Nightmares

Terrible things happen when people are taken to evil.

Tao's Perspective

We sprinted toward the screaming. It sounded like it was coming from the dining hall, and as we approached our suspicions were confirmed.

I burst through the doorway and froze.

The screams were coming from a girl with an obviously broken leg, but they weren't screams of pain. She was screaming in pure terror at the figure on the table.

Said figure -- evidently a vampire -- dropped his unconscious victim. I stepped back in mortified disbelief when I saw the monster's face.

Edvard.

Even in the moonlight, I saw a merciless expression in his eyes, above that familiar, innocent smile, marred by blood dripping down his face.

"Hello, brother." he said, a sadistic air making his voice nearly irrecognizable. "It's been a while, hasn't it? Not that you care. No, my dear twin brother was too busy here to come for his other half." he shoved the dying elf boy off the table and stepped down over him, "It's almost too bad -- he'll be luckier than you or your friend there." he gestured with his chin to Kaydra, who had stepped into the room behind me. "You are not so fortunate as to afford death."

I heard Kaydra shout a moment before I felt an iron grip around my waist, immobilizing my arms and effectively pinning me to my captor. I struggled and shouted things I'm not particularly proud of, while Edvard advanced, laughing.

"And now, my rebellious other self, your time playing hero is over." he said, cupping my face in his hand. I stiffened, feeling my skin crawl at his touch. "It's time you came back to your senses." I tensed, still numbed by disbelief as I realized he was going to bite me -- to spread the darkness like he would his vampiracy. "It's time to wake up, dreamer."

But then I did.

"Another nightmare?" Alex asked. I'd probably woken him up with my sleep-talking again. "I'm sorry, man. What's the record now? I think that's three weeks straight without an hour of undisturbed sleep."

"I'll find somewhere else to sleep in the morning." I said, wiping cold sweat off my forehead. "there's no reason I should keep you up too."

Alex sighed and sat up, rubbing his eyes. "No, there's no reason to punish yourself for sitting through torture. I'll live. You, on the other hand, are currently beyond Superman. How long do you think you can go on like this? There are probably a million

times you've woken up and I haven't and I'm tired beyond sanity, Tao. I'm beginning to wonder if a frying pan to the head every night would solve your problem."

 I couldn't help but laugh hopelessly. "I don't think that would help. Eddie wants me with him, and he's making sure I know it."

    "Maybe I could help." Emmett said from the doorway. "Its okay. I heard you shouting in your sleep."

    Emmett's room is at the other end of the hall. I had no idea I was that loud.

    "Hey, it's not your fault." Alex said through a yawn and muffled through a pillow, "You can't help it, and we don't blame you."

    "It's getting worse isn't it." Emmett said, crossing his arms. "I've only been woken up in the last few day, but it's been going since they took him, hasn't it." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. "I've heard of it happening before -- one twin being abducted to torture the other. They use that natural link to drive the one they didn't take to -- well, this. Sometimes, they can even convince them to join them."

    "So.. can you do anything about it?" Iasked, thinking of killer headache that had set in around day twelve.

    "Actually, I already have." he said, pulling a chain out of pocket. "I took the liberty of putting a spell on the chain you always wear. It should put a blockage between you and him. If he gets help, he'll still be able to mess with your dreams, but I'm hoping he's just riding the easy way, because you can get to you. So basically, if I'm right, you should be able to sleep okay." he tossed the cross to me.

    "Thanks, doc." I said, catching it." I slid it on, suddenly extremely eager to get to sleep.

    "My pleasure." he smiled back and started to walk away. I then realized he had probably decided to help me so he could get some sleep.

    "Oh, and by the way," I stopped him, "if it does work, tell everyone I'm taking a sick day."

    He laughed and said, "Okay then."before walking back to his room.

    Just before I went back to sleep, I had the first coherent thought I'd truly had in a week -- wait, I swear I was wearing that thing when I went to sleep.  How the heck did he get the chain in the first place?

    No clue.

    And right now, I don't really care.