Rabbit Hole Carnival: Nightmare

“Renee? You alright?” Susie asked.

“I… I guess.” Renee replied. “Just another bad dream. What time is it?”

“Um,” Susie replied, as she looked at the clock. “Barely 5am. Come on, Let’s get you something to help you sleep for a bit longer.”

“I doubt that’s gonna happen tonight.” Cel replied. “And isn’t your mom gonna be—”

“My entire family is highly trained in the art of sleeping through a tea kettle, or two.” Susie replied.

“I’m gonna go start boiling the water.” Joshua replied.

“You don’t always have nightmares like that right?” Cody asked.

“Just when I have Mike in my head.” Renee said. “He seemed like he gave up, and that’s just not like him. And I’m… I’m afraid of what comes next.”

“Downstairs.” Cel said. “All of you.”

Susie went down first, grabbed a mug, and put two tea bags in it and sprinkle a few spices at the bottle. “You go take a seat.”  She said to Joshua.

“Do you remember the nightmare?” Cel asked. “Wanna talk about it at all?”

“It’s not a nightmare.” Renee replied. “Not just a nightmare anyways.”

“Then you remember it happening” Joshua asked. “It’s that burned into you?”

“No there’s… certain details are missing.” Renee replied. “Parts get replaced with various other segments of the past.”

“Susie? Is that you, dear?” A woman replied, walking down the stairs.

“Oh, mom.” Susie replied, turning off the stove just as the kettle started whistling. “I’m sorry, I really thought we wouldn’t wake you.”

“You didn't,” Ivy replied. “I had to go to the bathroom, and heard a multitude of footsteps. More than I was used to hearing when you ask to have sleepovers, and it seems I get to see why” Ivy smiled at Renee and Joshua. “So good of you two to join up again.”

 “Well, I finally understood what Renee was trying to say, and Once Cel found her again.” Joshua said with a pause. “Well enough about that, Renee was talking about her nightmare.”

“And now we’re definitely not going to let me just not talk about it.” Renee said, as Susie set the mug full of tea down in front of her. “It always starts the same…”

---Renee’s nightmare---
A five year old Renee rushes down the hallway, and throws a ball down the stairs before hiding in a nearby closet. The grumpy tired voice of Mike echoing as he shouts.

“I told you to keep it down!” Mike shouted. “It can’t be that damn hard!”

Renee had no idea what he was talking about. She had been up reading quietly in her room under the covers. Her mind raced trying to think of what she did wrong. Covering her mouth as she yelps when Mike tripped, and slams into the closet door.

Mike gave a low growl as he looked down the stairs with a flashlight. “Too far…” He mumbled and started searching the upstairs rooms one by one.

Renee watched and listened as best she could. Slow and steady making her way downstairs. Hiding again, but this time in an empty cabinet. Listening as windows shatter, and her mom screamed. Footsteps thumping every which way. It was the first time she ever got out of that cabinet… The first time she ever made a dash towards the phone. But the phone kept moving further and further away, and every time it was within reach some horrid creature with Adam face dragged her back. Finally she grabs the phone, and starts to dial. Each of the 3 times she pushes a button made the phone into Adam’s face.

“Go and ahead and break us apart. TRAITOR.”

---PRESENT---
“And then I wake up.” Renee finished, and took a big swig of the tea.
“I… I… Mom.” Susie said.

“He always shouts that at you?” Ivy asked.

Renee nodded. “That’s always how it ends. So many other memories can be shuffled in, but it always…” Renee started to cry as Cel hugged her. “It’s his face in that phone calling me a traitor.”

“Hey, hey.” Cel replied. “It’s okay. It’s all okay now. God I couldn’t even imagine my brother doing that.
“I couldn’t imagine my sister doing it either.” Cody replied.

“Our dad did that to me once.” Susie said. “Mom kicked him out straight after, and I know Nick would gladly do the same.”

“Nick?” Ivy asked.

“Nicholas Shem.” Cel replied. “Renee’s uncle, and the person looking after her most of the time.”
“I call him Daddy.” Renee said.

“Good.” Ivy replied. “Then at least I know that the people who know you best still feel like you're safe.”