Hi again! Is it possible to be addicted to writing fanfics? Cause if it is, I am!
Oh, I've noticed my tenses a are are over the place and inconsistent. Sorry about that, but I'm not changing a thing!
This is just some random fluff...
I own nothing!
Normally, Will went to sleep just as the sun set. That way, he left the world with memories of the light and, in the morning, returned to the light. That way, he didn't have to listen to the creaking of the cabin in the dark, or worry about whether the shadows were moving towards him.
And he hated himself for it. He hated feeling weak, hatred how his brothers and sisters could just roll over and ignore the monsters. Hated staying up all night with a torch on those nights he couldn't sleep. But he couldn't help it.
He jumped, and his trembling thumb flicked the switch. A thin beam of light lit the shadow behind Arla's dressing gown, revealing... nothing. Again. He wished he could make himself glow, the way Lee could, the way Isla and some others could.
But he couldn't.
Instead, he was hunched in a ball on his bottom-bunk mattress, waiting desperately for the sunrise.
He couldn't spend another night like this.
Keeping the beam of light from the bulb trained on the corners of the room, he slowly climbed out of bed and pulled on his shoes. They seemed too large, but he ignored it. Pushing open the door as quietly as he could, he slunk out into the moonless night.
Half way between his cabin and the infirmary (it was always light there, and Mike would appreciate relief from the night shift...), however, his torch flickered once, and died, leaving him stranded in the pitch dark.
He dropped the torch.
Closing his eyes, he told himself over and over:
Get to the infirmary. Get to the infirmary. Get to the infirmary...
He knew his way to the infirmary blindfold. When he opened his eyes again, however, he was somewhere else.
Counting his breaths carefully, he examined the door, then knocked.
Whose ever cabin it was would just have to put up with him for the night...
I'll just say I'm checking for... harmful fungus.
"Will?" Yawned Nico. "What are you doing here? It's one in the mor- Will?"
He was safe now. Nico would keep his secret, and he would put him up for the night.
"Couldn't sleep. Got lost in the dark..." he muttered.
Nico nodded in understanding. "Come in."
The covers on the ruby bed were thrown back- Nico had clearly just got up.
"Will. Will!"
Nico was talking at him.
"Mmhmm...? What, sorry?"
"I said, you're shaking. Are you OK?"
He looked the haired boy straight in the eye.
"It's just the dark. I'll be okay in the morning."
Nico sat on the edge of his bed, and gestured to Will to join him.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Will laughed shakily.
"What's there to talk about? Just a stupid weakness..."
The other boy was looking at him in an altogether too understanding way. But all he said was,
"You should get some sleep."
He pointed at the quilt beside him.
"Thanks."
The bed felt to huge for just one person, but then Nico lay next to him. Curled up, back to back, Will felt himself relaxing for the first time in ages. The dark wasn't as bad with Nico there.
"You make the dark places lighter, Nico. Thanks."
For a moment, Will thought that Nico was asleep already. But then he responded:
"And you, Will? You make the tight spaces feel larger."
And then Will dropped off to sleep.
"Wake up Nico! Nico!" Jason pushed open the door to cabin 13. "Nico! We need help with the search party! Will's gone missing and- oh."
His shouts stopped abruptly as he looked at the two heads on the pillow: one dark, and one a pale gold thatch. He backed away just as Nico sat up, rubbing his eyes.
"Jason? What're you doing...?" He glanced down at Will and smiled, then remembered Jason and turned scarlet. "We, uh..."
Jason was feeling rather warm around the collar.
"I'll just go and... call off the search party..." he mumbled embarrassedly, and left the cabin.