Unmasking the Nightmare

Chapter Ten: That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles

They say what you think about before you go to bed is what you dream about. I'm not much of a science person, but I took that information to mind and thought about tropical beaches, ice cream cones, happy memories from my childhood, and any other thing that made me forget my troubles. I thought about Sabina, my only friend but the best friend anyone could ask for. I had treated her like trash the past few days. I was under a lot of stress and anxiety, but that didn't give me an excuse. I would have the opportunity to hang out with her tomorrow at the park and I would fill her in on everything. If I couldn't trust her, I couldn't trust anyone.

I could lie here for hours, reminiscing the glory days of the past. Where there was no gray areas and evil was evil and good was good. Where my mom was happy, and I was living in a blissful oblivion that almost every child possessed. What a tragedy it was when my childlike eyes were finally opened to the hatred-filled world around me. I realized life was far from rainbows, puppies, and blooming flowers. What I wouldn't give to go back to my happy world of oblivion.

I was currently lying on the couch, Chelsea's temper tantrum still ringing in my ears. Since I was spending the night on the couch since my burned hands made it impossible to climb up my ladder to my bunk bed, I had banished Chelsea to bed. Ignoring Fahrenheit's instruction, I shifted the bag of ice away from my elbow. Despite cuddling a hot water bottle, the ice was still managing to freeze my bones.

I found that closing my eyelids helped my dizziness and my headache, but sleeping in a dark place I normally didn't sleep in gave me the jitters. Someone on the balcony could simply open the sliding door and attack me because the sliding door didn't have a lock. Of course, no one could get to the balcony unless they could fly. But it was still creepy to think about.

And then, out of nowhere, a knife of realization slashed through the air. There was the memory Replica had brought to the surface. The memory I had tried so hard to forget. But now someone else knew my secret, and that was a supervillain. He could expose me to the public, and then I would be banished or imprisoned.

Wait, what was that red glow in the kitchen? Was the stove on fire? I envisioned phantoms rising up from the floorboards, a sudden rush of water pounding in my ears.

Stop being paranoid, Nicole! I forced those worries away by picturing more placid beaches and restaurants I remember visiting when I was little.

Wait. I craned my neck towards the kitchen, every muscle in my body telling me not to. The red glow in the kitchen was only the refrigerator ice maker saying it was out of ice, but deep down, I swore I could see his glowing red eye boring into me.

Stupid imagination! It's only the ice maker! Go to bed already. I tossed and turned but when that was fruitless, I prayed sleep would rescue me from the clutches of worrying. I heard the best way to fall asleep is to stop trying, but the adrenaline coursing through my body made that impossible.

He was alive.

No, Replica was just trying to bait me and get under my skin to discourage me. Beats of sweat were dripping down my face and into my eyes. Probably because I was wearing four heavy blankets in an already warm room, but there was no way I was even peeling one blanket off me. The more blankets I had on me, the safer I felt. Not that a layer of blanket would protect me from a murderer, but I wasn't someone who was very logical. If someone did happen to invade our house, I'd probably just cower under my blankets like a fool.

As if the murderer would say, "Oopsies, guess I can't attack you now because you're under your blankets."

What comforting thoughts I had!