Disclaimer: Charlie Bone doesn't belong to me.
Here's to regular updating and long chapters! You get a double treat today! This is a bit different from what I usually write, and if you don't get it at first, well, stick with it and you'll understand. I have to say, this was a very fun chapter to write!
Enjoy, and please review!!
A heavy vapor sat stagnant in the air, cool and clammy to the touch. Tendrils of mist curled about Paton's feet and gathered in front of his face, completely obscuring his vision. "Where am I?" he breathed, waving a hand in front of his face in a futile attempt to clear away the mist.
He shivered, affected by the chill in the air.
The mist was everywhere, the cool precipitation beading in his hair. Every breath he took in this strange place was painful, filling his lungs with frosty air.
"Hello?" he called, but the only answer he received was an echo. "Hello?" he yelled again. "Where am I?" He gasped at the icy pain that shot through his chest; the mist felt like it was passing straight through him.
Paton took a step forward, and then another, staggering through the waves of energy-sapping fog. The effort proved to be too much, though, and he collapsed, landing hard on the unforgiving ground.
"Paton." A shape appeared in the mist, hovering just beyond his range of vision. "Paton, you failed me. You let them win." The shape drifted closer, its figure slowly coming into focus.
He gasped. "Julia!" Slowly, he lifted himself to his knees. "No—"
She drifted closer, stopping just beyond his reach. "It's your fault, Paton," she said. Waves of mist swirled about her face, twining themselves in her hair. "You promised to love me, to protect me…but you didn't."
Paton flinched, his eyes full of pain. "Julia, you know I love you!" He raised himself to kneel on the ground before her, gazing pleadingly into her eyes.
Shaking her head, she drew back from him. "It would have been so much better if you had never come into my life, Paton," Julia whispered, her eyes hard.
"No…" Paton's head slumped down to his chest, and he stared numbly into the swirling mist.
"Uncle Paton." Charlie's voice rang out of the fog. He appeared on the fringes of Paton's sight, looking exhausted and old beyond his years. "Uncle Paton, you were supposed to protect me. You were supposed to be there for me—but you weren't"
"Not you too, Charlie," Paton whispered hoarsely. "I have always been there for you." He clenched his fists and tried to stand, but his strength failed him yet again and left him kneeling on the ground before his nephew.
More figures materialized out of the mist: Charlie's mother and father, pointing accusatory fingers at Paton. Amy drew closer, her gaze unforgiving. "You let him get hurt, Paton," she cried. "We trusted you with Charlie's safety, and you let him get hurt."
Lyell's eyes held a betrayed look. "I thought you were my friend. I trusted you, Paton."
Looking around helplessly, Paton felt a wave of guilt sweep through him. "It wasn't me, Lyell, Amy. I swear I would never let any harm come to Charlie!"
"But you did," they murmured, drawing closer, "you did."
Another figure appeared out of the mist. "Mr. Yewbeam," Emma wailed, tears streaming down her face, "why did you let my auntie get hurt? I thought you loved her; I thought you would protect her!"
Paton shook his head furiously, his black hair swinging in front of his eyes. "I do love her, Emma! How could you think I don't?" He tried to make the words forceful, but they came out only as strangled whispers. The mist curled about his kneeling figure, caressing his face with its clammy touch. Paton shuddered, closing his eyes.
"You don't love me, Paton." Julia appeared in front of him once more, her expression hard and unforgiving. "If you loved me, you would have saved me, would have protected me. Instead, you left me alone."
The tears leaking out of Paton's eyes carved glistening tracks down his icy face. "No," he whispered. "No…" He tried to yell it, tried everything in his power to make the word come out louder, but his voice was frozen.
Opening watery eyes, he gazed at the blurry, judgmental faces in front of him. "No," he whispered again, defeated.
"You failed us, Paton," Lyell and Amy accused. "You failed Charlie."
Charlie's face swam into focus. "Uncle P, where were you?" Charlie asked. "You weren't there when I needed you the most."
Paton hung his head and let the tears fall freely. They froze as soon as they came into contact with the icy mist, falling to shatter against the grey, cracked ground. Slowly, the mist began to consume him, creeping along his feet and knees.
