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I scramble to the door, yanking the doorknob. It clicks, but something heavy blocks it. It won’t open.
“Mommy!”
The sound of her voice reaches me, low and broken. “It’s okay. Get back in the closet. Mommy spilled something.”
Something scrapes along the floor.
“Mommy, please, I want out!” Now, it’s me pounding against the door.
“Lilian, get back—” Another thud.
I turn the doorknob again. This time, like magic, the door creaks open.
They both lie there. Red paint around them. The monsters got them.
Hide Lil. You need to hide.
And that’swhat I do. My feet carry me outside. In my hurry, I stumble at the top of the stairs. Pebbles sink into the skin of my knee.
“Dummy. Who runs with closed eyes?”
I stare up at a boy, his hand extended.
“You don’t need to be scared. Not with me around.” His voice is gentle and soothing. “I’ll protect you.” His face is a blur.
I blink, trying to clear my vision. “Are you a—”
The world shifts. Darkness engulfs me, and I gasp, my eyes flying open.
“Lil?” Sebastian’s voice cuts through the haze. “Princess, hey, look at me.” His hands cup my face, his thumbs brushing away the tears I didn’t realize were falling.
I stare at him, my heart pounding, my mind still caught between the dream and reality.
“Sebastian?”
His head bobs up and down, his eyes filled with concern. “I’m here. You’re safe.”
I sit up. “I… I saw them. My parents. And there was so much blood, and I couldn’t…” A sob catches in my throat.
He wraps his arms around me, drawing me against his chest under the sheets. “Shh, it’s okay. It was a dream.”
But it wasn’t a dream. It felt like a memory.
“There was a boy,” I mumble into his chest.
His arms tighten around me. “A boy?”
Maybe Levi? Or Landon? Jason? “I couldn’t see his face.” But… he was familiar. Like I knew him.
“It was a dream, princess. You’re safe now.”
I want to pull away, to hide how vulnerable I feel. I’m still mad at him. But his touch feels so good. Safe. I lean into it despite myself. “I’m fine.”
“You’re shaking.”
I hate you. “Just a bad dream,” I murmur. “It’s nothing.” I rub my eyes, trying to remove the images. The blood. The screams. His heartbeat is steady under my palm. Grounding.
“I’ve got you,” he whispers into my hair. “You’re safe.”