Sweet Dreams

by J. Clarice

  Sweet Dreams

  J. Clarice

  Copyright © 2020 J. Clarice

  All rights reserved

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  After

  It begins…

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Ten

  Eleven

  Twelve

  Thirteen

  Fourteen

  Fifteen

  Sixteen

  Seventeen

  Eighteen

  Nineteen

  Twenty

  Twenty-One

  Twenty-Two

  Twenty-Three

  Twenty-Four

  Twenty-Five

  Twenty-Six

  Twenty-Seven

  Twenty-Eight

  Twenty-Nine

  Thirty

  Thirty-One

  Thirty-Two

  Thirty-Three

  Thirty-Four

  Acknowledgements

  About The Author

  Connect With Me!

  After

  Scarlett dropped her hands to her sides as she fell to her knees. Scuffling was heard from the other side of the wall as murmurs rose.

  “Scar, what did you do?” Breaths were held as some dreaded and others awaited the answer they knew was to come.

  Tears made their way down her cheeks as she stared at her stained hands that lay on her lap.

  ‘What did I do?’

  She wiped the tear away and hardened herself before rising from the ground. She turned as the surrounding wall fell like a curtain.

  “I did what had to be done.”

  It begins…

  “My king, it’s ready.”

  The lowly nightmare kneeled before his king with his head bowed. His skin peeled off his gangly bones and sagged incredibly low yet still held on. Shivers vibrated off the nightmare’s skin and the king inhaled, letting it’s fear fill his lungs.

  He loved the reaction his presence brought to others. He took pleasure in the scent of their sweet fear, for it fed the black muck oozing throughout his veins; always sending it into a flowing frenzy. The bloodied tendrils surrounding the king grew from the sides of his throne and parted like the Red Sea. They were colored like the dark red blood of a tainted soul and always covered him from view.

  The throne room chilled at the movement with its roofless view of the darkness. Side columns stood high and shadowed what lay on the other side while his council stood in front of them. Their fear and excitement filtered through the king’s skin as they watched with eagerness, already knowing what was to come.

  The lowly nightmare couldn’t fully see the king but had a clear view of his lower body. With curiosity getting the best of him, he dared a peek through the three eyes that lined the top of his head. The king’s face, which was still covered by the tendrils, snapped in his direction. The nightmare squeezed its top eyes shut and bowed its head even more.

  “Forgive me, my king.” It quivered as it stretched its hands out in front of itself.

  It was forbidden to directly face the king unless instructed to. A grisly grin formed across the king’s face and he slowly rose from his throne.

  “My Nightmare, rise for me.” The king’s velvety words wrapped around the Nightmare like a false comfort. “You have brought me such good news; I must proceed with my end of the deal.”

  Like a seductress, the king coaxed the lowly nightmare to ease his fears. He’d done him a great favor after all. He needed intel on a very, very important piece to his master plans, and who better to do it than a measly low life Nightmare?

  The king slowly stepped down from his throne and kept his eyes on the nightmare before him. His council backed themselves in-between the columns as he approached.

  He had unfinished business.

  The nightmare kept his head bowed low and his top eyes closed as he rose on to his crooked back bowed legs. He felt his king circle him and the dark red tendrils lick his skin with each step. They played with his fear, coiling around him while the king's words felt like silk and calmed his blackened heart. The king stopped behind the nightmare and released his power like a hoard of blood that enclosed around them both. The nightmare froze and opened his eyes sensing the danger.

  “My king –.’

  “Shush now, no need for any more pleasantries. I shall give you what was promised from the beginning.” The king’s voice switched from its seducing allure to a snarl that had the nightmare swiveling around to face him. All of its five eyes widened as it finally stared into the face of its King.

  Before the screams could leave its body, the King flicked his wrist and watched with delight at the sight of his tendrils rushing down the nightmare’s throat. They entered through the sides of its body and slipped through the nasty thing’s skin. The king rolled his shoulders as a euphoric chill swept through his body. He loved it every time and would never tire of it. He watched as the nightmare shook and seized, leading up to his favorite part. As his power ate the nightmare from the inside out, its redness darkened. The nightmare’s body vibrated before bursting into a cloud of dripping blackness.

  The king dropped his wall of tendrils and stood in the middle of his courtroom. He motioned for his council to step forward from the shadows and let a smirk form on his lips, blackened from the splattered blood. He’d been waiting for this moment the minute he learned of its existence.

  “My council, it is time.”

  One

  She walked down the staircase and tried calming her nerves.

  The peach dress she wore didn’t help either. It was way out of her comfort zone, but her mother insisted she wear it. Thankfully, she’d been allowed her choice of shoes and paired it with her favorite black heels.

  ‘I can do this,’ she thought.

  Scarlett took a deep breath and walked down the hall that led to the backyard, where everyone was waiting… for her.

