Goodnight: Le Sommeil Noirceur

Charlotte often has bad dreams, and when one dream features her friend Ella being taken by monsters, what will Charlotte do?

I open my eyes. Everything blurs, then goes slowly into focus. I sit up and look around
my new room. My bed covers are white with pink flowers on them, and my walls are a shade of light yellow and perfectly smooth. I turn to look out my only window. I can just peek outside from my bed, but I can't see anything but a brick wall. It must be about 9:00 AM or so due to the light, a little later than normal.
I swing my legs around to the side of my bed gently. I read my information panel like I
do every morning to double check if I am still dreaming. It reads:
Name: Charlotte Devenir
Gender: F
Age: 9
Location: Room 102, Wing 3 (Ages 9-11)
Condition: Has post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); often experiences lucid nightmares relating to l' assassiner de ses parents quand elle était jeune.
The rest of this part I scribbled out when I first got here so I wouldn't have to read it
every day. I skip to the next readable part.
Medicine: Propranolol used in medicine sessions
*New medicine - Astrodream (in testing)
I open my eyes wide in surprise. My medicine hasn't changed for more than a year, and
no new memory/dream control medicines have been in development since I got here three years ago. I would know; I spend a lot of time online trying to find new medicines for my PTSD with no luck. I wonder how this new medicine works.
I put my panel down and stand up, balancing for a second on my wobbly, weak legs. I
walk to my dresser and grab a pair of socks and a robe to stay warm before heading out into the hall.
I walk into the kitchen, grab a steaming hot plate of pancakes, and sit down at one of
the tables. I hear footsteps approaching behind me. Hmmm, who could that be?
Before Ella can even try to scare me, I say aloud, "Ella, you can't scare me in your
combat boots."
I hear Ella say, "Aw, I thought I had that one!"
Ella is my silly, happy go-lucky friend that must be the happiest person in the mental
hospital. She definitely has the most "adventurous" outfits, anyway. She wears her combat boots with everything, even her favorite yellow dress.
She walks up and sits down next to me, setting her plate down in front of her.
"So did you have any nightmares last night?" Ella asks me.
I didn't have any nightmares last night, or the night before, which may seem good, but
usually means that I'm in for a scary one tonight.
I don't want Ella to worry, so I simply tell her, "Nope, I was nightmare free for the
second time in a row."
"Oh good! Maybe you're getting better then!" she says.
We talk aimlessly for the rest of breakfast while Ella stuffs her face with pancakes, until
we hear the bell and the pre-recorded message that plays every morning announces, "All patients must head to their doctor's office for their first medicine session of the day. If you don't have medicine sessions, please head to your room immediately. All doors will be closed and locked automatically in five minutes."
Ella stands up and asks me to walk her to her room before I go to Dr. Mal's office. I nod
and we walk back down the hallway. As we walk, I see a small head with little pointy ears poking out. Her favorite toy, Norris the Cat, is tucked away under her arm. She tells me that she used to have a real cat named Norris, but he disappeared, and she's been looking for him ever since.
We reach her room and she gives me a hug and tells me, "Good luck with your new
medicine. I hope it makes you feel even better!"
She quickly scurries into her room and I run to Dr. Mal's office. I get there right on time
and politely knock on the door before entering.
Dr. Mal is sitting at his desk, but as soon as he sees me, he stands up and moves to his
stool, motioning for me to lay down on the couch. I walk over and lay down without hesitation.
"Good morning, Charlotte," he says.
"Good morning, Dr. Mal," I reply, feeling excited about my new medicine.
Dr. Mal takes out a bottle that says Astrodream in big, bold letters and quietly says, "This is your new medicine, Astrodream. It's fully developed and tested in your age department, but it's still in it’s final testing stage. Do you want to try it? "
I say yes before I even know what I’m saying.
“Great! All you have to do is take three pills before bed and then go to sleep. You don’t have medicine sessions anymore either. Just keep this next to your bed.”
He places the bottle carefully into my hands. I say goodbye and walk back to my room, which is now unlocked.
I spend the rest of the day browsing online until I hear the dinner bell. I get up and walk out into the hall. I won't get to see Ella since she eats her dinner in her room.
I eat and then return to my room for the night. I get changed into my pajamas and sit on the side of my bed. One, two, three pills from my bottle. I take them with my glass of water that I brought back from dinner. I then lay down under the covers and close my eyes.
