Raphael couldn't sleep. He didn't necessarily know why, just that he couldn't. It wasn't like when he was younger and his dreams were filled with unexplainable shadows and freights where he would wake up with his heart beating rapidly and sweat running off his forehead. The sound of his brothers' steady breathing would do little to calm him, as the small noises of their room would continue to plague him even with his eyes open. The rumble of the subway train overhead, the small drip and rush of the sewer, even the creak of the small straw mats each of the brothers slept on as they shifted their weight in their sleep would set Raph's teeth on edge and soon he wouldn't be able to take it. The night frightened him then, and those nights would always end with him running down the hall to the small room that Master Splinter occupied. His sensei would always be sound asleep when Raph would slide the door open to his room, but it wouldn't take much for the small turtle to wake him up. Splinter would smile sleepily and pull his blankets aside as Raph explained his problem and through his tears begged his father to end the nightmares. After he was done, Splinter would get up and make Raph some tea in one of his biggest tea cups and tell his son to drink it until there was none left. Raph would always try and quickly chug the tea, but his sensei would force him to drink it slowly, one drop at time.
While he drank, Splinter would pull him close and whisper into his ear. "Raphael, you are my son. Nothing can change that, and nothing ever will. I am here to teach and protect you. Nothing can hurt you as long as I am here, and my love will never leave your side."
He would hold Raph until the tea was finished and the smell of straw and mint would fill Raph's nose. He had decided he liked that smell; it was the smell of safety and warmth, the smell of his sensei. Afterwards, Master Splinter would send Raph back to bed and the nightmares would be no more. Raph was never afraid after that. It was like his father's presence chased away the darkness and left him feeling comforted and loved. He had never told his brothers of these sleepless nights, and neither had Master Splinter, for which Raph was grateful. He knew they would pester and tease him mercilessly if they ever found out he had been frightened.
But the night didn't bother Raph anymore. It was a part of him now, as was the darkness. As he grew as a ninja, Raph had learned to use the night to his advantage, to let the shadows consume and hide him from his enemies and let them be the ones who were afraid. So this night was nothing at all like those nights. Raph's dreams didn't fill with ghosts or phantoms, the noises of the night didn't seem to warn him of approaching dangers, and the lack of light didn't play with his imagination and make him see things. No, tonight it was something else that drew Raph from the warmth of his bed and the comfort of his peaceful dreams. His eyes just suddenly flew open and his breathing grew rapid, a dark feeling echoing through his consciousness.
Something was very wrong.
He sat up instantly, forcing his breathing to steady and listened hard to the stillness around him. He could hear his brothers in their respective rooms, their breathing indicating that they were still peacefully asleep, and he could make out the sound of the TV still humming in the living room. Everything seemed normal. Raph glanced around his room in darkness, wondering what had woken him up. Everything seemed to be in order, or as in order as a fifteen-year-old's room could be, and there was nothing different from when he had went to bed earlier that night. He considered going back to sleep, and probably would have, had it not been for the feeling. He felt as if there was a choking darkness, an evil force of some kind, a presence that lingered near him, just waiting to strike.
Raph shook his head. Something was definitely wrong.
He quietly unwrapped his blankets from around him and stepped onto the cold stone floor. The air around him felt as if it was thickening and Raph started to feel a growing sense of urgency to find out what was wrong. His heart started to beat faster as he quickly tip-toed out of his room and into the living room. The silence would have been deafening if Raph couldn't hear Mikey giggle in his sleep every couple of minutes, the fact of which made Raph smile. Mikey was so going to get a bucket of cold water in the face in the morning.
Focusing back on the reason he was there, Raph narrowed his eyes and could see that the lair was cloaked in shadows that made it simple for anyone to find a place to hide and wait for the right moment to attack. If, of course, he thought to himself, someone is actually there. Knowing one glance wouldn't tell him anything for sure, Raph quietly did a quick search around, from looking behind every large stone pillar to checking under the couch and TV, even glancing in the refrigerator and cupboards. He didn't find anyone hiding in the darkness, nothing was even out of place and Raph started to wonder if maybe nothing was abnormal. What was he expecting to find, anyway? A big boogie man hiding in the kitchen? A glowing sign reading "danger" in neon?
Raph sighed. Perhaps he was just imagining things. He turned to head back to his room and go back to bed when the feeling came again, but much stronger this time. The anxiety hit him hard in the stomach and he involuntarily gasped out loud. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. He started to shake with fear and sweat started to coat his skin. He needed to do something and he needed to do it fast.
But there's no one here! He protested in his mind. Nothing's wrong! Everything's normal! But he couldn't shake the feeling, no matter how he rationalized it. Raph considered going back to bed anyway, but then a thought occurred to him. If somehow something bad was happening, he would never forgive himself if he wasn't there to stop it. Submitting to the feeling, Raph double checked the lair, and then triple checked and searched even once more for any invaders or possible dangers. After the fifth time searching around, Raph was positive that there was nothing wrong with the lair. But then where was the danger? Raph cursed under his breath at the hopelessness of the situation. Something just had to be wrong, and he couldn't figure out what it was!
Raph collapsed on the couch, breathing heavily. He wanted to give up and go back to bed, but the feeling was more intense than ever. Panic started to engulf him and he had to cough three times before he could get his breathing under control. Raph told himself to relax, and instantly his heart rate slowed. He knew he could figure this out. He just needed a moment to breathe. He closed his eyes and tried to remember what had happened when he had woken up. Had he heard something? Felt something? No, he had just woken up, thinking about how he couldn't sleep and… Raph's eyes shot open instantly.
Master Splinter! He was on his feet in a second, racing towards his sensei's room. He slowed down only to carefully slide open the doors and quickly stepped into the darkness. He stopped for a minute to listen for his master's breathing, and was shocked to find that what he heard wasn't the steady, rhythmic sound of someone sleeping… It was the sound of short, sharp gasps of someone dying.