Children of Light Chapter 2 + 3

Chapter 2
Instead of going out to do something on Sunday, he and Aaron just stayed at his apartment.  Skylar was still freaked out about last night and didn’t feel like going out and drinking.  Maybe a few days completely sober would help him get over the latest nightmare.  It never worked before, but then again he never saw a black beast in the mirror before either.  Something had to change. 
         Aaron gave him an odd look when he came from the kitchen with only one beer, which Skylar handed to him.  “Is there none left for you?  I’ve got some in my car if”-
         “I’m not up for it today.”
         “You can’t still be hungover.  I drank way more than you last night.”
         “I’m just in the mood for a day off.  Long night of freaky dreams, you know?”
         “How freaky?” he asked, eyebrows raised, automatically assuming ‘freaky’ meant ‘dirty.’
         “Nightmare freaky, idiot.”
         Nightmares he didn’t want to discuss.  He never told anyone about the dead girl in his dreams.  What would people think?  They’d probably think he was looking to kill someone.  Sometimes he thought that too, before he realized that he was always running to save her.  “Where’s your mom at?” Aaron asked him. 
         “Work.  She left a few hours ago.”
         He took that as an invitation to pull a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and light one up.  “She wouldn’t care if you did that when she was here,” Skylar said.  “She smokes sometimes.”
         He shrugged.  “You never know with parents.”  He flicked his lighter a few times, lit the cigarette, and drew in a long puff before smoothly blowing it back out through his nostrils.  “She seems cool, but you just never know.”
         Skylar got up to open a window so the smoke could drift outside.  He didn’t care that Aaron smoked, he just hated the smell that came with it.  “When I woke up this morning I thought I got shot in the arm,” Aaron joked, looking down at his bicep.
         “Sure as hell feels like it sometimes,” Skylar agreed. 
         “Gonna be sweet when we can unveil them though.”  He took another long drag on his cigarette. 
         “Yeah.  Think Jessica will like yours?” he teased.
         Jessica was a girl Aaron had dated last year.  She was a good girl, but was stupid enough to give him a chance, along with her heart.  She dumped him almost five months ago when she caught him doing drugs, after explaining at the beginning of their relationship that she would not be with him if he was into that.  They’d tap-danced around each other ever since.  They occasionally hooked up, mostly when he begged her to go out with him again and told her that he was a changed man, but it never lasted for more than a week.  They couldn’t stay together, but they couldn’t stay away from each other, either.  “She loves me,” Aaron always told Skylar.  “She just doesn’t want to admit that she can love a ‘bad boy’.”
         “I bet she’ll think it’s cool.  Maybe I’ll even tell her it’s her name in Chinese,” he joked.
         “Like she’d really fall for that.”
         “Yeah, unfortunately she’s too smart.”
         “That’s why she keeps dumping your ass.”
         Aaron punched Skylar right where the tattoo was and Skylar yelled, “What the fuck!  That hurt!”
         “Maybe next time you’ll think before saying something like that to me.”
         “Don’t be such a girl about it.  I was just stating a fact, that she dumps you a lot.”
         In return, Skylar reached around and punched Aaron’s tattoo.  “Shit, that does hurt!”
         He laughed.  Even when they were being total asses to each other, he loved hanging out with his best friend.  He liked that they never had to fake nice to each other to stay in good graces.  They called each other on their shit, and weren’t afraid to be brutally honest in anything.  It was the best kind of friendship, and he couldn’t imagine it being any other way.
         “At least I have a chick.  Hot as hell to boot.  What do you got?” Aaron said.
         “The freedom to hook up with any girl I want.”
         Aaron shook his head.  “That doesn’t exactly make me jealous anymore.  The things Jessica does to me…makes it worth the celibacy when we’re not together.”  He grinned.  “She’d do anything for me.  That’s how I know she loves me.”
         “You don’t love her, though.”
         He shrugged.  “I don’t know.  I care about her.  Love has too many ties to it.  Love gives you permission to change a person into the person you want them to really be.  I’m not ready to change for her, so I guess that means I don’t love her.”
         But Skylar could see that he did.  In the way he got sensitive when he mentioned their break ups.  And even now, the way his voice got softer when he talked about loving her.  It was the same tender way he used to speak to her.  If he didn’t love her, then he wouldn’t keep pursuing her for almost a year, even if the sex was good.  Sex he could get from plenty of other girls.  “Well I sure as hell don’t envy you,” Skylar said.  “I like my life without the drama of a girlfriend.”
         “It’s not so bad.  You know, Jessica’s got a sister.  Maybe”-
         “Don’t even think about it.”
         He had no interest in a girlfriend.  Random hookups, sure, but not a girlfriend.  It was easier to sleep with a girl without having to worry about how she felt in the morning or if she was going to demand dates from him.  No girlfriends made life easier. 
         Aaron stuck around for most of the day, until he had to go to work at his parents’ bakery.  He hated the job, but he agreed to work there when he lost his job last month.  He had to pay the rent for his apartment, and working for his parents was better than living with them, he decided. 
         Skylar was left alone in the apartment, and he wished that his mom was home for some company.  Ever since the nightmares started, he hated being alone.  When he was alone, the darkness weighed on him and he felt like he was dreaming again, even when he was awake.  He wished he had a pet, a dog or a cat to talk to to diminish that lonely feeling. 
