A/N I'm just going to say right now that I'm not happy with this chapter at al but I hope you guys will still like it. If not, that's okay. Also! Sorry for lagging on this story. I'm trying really hard to update it but life and issues and yeah... it all gets in my way. BUT. I will do my best! =) And thank you all who's been reviewing. I read them all the time. They make me very happy. =) Okay, I'm done. Go ahead and read this pathetic chapter. .-.

Chapter 26: Nightmares

"Guys?" the small teen asked in a empty hallway. A dark, misty looking hallway... that seemed to go on and on. "Guys?" he called out again and winced at how his voice echoed loudly through the hall. He walked slowly forward, each step he took the air around him got colder. A shiver ran through his body and he rubbed his arms.

"You guys, this isn't funny!" he shouted angrily but behind the angry tone, nervousness was very much there. He swallowed harshly before slowly kept on going forward... until a creaking noise coming from behind him made him freeze. He turned around and was met with a wall of fog. "Guys?" he whispered but there was no more noises and there was no one. It was deathly quiet.

"I'm serious, this isn't funny!" he cried out before turning back around and began to run. And suddenly the hall was filled with crashes and bangs and screams of pain from animalistic creatures that he didn't know the identity of. The boy ran, ran hard and fast. Heavy footsteps were suddenly pounding after him and he glanced back only to see two red dots there were eyes to an unknown thing/animal that was chasing him. He screamed in terror before pumping his legs faster and faster, urging himself to go faster.

Pictures were suddenly floating around his head as he ran past, pictures that had moving people in them. His friends. His family. Kelly and Gustavo. They were all in the moving video like pictures and in each one, they were running through a long dark hallway with some strange dark figure pursuing them. There was a door at the end of the hall but before they'd reach it, the dark figure would teleport itself right in front of it, blocking their exit.

Chocolate eyes widened with fear as he ran but stared at the pictures still. His friends and family would scream right before the dark figure would swoop down and grab their necks before lifting them up off the ground and bringing them closer to its hidden face. What happened next chilled the running boy to the bone.

The thing brought Kelly in one picture forward and Logan in another picture forward before wrapping its mouth around their head. The sharpest, ugliest teeth the small boy ever seen came into his view and he witnesed them sinking into its captures head, blood immediately spurting out from the punctured wounds.

The boy swallowed and felt tears streaming down his face as he watched Logan and Kelly's struggling forms slowly come to a stop. Then the thing wrapped its whole mouth around their head and sucked until the two bodies kind of dried up like a raisin. The dark figure then proceeded to snap off the heads and put them inside the dark depths of its cloak before disappearing.

The boy running felt vomit sliding up his throat but forced it down. Sobs escaped his body and he screamed when a loud animal like howl came directly from behind him. The pieces all came together soon enough for him; he was in a hall similar to the ones that his friends were in. And now a door, he could see a door a couple hundred yards away from him. A bad feeling gripped his guy and the boy slowed down, shaking so hard as he stared at the door.

The footsteps behind him were gone but he knew what was going to happen. He stopped where he was, standing very still with a rapid beating heart. He waited and waited for what seemed like hours but it was only one minute until it happened.

The thing did appear, but not by the door. No, it had been watching the frightened boy, watched him stop not by the door but in the middle of the hall. The thing knew the boy had figured it out so now it was changing the game up a bit. Instead of appearing in front of the door like it usually did, it appeared right in front of the small boy.

The boy was not expecting that and let out a piercing scream. He tried to scramble backwards but the thing was quick and latched onto his arm with a slimy arm that had claws for its fingers/hand. The boy screamed again before being lifted into the air, his feet dangling pathetically. When the monster, because that's what it was; a really scary gross monster, began to bring him closer and closer to that dark hooded face, the boy freaked out and began screaming bloody murder and thrashed around crazily.

"NO! NO! NO! NO!" he screamed chanted and kicked wildly all around. "NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!"

"Carlos! CARLOS!" someone screamed but the boy wasn't listening.

