I'd suggest you try to open your mind a little— try to see things from another perspective. You'd be surprised at how much it helps."

Josh sighed audibly, "I'll try."

As he glumly made his way down the bright sidewalk, he couldn't help but think. Is he really like that kid from The Bite? He never met him in person, so he couldn't be sure. If they really are alike, will he soon suffer the same fate? The difference is that he's the older sibling in this situation.

The sky seemed to darken as Josh crossed his street, spotting a tall house on the other side. The white paint yellowed with age contrasting with the cracking black on the porch and shingles. The side was littered with drawings and graffiti, only adding to the atmosphere.

    Josh never really paid the house any mind, seeing as it's abandoned and moreover decrepit. Some even say it's haunted by ghosts. He sometimes finds himself looking over every once in a while, however, if anything just for curiosity. He sometimes thought he could find solace in it, a place to be alone with his thoughts without other people poking their heads in.

Looking up to one of the windows, he thought he could see something red shining at him from inside. When he blinked, it disappeared in an instant. He decided to brush it off for now and continue on his way.

~~*~~

A.N: This will be on the short side in terms of chapter length. I want to try and experiment with how long a story can be while getting through all the plot points.