Chapter 7: Medium

Alessia got a call at the dying end of the night, we all were wide awake. Sleep was haunting us now, we didn't trust each other, rest alone anybody else. All the sharp objects were taken care of, we couldn't think of anything else. One-point Rayn had a mental breakdown, he wanted to save one sharp object to protect himself. "We don't want to become each other's enemy" Jennifer consoles him. However, it wasn't enough.

"You think we are friends anymore!" Rayn yelled at her "Andrew might decide to save his new girlfriend over our dead bodies, but I don't get to choose! I have to stay by your bullshit and listen to crazy voices muttering in my ears! No, no, I say we keep something to protect ourselves."

"We could at this moment become weapons to kill each other or save each other" I got close to him.

"There's no saving us from this…nothing can save us if we stay in this hell." Rayn evoked me.

"Then leave." I never hated him as much as I hated him at that second. "You and Jenni don't have to stay. But I am not leaving Dream." I kept my anger tamed. Alessia broke, I could see guilt in her eyes.

"I won't leave either, my aunt is coming with a father in the morning, none of you guys have to stay. Please leave." I was baffled by how easily she counted me with others like I was nobody special to her, the truth was I was more important to her, she needed me, but she is ridiculously selfless.

"We won't leave Sia," Jennifer said but Rayn stopped her. Jennifer stayed in the dilemma, her heart split into two.

"Please guys, it's for the best." Alessia looked at me. I looked away; I shook her hand off mine. And went to my room, Alessia entered after me, but I still didn't engage with her.

"You know it's all because of me, right?" Alessia's voice cracks.

"We all decided on the house, you were the only practical one who tried to stop, only one who wants to stay by Dream's side even under these conditions…And somehow it's all your fault! Amazing deduction Sia." We all used to call her Sia, I was the one going around giving everyone's pet names, she hated it. She wanted to be called by her name, Alessia. That name made her feel strong and confident, but she never stopped me from calling her Sia, nor did she stop any of us from anything. Then why when she was so desperate to stop us, why didn't we listen? We should've listened.

"I didn't tell you guys, because I was scared you wouldn't believe me. But I knew that nothing would happen to me at this place." I looked at her with a thousand questions. "Since I was a kid, I could see things, feel things, negative energy mostly. One night I saw something in my room, my father was drunk, and in rage, he threw me back in my room. Locking the door, trying to prove that I was just making things up. That thing moved like a lizard on the ground, so close to me, I held on to the cross and prayed. My body warmed up and that thing couldn't come near me. I always feel a core of light in me, later I encounter numerous events, and every time my light inside fights against all of it. Andrew, I can protect myself. I just can't stand you guys getting hurt."

My anger dissolved. I held her in my arms, I know her soul, it's pure but I never knew how much she had to go through her entire life just to protect herself and how hopeless she might feel if she can't even protect the people she loves.

"I never told you, but you know it." I am almost on the verge of breaking down. She connects our heads, her fingers intertwined with mine.

"I know."

"Let me say it." I looked deep into her green eyes. My heart is screaming that I love you with all my heart and soul.

"If you say it, then I can't let you go. Don't do this." Her tears were begging to me.

"Whether I say it or not, I am not leaving you." I left the room wiping my tears away. We stand on different grounds with the same thought in mind, protecting what we love.

I talked to Jennifer and Rayn telling them the truth, I felt that was the right thing to do, that they sould leave as soon as possible. Jennifer is hesitant but she will take Rayn's hand, that was their love. I didn't blame them, honestly, I wanted to see them safe. Knock on our door, Alessia rushed to get it, like she already knew who it was.

Alessia's aunt Anne stood in front of our door. She looked a lot like Alessia with green eyes and glasses. She didn't enter the apartment right away, she looked at the door having 07 numbered. She looked for the trashed-out place and exhaustion on our faces.

"Aw you poor kids" entered Anne, she had the gentlest touch and warmest hugs and pats. Anne was like Alessia, a psychic, she was well versed with the practice than her. Alessia spent her entire life avoiding it, and Anne learned from her experiences. She first checked on Dream, who was still out. She looked at her condition, holding her heart and she let go of prayer for her. After hearing what was going on, she did all her research. There lived a woman in our apartment before it was broken and made into a big one. She lived alone, supposedly she was mentally ill, and currently living in an asylum. She pointed out after hearing our parts that the best way to go in the matter was to meet that woman first. Maybe she would know something more. We all decided to go down to the asylum leaving Dream with Anne.

Jennifer went into her room to get a scarf and some other necessities, but all of a sudden, the door slammed on her. Jennifer resealed a death scream, banging on the door. We all emerged in front of the door trying to open it, but with all the locks broken, it was nearly impossible to open. With Jennifer yelling "Open the door! Open the door!" Rayn charged at it like a maniac. The door can't be locked from either side. Jennifer was crying, struggling to open the door from her end as well.

I yelled "move back" to Jennifer, in my head I wanted to ax through the door, can't imagine how Rayn wanted to demolish it. Then together we attempted to break the door down. Using our full body strength however it wasn't enough, we were worn out from endless nights of not sleeping and fighting to survive. At that time Dream's laughter echoed, Anne moved to Alessia's room, where Dream was still attached to the bed, her eyes going behind her head as she spits out blood. After several tries, we couldn't break the door, Alessia went to fetch a tool, the bag where we kept everything was tightly sealed. Suddenly a strange silence, and the door abruptly opens on its own. Jennifer on the other side terrified for her life, Rayn without wasting a second approaches her. However, I saw the door in motion again like it is waiting for Rayn to do something stupid. I could feel something was wrong, I pulled Rayn, and at that second the door slammed. Screams of fear echoed in the apartment, and Rayn almost caught his arm by the door. His hand would have been crushed between the door and the frame. I grabbed the fire extinguisher from the kitchen and tried to break the door with Rayn trying by my side attempting the same.

"Move!" Anne yelled behind us, her cross hanging in her bracelet. "You are a demon, a sinned soul, and I command you to move back, I said move back!" With echoes of screams from the walls to Dream, the door was opened. Jennifer stood quivering on one side. We went in to get her out of there.

After some time of calming down, Jennifer explained what had happened "I heard a woman's voice echo, I couldn't make out what it was, all I knew was that someone was in the room. I looked around and found nothing, then I heard you guys in the other room. So, as I went to open the door it won't open. I heard the echo again and it felt like someone was with me."

Anne finally spoke to explain "All you guys hear are voices of the walls, you might see people however there's no one except one demonic entity inside Dream, you all will be haunted by these voices unless you break free from it yourself."

"What does that mean?" Rayn asked, confused like we all were.

"You guys will understand better when you go meet this woman. I hope you guys choose each other as strengths, not a threat. The father will come later, still, try to return before that… go now" Anne's words were randomly thrown at us but sure we did meet the meaning soon.