I hear something in the furthest corner of the room. Footsteps. Loud, big, echoing footsteps. I’m too scared to open my eyes. This is a dream, I think. I know this is a dream. I slowly open my eyes to see two big red eyes with jagged, slitted, black pupils stretching from the top to the bottom. The eyes burn with rage and anger, but when they see me, they pulse with an inviting glow, now accompanied with a sharp, toothy smile.
“Hello, Charlotte,” it says in a thousand different voices, so quiet it’s almost a whisper.
“We’ve been expecting you.”
The creature is at the foot of my bed now, it’s eyes not so warm and inviting anymore. I’m paralyzed in fear. It’s just a dream, it’s just a dream, it’s just a dream, it’s just a dream, it’s ju-
I hear the door creak open behind the monster. It’s Ella standing in the doorway.
“Charlotte?” she says in a small, scared voice.
“Who’s the big, scary man?”
The monster turns sharply towards her. Ella takes a step back, the fear eminent on her face. A darkness starts collect behind her, forming another pair of blazing red eyes. Before I can even open my mouth to warn her, the other creature behind her envelopes her in darkness, muffling her screams.
Everything goes black.
I open my eyes. I quickly jump out of bed and run into the hall. She's gone. Ella, my only
friend, was taken by the monsters and is probably dead. I tell myself that it's just a dream, over and over and over, and I feel myself hit the floor. But it doesn't stop the tears.
After a few minutes, I get up and wipe my face. I have to find her. I know I'm in a dream,
so I close my eyes and focus on Ella's presence. Strangely enough, nothing happens. I guess I'll have to travel on foot.
I walk down the hall to the main entrance and walk outside. I am in a small clearing with a large forest on all sides, so I walk in a random direction. Surrounded by huge, tall trees, I feel a little creeped out. I hear a few rustles in the bushes, which I completely ignore. Mostly. The forest is completely silent and the air is eerily still.
I hear something, and I see a dash of yellow disappear behind the trees. It sounds like boots hitting the same soft, loose soil beneath my feet. I hear an echoing giggle resonate throughout the forest.
I back up, knowing this trick too well, until I bump into someone. I turn around, but the only thing behind me is a tree. I look around, searching for something that could prove that it's not Ella.
I hear her voice say, "Charlotte..." I look around trying to determine where it's coming from.
"Come this way..."
But the voice comes from everywhere and nowhere at once.
"Where are you? Tell me where you are!" I scream into the night. But Ella doesn't reply.
It's not real! I tell myself. It isn't Ella, it's a monster! I start running through the forest, part of me hoping to find her, and part of me dreading it. I look back and see a dash of yellow. I can't help it; I go back to find her.
I see the flashes of yellow pointing me in a clear direction. I run as fast as I can to try and keep up, but I'm not very fast and I lose her. I look around me. I'm in the forest, but now the trees look tall and menacing in the dim light of the full moon. I hear howls in the distance and an owl hooting nearby. I'm so tired. I lay down on the floor to sleep. Just for a while...
I wake up in darkness. I feel something over my face. It's covering my whole body and there's something pinning me down. I hear a cheerful giggle from above. Ella? I try to push the weight off, but it's too heavy.
Suddenly, I feel cold. I move my hands, but I can't feel the ends of my fingers anymore. The numb feeling is spreading slowly up my hands. I start to panic. I scream as loud as I can, but my scream cannot be heard over Ella's laughter. Now that's all that I can hear.
Laughter laughter laughter laughter laughter laughter laughter laughter laughter laughter laughter laughter laughter laughter laughter laughter laughter laughter laughter.
Until it stops. And then there are only my screams.
Now I can't even feel my hands. I kick and punch and scream as loud as I can, until the weight is lifted. I push off the sheet that was covering me.
I look at my hands. They're covered in cuts and bruises, but they're still there. I blearily look around. I appear to be in a small, old fashioned, wooden trading town. The sun shines down on me, warming me quickly, but unfortunately, doesn't do much for my mood. I'm standing in a two wheeled cart that is usually pulled by a horse. It makes sense that there is no horse connected to this one, since this town looks totally abandoned, even though it's in good condition.
