12 year old Stu was watching movies, Zombie movies. He loved Dawn of the Dead, out f all of them. His uncle Paul, from his father's side of the family, had given that movie to him on his birthday.

"Ah, how's my little Stu doing?" His uncle had just entered the room. "Watching Dawn of the Dead eh?"

"Uh huh", replied Stu without looking up, his eyeballs peeled to the screen with enjoyment.

"That's my boy", Paul clapped him on the shoulder. "Mind if I take a seat?" "Yeah sure", shrugged the oblivious Stu. His uncle joined him on the couch and sat close to his nephew.

"Yeh scared Stu?" Teased his uncle, after minutes into the movie…

"No way", boasted the boy still not taking his eyes off the telly. "I'm not scared of anyfing".

"Well I am", Paul said in an unusually soft voice. "Those things easily frighten me". Stu felt suddenly aware of his uncle's hand over his shoulder. Something about the contact felt…strange to him, it's not like Paul had never put a protective arm around him before like when they were kidding around and such but…when they were alone in a room, that's when things began to feel uncomfortable for the boy.

"Stuart", his uncle's voice was in his ear. "Can you protect me from the zombies?"

Stu tried to focus on the movie doing his best on being afraid of the monsters in the screen, but his shivering, his fear…came from a monster that wasn't make- believe.

"Stu…" His body stiffened at the contact going under his shorts. "Protect me please". He tried calling for help, but no sound was coming out.

The alarm clock rang, the noise loud enough to wake up the singer who had been wrestling in his bed sheets muttering, "No…stop. Stop! Leave me alone, STOP!!"

He shot up realizing that he was back in his room again, not as a little boy, but as a man. He panted furiously, dripping in sweat till he had enough energy to lift his hand over the snooze button.

He had been dreaming again…but it was not nightmare. He had revisited one of his worst childhood memories in his sleep…of a monster.

"2D", Noodle barged into the room, waving her guitar in her hands, "Murdoc call practice!" The little ten year old was cheerful with coming in to wake up her favorite lead singer but when she opened her eyes, she found the singer still in bed, panting heavily with swollen dark eyes, fists trembling at his sides.

"2D...what wrong?" She asked, soft in concern as he tried to hold back a few painful sobs. "Can...can I have a hug?" he croaked, tears finally streaming down, "I had a bad dream".

Noodle nodded. As much as she did not want to upset Murdoc, 2D in this emotional state was more important than their mastermind's complaint.

She put the guitar down on the chair, jumped on the bed and gave 2D the hug he deserved so badly.

"Don't be sad 2D..." she whispered, comforting the broken singer, "Be happy again".

2D hugged her tight, returning her embrace and doing his best to forget that horrible dream.

"Protect me Stu..."

The memory alone still burns...