         Instead of waiting around for the darkness, he got up and went out, looking for anything to do.  It was too early in the day to go to the club, so at first he just walked around the streets.  He lived in a middle class neighborhood, covered mostly in houses turned into upper and lower level apartments on his block.  A few blocks away were a McDonalds and a Laundromat, but everything else worth going to was at least eight blocks away.  He wished he lived deeper into the city like Aaron did. 
         On the block where Aaron’s apartment was, there was a Starbucks, two diners, a bookstore, a gas station, another Laundromat, and a bar.  Everything he needed was within walking distance.  Skylar was almost tempted to get a job and move into the same building, just for the freedom of it.  Aaron always talked about how nice it was to walk about and do whatever he wanted in the apartment.  He could smoke, drink, have Jessica over, buy whatever food he wanted, really anything that he wanted to do.  It sounded great.  Skylar wished he was turning 18 instead of just 17. 
         Thinking of his birthday reminded him of the extra cash he’d gotten from his grandparents card the other day.  He looked into his wallet to see how much he had left.  Sixty dollars.  He walked back home to get his car and drove to Best Buy to browse through the new Wii games.  He purposely took his time so the day would go by faster.  It took almost two hours of browsing through the store to decide on the newest Mario game and a Metallica CD. 
         The sun was starting to set when he left and started driving home.  His mom would probably be home when he got there, maybe even want to play the Wii with him.  Hanging out with her didn’t sound as bad to him as he knew it should.  He loved his mom, and she was cool.  Definitely not like other mother’s he’d met. 
         He was stopped at a stop light, about ten blocks from home, when he glanced out the window and saw a rundown church.  It was once a grand sight, with the steeples and large stained glass.  But now, after years of poor care, it was dark and drab, almost unapproachable.  At least that’s what he thought until he saw someone approach it.  And not just any someone. 
         It was his girl.  The girl from his nightmares.  He was sure of it.  Even with the fading sunlight, he could see the face that had haunted him for weeks.  The large, innocent eyes were what made him know for sure.
         The car behind him honked and he realized the light had turned green.  But now he had no intention of going straight home.  He turned right and parked in the deserted parking lot of the church as he watched the girl slip through the doors and disappear.  Losing her was not an option.  He had to know who she was, why he kept dreaming about her.  Maybe she was simply someone from his past and he just couldn’t remember.  Or maybe he saw her in a club and his mind was just playing a cruel trick on him.  Whatever the reason, he had to find out. 
         He took his keys and shoved them in his pocket as he approached the church steps.  Now that he was closer, the church was even more intimidating.  The bricks were dirty and smoothed over with a slick, dark moss, and the door looked like it would fall off its hinges at any second.  Why would she go in there?  Was she homeless or something?
           He gently pushed the door forward and felt that it was actually much stronger than it looked.  Inside, it was dark and musty, but a sudden peace fell over him as he went inside.  He was no longer nervous about the place.  He felt like it was any other church that had been kept up and used throughout the years.  “Hello?”
         His voice echoed once in the room and then there was complete silence again.  Where had she gone?  There were no foot prints in the dust on the floor, no sign of life anywhere.  There were two doors on either side of him in the round room, and in front of him was a horizontal hallway, but it was closed off by a sliding door with two small windows.  He went around and checked every door, finding them all locked.  “Can you just tell me your name?” he called out, knowing she had to be somewhere. 
         He wanted answers!  He was sick of the nightmares, sick of walking through his day tired because he could only get a few hours sleep at night.  He wanted to get this girl and her death out of his head!  “Just answer me!”
         His temper got the better of him and he punched one of the doors, causing dust to fly and the door to creak and groan under the strain of his fist.  He didn’t stick around.  He went back out to his car and sat there, his head against the steering wheel.  Was he going crazy?  There was no proof that that building had been inhabited in years, except for his glimpse of the girl as she slipped through that door.  Was it another one of those waking dreams he had before?  Or maybe he was just thinking about her so much that he imagined her there. 
         He drove home in a hurry and absorbed himself into his new Wii game to forget about her and the church.  His mom came home soon after, carrying a bag of groceries in with her.  “Hi, hun,” she said when she saw him.  “I thought you’d be out with Aaron.”
         “He was here earlier, but he had to go to work.”  He held up the spare Wii remote.  “Wanna play?  It’s a new one.”
         “Maybe later.  I just need to soak in a hot bath right now.  It’s been a long day.”
         She put the food away and went straight to the bathroom to start her bath water.  Skylar paused his game to see what kind of food she bought.  Nothing great; some chips, bread, sugar, and a carton of milk.  He grabbed a bag of Tostitos and went back to the living room.  With school tomorrow, he should’ve been going to bed, but he didn’t want to go back to the nightmares.  If he could, he’d stay awake for the rest of his life. 