"NO! NO NO NO NO NO! DON'T! PLEASE! LET ME GO LET ME GO-" the most horrible scream ripped from the Latino's throat before his eyes shot opened, wide and scared and he pushed Kendall, who'd beed straddling him, to the floor and flew off his bed. "NO!" he screamed again and ran to the door.

James didn't think, just acted. He threw his body at the running boy's, making them both fall to the ground. James rolled as soon as they hit the floor so Carlos was on top. His friend was sobbing and shaking and trying to get away but the brunette boy had a strong grip on his shoulders and held him close to him.

"Shh shh, Carlos, it's okay, it's okay." James whispered and felt two bodies kneel down beside him and the crying boy. "Help me up?" the tall boy murmured while rubbing Carlos' back. With the help from Logan and Kendall, James managed to get into a sitting position while keeping Carlos tucked into his chest. Their leader dropped on his knees and added his hand onto Carlos' back besides James' and began to rub it as well.

"Was it a bad dream?" the blonde asked quietly and Carlos nodded before wiggling out from James' grasp and throwing himself on Kendall. The blonde wasn't expecting this but he balanced himsef out quickly before wrapping his arms around his small friend.

"I-it w-w-was so a-a-awf-f-full!" Carlos wailed into Kendall's shoulder, tightly gripping onto his shirt. Logan scooted over to the two boys and wrapped his arm around the shaking Latino. James did the same and buried his face into Carlos' neck. The boys sat there on the floor with their hysterical for 10 more minutes until Kendall suggested quietly that they get up on Carlos' bed.

Logan and James nodded before getting up to their feet. "James, you help them up while I go put 'Lito's bed back to normal." Logan said before heading over to the Latino's bed. James, once again, didn't think and swooped down and scooped up Carlos who gave out a small cry, arms weakly grabbing for Kendall. They all knew, including Carlos himself, that he prefered Kendall in any bad situation he was in. The blonde was just his safe person, the go to guy when he had a problem or was in need of some comforting. It really didn't matter; if Carlos was upset, Kendall was the one he wanted.

"Kendall will be right by your side in a minute, 'Los." James promised as he half carried, half dragged his whimpering friend to his bed. Kendall was right behind James, eyes trained on the Latino. It hurt him to see how scared the boy was. Really, it scared Kendall to see any of his friends hurt or crying, but it was a huge toll on him when Carlos was the one upset.

Honestly, the boy was a child in a 16 year old body. If anything upset Carlos, Kendall was going to be there, whether to kick someone's ass or hug his friend until he stopped crying.

James set Carlos down on his bed that Logan had reorganized, watching with sad hazel eyes when the Latino curled himself into a ball. Kendall was there immediately, holding the boy close him and whispering comforting words into his ear. Logan jumped on the bed next, sitting behind the blonde but close enough to Carlos so that he could rub his legs gently.

James was last and pressed himself to the Latino's back tightly, reassuring the boy without speaking that he was there and was going to protect him from what, he didn't know. James was just there and Carlos appreciated it very much. Just like he appreciated Logan's warm hand rubbing his legs gently and how he was in Kendall's arms, buried deep into that safe chest of his.

The Latino all around just appreciated his friends for being there for him. Yes, he was still scared shitless of his nightmare but he knows (and keeps telling himself over and over again) that it was just a dream. An awful one at that, but it wasn't real. Thank God for that. Carlos couldn't stand losing his brothers. especially like that. Just thinking of those horrible images made the boy press even tighter into Kendall before slipping an arm around to grasp James' hand. Carlos felt his tall friend squeeze his hand before feeling the other male's body press closer to his.

Even though Carlos was feeling a bit better, he was still missing a very important person. "L-Logan." he croaked out and the smart boy was there instantly, making room for himself on the pillows resting on the head boards. Kendall lifted his head up, hugging Carlos closer to his chest as he did so, before dropping back down, Logan now being his pillow. Same thing went for James. The smart boy pressed his face into Carlos' hair before whispering, "I'm here."

And Carlos was complete. He had James behind him protecting him, he had Kendall in front of him holding him tight and he had Logan above him, his body curled so that he was spooning his friends. James' arms came around to wrap around him and the boy sighed. The nightmare was awful but his brothers were here now. He felt safe and that's all that mattered.