I slide off the cart and start walking through the town. I see something black in the corner of my eye. I turn to see a small, black cat with little pointy ears sitting in front of one of the houses. When it sees me, it runs over and rubs up against my legs. The feeling is so soft and comforting, so I lean over and pet the cat. I pick it up and it licks my face. I see that it has a name tag.
"Norris?" I say aloud.
It is! It's Norris, Ella's old cat that she lost, and I found him! Now I need to find her so that she'll know that Norris is safe.
All of a sudden, Norris' ears flatten against his head and he hisses. I look around, but the only bad thing I can see is the gray, soon-to-be-stormy sky. I'm getting ready to run just in case, when I hear the dreaded voice again, screaming for Norris, crying and sobbing. This time, I know better. I start running without looking back. I run through the town, with Norris still hissing in my arms. I reach the edge of the town. Everything beyond is black as night. Norris jumps out of my arms and walks halfway into the blackness before looking back at me expectantly.
I turn back and I see Ella running towards me, but she looks horrible. Her face is streaked with red tears, her eyes are clouded over, and her skin is tinted blue. Her favorite yellow dress is torn to shreds and dirty, and her boots have lost their soles. Her hair is dyed black and cut at uneven lengths with bald patches, like she ripped the hair from her scalp. This is not the Ella I know.
I quickly jump into the darkness and feel myself falling...
Falling...
Falling...
I wake up in a gray fog. I feel something warm on my stomach, and I am delighted to see that it's just Norris. I wait until the fog clears, just enjoying sitting here with Norris. When I can see the area around me, I stand. I look around and see that I'm in a cemetery. Norris rubs against my leg, his hair standing on end, and rightfully so. It's very eerie here. I start walking through the cemetery, when I see a grave that says:
RIP.
In memory of Ella Fille,
who died in pieces.
I fall to my knees in shock. Ella is... Dead? I think. She can't be dead, she can't be! We never got to go to the movies together or have a pillow fight, or do anything that normal best friends do! She can't be! Can't, can't, can't, can't, can't, can't, can't, can't, can't...
I start to cry, and Norris rubs up against me, trying to comfort me. I cry and cry for what feels like the longest time.
I hear a voice behind me.
"Norris... Come here Norris...."
I turn around to see the version of Ella that I now realize is dead.
I look at her and shakily say,"I'm not afraid of you anymore."
She fades, but the voice remains.
"Norris, you're coming home with me. You've been a very bad boy..."
It echoes throughout the cemetery and it sounds less and less like Ella every time she talks.
"Come here, Norris. Don't let Charlotte take you. She's been a bad girl...."
Ella appears in front of me, her head tilted too far to one side, her movements jerky and inhuman, like a limp puppet.
She whispers, "Charlotte's been a bad girl. So very bad, so very mean. I never liked her, and now she will pay for taking my Norris."
Her voice sounds like a scratchy old recording, and my ears start to ring, drowning out everything but her voice.
"Now she will pa-pay for ste-stea- stealing-ing my No-Norri-is." Her voice is breaking up like an old radio. "PAY PAY PAY PAY PAY PAY PAY PAY PAY PAY PAY PAY PAY PAY PAY PAY PAY PAY PAY PAY PAY PAY PAY PAY PAY PAY PAY PAY PAY PAY PAY PAY PAY PAY"
Ella explodes into a cloud of bugs that swarm my face. I try to bat them away but there are too many. They are biting me, over and over and over. I look up and see a darkness with two red, angry eyes in Ella's place. The darkness engulfs me, and then there is nothing.
I open my eyes. I'm laying in a hospital bed, my face wet with tears and sweat. I try to sit up, but Dr. Mal pushes me back down to the bed, saying that I'm too weak to sit up. My mouth is so parched, so I'm glad when Dr. Mal hands me a cup of water.
Ella walks into the room, and I start crying. I hug her so tight I might have broken one of her ribs. I tell her my whole dream, but avoid the scariest parts as not to give her nightmares.
"Wow," she says, "that was a horrible nightmare! But I'm so glad that you're awake now! Oh, by the way, do you want to go to the movies tomorrow to hang out?"
I readily agree and she leaves, saying that she'll be back in a minute. I look out the window, and the weird thing is, I could have sworn that I saw a swatch of black fur and a dash of a yellow dress disappearing behind the window frame. But maybe it was just my imagination.