Chapter 3
         The pinpricks of needles were all he could feel throughout his entire body.  It felt like that tattoo gun was poking him all over, relentlessly torturing him as he curled up into a ball of pain.  He opened his eyes, hoping the pain would fade away with this horrible dream, but all he could see was a bright light that burned his pupils.  He closed them quickly and tried again, getting the same result.  If this was a dream, it was the most vivid one he’d ever had. 
         But if he really was awake, what was going on with him?  Besides the needle pricks, his body felt like it was stretching, like his limbs were being pulled in different directions.  His insides felt compressed and ready to burst through his skin.  Every part of him ached, and he didn’t know what to do.  He tried laying perfectly still, willing the pain away with his mind unsuccessfully.
          “Skylar?” 
         Her voice sounded like a foghorn blowing right into his eardrum.  “Mom, not so loud.”
         “I’m just talking.  Are you hung over?”
         He covered his ears, wanting the noise and the pain to stop.  “No.  I don’t know what’s going on.  Can you give me some aspirin?”
         He didn’t think a simple aspirin would be strong enough for it, but it was better than nothing.  He felt her cold hand against his forehead.  It felt like his head had been tossed into the water of the Arctic Ocean.  “Jesus, Skylar, you’re burning!”
         “Mom, be quiet!  Please,” he moaned.
         She handed him two pills and a cup of water.  When he opened his eyes again, the brightness had dulled, but he could see shapes with a bright glow around them.  It made it hard to see what was in his hands.  He had to feel the pills and cup with his mouth.  When he swallowed, a stone formed in his chest and he started to gag and cough until he threw up, the pills coming up as well.  “You should call a doctor or something, Mom.”
         He was truly scared for his life.  He’d never been sick, not even a cold.  What was wrong with him?  “Let’s just see how you feel in awhile.  Maybe you should just sleep it off.”
         “Mom, please.  This isn’t a hangover, trust me.”
         He knew she didn’t believe him because she just set the pill bottle and water on his nightstand and said, “Try to go back to sleep.  I’ll check on you in an hour.”
         She closed the door, and even that blared into his ears.  He hated her so much for leaving him like that, thinking of so many swear words he wanted to spit at her.  Had he ever lied about having a hangover?  Why would she not believe him now? 
         He tried going to sleep, but the pain was too much.  He never fell asleep, but when his mom came back in the room he couldn’t move or open his eyes.  She touched his forehead and felt that the temperature had gone down.  He wanted to scream at her to get him to a hospital, but nothing was working.  She left the room again, thinking he was sleeping and getting better.  He wished the pain would just knock him out, but it was like he was frozen in hell, unable to do anything to stop it. 

