Not So Empty House (Part 4)

I couldn't get rid of that haunting memory. It wouldn't let me sleep, focus nor work with my body properly. Just when I woke up in a cold sweat, I noticed that it wasn't even 4 AM.. I woke up too early. I couldn't fall asleep after all those images flashing before my eyes so instead, I got a grip and left my room in my messy state. Fortunately, I wasn't the only one that wasn't able to rest. As I walked down the stairs, went into the main hall, I noticed a light coming from the living room.

"Is someone still.. awake?"

I mumbled to myself and peeked inside the lit up room. Just what I thought! Bream was sitting in an armchair across the room, knitting with the speed of light! Or at least, if this is what a normal speed of knitting looks like, then I'm really in behind. Either way, she seemed to have noticed me behind the door and encouraged me to come in. I blink twice, processing my actions within my brain. "Ah.."

I nod then, opening the door fully and stepping inside the warm living room. Heating on, candles lit up, sweet scent of dried fruit on the table, soft wool, fireplace working nicely, oh the comfortable looking blanket.

"What are you staring at, take a seat, no?"

She speaks up again. She doesn't seem to care that I'm awake this early. I come closer and sit down on the couch, looking over to her, watching the pleasing view of her smooth flawless knitting. One of her hobbies..

"Hahah~ Yes. It's very calming!"

Bream chuckles and to my surprise- she has just answered my own thought!

"E-eh?! Did you just-"

"Nah, I knew you'd think like that, so I didn't mind to answer it instantly!"

I stare at her in astonishment. Couldn't believe that she'd know. I lie down on the couch, nuzzling into the covers and the blanket. So warm and comfortable, stuffing the pillows under my head and listening to Bream's rhythmic knitting. Closing my eyes. It all merges together. Fire cracking, leaves outside rustling and whispering, inhaling the sweet smell of my home.

"You couldn't fall asleep because of what happened yesterday, am I correct?"

I nod through my body slowly falling asleep.

"So obvious. You want me to stay here?"

I nod again, nuzzling in the soft fluffy pillow underneath my head.

"Feeling safe when you can sleep in presence of someone else.."

I nod once more, only this time, I'm on the edge of falling into a deep sleep of mine.

"Don't worry.. everyone is here to protect you."

Bream finishes and looks at me, smiling. I'm already drooling on the pillow with my eyes closed shut and my brain sinking inside sweet candy floss of dreams. She plants a soft, very gentle and tender kiss on my forehead and strokes my hair.

"I won't let anyone lay their hands on you."

And just like that, I drift off and swim across a sea of wonders. Diving among the comets, playing with each, creating anything that comes in my mind. Catching little butterflies that turn into a smooth glittering stardust. Sky is of pastel colors again. Silky looking, delicate and subtle. Swarms of little lights shine through the colorful heaven - like eyes, so many of them - observing me.

"I want to join them one day..."

I reach out above me, like if I was capturing one of the sparkling eyes from my perspective.

"I wonder who they are."

I swim around in the liquid candy floss for a while beforing feeling heavier and heavier, sinking deeper and deeper, I'm descending lower inside the neverending ocean of candy floss. Calming colors are vanishing and being replaced by much darker shades, darker, darker, darker, darker than black. And I don't feel like sinking anymore. The mass around me isn't holding my body, it becomes a space, empty bottomless space with insane gravity. Numbers of the gravity's casual scale increase rapidly. The air seems tenuous. I fall like a heavy meteorite. I don't want to hit the bottom, I don't want to hit the bottom.. I wish to be a meteor. I want to be a stargazer I finally hit the tough ground and feel as my organism scatters around the place. With that, I twitch and quickly open my eyes. All I see is Camille falling on the ground next to me and hiding a marker behind her back. Was she about to draw me a mustache...? No, somethin... Feels off

"W-WHOAAa!"

She almost screams in hight pitch girly voice. I sit up without any hesitations and grab my hurting head, sizzling at the pain.

"Are you alright?"

Says Andy who was sitting on the ground next to Camille, watching a kid's show on the TV. I look at him with visible spasm.

"Y-yea..."

I answer. He tilts his head and turns his whole body to me, leaning over the couch.

"Did you have a bad dream, Cherril?"

I nod with few other twitches and let go of my head, noticing that everything's blurry. I search for my glasses on the table next to me and put them on. I don't remember taking them off, must've been Bream. I look around. Everything looks much better and sharper now. Andy grins and pushes a cup of tea standing on the table closer to me.

"There, it's still warm."

"Thank you!"

I grab the cup and drink, it's lukewarm but I don't mind. I look at the clock.

"Waaaah? 8 AM?"

Camille stuffs and spoon of cornflakes in her mouth and blurts something through her full mouth, making her look quite funny. I chuckle and sip the tea, seeing that Bream is absent together with Allen.

"Bream's at work?"

I ask, both Camille and Andy nod, continuing to watch whatever the TV showed.

"And Allen?"

Andy looks at me again and noms his honey bread roll.

"He's still in his room." nom "Though I heard him shuffling in the kitchen at the morning.."

Oh my god, I hope he didn't notice me sleeping here!! I thought to myself, sweating nervously with my mouth shut tight. Nuzzling back into my covers and pinning my head down. Uncomfortable feel runs over me. Was he watching meee?! I can't help it, screaming into the pillow seems like the best way to empty my head.

"What's wrong?"

Andy paps the back of me head with Camille throwing her slobbery spoon at me.

"EW! EWEWEWEWWEWE!"

I grasp it with my two fingers and throw it back at her. Therefore we start throwing her terrible contaminated spoon around in the living her. Andy ends up running away screaming, Camille gets a laughing seizure and I stay hidden inside a closet, crying with spiders who were running down their sticky webs right into my face.

"AAAAAAAAAAAA!"

I run out of the closet right into Allen who has made himself the very last pack of soluble coffee. He obviously dropped the cup and started freaking out. "Damn, I didn't know he'd be right in front of the closet with a freaking cup of coffee." I thought.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA MY LAST PACK OF COFFEEEE!!!"

Knowing he's completely addicted to it, I expected to be killed on place. Frankly, I wasn't. Allen kneeled down and cried over his spilled coffee, cursing loudly.

"I DIDN'T DESERVE THIS- I DIDN'T DESERVE THIS!"

He then pins his glare at me and grabs me by my collar.

"HOW DO YOU THINK I'LL BE ABLE TO WORK TODAY, CHERIIL."

I wanted to laugh and cry together, but all I got from myself was a quiet choked:

"M-eh"

I could see Allen's face grow stressed faster and faster. I didn't think he'd get a cold turkey so soon. He let of me and sat down on the ground completely frozen and tired, big dark circles under her eyes and lively body. I stood next to him and started apologizing like mad.

"J-Just- leave me to dieeh"

He wasn't able to form words properly, but I already knew he's not going to do anything until he gets his morning dose of caffeine.

"I'll buy a whole new pack of soluble coffee!"

I proposed and searched in my pockets. They were empty, and I didn't want to bother Andy with it, I also already wasted all his poor savings yesterday. Camille? She's broke. Sigh Just what do I do?

To be continued