Nightmare

"Don't come closer, purple man,

Ahh, it looks like he was poisoned.

He's a vampire?

What are you doing in the middle of the forest?

Tell me, where are they?

Please don't eat me.

Come with me. Keep shut, unless you want to be someone's meal.

I don't know how to cast spells.

Are you not a witch? Ahhh."

"Ahhhhhhhh," Raziel screamed as she woke up from her sleep. She sat on the bed in panic and she quickly turned on the bedside lamp. Her chest rose and fell as her heartbeat accelerated as if it was going to burst out any time soon. She looked around her room and she felt goosebumps making her shiver. Now, she was scared of being alone. The faces of those horrible creatures called vampires just won't get out of her mind and head and she kept seeing them wherever she goes.

Raziel has been traumatized by the incident of that day and she has been having nightmares ever since then. She possibly couldn't tell her parents about her situation as that would cause more drama and stress which she didn't want. Moreover, they might ask her too many unnecessary questions. Her mind and heart were not at rest as they kept beating and making different suggestions to her.

Should she go for therapy? But what was she going to tell her family as an excuse to go see a therapist? No that's not a good idea. She doesn't have any reasonable excuse to offer them. Raziel rubbed her arms as tears gathered in her eyes. How on earth was she going to sleep tonight? She doesn't want to ever see the faces of those bloodsuckers.

Even when she closes her eyes, their faces come flashing. Their bloody red eyes and sharp fangs made her conscious of her surroundings all the time. She had managed to bear that nightmare for the past weeks but they were only increasing and becoming scarier every day.

Raziel picked an earphone on the bedside table and placed it on her ears, intending to listen to some soothing music and maybe fall asleep. She closed her eyes and lay on her back, enjoying the music and humming. She hummed for a while before the image flashed in her head again. "Ahhhhhhh," she screamed, sitting up and throwing the damned earphone to the tiled floor. That was when she let it loose and burst into sobs.

She wanted to sleep. She wanted her usual dreams and not these nightmares. How was she going to escape from it?

"What's wrong Raziel? I heard you scream," Rani asked, opening the door of her bedroom and rushing in to sit beside Raziel on the bed. She hugged her and Raziel reciprocated, hugging Rani's neck and sobbing hard on her shoulder, making Rani pat her back and hair as Rani let her cry all she wants on her shoulder.

"It's okay Raziel, I'm here now. Stop crying, okay?" Rani consoled still patting her back.

"Tell me Raziel, why are you crying," she asked as soon as they broke away from the hug. "Is it a nightmare?"

Raziel nodded her head and stared at her friend who has started crying. Wait! Why was she crying too?

"Why are you crying, Rani? I'm the one who had a nightmare here, so why are you also crying? Did you have one too?" She asked.

"No, I did not. I'm only crying because you're crying and it's making me feel emotional. If you stop crying, I'll stop too. Wahhhh," Rani sobbed, with fat tears dripping from her eyes and Raziel's mouth fell open in disbelief. She wasn't even crying this loud and she was the one who had a scary nightmare yet Rani was crying as if she had a scarier nightmare.

Rani is really so unbelievable. Raziel wiped her tears and watched as Rani did the same and wiped the tears from her eyes, causing her to burst into laughter this time.

"Now why are you laughing?" Rani asked.

"You're unbelievable Rani. How could you cry just because I'm crying?"

"It's your fault for making me emotional. Tell me, what was your nightmare about?" She asked and Raziel's face crumpled. She didn't want to talk about the incident with those vampires and she wasn't so good at explanations, but knowing Rani, she definitely won't leave until she finds out what she wanted even if it means pestering her all night.

"Come on, tell me. I'm your friend, right? If I'm your friend, you'll tell me, unless... unless you only see me as your maid and nothing more," she persuaded, trying her best to look wronged and downcast. No this is emotional blackmailing. Rani is doing this again. She always knows what button to press just for an answer to pop out and it always works.

"Stop it, Rani. You're emotionally blackmailing me again. Fine, I'll tell you b...but I don't know where to start," Raziel said.

"It's just a nightmare. You can start from anywhere."

"It's not just a nightmare. If I tell u part of the story, you won't understand."

"Ok fine. Take your time and tell me the whole story, so I'll understand and know what to say."

"Look I'm going to tell you. But only on one condition. Just one. Will you do it?" Raziel asked.

"What condition? Tell me already. I'm so curious."

"You have to promise not to tell anyone about it. Not mum, not dad, not Jaria, not May. No one at all," she demanded.

"I promise, I won't say it to anyone. This would remain a secret between me and you. We've always shared our secrets back then when we were young. So let's do the same today," Rani promised.

"I...I'm going to be telling you what led to me having this nightmare. It started back then when we were in the forest. I went to my secret cave to cater for my pets and that's when I met s..someone."