Chapter One:

I woke up with a start and stared down at the end of my bed. I had fallen asleep with the light on again, I needed to learn how to gradually fall asleep versus just passing out. I slowly sat up and threw my legs over the side of my bed.

I stretched forward to turn the light next to my bed off when I heard it. A cabinet down in the kitchen slammed. There was someone in the house. I froze and listened for a moment. The footsteps were much heavier than those of my mother or of her husband.

Holy hell, who was in the house?

I slowly stood up and walked over to my closet and pulled a baseball bat from just around the other side of the wall. I crept towards my door, pulled it open and turned to head down the stairs. I took two steps and BAM, I stepped right into a wall. I took a few steps backwards and dropped to the ground.

The movement downstairs ceased.

I stared at the wall in front of me. There were suppose to be steps here! This wasn't my mom's house. I quickly stood up and looked behind me. Straight ahead of me, down a short hallway, were the stairs leading down into the front room. And if this was the house I thought it was, feared it was, there was a bathroom on my left, a linen closet two doors down, and another bedroom just before the stairs.

I hurried down the hallway and to the stairs. I ran down them, slipping several times and almost falling twice. I whipped through the front room, pushed a swinging door open and beheld the stranger in the kitchen.

"Dad," I muttered, staring at him, wide-eyed and with an open mouth.

"Oh hey Doug," he laughed, running his hands through his hair. "Hope I didn't wake you again, this darn insomnia. Well, I mean you know, you have the same issue at times."

"Dad, what are you doing here?" I snapped.

He stared at me blankly. "I live here Kido."

"No Dad," I hissed. "You died, almost three years ago."

My father started to laugh. "Are you kidding? And miss your high school years, you're a laugh a minute kid."

"Dad," I said. "I'm about to start college."

His laughter ceased and he stared at me, completely silent now. I watched in horror as the end of his life unfolded. His skin started to pale and his face began to sink in, he began to look sick. His body, which had always been much thicker and muscular than mine, began to look emaciated.

The floor underneath his feet started to crumble before it gave away. Without thinking, I dove across the kitchen and grabbed my father's hand and tried to haul him up. No matter how hard I pulled on the thin man that had once been my father, I couldn't get him back up.

"Doug!" He shouted suddenly.

My shoulders began to ache as I tried to pull him upwards. My hand was sweaty and clammy and my dad's hand was beginning to slip from my grasp. I quickly wrapped my free hand tightly around his wrist. I planted my feet just before the gapping hole and yanked as hard as I could. My back was going to give.

"Please don't let me go Doug!" My dad was screamed. "Please don't kill me."

And he slipped from my grasp.

***

I sat straight up, feeling the cold sweat drip down my back and the front of my chest. I remembered to breathe and took in deep swallows of air. I ran my hands through my hair and slowly sat up, staring at the red letters across the room from me.

Three forty two. In the morning.

I slowly swung my feet out of bed and walked across my room. I slowly opened my door and peered out to the left. I was relieved to see the stairs. I was in my mother's house and I was no longer dreaming.

I made my way downstairs and sunk into the couch and clapped my hands over my face. I took another deep breath. For weeks now I had been having similar dreams to that one, in the end my father always died.

I hadn't yet told anyone about them, I wasn't even sure that I should.

"Douglas?" My mom's voice called from the stairs and I glanced over at her. "What are you doing up sweetie? You have to get up early tomorrow."

"I just woke up," I replied. "I got hot, woke up, and came down here. Just now."

"Oh."

"What are you doing up?" I asked.

"I heard you get up," she laughed. "I was just making sure you were okay."

"Yea, I'm fine," I replied, even though she hadn't asked me anything.

"Your dad got up a lot during the night too," she muttered. "Always woke me up too."

"Insomnia," I said. "It's unpredictable at best."

"Mhm," she agreed, then she sighed. "It's hard to believe in a little over a month he'll have been gone for three years."

