The lightning lit up the night sky and the storm raged, the windows shaking from the booming thunder. The raindrops pelted like gun fire, rat-a-tatting onto the glass panes with such force that it was a miracle any of them slept at all. Of course, on the islands, tropical storms were nothing to be afraid of, they were normal occurrences and storm windows were so far developed that not even the peach pit sized hail they saw in winter could penetrate them.
Still, he couldn't sleep, the noise was just too much, and the thought of the dreams coming again… He couldn't bear it. He hadn't slept in how long… He couldn't even remember anymore. His system simply went along on caffeine and the occasional cat-nap caught during the day while he was supposed to be doing whatever his friends were. Dark shadows rimmed his eyes, his mind, his vision… Everything was in shadow.
The shadows seemed to swirl, to grope at him, to develop unfeeling amber eyes that penetrated his soul ravenously, and there was nothing he could do about it. Each night, he'd keep the light on, so he could cling to something, the warmth, the friendly yellow-glow… the knowledge that there weren't dark places around him. The TV was tuned to something he didn't care to watch in the corner, but he didn't care, it was the noise he longed for, anything to keep the voices out of his head. That was why his stereo played as well.
But then, electronics could only keep you company for so long… Especially during a storm. Battery-operated camp lanterns were on around his room, their empty halogen lights burning bright, new cylindrical bulbs in each of them. An especially violent crash of thunder, an unbearably bright flash of lightning, a heavy thud at his window… The lights were out.
Riku turned to stare out the window, looking for the origin of the thud, but there was nothing there, and he was alone in his room, with only the lights. He quickly turned on his personal CD player, slipping the headphones on his ears and listening to the calming, happy techno-pop he'd borrowed from Selphie for this exact reason… The thud came again.
His silver-haired head snapped to the direction and again saw nothing, but out of the corner of his eyes, he thought he spied a shadowy form at the other window. He turned, but there was nothing there either. Quickly, Riku got up and shut his blinds and curtains, not daring to look outside, and cursing himself for not thinking to do so earlier, but perhaps that was a mistake.
As soon as the windows were covered, they began to be pounded upon, as if something were knocking at them, both of them, on the second story of his house, with no roof and no balcony to prop someone up, not even a tree. Frightened, he sat on his bed, turning the CD player up to drown out the sounds of the knocking, inside a the circle of lanterns he'd made around his room.
He thought he'd heard the pounding stop and he removed the headphones, hearing silence, besides a light tap-tap-tapping from the rain and the blare of music from the headphones, but no knocking, no pounding. He inhaled deeply, filling his chest with the sweet air of relief and closed his eyes, only for a moment. He exhaled the deep breath, feeling more calm now, and opened his eyes again.
There was nothing to be afraid of, he was just being paranoid. If Sora knew of his fears, he'd laugh at him. Riku smiled, thinking of Sora, then Kairi. His best friends, they were there for him. He could call them. He picked up the phone, pressing the "call" button and holding it to his ear to check for a dial tone. He heard static, grating and unpleasant, but that wasn't the only sound.
"Open… the… window…" The voice was raspy, as if part of the static itself and had a haunting quality. Riku felt his blood run cold, and his body tense, all his hair standing on in. He even ceased breathing noticeably.
Riku quickly pressed the "call" button again, hanging up the phone and picking up his cell phone. He opened the silver flip phone, pressing the call button to check for a dial tone again, and this time, he head it. He calmed again, releasing his breath and holding down the number "1" key to call Sora. He heard the dialing and then a click. Sora didn't answer, no one did. It was as if the line went dead, but his cell phone… That couldn't happen. Even if it was deactivated, he could still make calls, they'd just cost a fortune.
Ragged breathing began on the other line, and Riku froze again.
"Riku…" He froze even more, all his senses seemingly shut down, one thought running through his mind again and again. It knows my name… It knows my name…
"Open… the… window…"
Riku clapped the phone shut, dropping it on the floor, it skidding to a stop three feet away. There was no one to turn to. He was utterly alone. He heard the music stop. Looking down, Riku pressed the on button, but apparently the batteries had died. He hadn't replaced them in a couple of weeks, so it wasn't odd. Still, he couldn't help but to grow more frightened.
A lantern flickered. That can't happen… Riku thought, I replaced those batteries and bulbs today… It continued to flicker, on and off, at an incredibly rapid pace. The pace at which the light died slowed, until it was every minute. On… Off… On… Off… The lantern didn't come back on again. Don't worry… There are nine more.
As if reading his thoughts, each of the nine remaining lanterns died, though it was instant. Eight still on… Seven… Six… Five… Four… Three… Two… One… He was in total darkness. He hugged his knees to his chest, trying to make himself as small as possible. He felt something rake over his arm, and then pain… Liquid dripped down, he'd been cut. His other arm felt the same now, as did his calves… Something was trying to kill him.
"Open… your… eyes…" said the rasping, terribly cold voice, right in front of him. Riku's mind began to race, and his pulse quickened to an even more dangerous rate. How does it know my eyes are closed? It's pitch black… "Open… your… eyes…" the voice was now more demanding, even more malicious, if that was possible.
Riku opened his eyes, but saw nothing. He felt cold, so cold… He was shivering. His arms and legs stung, and he felt the blood beginning to dry, though it still flowed down him. The cuts must have been deep.
"Look… up…"
Why? thought Riku.
"Look… Up…"
"…why?…" whispered Riku, his voice inaudible.
"Look. Up."
"…Why?…" his voice was slightly more audible now, though he could barely hear it himself.
"Look up…"
"…Why?"
"Look up." The voice was now much more insistent, much more dangerous than it had been.
"Why?" he whispered, now his voice strong.
"Look up!"
"Why?" Riku asked, in a normal voice, though cracked and frightened, now it was stronger, strong enough to hear.
"LOOK UP!" He felt his head being jerked up by sharp fingers, fingers that were inhuman and strangely the same as his, and he knew… He knew he'd angered it, whatever it was, and he didn't care to think of what would happen next. He felt liquid trickling in small drops down his chin and neck. The fingers must have punctured it.
Riku looked forward, and saw nothing, but then, it came into focus. Not all of it, but some. He could see an eye, an oddly human, entirely inhuman eye, yellow and red and orange, malevolent and angry, filled with hatred. Hatred for him. He saw a mouth, cruel white fangs voracious in anticipation shining in a light that was not in the room, they were small, but they were covered with blood, as if it had cut its gums with its teeth. Riku knew it hadn't bit him, he hadn't felt anything so small pierce his skin, the only thing it had done was to scratch his arms with the fingers… or claws… or whatever they were.
Apparently, this creature was human-like, long strands of hair passing over both eye and mouth as it stood… Was it swaying? Riku couldn't see it, nor did he want to.
"Riku…"
Riku screwed his eyes shut, expecting the worst. This creature… so vile… would it finally kill him tonight?
"Riku…" the voice was less raspy now, almost familiar and inviting… Still, it wasn't safe to open his eyes. It could kill him, it would kill him.
"Riku…"
"Go away!"
"You're sure cranky when you get up!" exclaimed the voice of Sora.
Riku opened his eyes, he was laying in the sand of their play island. He was safe, there were no cuts on him, it was afternoon, the sun was beaming down… Everyone was there, happy, playing.
"Sorry. I was having a bad dream…"
