Chapter Five: Let the nightmares begin

I'm no sweet dream but I'm a hell of a night

That I'm no sweet dream but I'm a hell of a night -Halsey-

Damon POV

"Mom please don't leave me alone" I cried out to her as tears rushed from my eyes uncontrollably. Her eyes were swollen it yearned to be put out of its misery but why would she do this, didn't she know the fact that she was the only one I had, didn't she know I would be lost without her, didn't she care enough for me.

"I'm sorry dammy, I just can't take it any longer" she managed to say in between tears, my little head shook in disbelief.

"Mom please don't go I'll miss you" that was my pathetic last attempt to persuade her from taking her life. I was so stupid I should have ran to her and caught her before she made the jump but I didn't. Either ways I was too small and pathetic to make a difference

"Goodbye Damon remember mummy will always love you" those were her last words to me before she sent her body down the heights

"No" I screamed with all the strength in me. I took some fearful slow steps forward and stared down seeing my mom lifeless body covered in her own blood. Her head was smashed and bashed on the concrete floor on impact. Thick bright red blood rolled out everywhere

"Why didn't you save me Damon. You did this to me" her zombie like corpse accused me, she looked at me, her bloody red eyes filled with hate and disgust, that's when I woke up, beads of sweat trickled down my forehead as I woke up once again due to another terrible nightmare. I would have been terrified about this nightmare years ago but I have gotten used to the gory nightmares that have been haunting me ever since I witnessed my mom's tragic death. I drank the bottle of water I had kept on the table closest to my bed in anticipation of another gory nightmare.

I heard footsteps coming from outside my room. Someone was trying to get in or worse get out.

I got into a black top, racing out of my room just in time to get a glimpse of a red hooded figure getting out through the front door. I quickly raced through the door leading to the dark night.

I turned the torch of my cellphone on and saw the red hooded figure crouching down around the dried up rosebushes

"Who are you" I squinted my eyes trying to make a face but the hood prevented that possibility

"It's me Veronika" she took down the hood allowing me to look straight into her face. Her auburn hair spilled out, she countered it by tucking it nicely behind her ear

"What are you doing out here" I asked right before I noticed pairs of green eyes staring at me through the rosebushes

"Shhh..." She shushed me "you will scare them away" I took some steps forward to inspect more closely "how did you know they were here" I whispered not wanting to scare the kittens off

"I heard meowing from my room" she pushed something in a can gently to the kittens which they acknowledged by stepping out of the rosebushes one after the other and taking a taste of whatever was in the can.

"Their mum just died" she stated pointing out to somewhere close to the rosebushes "best guess, some wild animal got to her" she added. For some reason the story sounded eerily familiar to me

"They are so little" I admitted out loud

"We have to protect them" she looked at me intently

"Okay let's start by laying the mother cat to rest" I offered with a light chuckle. Then I went inside and searched the kitchen till I found a mini shovel, it wasn't what I had in mind but it would do the task. I hurried back to find her holding one of the five kittens, stroking it's brown and White striped fur. It was nice watching how she cared about the kittens. "I'm back" she turned back giving me a weak smile.

I started digging a hole near the mother cat carcass. After some time I managed to make a small mountain out of the dirt I dug.

"Veronika it's time" she took her eyes off the kittens on the ground and walked over to me still holding the brown and white striped kitten in her arms. I placed the carcass of the mother cat into the shallow hole and covered it up with the mound from the dirt I dug up.

"I thought of taking the kittens inside but I don't know what the others might think" she was playing politics, trying to get me on her side

"Yeah don't worry about the others I'll take care of them. In the meantime let's talk about you, I watched the spectacle that took place in Dave's dorm"

"Oh yeah. Right. You were there" she feigned oblivious like a nervous wreck. Poor thing she thinks I would be swayed easily. What a joker.

"So what happened when he went after you" I shot at her with a surprising need to know more "didn't Dave tell you"

"No. He didn't" I lied when he arrived he was pressured by Sophie to tell us what was going on but I can't actually trust whatever that jerk says right

"He said that it was over and he thought I knew it was over and stuff like that" she mumbled to the cold air trying not to seem affected by the subject

"So, he broke up with you" I shot at her "yeah" she said still trying to seem unaffected

"So do you want me to kill him" I stared at her intently not removing my gaze from her waiting for an answer to my question. We paused not saying anything but staring at each other's eyes before we both burst into a united laughter

"You almost got me there" she said in between laughter as though my joke was nothing but funny

"That's a terrible joke you know right"

"I know, just trying to brighten up your mood which clearly worked" I confirmed to her it was nothing other than a joke but was it really only a joke?

