Chapter 12:

00:44, 23 May 2023

*EDDIE'S POV:

As I sat on the edge of the bed, an immense throbbing sensation plagued my head. I yanked at my hair as if it would help the pain.

"Head hurt?" a faint voice asked.

Startled by the sudden question, my head raised to face the speaker. Though when I looked around, no one was there. Auntie, I called out, Uncle Wayne? You're just hearing things, Eddie. Relax.

"What's the matter?" the voice asked again.

I jumped, looking around once more. No one. Nothing. God, Eddie, get ahold of yourself. You're still messed up from the other night. Calm down. I'm still so confused. What is actually happening? I'm having these dreams where I think they're real, but they really aren't. I'm seeing things─things that aren't even there. There I was, dreaming about being tortured in some dark room, when I was just under an old tree trunk. How did I get there? How did I call Audy? I'm thankful I was found, though. My aunt and uncle said I could have gotten hypothermia, which I thought was a bit of an exaggeration. Even though I was asleep most of the time, I remember a lot. Seeing my aunt and uncle all fucked up was the worst. It broke my heart to see Audy so worried, but seeing my aunt and uncle. . .

I remember the fear and anxiety when Luna's father found out about the previous incident. I mean, I knew she hadn't told him. I didn't like the idea of it, but I was just as scared as her. No father ever wants to hear about his little girl being harmed by her own boyfriend. I felt so sick after she walked out that door. At one point, I thought she would never come back. Her father is a protective man. He would never let her go back to an abusive boyfriend and she knows that. I know that. We all know that. Audy is a smart girl, too. If she really was being abused, she would do everything she could to get out of that relationship. She knows she doesn't deserve that─no one does. She knows that I didn't mean to hurt her. I still think about that night and cringe. I want to take back that night and erase it. All I wanted was to not have another bad dream. I didn't think I would end up almost suffocating the girl of my dreams.

"Thinking a lot, hmm?" that voice came back again.

"Who keeps saying that? Uncle Wayne, is that you?"

"Try again,"

"Auntie?" I asked,

"Aha, no,"

"Who the hell are you? Stop messing with me,"

"I believe I can't exactly leave, Eddie."

His voice was so clear and close, like it was right inside of my mind. It was like my conscious, but, I wasn't controlling it. I couldn't control it. It wasn't me.

It stopped after a while. I didn't think of it as anything big since I was still hazy. As day drew to an end, I thought how I'd spend this night. I didn't sleep last night and I never fell back asleep after Gabby and her dad left the night before, so you could say I'm pretty worn out. But hey, I'll do anything to not wake up in the woods again.

"C'mon, go to sleep."

I laughed to myself. I was so tired that I was probably imagining the voice. "Yeah, okay," I said, laughing even harder. Man, Eddie, you're completely out of it.

"Let's have a fun night, Eddie."

"Nah," I answered, clicking through the television channels.

"Don't disobey me."

"Ooooooooor what?" I snickered.

I heard a growling, and my bedroom door slammed shut afterwards. No one was outside my room to do something like that. I was startled, to be completely honest. "Who- who did that? That wasn't funny."

"I told you not to disobey me."

"Disobey who?"

"Me,"

"Who the hell are you?" I shouted, knowing that it wasn't actually me talking because I was tired.

A light knock came from outside my door and my aunt slowly opened it, peeking her head through. "Honey? Who are you talking to?"

"Myself," I muttered, knowing she wouldn't believe me.

"Well, you're getting a bit loud. We can hear you all the way downstairs."

"Sorry, Auntie."

"It's alright. And don't slam your door. We've talked about this before."

"But I. . .never mind. Sorry," I said. She shut the door. I felt extremely tired all of a sudden, like someone sedated me. I knew I didn't want to fall asleep, but my eyelids seemed to weigh twenty pounds more than usual. I couldn't fight it anymore, so I let my eyes close and drifted into slumber.

***

"No!" I screamed as I sat up in bed. I sighed, realizing it was yet another dream and that I actually woke up in my own bed. This wasn't as complex as the others. There was something about it that made me well aware that it was a dream.

The clock on my phone read 3:58am. I had slept for a decent amount of hours. I felt refreshed. I went to put my phone back down on the table, but the screen lit up with a text message from Audy.

Audy: are you awake. . .?

-yeah, why??

Audy: had a bad dream :/ did you?

-yeah, but it wasn't bad. wanna talk about it?

Audy: doesn't matter

I swiped and clicked the phone icon on my screen. I rolled out of bed and walked downstairs so I wouldn't wake my parents if I ended up talking too loud.

"Hi,"

"Hey, babe,"

"How are you doing?"

"I'm good, you?"

"I'm fine,"

"You don't sound too fine."

"I dunno. . .I'm still kinda tired and I just. . ."

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"I dunno,"

"Even future psychologists need to talk about things, babe."

She giggled, my goal being accomplished. "I know."

"I'm listening."

"Like, I don't know, it was just weird. It was dark and I couldn't see anything and things kept touching and grabbing me and whispering things. I was trying to find you but I couldn't and I was scared. It's nothing compared to your dreams, but it was still scary. I haven't had a dream like that since I was like, fourteen."

"Yeah, not too bad, but then again I wasn't the one dreaming it so I can't judge you for it. All you need is a good hug."

"Then come give me one."

"But that's so far," I whined.

"You just said-"

"I didn't say now."

"Eddie!"

"Audy!"

"You're ridiculous."

"Am I?"

"Yes, you are."

"So are you,"

"Am not,"

"Are too,"

"Okay, yes, I am."

"Aha!"

"Babe,"

"Okay, okay. Knock knock,"

"Come in,"

"You little shit. I SAID KNOCK KNOCK."

"Who's there?" she laughed.

"Orange."

"Not this one, Eddie."

"Alright, alright. Knock knock."

"Who's there?"

"Little old lady,"

"Little old lady who?"

"Wow, I didn't know you could yodel!"

I didn't know if it was the fact that it was four in the morning or if she just found it hilarious, but Audy started to laugh hysterically. Funny thing is, I'm positive that she's heard that one before. Everyone has.

"Oh lord," she breathed, "I need to go to bed."

"That you do, my dear,"

She giggled, "Thanks for cheering me up."

"Anything for my little yodeler." I cooed.

"Goodnight, Eddie. I love you."

"I love you too, babe. Goodnight.".........................................................A/N: Much shorter chapter than usual.

Chapter 12:

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