SEVEN: TRYING TO FALL ASLEEP

Null : IN YOUR DREAMS...

Ethelbert read every single word in slow motion. His whole body shut down, Reese sat on his bed shivering and weeping profusely with her knees folded to her chest. She looked terrified.

Ethelbert shifted his attention to her, he wanted to say something to her but couldn't.

"Ethel...I won't sleep...please help me...i-i don't want to sleep."

Ethelbert rubbed his forehead in worry, stress and fear...now everything made sense to him, the nightmare she had all of a sudden when she've never experienced such.

Reese was restless and it frightened him. He moved up to her and tried to calm her down.

"What if they're joking around Reese..."

"They aren't Ethel...that person called Death said he met me and am suspecting he's the one I saw in my dream...he was a walking corpse! Ethel!! He decayed..." Reese burst into tears while explaining and he pulled her to himself and rubbed her back.

"The priest prayed for you Reese, so nothing....absolutely nothing can disturb your sleep...they're just trying to plant fear in you Reese." Ethelbert consoled her, he wasn't sure of what he said but he just said it to reduce her fear.

"I don't even know what to do Reese...its best we don't tell mom and dad for now." Ethelbert added and Reese nodded vigorously while wiping the tears off her eyes and cheeks with the back of her hand.

"We'll figure a way out Ethel...we will..."

"So all you need to do is take a deep breath and relax Reese, It would be impossible for you to stay awake all night, you have to convince yourself that nothing will happen Reese....vampires don't exist, they're just mere tales...say it Reese." Ethelbert pressed and she repeated what he said.

"Vampires don't exit, they're just mere tales...they're just mere tales...they're not real..."

"Good Reese....they're not real."

Reese felt a little bit at ease but not completely. She kept saying it to convince herself, after some time she finally stopped and asked Ethelbert a question.

"Ethel can I sleep over...just for today."

"You're free Reese...anytime, I'll be here for you. Just don't think about it...don't dwell on it, just clear your mind, in fact think of me..."

Ethelbert kept her phone aside, he didn't want her to see the other unread messages sent from them.

"Let's finish the movie Ethel...at least that will get my mind off things."

And so they resumed the movie in silence and to Ethelbert's relief, Reese came back to her normal self.

When the movie ended they engaged themselves in chatting about other stuff, Ethelbert was back to his normal jovial self while Reese was still battling internally but she covered it. She didn't want Ethelbert worrying too much for her.

After a long talk they decided to retire to sleep. Ethelbert waited for Reese to fall asleep but rather he ended up falling asleep.

Reese's heart raced wildly, her eyes darted from one corner to another in the partially dark room.

Ethelbert had already gone into his own dreamland, leaving her to battle alone. She used the blanket to stealthily cover her whole body, her breathing turned shallow and she tried to relax but it was hard.

She held onto her rosary round her neck and prayed in her mind for good dreams and a successful night.

When she ended her prayer she tried to recall why she actually posted that in the first place.

She recalled a stage where she was so desperate to be friends with vampires, she dreamt of even being good friends with them. She browsed about them, followed many high ranked groups of vampires.

Her eyes widened when she realized something...that wasn't the only stuff she posted...SHE POSTED OTHERS...

'What have you done REESE!' She scolded herself inwardly, she remembered posting one saying;

'I NEED A VAMPYRE FRIEND.' And then another one;

'AM READY TO GET BITTEN, ANY EAGER VAMP OUT THERE?'

'MY BLOOD IS AS SWEET AS WHAT YOU'VE NEVER IMAGINED...I PERSONALLY TASTED IT (grin)'.

There were so many insane stupid post she posted while she was seventeen years old...now look where her stupidity got her.

Reese didn't even know whether to scream or shout at herself.

'God help my soul, I can't die this way.' She pleaded to God in her mind.

'You see! They said don't go looking for trouble where it doesn't concerns you and look what you did.' Her brain scolded her harshly.

'Am sorry...I got so obsessed, I couldn't get them out of my head.' Reese defended herself to her infuriated brain who glared at her.

Reese quickly snapped out of her silly talk with her brain when she heard a noise.

Her eyes were wide and her heart beat increased, she tried to stay still so that whatever monster who caused the noise would not suspect her to be awake. Reese always did that when she was younger up until now...a silly thing!

'Should I tell Scarlett? I should!....or maybe not...what should I do?' Reese refused to even take a peek out of the blanket, she was too scared.

'Should I tap Ethelbert and tell him to stay awake until I fall asleep...but what if I try to tap him and the monster caught me...Reese come on! Stop being a baby.' Reese scolded herself, she tried to relax even though it wasn't easy.

'Reese sleep! Sleep, sleep, sleep...please sleep come'. Reese pleaded, it was torture to stay awake in the night.

She shut her eyes tightly and prayed for sleep but it never came.

"Ethel..." She whispered in a very low voice. He didn't move or answer.

"Ethel." She whispered again but got no response. She decided to just close her eyes and wait for sleep to visit her.

She tried to focus on something more interesting. From time to time she would turn to her left, right and face upward.

"Reese?"

Reese froze, after a while she took a peek out of the blanket and faced Ethelbert. He was awake and he was staring back at her.

"You keep turning on and on...you didn't sleep?!" His sleepy eyes tried to capture her face in the dark.

"I couldn't." He huffed at her reply and closed his eyes for a while.

"Don't worry...my eyes are heavy but its just that whenever I close my eyes I get scared..." She explained. Ethelbert silently turned on his table lamp and faced her.

"Better?" He questioned and she nodded, she moved closer to him and shut her eyes tightly. She was hundred percent sure that Ethelbert would use this against her someday.

To her relief the light actually helped her relax, she opened her eyes and stared at Ethelbert, he was already asleep. She sighed and faced the other side.

She closed her eyes and tried to sleep and this time around it worked. Slowly she drifted to sleep with open arms...

....Reese found herself staring at the sky filled with many shiny stars and there was the beautiful full moon. She let her hand fell the grass beneath her and hummed a song in silence. The night was cool as usual but she felt a cold presence beside her, but she didn't look, she felt it was the cold breeze of the night...

"Reese you're here," a strong whisper filled her right ear.