P.S. I would like to note that this is not what is being dreamt, this is just a forgotten flashback, a memory that can no longer be recalled by the girl as it is from a young age!
...I don't really know, I hit a block, and started this tangent, and figured I might as well keep it!
...Filler story, AWAY!
...Thanks for reading still!
She didn't want to be in trouble again, she knew that she wasn't supposed to be out of bed once she and her siblings were put there. The lights upstairs had come on, silencing her quiet argument with her older brother she was having, down the stairs from the bedrooms. They had turned on the lights in the dining room so they could see, and no man nor monster alike could sneak up on them in the dark. She noticed before her brother, and froze up, wanting it to go back out. It was only when heavier footsteps could be heard that her brother noticed, looking up the second they hit the stairs. In his distraction, she darted for the stairs going down to the basement, their playroom.
She listened quietly, around the small U-turn, huddled up on the bottom step. She dared not to look back, knowing the darkness lay waiting, forgetting, as she watched up the stairs, the dim light hardly seen around the little bend. She listened carefully, hand over her mouth as she tried her best to be very quiet. Her brother had been scolded for being awake and downstairs this late, his excuses went unheard as he was sent back up to bed, his little steps fading as he went back up to the top floor.
She waited, kneeling on the bottom step, holding the one above. She kept her feet pulled tightly up, knowing that even touching the basement floor with a single toe would make her fair game to whatever was hiding in the dark behind her, waiting for even the slightest mistake to be made. She was about to start quietly crawling back up the stairs, knowing that the lights would be put out, but the instant she moved a single muscle, darkness took over. She jumped slightly, startled by how dark it suddenly became and swiftly buried her face down in her hands, against the carpeted step. How badly she wished to call out and tell that parent to wait, that she was downstairs and couldn't see, but as the heavy footsteps ascended up the stairs to the bedrooms as well, she couldn't make a sound. She feared the monsters in the dark would hear her and find her if she did. Silence quickly took over, a soft buzz in her ears as the top floor grew quiet again. She kept bunched up, hyperaware, listening for any little sound to be made. With nothing but the empty buzz, she slowly lifted her head, looking up at the stairs. Darkness was all around, the only sign of light was from the crooked square shapes on the upper part, the shine of the street posts outside pouring into the living room and faintly glowing against the dark wall. She fought all of the building urges to look behind herself into that dark room, knowing it to be void of any trace of light. Even the path before her was unseen.
She could look up no longer, fearing that something might show itself as she so foolishly kept her eyes open. Her body quivered as she burrowed her face down into her arms on the step above the one she was perched. She was stuck, and couldn't move, she was scared, alone. She couldn't fight the weak little whimper in her throat, her eyes beginning to sting as she tightened herself up, curled over the step, trying to appear as small as possible.
She wanted to go back to bed, she wanted to be safe underneath her blankets, protected from the floor in her top-bunk, with her back against the wall. She wanted the faded soft green light from below the bunk bed she shared with her brother, but not his candle, which flickered and deceived her with shadows, dancing on her wall. She tried to hold back her little sobs, restrained and unrecognized in the night. Her voice caught in her throat just as her breath did the moment the darkness behind her made a sound. Her heart pounded in alarm, senses heightened as she feared that something really was there. A soft rustling was made and she elicited a more muffled, but longer cry, biting her lip to keep quieter, trying to slowly scurry closer to the wall on the stairs, shuffling one knee at a time, her hands holding tightly over her ears. She didn't want to hear it anymore, especially as it came closer and closer, slowly, gently, but striking an unreasonable fear into her, shaking her to her core. She kept her face down, palms clamped to the side of her head, eyes shut tightly as she cried, trying harder than ever to appear small and unseen, even with the sounds stopping short behind her, waiting in its newfound silence.
