Nightmares

Chapter one: Carter

I watched the newest episode of Thirteen Reasons Why this morning. Seems normal, right?

Not when it's two am on a Thursday morning. Even if I wanted to laugh, or gasp, or cry, I couldn't. Mum was sleeping in the other room, and I didn't want her to worry about me.

I sighed, looking at the clock, three hours before I was due to get up for college. What was I supposed to do for three hours? Sleep? I chuckled to myself at the prospect, but I would so love to actually get some sleep. Sleep was so welcome.

I could go for a walk? Sometimes the cool, night air helped me to sleep. Mum wouldn't be worried, I could leave a note, and she was used to my midnight wanders. With a sigh, I pulled on jeans and my favourite white hoodie.

Most of my clothes were white. Since I was so often walking in the dark when I couldn't sleep, it was something Mum insisted on. The darkness was some people's fear, and they were right to feel that way. London wasn't a safe place in the dark. But it was so beautiful at night.

The darkness wasn't my biggest fear. Darkness felt safe. It was warm. Comforting almost. All those nights, when I couldn't sleep, it would wrap around me like a blanket and I could see the stars. That sort of darkness was beautiful. Danger lurked in darkness though, and I could see why some people feared it.

I flashed back, something that happened often.

I ran, didn't matter where I ran to, I just had to keep running, away. Away from those men in black. Those men with guns, who if they found me, wouldn't hesitate to shoot. I shouldn't have walked past the alleyway when I did. If I had listened to my gut reaction a few minutes before, I wouldn't be in this situation right now.

I darted in and out of alleyways, trying to find my flat. Trying to get home to mum so she could hold me and keep me safe. My heart was racing, and I didn't look back, for fear of slowing down.

Eventually, I was far enough away that I no longer heard their breathing or their voices. I collapsed down on the ground, panting heavily. Wiping sweat away from my brow and shaking my floppy brown hair from my eyes.

I shivered, and not just from the cold. I walked the empty streets, marvelling, as usual, at how quiet and peaceful it was at night compared to the busy bustle of people during the day. The night air whistled around me, and I smiled at the chill, cooling down my sweating face. I looked up at the stars, watching as they twinkled, remembering the time I saw a shooting star, my eyes twinkled back at them.

The smile on my face slackened as I remembered a different kind of shooting. I had been such a fool then. I was only thirteen, I shouldn't have been in the area, shouldn't even have been outside in the first place. Mum thought I had been watching Netflix like I always did back then.

I was lucky to escape with just psychological wounds.

Since that day, my nightmares begun to get worse. But nothing could compare to the heart-crushing moment that I found out Dad and Riley had perished in a crash.

Heading to the park, I found it was empty. I went to the top of the climbing frame and just sat there, watching over the sleeping houses and hiding away in the darkness of the night. Darkness was my friend. She was calm, and quiet, and so, so beautiful.

I smiled in the dark at the sweet chirping of birds who refused to rest, the nocturnal animals were out, and they chattered in the undergrowth and in the trees. The lamplights twinkled like the stars in the sky, and I seeked the moon, who was peeking out from behind the clouds which were making the air a little chilly. A shooting star flashed through the sky, and I smiled as I thought of the stars. Stars are souls, Mum had once told me, they watch over us and keep us safe.

Sighing in contentment, I wished upon the souls for peace on Earth. If you're going to wish on something impossible, may as well dream big, right?

Suddenly, there was the sound of shouting in the distance, and I jumped down from the climbing frame, running from the voices that got closer and closer. They sounded angry and I didn't want to hang around to get caught up in it.

I ran to the streets where the lamplights illuminated everything in a soft yellow. Feeling my pulse quicken with each step. Not again, not again. A voice in my head chimed. The sound of a scream echoed, and I hid away, shaking. Maybe it was time to go home now? This place wasn't safe anymore. I would be better off at home, watching Netflix or reading a book. I could only hope that Mum never found out about this, otherwise that would be the end of my midnight strolls around the city.

The darkness may be my friend. But that didn't mean that she was always friendly. 

And that was the first chapter, I hope you like it. What do you think about Carter?  Sorry this chapter wasn't very long, some will be longer than others because I'll find more to say about each character when I get into the story, but for now, hope you enjoy.