Chapter 9
Nightmare Knowledge
I wake to the smell of an English breakfast. My stomach lurches forward making me want to vomit.
"Drama queen."
His voice drifts through the air hugging my ears, as I am about to hug him with thanks I remember how he forced me to sleep last night.
"Git" I hiss. He chuckles and shrugs his shoulders "What was with the promise crap last night by the way?" I ask letting my anger get the better of me.
"I'm not surprised you don't remember," he strides across my room and stares out of my window almost avoiding my eyes. "the pain was too much for you over the following days of gaining your ability. I refused to leave your side no matter how much pain I had to endure. I still stick by my decision, even though it now means that now when you turn your mind to me will be like Bella's to Edward." sadness fills his voice, tears fill my eyes and overflow instantly. "You struggled to sleep one night. You continued to have constant nightmares. I think it was because I left, my thirst overpowering my brotherly obligation. As soon as I came back and touched your hand the nightmares ended without further irritation. I promised you I would never leave your side at night until you change. I was a fool to break that last night…" he trails off hating himself from within. Now I know why he won't look at me.
I drag myself off of the bed and stumble towards him. I hate making him feel like this. I have to make him feel like the older sibling fast but how? I stare down at my feet knowing how to achieve the happy feeling. I take one step forward with my left foot and hook my right foot around my left ankle and pull backwards sending me fast towards the floor. Luscious's hands are under me before I can even brace myself for the impact. He lifts me onto his back just like he did when we were younger.
"You weren't a fool. You were thirsty. In fact you still are! Mum and dad are gonna kick if they see you in this state. You know how they feel about your thirst bro! You know what? I take it back, you are a fool. But you're my brother so I guess that's part of your job." I laugh. Luckily Luscious joins in.
"Let me redeemed my promise Catalie." he begs.
"Fine. But only if I can make my own promise afterwards." I nudge.
He nods gratefully. "I Luscious Jones promise you Catalie Jones that I will hold your hand every night and be with you through every nightmare until you change." he bellows with a rage I've never seen in him before.
My turn.
"And I Catalie Jones promise you Luscious Jones that when I do turn if you ever wish to know what I am thinking, I will tell you the truth with no hesitation." strangely the same rage echoes in my words as I speak them. His talk about staying during my nightmares reminds me about the voice and the howl. "I need to speak to mum and dad." I blurt out.
Luscious sets me down and goes to take out the window to hunt.
"I need to speak to you also Luscious." I continually blurt. "Do you think you can last a while longer with the thirst?" a pain of hurt brews in my stomach from what I ask him.
He turns to me and smiles "For my baby sister…I'd take on great-uncle Emmet. A little thirst won't kill me." he smugs and walks down stairs to the family lounge. I drag behind him down the oak wood.
Thud, thud, thud.
Man I can't wait until I can walk down these stairs as elegantly as the rest of my family. Dang, I hate being the family baby!
I follow behind Luscious into the lounge and slum annoyingly into my usual worn-out blood red poofy. Me and dad had added a padded matching back board when I was younger. I'd even asked Luscious to damage it slightly so that it looked equally aged and only something a freak baby like me could love.
Luscious nods at mum and dad. I wonder if it ever annoys them that they can't really ask the question without Luscious already having an answer?
All three of them then face me and wait for me to speak.
Show time.
"The Nightmares are getting worse! And not just got me I am guessing?" they all hang their heads in shame. "I'll take that as a yes then. Firstly, mum " her head shoots up instantly "were you in my nightmare last night?"
"Yes" she states. She never lied to me and I guess she's not about to begin now?
"How?"
"You are still part werewolf Catalie and so when you are unconscious I can speak to you through your spirit, your dream-self."
I nod now understanding the howl from last night. "But how come you weren't there beside me, why was it only howling you could do last night?"
"Luscious did you-" dad begins
"Fuck no!" shouts Luscious. I curl deeper into the poofy now scared for dad.
"Language Luscious! You aren't too old for a slap just yet young man!" yells dad, quietening Luscious within and instant.
"I didn't raise any barrier blocking mum out father." hisses Luscious. Okay now I want to leave. Its never a good thing when Luscious calls dad father.
"Dad why weren't you in my nightmare last night?" I ask trying to change the subject.
"Me and your mother take it in turns to be with you. Just incase something happens in reality." he looks at me forgetting the previous argument with Luscious.
"How long did you leave me alone for last night Luscious?"
"Speaking truthfully…all night. My thirst got the better of me, it was only when you began to scream that my worry for you overpowered my thirst. I came right back to your side just before it got out of hand." he hangs his head in shame again avoiding my eyes.
So before my head explodes from the new info. Time for a catch up. Fact one: Mum and dad are connected to me in my nightmares. Fact two: Mum and dad take it in turns to be with me in my nightmares. Fact three: Something is stopping mum and dad reaching me in my nightmares. Fact four: they all suffer some form of pain because of my nightmares. There is one more fact missing from that list though. Time to call Luscious out on his promise.