***
         
         When the pain had lessened enough for him to get up, simmering down to a dull throb radiating through him, he felt so exhausted.  His eyes opened and the light had dulled, but everything still had a soft glow around it.  The clock on his desk said it was 11:25 p.m.  He’d been suffering all day.  Thankfully it didn’t feel like it was more than a few hours.  He would’ve just stayed in bed, but his stomach was burning for food. 
         He stumbled out of his room, not caring if he woke up his mom, and made his way to the kitchen fridge.  There was leftover pizza from the other night, and a birthday cake he never got to eat.  He brought it all out and ate it quickly.  No matter how much he ate, his stomach felt as empty as when he started.  He moved on to the cupboards then.
         He ate three big bags of chips, two boxes of cereal, a bag of French fries, and a box of crackers.  The cupboards and fridge looked bare when he was done, but he was still ravenous.  The only thing that was on his mind was food.  He grabbed his wallet and left to go get some more.  He was still in his gray sweatpants and t-shirt from when he fell asleep in, but they didn’t feel as loose as they did before. 
Walking felt strange, like the world was tilting on him and everything was changing levels.  He walked four blocks to McDonalds and ordered everything off the menu they had available so late at night.  Everyone looked at him like he was crazy, in his too small pajamas and enough food to feed a family of ten.  When the hunger finally died down he felt like he was going to puke.  He went to the bathroom, but nothing came out.  He dry heaved a dozen times, but that pain was still there and nothing was happening.  He lay on the ground, too hurt to move anymore. 
         His mind was completely scrambled.  Between the pain and the hunger, he couldn’t think of anything else.  He hardly realized where he was, or what time of night it was. 

***

         He ran with speed like he’d never been capable of before.  Instead of the sandbags he normally felt, his legs were strong and swift and carried him along quickly.  Her screams were reverberating off the walls all around him as he ran through the church, bursting into every room and turning to run another direction after seeing it dark and empty.  He was panicked, her screams piercing his heart and squeezing it with a vice grip.  “Skylar!”  She called out.
         It was the first time he heard her speak his name. The pain in her voice cut him down to his bones.  He burst through the front doors of the church, and he was back in that black alley, the white of her dress shining in the distance.  “Hold on!” he pleaded, getting closer to her.
         She was gasping for air, the blood coming not only from her stomach, but from her neck as well.  Her big green eyes were open wide in panic as her body writhed for the little breath that still managed to slip through her throat and out her lips.  He knelt down beside her and put a hand over her neck, trying to stop the blood.  It did no good, the blood just crept between his fingers and spilled all over his hand.  “Skylar,” she gasped, the effort causing blood to creep out the corner of her mouth. 
         “I’m right here.”  He pulled her into his lap and rocked her slowly back and forth.  He didn’t know what else to do.  “I’m here.”
         She closed her eyes as her face contorted with pain when a coughing fit seized her.  Her whole body shook and more blood poured out of her neck and mouth.  His heart broke at the sight of her body deteriorating before his eyes.  “I’m so sorry.  I’m too late.” 
         With her last bit of strength, she raised her hand up to touch his face, her thumb brushing against a tear.  “I”- her words were cut off by the blood filling her throat.
         He couldn’t watch anymore.  He closed his eyes and held her tight to him.  Her hand fell back to his lap, clutching his shirt until her strength waned and her fingers uncurled around the fabric.  Even after she stopped breathing he kept rocking her, kissing her hair like it would bring her back. 
Suddenly, in the distance, he heard a low growl.  He looked up and only saw two yellow eyes staring at him on the other end of the alley.  All his anger at her death filled him.  That thing had killed her.  Now it was going to die. 

***
         Someone came into the bathroom and stepped on his side, enraging him, his entire body heating up and his vision turning red.  He sprang up and held the guy’s throat against the wall.  “I’m s-sorry, I d-didn’t see you!” a voice stuttered out. 
         He was just a kid, no more than thirteen years old.  But dozens of dark things ran through Skylar’s mind.  He saw himself tearing the kids throat out, watching him die like he had watched the girl.  Enjoying it.  He imagined feeling the warmth of his blood spilling on his hand.  It would be too easy.  He could feel his new strength coursing through him, the muscles in his arms thumping and waiting for him to take action.  His body was ready for the vicious attack his mind had prepared. 
         The sight of the kids big, green, panicked eyes was a like a cold slap in the face.  His mind cleared and he couldn’t believe how scared the kid was of him.  He couldn’t believe that he could scare someone like that.  He let him go and ran home.  The things he was thinking about doing to that kid…they were evil.  That dark, horrible feeling was something he never wanted to feel.  What if he’d hurt that kid?  What if he had killed him? 
         Once home, he locked himself in his room and got into bed, sitting up to fight off sleep.  The latest dream, and the things he’d been thinking of doing, haunted him.  This dream was the worst.  She never said his name before.  He never talked to her, never seen the thing that killed her. 
         He wrapped his arms around his knees and stared straight ahead at his bedroom wall.  He couldn’t go back to sleep.  There was no more pain now, so staying up for the rest of the night sounded much better than nightmares of dead girls and fantasies of killing young boys.