I winced at the words even though I knew they were true and I had long ago come to terms with my dad's passing. It was still something that affected me and hurt me if I thought about it too long. Or had a dream about it.

"You'll be able to go back to sleep?" My mom walked across the room and dropped onto the sofa next to me.

"Yea, sure, sure," I replied. "Why?" "Well," she said, yawning widely. "I'll stay awake with you if you can't."

I laughed. "She says as she's yawning."

"I'm serious Dougie, I will," she hissed, glaring at me.

"Mom, you can barely keep your eyes open, go back to bed," I said. "I'll be up in a moment. I just need to get something to drink and I'll be good."

"Okay, okay Doug," she sighed and stood up. "I'll wake you in a few hours."

"Yup," I agreed as she headed up the stairs. After a few moments I heard her bedroom door close and I leaned into my hands. I stared out in front of me into the dark, my dream replaying my head.

My stomach twisted as I slowly stood and headed for the stairs. I was almost afraid to fall back asleep tonight.

***

I hit the doorbell and took a step back. I bounced on the balls of my feet as I waited for Doug or his mother to open the door. After a moment, my six and a half foot boyfriend opened the door and stared down at me. His eyebrows furrowed. "Why the hell did you knock?" He instantly snapped at me.

"Ooh," I cooed as I stepped into his house. "Is someone cranky?"

"Ignore him Kris dear," Doug's mom shouted to me as she came off the stairs. She walked over to me and gently pulled me farther into the house. "He woke up at quarter to four last night and never went back to sleep."

"You don't know that," Doug snapped again.

"Oh yes I do," she laughed. "Because if you had gone back to sleep you would be in a much sweeter mood to me and Kris right now."

I smiled at him. "You know she's right Dougie."

"Just Doug," he snapped and headed for the stairs.

I rolled my eyes and followed Doug's mother into the kitchen. Cali sat on a stool at the island. She smiled brightly at me as I walked in. "Hello Cali," I smiled back.

"Hi Kris!" She jumped off the chair and ran over to hug me. "Are you going with us to take Dougie to school?"

"Of course I am," I said. "I wouldn't leave you alone with Doug."

"He's in a bad mood," her bottom lip dropped in a pout.

"Yes he is," I agreed.

"I don't like when he's in a bad mood," she sighed as she hauled herself back up onto the tall stool.

"I don't think anyone does," Doug's mom replied with a gentle smile.

"My ears are burning," Doug snapped as he walked into the kitchen. "Why are you talking about me this time?"

"We were talking about those rather snug pants dear," his mother immediately quipped. "And how your rear is hanging out."

"I like the color of your boxers today Doug," I added and laughed. I got a death glare over from Doug over his shoulder. "Sorry."

"Why don't you guys help or something?" Doug hissed as he marched back out of the room. I heard him climb the steps after a few moments.

"He hasn't been sleeping very well," his mom sighed. "It seems he gets up and comes down here every night, about the same time."

"Why?" I asked, my brow furrowing.

She shrugged. "I don't know, he won't tell me and I don't want to ask."

"Why not? If something is bothering him, then-"

"Kris honey, you know him as well as I do, probably better than I do," she politely interrupted. "If he doesn't want anyone to know about it, he will not ever talk about it. And he takes great offense if anyone asks about it."

"Yea, I know," I sighed. "He is very difficult."

"Points to you for being with him for so long," she laughed. "What is it? Almost two years?"

"Almost," I agreed with a smile.

"Almost only works with horse shoes and hand grenades," Doug entered the room again with a sarcastic quip. I rolled my eyes. "You gonna help chick, or just stand there and get dizzy?" Doug snapped at me, then whirled around and stalked out of the room.

I sighed and looked over at his mother. "What is he even doing that he needs help with?"

"He just started packing this morning," his mom shook her head. "I don't think Doug is ready for college."

I scoffed. "Are you kidding? I don't think college is ready for Doug."