She continued to cry, keeping her mouth and eyes closed, afraid of what was waiting behind her. She was scared to move at all, even as her body shook from each little sob. In the minutes that passed, she slowly began to calm down, her body realizing that there was no direct or known threat, despite her fears. Keeping her face down, forehead resting on the ground, she slowly opened her eyes in the dark, tears slowing their descent down her cheeks as she sniffled, staring at the carpeted step, but still unable to see anything. A voice, soft, gentle, tender, spoke out to her, hushed and calm, but little to the owner's knowledge, it was enough for the girl to spiral once more.
"No, no... I'm not going to hurt you..." it spoke again, trying to be very reassuring in answering her inaudible pleas. She had shut her eyes once more and began to cry again, whines trapped in her throat as she sobbed, now rocking in place ever so slightly. At such a sight, he could stand by and watch no longer.
She gave a small struggle as two hands had been reached down, lifting her from her position curled over the step, squirming, but not un-balling herself. She weakly begged through tears to be let go, her voice choppy as she apologized to her assailant, much to his confusion. He kept her awkwardly against his chest, having turned her to be facing him, but not yet giving up on accepting that he was not going to put her down. It took her a few moments, but as he knew she would, the girl unravelled herself, reaching up to grasp his shoulders and allow him to hold her more comfortably, more securely. He smiled softly to himself, such a small victory, but also for a first encounter since he had first held her, far too young, and incapable of remembering or even remaining with him. He could think of this way as a benefit, gaining her trust, so young, as she could easily learn to depend on him of her own accord. He humoured himself by wondering if she may even idolize him for 'protecting' her.
He gently ran his gloved hand back and forth along her back, his motions very slow and soothing, softly hushing her before reassuring the girl that she was safe with him. She choked out a couple more sobs before trying to hold them back, her face hidden in the crook of his neck. He had begun to gently sway back and forth, his extensive knowledge of children being a great aid on the matter.
Between the sniffling, her breathing began to even out, and she even dared to open her eyes half way in the dark, clutching the front of his jacket in her hands, leather, the familiar scent without a known name to her, could be smelt from the occasional intake of breath. She had remained very quiet in his arms, enough so that he had almost begun to believe that the girl had fallen asleep.
"Are you alright now, little one...?" he asked softly, slowing his sways as he looked down at her, watching her silhouette. She slowly nodded, half lidded, very tired eyes. He chuckled softly as she asked if she could to go to sleep now, wanting to just go back to her bed. "Of course you may, my dear...I will bring you back up to your room immediately...~"
He couldn't help but smile as she thanked him, nestling closer against his chest and neck as she wrapped her arms around the back of his neck, a very loose grip. He carefully carried her back up the stairs, through the open space between the living and dining room. She could see more light as they entered, an added relief as she could see some of her surroundings. However, from her position, she could only see the collar of his clothes and his neck, some of his hair over his shoulders. The girl's eyes gently fell shut as he ascended the next staircase, bringing them both to the top floor. Without even asking, he quietly opened the door to her room, bringing her inside. He moved to the side of the bunk beds, his hand held still on her back as he whispered, asking her if she was ready to get into her bed. He waited for a response, but received none from the tired girl, hardly awake. Another soft chuckle fell from his lips as he tried to move her to her bed, but she had not wanted to let go, instead, wanting to ask him questions now that she was in the safety of her dimly lit room. He promised to answer her questions after she gets into her bed and under her covers. She ignored his compromise, but whether that was due to her fatigue or the child's short attention span, he could not decide.
"Do you live in my basement...?" she asked sleepily, still not looking up at him, afraid that he would be scary to her. Her question caught him off-guard at first, causing him to smile as he told her that he does not live in her basement. He hardly got a response of acknowledgement for his answer, but she gave him another question shortly after. "Are you going to come back...?"
"You will see me again, if that is what you mean," he spoke softly, running his hand down her back. Not even a moment after his answer, her body relaxed and became limp in his arms, her breathing louder, but more even. He chuckled to himself as he gently leaned her forwards to look at her, finding the girl to have fallen fast asleep in his arms. He cradled her with one arm long enough to move her covers aside, before setting her down on the top bunk and tucking her into her bed. She turned over, mumbling in her sleep as she settled in. He stepped back, watching her with a small smile.
"Of course I will come back for you..."