  She’d awaited this day for as long as she could remember but now that it was here, she couldn’t find the reason for that want. Moving one foot in front of the other, she slowly made her way to the curtained sliding doors. Scarlett placed her hand on the cool glass and slid it to the side to be greeted by a crowd of family and people she didn’t know.

  ‘Why was this even a big deal again?’

  Her parents and older sister always made a big deal out of it and even started planning from her elementary days.

  “It’s your coming of age!”

  “You’ll be an adult!”

  They always got her psyched for her eighteenth birthday but, as she transitioned from the big dresses and tiaras to worn out hoodies and ripped jeans, a part of her began to dread it.

  As if her gut knew something she didn’t.

  A light breeze caressed Scarlett’s face and she took a deep breath as the smell of her favorite foods filled her nose. She stepped past the doors and heads turned in her direction as the shouts began.

  “HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCARLETT!”

  A smile graced her lips and her worries hesitantly faded. She’d definitely much rather be watching her action movies but she pushed that thought aside and shyly walked down the red-bricked garden steps.

  Her mother, Cher, came into view w
ith her father, Roger, following closely behind. Her parents looked amazing, especially since they looked incredibly young. Scarlett’s mother had on a flowing yet shaping, soft yellow spring dress, and her father matched with his brown and dark blue casual suit.

  Scarlett’s full-blown smile could no longer be contained as her mother came close to wrap her arms around her. No matter how much she didn’t want to be there, her parents put a lot of effort into it, and for their sake, she’d enjoy it.

  “Happy Birthday, my princess,” Cher whispered as they squeezed each other. Scarlett glanced behind her to see her father smiling down at them. She unwrapped herself from her mother and gave her father a tight hug of his own.

  “Our girl is growing up, Cher,” he said as he wiped false tears from his eyes. A laugh escaped Scarlett as he pretended to cry. He was always with the theatrics.

  Turning in his spot, Roger faced the crowd behind them while putting a hand on Scarlett’s lower back. Her mother moved to the other side and tightly held Scarlett’s hand.

  “Today, we are brought together by my beautiful daughter’s birthday celebration. Happy Birthday, my girl! Let the party officially begin!” He threw his arm to the sky at the final word and the cheers that followed were deafening. Thankfully, they currently lived on a ranch, as Scarlett was pretty sure that if they had any close neighbors, they wouldn’t be too thrilled by the loud cheering and music.

  Cher dragged Scarlett into the thriving crowd below, and before she knew it, she was swept in and swarmed. She didn’t know half the people but knew they were her parents’ acquaintances.

  Why they were even there was lost to Scarlett. She deeply inhaled and looked up to the evening sky. The setting sun entered her sights and she wondered what she would give to be somewhere else.

  ‘Here’s to a long, long night.’

  ∞

  Keeping to her word, Scarlett danced, jumped, and laughed. She didn’t care much for mingling but many didn't get the birthday girl’s hint.

  Scarlett didn’t have ‘friends’. Sure, she had the occasional conversation with her online school classmates, but she didn’t feel the need to further those relationships. Conversing never appealed to her. Her older sister, Jenna was the world’s biggest social butterfly and sweetheart. Twenty-eight years old, working in the family’s business of selling wood, and exploring the world. She was beautiful, humble, smart, and kind; all the things Scarlett felt she, herself, wasn’t.

  It didn’t bug her much. She actually liked being the ‘different one.’

  Her feet throbbed and her eyelids felt weighed down by bricks. The only thing on Scarlett’s mind was her huge bed and the pillows she’d bury her face into.

  The party began around five in the afternoon and winded down around midnight. Talk about a big and long celebration. The guests -to Scarlett’s joy- had finally left and it was only her parents, Jenna, and her grandparents on her father’s side. Yawns escaped her mouth as she struggled to make her way into the house.

  Their backyard wasn’t too messy and the thought of staying up any longer had Scarlett cringing. The clean-up would have to be left for tomorrow. She walked down the hallway and turned the corner to the staircase, her endpoint insight. Her shoulders sagged with weariness and as she was about to start up the stairs, she heard her name.

  “Scarlett?”

  She scrunched her brows and turned in the direction of the call.

  “Yeah?” she responded as she made her towards the voice’s location. Scarlett approached the living room and entered cautiously to find her family awaiting her. Her father stood by the fireplace while her mother, Jenna, and grandparents sat on the couch.

  Cher’s face was pulled tight and her eyebrows were scrunched in deep thought. Jenna sat with a worried expression and continuously wiped her hands against her thighs. Contrasting them all, were her grandparents; they were the calmest of everyone.

  “What’s going on?” Scarlett asked, swinging her gaze to her father. He stopped pacing the fireplace and uncrossed his arms as his posture grew rigid.

  “Scarlett, take a seat please.” He gestured to the single couch in the middle of the room and Scarlett was about to begin towards it when she stopped herself.

