Light in Your Eyes

03 | nightmare

K E L L A N

Age 9

Every part of my body feels sore. I can't even move an inch.

It hurts. It hurts so much.

I try to move my head, but it feels like being attacked by a hammer.

I can hear faint whispers.

"He's just a little boy. Still very young," someone cries.

"What a tragedy."

Tragedy.

That one word makes me snap. I try to sit up but fail because of extreme pain. I want to scream, but what comes out of my mouth is a weak whimper.

I feel people rushing toward me, settling me back on the bed. My head hurts so much.

God, why is it so painful?

"Kellan." A man's voice echoes, close to me.

I know that voice. It's familiar.

I try to open my eyes, but it's so hard to do so. My eyelids flicker, and slowly, very slowly, I try to open my eyes. I'm sure that I've done that, but I keep failing. I can't see anything. It's total darkness.

"Kellan," the man speaks again, and I finally remember his voice. "It's me, Fenrir." 

"F-Fenrir?" My voice is shaking. It sounds so weak and hoarse. "Where are you?"

"I'm right here beside you."

"Where?" My voice grows panicked. "Where are mom and dad? Where's Inez? I need to see them."

There's no response from him, which makes my heart race. I hear someone crying again, probably a nurse.

"Why are you not answering me?" I demand. "Where are they?"

To my horror, Fenrir sniffs. He's crying.

Fenrir never cries -- I just can't imagine that. And I don't like this.

"I'm sorry," he says in a sad tone. "I'm so sorry for what happened to your family."

I'm at a loss for words. Something wet rolls down my cheek, and I realize that I'm crying too.

All this time, I've always tried my best to not cry and be tough, but today, it's just too much. I can't do anything but cry.

"What are you talking about?" My voice is filled with anger. "Where are they?"

"Kellan." Fenrir takes a deep breath, as if he's trying to calm down too. "I did try to warn your dad, but he didn't listen. I knew that he was not supposed to get out of the house this morning. They had planned to kill him while he was on the way--" Fenrir stops short and curses under his breath.

I freeze.

They?

Who are they?

Are they the ones dad wanted to shoot earlier? 

"What happened?" I raise my voice, becoming even more impatient. "What happened to him? What happened to mom and Inez? Why are you not bringing me to them?"

"I--" It seems that it's very hard for him to speak. "I don't think that you're in proper condition to know--"

"Fenrir!" I roar.

My chest is heaving up and down. I've never spoken to him like this, in such a commanding tone. But I've lost my patience. I want to know everything. I want somebody to take all this pain away.