Broken (Cecilos - Welcome to Night Vale)

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Part Three. *evil suspenseful laugh*

***

"Carlos?"

Cecil sat up, rubbing his aching eyes and cracking his twisted neck. The TV was still flashing, and spots danced along the outlines of his bleary vision.

"Carlos? Did... Did you hear that?"

The boy beside him, face buried in his arms, snorted, grumbling something about the periodic table.

"Carlos!"

Cecil tried again, shaking the other boy vigorously. He opened his eyes this time, looking up at Cecil with a pained expression.

"Only the wind, Cec. Go back to sleep."

Cecil blushed a bit at the pet name.

"A-are you sure? I-it sounded like scraping or screeching or something."

"Hhhhjnnm..."

"Can we at least get onto the air mattress?"

"Nnnnnmmmnn..."

Well, that was a no.

Cecil sighed, laying back down, his head resting on Carlos's chest. How was it possible? That his mother had left only the night before? It seemed so long ago.

If not for the warmth at his side, he would still think he was back in his room, wrapped in a blanket to keep out the draft. The branches scraping along the window (that's what that noise was, right?) sounded familiar. Like the scratching he would he hear late at night. The howls and screams that tormented him, interrupting his sleep. More often than not, he would spend hours every night hiding beneath a tattered blanket, listening to the noises, either outside or in his own head. He was afraid to confide in his mother about his insomnia, and the things he sometimes saw and heard. He knew he would receive a lecture, a scathing comment about his demented daydreaming, or more likely, a painful blow to the head.

Even the thought of those lonely nights made him shiver, and he curled even closer to Carlos. Carlos mumbled again, an arm moving to rest lazily across Cecil's waist.

Cecil could feel the blush spreading over his cheeks.

Carlos would keep the nightmares at bay.

***

The shadow watched silently as Cecil lay back down, blushing like a school girl and fidgeting with the mess of blankets. Oh this would be too easy.

With another deliberate rake of its claws, it drew open the bedroom window, slipping inside.

It stood on unsteady legs, its multitude of eyes darting about the tiny room. No movement came from either of the sleeping boys, and no feet shuffled past the crack in the doorway. The Ramirez family was asleep. Dead to the world.

Perfect.

It carefully reached an arm towards Cecil, shadow billowing from what could be considered fingers.

So close...

She would be pleased with him. The Voice, returned to his rightful position...

The shadowy tendrils reached towards Cecil, wrapping carefully around one of his wrists. The boy winced as they began to crawl slowly up the length of his arm, but he didn't wake. He whimpered in his sleep, as if having a nightmare.

No meddling mother to save you now, huh Cecil...?

"What the hell?!?"

The figure froze, quickly pulling away from the two boys. The taller of the two, the one with the dark skin, had woken up. He was sitting bolt upright, a knife clasped in his trembling hands.