  “Can I use the restroom first? I’d like to freshen up before we start… whatever this is.” She spoke, unsure of what to call the meeting but she knew she needed to get out before whatever news they had got laid down. Her father opened his mouth but was quickly cut off.

  “Go ahead Scar, just come back down as soon as you’re done.”

  Roger swung his gaze at Cher and they shared a heated look. Jenna pursed her lips and moved to the edge of her seat as if ready to burst, while her grandparents watched with no changes. Scarlett slowly backed out of the room and as soon as she was out of sight, she dashed up the stairs to her bedroom.

  Whatever was bothering her family must’ve been serious but she didn’t want to get into any discussion with the state she was in. Scarlett shut the door behind her and leaned against it as she huffed out a breath.

  ‘Thank, God.’

  She glanced up to her bed, which appeared incredibly tempting.

  As much as she loved to sleep, Scarlett never dreamt in all her eighteen years of being alive. It was always, close eyes, pitch blackness, and wake up the next morning. She hadn’t thought much of it and even brought it up to her parents once. They told her it was normal for some and that was that.

  She’d even come to think of no dreaming as a perk. It made the night pass quickly and she was a light sleeper. Thinking of which, if she were to rest her head for a second, she should be fine. Right?

  It seemed reasonable to Scarlett.

  She leaped to her bed and threw her shoes off right before collapsing against the softness of her blankets. Her body sunk perfectly into the mattress and she released a deep sigh of relief. Scarlett’s body ached and it felt amazing to lay down.

  Unknowingly, she’d made her first mistake.

  Scarlett hadn’t felt her eyelids begin to lower and her breathing slow. Without knowing it, her mind was readying itself for what was to come.

  The last thing across Scarlett’s mind as the familiar darkness clouded her vision, was the banging of a door and her sister’s worried shouts.

  Two

  Darkness.

  Scarlett opened her eyes to see nothing.

  ‘Are my eyes open?’ she thought as she brought her hands up and rubbed her face. Why couldn’t she see anything? Scarlett couldn’t even see her own hands. Everything was pitch black.

  She glanced around and saw not a single speck of light. Scarlett felt she was no longer on her bed and instead, sitting on a floor.

  ‘How’d I get here?’

  Scarlett knew it wasn’t her room because it didn’t feel like her carpet. The floor gave her chills and it sucked her warmth every second her skin was in contact with it. She still wore her dress as the fabric swayed across her skin. Cautiously standing, her bare feet stayed in contact with the chilling ground as she stretched her arms out to feel for anything that might be around.

  She didn’t know for how long she was walking, or even in which direction. Scarlett could’ve been walking in circles for all she knew. She called out for her mother, father, and sister and was met with silence every time. Something dark and cold began making a home in Scarlett’s chest. It slithered its way into her mind and heart, coiling and tightening itself until it’s stifling. Fear was spreading through her veins as rapid as a deadly snake’s venom.

  Scarlett frantically searched the dark for any signs of light. She didn’t know how long she’d been there for. It could’ve been for seconds, minutes, or even hours. All of a sudden, she finally caught sight of something. It was so tiny that she thought her eyes were playing a trick on her.

  It was there. The tiniest and faintest speck of light before her.

  Scarlett hastily made her way towards it, desperate to get out of the dark. As she neared, the speck got lo
nger and taller. A few feet away from the light, Scarlett was able to see all else that accompanied it. The speck of light shone from a crack between a wooden gate with double-doors. They were enormous and dark with intricate swirls of grey and black weaving throughout the mahogany wood. As with all beauty, there was the ugly to contrast.

  Thick, black gruesome chains held it shut. They looked like thick poles that were warped and twisted solely for this gate. The tightened coil around Scarlett’s heart squeezed itself even more at the sight. She rubbed her sweaty palms on her thighs and swallowed the lump forming in her throat. Something dark and mucky oozed from the chains and dripped all over the door. It moved slowly and sluggardly like thick molasses.

  Scarlett took steps back and noticed a dull silver block. She didn’t know how she’d missed it before. It was placed in the middle of a darkened red heart that had muck dripping from the top. She found herself directly in front of it, yet didn’t recall taking any more steps. From her new distance, the silver block took the shape of a handprint.

  Scarlett reached forward and lightly touched the edge of the print with the tips of her fingers. The heart behind it intensely brightened and forced Scarlett to cover her eyes with her arm. The ground rumbled and a ghastly snarl tore through the air. Scarlett’s insides churned and dropped to the pits of her stomach as her heavy and quick breaths got drowned out by howls that followed the snarl.

  Scarlett shakily glanced back to be met by dozens of glowing eyes and instantly knew who the howls and snarls belonged to. They began moving towards her as she frantically turned around. The chains on the wooden door began to rapidly pour ooze which sluggishly made its way down and flooded the ground.

  It slimmed into the creases of her bare feet and every nerve in her body cringed at the unwelcome sensation. The pounding from the herd of creatures behind her vibrated within her bones as they sped up. She could feel them getting nearer by the second.