"Stop!"
"No! Mum! Come back!"
"Where are you going?"
"Dad?"
"Are you also leaving?!"
Why are you guys leaving? I've been a good girl by staying in the hospital. When are you guys coming back for me?
"Mum, Dad!"
The two figures of a man and woman turned around. But just as I was about to run up to them, I saw their faces—
"Aaahhhhh!!!"
Suddenly, flames sprung around me and entrapped me. I could feel the scorching burn. I could smell the burning flesh.
Can someone help me? I need to get out of here!
"Help! Help me!"
I gasped, choking for air as I struggled to force my way out of the flames.
"Adalyn?"
Who's calling? Where are you? Where's the voice?
"Adalyn!"
Where are you! I can hear you but I can't see you!
As the flames closed in on me, and the smoke was starting to feel suffocating, I heard the voice again.
"Adalyn! Wake up!"
I know that voice, but who was it?
"Adayln!"
Orion!?
"Hey, wake up!"
I sat up with a fright. As my eyes slowly became accustomed to the darkness, I recalled the dreadful images that had kept haunting me.
Flesh that was rotten and burnt. Faces that were melting by every second and dripping in blood. The horrifying thing was that from the back, the silhouettes were of Mum and Dad, except the faces.
"Adalyn! Are you ok now?"
I looked over to the side. Orion was staying next to me, with messy, dishivrelled bed hair and an extremely concerned face.
"Ehn."
I nodded.
This wasn't the first time that this had happened. Every time, Orion would be there to wake me up at the climax of the nightmare.
I was really grateful.
The first time that it had happened, it had scared him out of his wits and had also left me terrified and trembling.
Now, the nightmares still haven't stooped but I could cope with the after affects better.
It was mostly due to Orion's help. He was way more mature and it was probably because due to his illness, he had heard a lot of things that would have even left some adults stunned.
I was the same.
Maybe that was why we were such good buddies since we were quite relatable to each other.
I agreed silently to myself.
"Are you feeling better now?" Orion whispered.
"Yes, thank you for waking me up." I whispered back.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
I froze.
Every time I had a nightmare, I had never bothered to talk about it since I couldn't really explain it. They contained my worst fears and deepest secrets.
"No."
"Well at least you're ok now. We can have a good old chat about it when you're finally comfortable."
With that, he turned around and went back to his own hospital bed while I look at his retreating figure.
I smiled and said silently in my heart:
Thank you for being here for me, Orion. You're the best friend I could ever have.
But those words, I would never speak them out loud.