"I thought you loved my auntie, Mr. Yewbeam," Emma cried, staring at him with empty blue eyes, "but you let her get hurt. You didn't save her."
The mist crept higher, devouring the lower half of Paton's torso as well as his hands, which had been hanging limply by his sides.
Julia stepped in front of Paton. "Why," she asked, even as the mist slunk higher, crawling along his chest, "why did you let me down? I put all of my trust in you; I loved you, and you abandoned me.
"Never," Paton muttered, even as the mist reached up to stroke his neck. "I would never give up on you, my dear. Never."
Her hand touched his chin, and he started at her frigid touch. Ever so slowly, as the mist swirled about his neck, she tilted his head up so that he was staring her in the eyes. "Oh, but you did, Paton. You did."
As the mist drifted almost leisurely across his face, the last sight that Paton had was of Julia's brown, accusing stare. Voices swirled around him in the obscuring grey film, lobbing accusations.
"Paton, you failed Charlie."
"Why weren't you there for me, Uncle P?"
"Paton, I thought you loved me. You told me you loved me."
"Mr. Yewbeam—"
"Paton."
"Paton." This voice sounded familiar, but warmer than it had when he had last heard it. A gentle hand touched his brow, brushing away the sweat that had gathered there. With a gasp, Paton sat up, looking wildly about. "Where am I?" he asked, shaking.
His eyes were open, but they were not seeing anything; he was still halfway between the worlds of dreams and reality. Cool hands took him gently by the shoulders and lowered him back to the pillows. "It's alright now, Paton. You're safe now."
His eyes fluttered open again, this time taking in his surroundings: there was the warm wood of the bookshelves that were nestled in the back of the room, the light and soothing color palate of the room itself, and the warm sheets and pillows that smelled uniquely of home. He took comfort in the bright morning light that was trickling through the blinds at the window; the dark thoughts in his mind were pushed back by the realization that he was home. "It was all a nightmare," he breathed. "The whole thing was just a bad dream."
He sat up a bit, resting his back against the headboard of the bed. Turning his head, he saw Julia sitting beside him, a worried frown on her face. "Julia," he whispered, "is it really you?"
She blinked, surprised by the question. "It is," she answered, reaching up to smooth his damp hair away from his face. "I'm here, Paton."
Paton took a deep, refreshing breath of air. "And," he asked, hesitating, "you trust me, don't you?"
Julia's eyes opened slightly, instinctively drawing closer to him. "Of course I do."
Turning, he pulled her into a tight hug, burying his head in her shoulder. "I will always be here for you, Julia," he said lowly. "Always. I promise."
She held him close, stroking his hair comfortingly. "I know," she said. "And I will always be here for you."
He lifted his head from her shoulder and kissed her, bringing a hand up to cradle her cheek. "I love you, Julia," he said when they broke apart. "I love you so much."
"I have always known that, Paton," Julia said, returning his smile. "I knew it long before you ever had the courage to tell me."
The sheets rustled as Paton lay back down on the bed. "What a horrible nightmare," he murmured, closing his eyes. "Everything was so real…"
Julia rested her head on Paton's chest, listening to the comforting sound of his even breathing. "I know it was," she said. "You were thrashing about, and nothing I could do would wake you."
"Forgive me," Paton said quietly. "I did not mean to worry you, my dear."
Laughing quietly, Julia took one of his hands in hers. "It's not your fault, Paton," she said, tracing a pattern around his palm. "You can't help what you dream."
A slight smile appeared on his face. "No, I don't suppose you can. All the same, my dear, I apologize."
"Are you quite certain that you're alright?" Julia asked, sitting up to peer worriedly into his face.
Paton looked into her warm brown eyes, which were a far cry from the soulless eyes of the specter in his nightmare. Julia was with him; Julia loved him, knew that he would always be there for her. Lying in the bed next to the woman that he loved with all of his heart, Paton smiled and erased the memory of his nightmare.
"I will be."
I used to hate writing/reading angst, but now I've gotten addicted to writing it every now and then. Of course, I'm also just as addicted to writing fluff, so I couldn't resist throwing a bit in at the end =D Hopefully you guys enjoyed reading this one as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Reviews are lovely!
