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Darkness. That was all Pump saw as he looked around. He kept rapidly blinking his eyes, only to be met with the same infinite blackness. He didn’t know where he was, but his head was clouded with an overwhelming sense of foreboding. He opened his mouth to call out to someone, anyone, but no words would come out. His throat felt like it was filled with cotton.
Many voices had suddenly begun to fade in, steadily drifting around Pump’s head. They were speaking to him, he knew this, but he couldn’t make any sense of what they were saying. The voices all talked over each other, all together making an ocean of unknown words and drivel, drowning the boy in their endless whispers. Pump covered his ears, desperately trying to provide himself some relief, but the voices relentlessly continued to swirl around him. He shut his eyes tightly, but it made no difference in a world of pure darkness. It was a continuous black void, yet he was utterly trapped.
But within the darkness, he could make something out. Pump’s breath quickened and his eyes darted around as he desperately tried to focus on something, anything in this desolate place.
He could see it. It was coming closer. Pump felt a spark of hope in his chest.
But that spark was quickly snuffed as the figure kept approaching.
Within a void of infinite nothing, the figure somehow appeared darker. A shadow within a shadow. The voices had suddenly gone silent, only leaving Pump with a faint ringing in his ears. The silence quickly became unbearable for Pump as the figure stepped closer and closer, growing taller and taller...
Pump wanted to run. He wanted to scream, to cry, to do anything, but he couldn’t. He was helpless as the silhouette that was darker than dark loomed over him, the sight of it blotting out any of the hope he may have felt before.
Pump knew exactly who it was.
*****
Pump’s eyes opened wide as he shot up with a strangled cry. He breathed hard as his eyes darted around, his scrambled thoughts trying to piece together where he was. But he could only think of the shadowy figure looming over him, darkness surrounding him, he found him, he’s going to take him away-
Pump breathed rapidly and squeezed his eyes shut, tears streaming down his cheeks. He hugged his legs to his chest and buried his face into his knees. He didn’t want to be taken away. Not again. He wanted to stay with Skid and Lila forever. They promised he could stay. They promised.
Pump flinched harshly as he felt something suddenly press against his shoulder. He let out a yelp and further curled in on himself, too terrified to face whatever had grabbed onto him. Was this it? Was the thing that grabbed him going to drag him away from his family forever? He sobbed even harder, his heart pounding harshly in his chest.
“Pump?”
That voice. He recognized that voice. Still breathing hard, Pump hesitantly lifted his head towards the source of it. There sat his brother, his concerned expression dimly lit by the nightlight in the room. Pump continued to stare at him, slowly realizing that it was Skid’s hand that was gently resting on his shoulder. Pump let out a choked sob as he wrapped his arms around his brother, burying his face in his shoulder. It wasn’t even a second before Skid returned the embrace, hugging Pump tightly against him.
“S’okay, you just had a really scary dream,” Skid spoke in a lowered voice, “but now you’re awake, so it’s okay now.”
Pump clung to Skid for dear life, feeling like he’d fall and just keep falling if he ever let go. He tried to focus on Skid’s words, but it felt like his mind was covered in a deep layer of fog. He couldn’t stop shaking, and his tears continued to flow, slightly dampening his brother’s PJs. He couldn’t slow his rapid breathing and gasping. He couldn’t stop all the scary thoughts.
Skid stayed perfectly still as Pump shook and cried into his shoulder.
“Hey,” Skid quietly spoke, “y’wanna go to mom’s room?”
Pump sunk his head further into Skid’s shoulder. He didn’t want to let go, he wasn’t ready to let go. He hated disturbing Lila as well, especially after everything she had done for him.
But... he wanted to see her so badly. He wanted to feel her running her hand through his hair, telling him that everything was okay. He clung harder to Skid, desperately hoping that Lila wouldn’t become bothered by him waking her too much.
“Yeah,” Pump replied, his voice barely above a whisper. He loosened his tight grip on his brother, but hesitated to let go. He was thankful that Skid waited so patiently for him. With a shaky breath, Pump slowly pulled away and stared down at the blankets he sat on.
“‘Kay, I’m ready,” Pump mumbled, unable to keep his voice from wavering.
Skid took Pump’s trembling hand in his own and slowly led him off the bed. As Skid guided him out of their room and into the hallway, Pump’s eyes widened and he felt a pang of fear in his chest. The hallway was unbearably dark. He knew it was just a horrible dream, but he couldn’t help frantically looking around as he expected someone to appear from the shadows. He let out a sniffle as his grip tightened on his brother’s hand, praying that his eyes would soon adjust to the dark. Skid gave his hand a quick squeeze in response, and Pump watched as Skid opened the door to Lila’s room.
“Mom?”
As Skid spoke up, Pump saw Lila’s silhouette slowly rise up from beneath her blankets. He gulped and quickly looked straight down at the floor.
“We had a nightmare.”
Pump let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. It made him feel just a bit better that Skid would always say that they both had a nightmare. It made him feel less alone, and just a bit less guilty about disturbing Lila.
“Oh dear, that’s no good,” Lila said softly, “would you boys want to sleep here for tonight?”
“Yeah,” Skid replied, and Pump nodded his head even though he wasn’t sure Lila could see him. Pump quickly wiped the tears off his face with his sleeve before he and Skid pulled themselves up onto their mother’s bed. Pump immediately tensed up when he felt Lila wrap her arm around him, but in the same second he completely relaxed against her. Feelings of comfort and safety quickly washed over Pump, and he pressed his face against Lila’s chest to stifle his sobs of relief. Skid shuffled close to them and Lila pulled him close as well. Pump couldn’t help but smile slightly when he felt Skid rest his head against his.
This was his favorite position, hugging Lila while she brought both him and Skid close to her. It gave him a powerful feeling of warmth like no other. Like a wave, it would wash all the dark and scary thoughts away. He felt Lila’s hand run through his hair. He was okay now. He was safe.
“…Would you two like to tuck in now?” Lila quietly asked. Pump waited another moment before slowly nodding his head. Skid nodded as well, and Lila let go of them and raised up the blankets. The boys shuffled under the covers, quickly cuddling up to each side of their mother.
Pump rested his head against the pillow and hummed as Lila wrapped her arm around him and pulled him close. He could feel himself still shaking just slightly, but as Lila began to hum a calming tune, it quickly stopped as Pump completely relaxed and sank into the bed. He slowly closed his eyes and wondered if he would have another nightmare. But… it didn’t matter now.
Because he knew that tomorrow he would wake up right next to Skid and Lila, and Lila had promised to make the two of them chocolate chip pancakes. He and Skid would ride the bus to school, deciding together which random house they would pass by looked the most haunted. They had a test at school tomorrow, but that was okay since he and Skid had studied with Flashcards they had made together.
Pump knew he was okay. He was where he truly belonged, and at that moment he realized that nothing would change that. He could stay with Skid and Lila, and no nightmare could change that either.
He smiled softly as he felt himself beginning to drift off. He would soon fall into a peaceful and dreamless sleep, but before he did, he mumbled something ever so quietly.
“I love you, mom.”