Kuwabara tossed and turned in his bed, unable to sleep. According to his digital clock, it was nearly midnight; his first day of fourth grade started tomorrow, and if he didn't get any sleep he wouldn't do well.
But a crushing fear pressed in on him, like the darkness in his room, choking him until he could barely breathe. All he could think about was what had happened on the first day of school last year. He'd left for school so happy and excited, only to find a most important part had been ripped away from him forever.
He couldn't bear it if it happened again.
Unable to stand the oppressive darkness any longer, Kuwabara struggled out of his sheets and nearly ran to his door. He was trembling so badly he almost couldn't turn the handle, and when he finally got the door open, he did run, straight to his father's bedroom.
His dad started awake as Kuwabara climbed into the bed. "Kazuma? What's the matter? What happened?"
Kuwabara threw his arms around him, uncaring of the fact that he was crying like a baby. "Don't die, Dad. Please, don't…Don't die."
Mr. Kuwabara's arms instantly tightened around Kuwabara. "Its okay, Kazuma. I'm not dying anytime soon. I promise; I'm not going anywhere."
Slowly, Kuwabara's tears eased to a stop. "Promise you'll be here tomorrow when I get home?"
Mr. Kuwabara kissed the top of his head. "I promise I'll be here."
Relieved and reassured, Kuwabara closed his eyes and snuggled close to his dad. He hadn't slept in his parents' bed in years, feeling he was far too big for such a thing. But for one last night, he wanted to feel like a little kid, safe and protected from the world by his father's strength.
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