"I don't think you actually left me last night Luscious." a smirk curls up at the ends of my lips as Luscious turns to face me.
Luscious's red eyes seem to agree with me but the rest of his face is clouded with confusion. "That can't be Catalie. I know I went hunting last night. How could I have done that and have been at your side the same time?" he asks, his brows creasing in the middle.
"There's this voice" I confess to them all "inside my head. It's what made me confess about me turning sooner than Luscious did. I never really listened to it fully until then…and last night I couldn't get it to shut up. Thing is…and I dunno if its just me giving it a familiar voice to speak with or what but…it sounds like you Luscious" I say now only looking at him.
Luscious instantly turns to mum and dad for advise. "Please tell me you can explain this!" he barks scaring me slightly.
Dad has his arms across his chest with a puzzled look upon his face. Mum walks over and scoots her way onto my poofy resting her arm lightly over my shoulders. "Mike?" she asks obviously not knowing the reason behind the voice.
"I don't know Jessica. I honestly Don't know. Neither I nor Luscious experienced a guiding voice during the time nearing our change. Luscious?" dad turns to his son and waits.
"I have an idea but I don't believe it's the correct answer to the voice."
"Our family is not exactly correct Luscious dear." says mum making me burst out laughing.
"Do you want to hear the theory or not mutt?" demands Luscious now glaring at me.
"Please carry on bloodsucker!" I throw back at him.
"When I could sleep me and Catalie would experience the nightmares together. Perhaps…" he trails off rubbing his chin.
The suspense is killing me, if he doesn't hurry up its gonna kill him. Literally!
"…perhaps we are still connected through her nightmares and my ability." he taps his chin.
FINALLY!
"What?!" I bark out loud ignoring the confused faces now looking at me.
Come on kid you knew that! Geese.
"Catalie what-"dad begins to ask
"Not you the voice." I interrupt waving a dismissing hand at them all.
Glad to see you made it back to reality in one piece kid though, got to be said.
That comment takes me off track. I shake my head quickly to remember what I am mad at the voice about.
"Why didn't you just tell me the reason behind your existance? And the reason for you sounding like my brother?"
'Cause it was fun to see your face when you were confused is all kid.
"If you don't stop trying to be cocky I swear to God I am going to kill you!" I bark, my voice full of nothing but anger. I stand up off the poofy strengthening my point.
You can't do that kid. It would be suicide. I'm a part of you remember?
I swear to God I just heard a snicker in my head.
Listen kid. Sorry for being a pain but fact time. Fact one, you're never alone in your nightmares. Fact two, only one of your parents can ever be with you at one time. Fact three, Luscious is with you both in reality and in the nightmares. Fact three, all three of them are connected to your nightmare-self, not just your mum and dad. Fact four, your mum and dad only experience the pain because they argue with you sub-conscious.
"Wait a minute. Back up, back up. Why do mum and dad argue with my sub-conscious? And speaking of which. How?" I ask looking like a psycho talking to myself.
I'm your sub-conscious dummy. Your mum and dad feel that I should lower the barrier I hold leaving them with no real entire to your nightmares. Before you start to argue the barrier is kind of a compulsory thing! Once Luscious changed and left your nightmares the barrier was a reflex that I can't lower. Not won't but can't!
"Okay info overload." I mutter as I fall to the floor from exhaustion. Luscious's hands are on me holding me under his wing before I hit the floor. I snuggle into him too tired to fight him tonight from letting me sleep. "Just let it finish fact filing for me. I'll tell you everything it tells me with no interruption." I clue them in on S.C's (sub-conscious. What? I had to give it some form of a name. "The voice" just sounds like a character from a cheesy horror movie.)
Now let me carry on please!
"Fine."
Fact five, Time is short. The change will happen soon. And finally, fact six, your abilities need rendering. Now!
"Can't I at least sleep first?" I beg still in Luscious arms.
Yea, Yea. Sure. Whatever.
"Thank you" I answer sheepishly.
"Tomorrow I think we should begin. What do you think Catalie?" asks dad stroking my face and pulling a few stray strands of hair back with the rest of it.
"I think I should sleep first. Please?" I ask nearing begging.
"Of course princess." answers dad, he bends down and kisses me lightly on my forehead. He walks out of the room up to his and mum's room. Mum jumps up off the poofy, hugs and kisses me and also strides off to bed.
"Gonna kick the hay are you then sis? Surprised S.C is letting you!" Luscious says rocking back and forth.
"Shut up leech." I squeak as sleep captures me.
"Dog." answers Luscious.
I send a ball of air to smack him in the back of the head.
"Ouch!" yelps Luscious.
Ahh…sweet dreams.