"But if, I don't know... Someone were to kill Dave would that make you happy?" She took her time studying my strange question

"No it wouldn't. I won't be happy if someone were to kill Dave for me" she finally said the answer I knew she would. I knew somehow she wouldn't be glad if someone were to kill for her

"Okay saviour let's change the subject, let's talk about you. Where are you from"

"I'm from texas" I briefly said not wanting to dive into my past again

"What about your mum and dad" she is hellbent on knowing the past I'm trying to run from

"Wow, it's chilly out here. Damn" I hoped my tactic would deviate the subject and send us back inside

"Yeah, it is let run inside" she concurred thankfully. I carried all of the kittens except for the brown and white striped kitten which she called Bella, I asked how she knew it was a girl and she responded with a shrug accompanied with "I just know" we laughed at her ridiculous answer. We said goodbye and retired to our rooms.

Veronika's point of view

The sweet scent of waffles wafted into my room waking me up from my sleep. Soon after my door was slid open and my mum walked in with a tray filled with waffles with what looked like a honey syrup spread all over them

"Rise and shine little muffin" she announced placing the tray at a small clearing at the end of my bed. "Good morning Mom" I stretched my arms to give her a hug "where is dad" I asked taking a bite from the waffles

"He had to go to work" she smiled at me watching how I made a mess on my face "it is almost Christmas, he promised he wouldn't go to work"

"Sorry honey" her hands stroked my head lovingly "I'm going to the market I will be back in about an hour"

"Can I go with you" I asked not wanting to stay home alone, mainly. because of the unexplainable laughter I sometimes hear when I'm by myself

"Okay but only on one condition" my mum said pouting her lips

"What" I asked innocently

"You have to give me a huge kiss" she smiled tilting her head so I could fully see her cheeks

"Mwaa" I placed a slow kiss on her cheeks, my face beaming with a huge smile.

After some minutes my mum and I went into the garage and got into our family SUV. She buckled me into the passenger seat and then she turned the car on. Halfway to the market I began to hear laughter of a little girl, my head was throbbing in pain. I threw my head from side to side trying to escape the laughter but it wouldn't leave

"Mum I can hear it again"

"Hear what honey" she looked at me through the rearview mirror above "the laughter it is back mummy" I explained while squinting my eyes

"okay honey just do what I taught you and you will be okay" I listened to my mum and shut my eyes taking in deep breathes trying to clear my mind just how she taught me, soon after the laughter faded.

"Are you alright sweetie"

"Yes it worked" I confirmed with a smile "should I tell dad maybe he could help" I offered

"NO..." I could sense the urgency in her tone "no you can't tell your father".

We drove heading straight for the market. Mum parked the car into the parking lot, it was early so it wasn't filled with cars except for one. She came down and unbuckled me and then she grabbed a food cart placing me in it and began pushing me towards the door, I could see the man inside the blue van. It was a gruff man that had a dragon tattoo beside his neck. Call it my gut intuition or something but seeing that man gave me a bad feeling, a feeling I still regret up to today...

My eyes threw open staring directly at the wooden ceiling, the memory of the nightmare I had unclear but all I felt was devastating fear. I looked at the alarm clock and it was 6:30 am just perfect.

When I came to the living room I saw Natalie and Charlie playing with the kittens and Gabe just sitting lazily

"Hi guys" I said casually walking to the kitchen to make some cereals

"Hi Veronika" I heard occupied Charlie and Natalie chorus in unison while Gabe just acknowledged me with a nod

"Hey Nikki nice idea" Charlie said finally taking off his eyes from the kittens

"What idea" I poured some liquid milk in the bowl

"Damon said you brought the idea of having the kittens around to lift our spirits even though he tried to stop you" he took a deep breath and gave a calming smile

"He said that" that lying Saviour. Is this what he had in mind when he said he would take care of it

"Yeah he also said you agreed to clean up the mess this little guys make" he took up the grey striped cat and snuzzled it. I had no choice but to comply with the stipulation made by Damon but boy I would get back at him

"By the way where is Damon, I haven't seen him"

"He left early he said he had some important work to do" Natalie replied while Gabe fixed his emotionless gaze on me.

I decided to get going to get to my first psyche class early. I followed the signs using a path close to the woods. The path had no one in sight that kind of spooked me out but I chose to ignore the gut feeling.

Walking I heard noises coming from the woods and I could have sworn I saw something move. The ruckus persisted and grew louder, now I was sure I wasn't alone something or someone was in the woods and I had a feeling it wasn't coming in peace. I ran with full speed with my eyes glued to the trees beside me.

I ran leaving some distance between me and whatever was in the woods. In a blink of an eye I tripped by something and fell to the ground, facing Candice lifeless bloody body. My hands in a bid to save me from completely falling landed on the pool of blood surrounding Candice's body. I quickly recoiled back in fear. My mind completely forgot all about whatever chased me but was filled with questions about how and why did poor Candice die.