Chapter Twenty Eight

"My nightmares are usually about losing you. I'm okay once I realize that you are here." - Unknown

Gruesome Scene Ahead

Lyla's Point Of View

I groaned as my eyes focused on the room I sat in.

"Lyla!" A voice sobbed, pure horror dripping from each syllable.

That's when my eyes really focused.

"Nick!" I yelled, jumping up from the ground.

But I was pulled backwards onto the floor once more.

What the hell?

Chains?!

I stood up, more carefully this time.

"Guys." I gasped, staring in disbelief at the scene around me.

Everyone was held back by these, these monsters.

Pitch black, things. They looked like a stretched out, demented human.

"Lyla, Lyla please." Ben sobbed, tears stained on his cheeks.

"Save us Lyla." Nalla cried, as she fell to her knees.

Jameson screamed as the monster trailed its talon-like finger against his cheek, drawing blood.

"Get your hands off them!" I shouted as I struggled against my shackles.

And the monsters listened. They disappeared in a string of smoke.

But, the boys weren't left the same.

Their eyes.

It's all darkness.

I stopped my fight against the chains as I just stood there.

Watching.

Waiting.

Dreading.

Then the horrible thing happened.

I knew it was too easy.

I can never win against those,

Those.

Demons.

I never win.

I lose.

I do.

No one else.

Only I can

That's why I don't like making connections with people.

Then they'll lose.

While I stand there and watch.

I have to lose.

But demons bend the rules.

I lose.

And so do the people around me.

Demons cheat!

They are merciless!

They take my life into their hands.

And burn it piece by piece.

Now?

Now they are taking the pets, the boys I love.

All seven of them raised their right hand.

Knives appeared in them.

"No." I whispered.

They're being controlled by something. They wouldn't do this.

They can't leave me.

They

They started cutting themselves.

"No!" I screamed, running forward.

But those damn chains.

I fell.

"Stop!" I cried, tears falling from my face as blood fell from the boys.

Elisa pulled up her shirt and dug her knife into her stomach, twisting and turning it in a constant motion, led by a beat of horror.

She was the first to fall.

"Elisa!" I sobbed, trying to crawl towards her. The pool of blood around her grew and grew with each second.

Sammi dropped a few feet away.

She had gouged her eyes out.

I screamed in despair.

"Peter stop!" I stretched my arms out for him, just falling a few centimeters short from grabbing that damned object.

But a few centimeters was too much.

I watched as he killed himself.

"If you can do this to yourself, then we can too." Nalla spoke with a demotic voice.

Then she too, finished herself off and ended with a thump.

I looked up and widened my eyes.

Ben smiled down at me, blood smeared across his teeth, and a knife through his heart.

He fell.

"Jameson." I whimpered, pulling against the chains as I grew closer to the boy.

Nick was nowhere in sight.

Jameson's chocolate brown eyes have returned.

"Lyla." He gasped in a broken tone as he stared at all the blood and bodies.

"It's okay Jamie. You'll be okay-No!" I screamed.

The hell like eyes returned.

Jameson slit his throat.

A sob escaped my lips as Jameson fell into my arms.

"My little baby." I cried, brushing Jameson's bangs from his eyes. "You're okay."

Jameson's brown eyes were back. "I'm sorry." Jameson coughed up blood. "I couldn't protect you." A tear slid down his face.

Blood

His blood splattered onto my face as a knife cut through his forehead.

I gasped, breathing heavily.

Looking up, I crawled backwards.

Nick stalked towards me, smiling.

An evil smile. Not the sweet one I have grown fond for.

He threw up the knife and let it impale his hand.

"Lyla." A faint voice called out.

"Lyla. Remember when," He pointed a gun at me. "I was in your position?"

"Nick, please, wake up." I begged, crying.

"Lyla!" The faint voice spoke once more, sounding desperate.

"It's not that easy Princess." He took my chin into his bloodied fingers. "It never will be."

Then he shot the gun.

And I watched him fall.

One

Silent tears fell from my face.

Two

I stared at all of their bodies, their blood.

Three.

I screamed. -

"Lyla!"

I sat up quickly and gasped for breath, looking around wildly. I felt hot tears streaming down across my face. I whimpered as I tried to get up, my vision all swirling together.

'Get out get out get out

The boys the boys'

Someone grasped my forearm.

I cried out and blindly tried to wrestle the hand away from me, for everything was still blurry.

'Demon demon'

"Lyla, shh, it's okay, shh. Lyla." A voice soothed, their voice raised slightly for me to hear

'Lies.'

I squeezed my eyes shut tightly and continued to push the person away from me.

"Lyla!" The voice scolded, their hands squeezing my shoulders, holding me still.

My eyes focused.

"Everything is alright Lyla. Just breathe." I stared into her eyes.

Elisa

She's good.

Not a demon.

Fluffy cat

Friend

Protector

Home

I pulled up her shirt quickly so I could see her stomach.

There was no wound.

I placed my hand on her stomach, just so I could be 100 percent reassured.

My fingers laid across her slight abs.

It was solid skin.

She's fine

My lip trembled just before a sob broke through my lips as I drew my arm back.

I sat there, for maybe one second, shaking and crying.

The nightmare.

I felt so helpless, broken, useless.

I could've stopped them

I could've saved them

But I didn't

Why didn't I!

Save them save them

But that all lasted a second.

Elisa surged forward and wrapped her arms around, completely surrounding me.

Home

Home

Home

I was too weak to wrap my own arms around her, returning the gesture.

I think she understood though.

I cried into her shoulder, her scratching my back lightly, doing her best to calm me down

'You're a mess. There is no calming you.'

"Everything's okay now. It's okay. You're okay. We're okay." Elisa said over and over.

After I had calmed down, Elisa let go of our hug.

I wiped my eyes and sniffed.

"What happened?" Elisa whispered softly, reaching out to tuck a piece of my hair behind my ear.

"I, I was in chains. You guys, y-you all were held back monsters." I paused. "And were controlled, by, by something." My eyes watered as I spoke the next sentence. "And you started cutting yourselves." I closed my eyes and let the tears fall again.

'You're weak'

"Hey, Just look at me." Elisa cupped her hand around my cheek, letting me open my eyes. "Breathe." I stared into her eyes.

I took a shaky breath in. And released it slowly.

"There you go." Elisa held my hand. "You're going to be okay. I promise."

'She's ly-'

No, trust her.

'She'll only betray-'

She's good.

I nodded my head, trusting my little cat.

"So you had a nightmare." Elisa spoke after a few comforting minutes.

"Yeah. I get them sometimes." I informed her, meeting her eyes.

"I remember you waking up at night, crying. Sometimes you would scream." Elisa paused and looked away sadly. But met my eyes once more. "I tried to wake you up, but I couldn't get you to budge. I could only help when you were awake."

"I appreciate that." I rubbed my thumb against her hand.

"I think you should try to sleep once more. You need a good sleep." Elisa spoked after thinking for a bit, sighing as she rubbed her eyes.

"I can't go through that again." I whispered, staring at the ground.

"If I hugged you while you slept, would that help?" Elisa offered, rubbing her arm.

I smiled slightly.

"I think it would."

Elisa climbed into bed next to me and wrapped her arm around my shoulder.

I leaned against her and closed my eyes.

"I'll watch out for you Lyla."

I drifted off into a peaceful sleep.