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Jimmy was on the floor this time, when Joel came home.
Jimmy tensed, caught out right in the middle of the living room, his closest exit a good several feet away. He didn’t know if he would make it but as he felt Joel’s eyes land on him, he knew he had to try .
So Jimmy ran. He ran as fast as he could, his fear fueled adrenaline pushing him even more. But something was happening. No matter how far Jimmy ran, his escape remained the same distance away. But how was that possible? Jimmy was moving, he knew he was moving.
The living room seemed to stretch around him, becoming a long hallway as his entrance back into the walls grew farther and farther away. Jimmy tried to keep running but he was being pushed to his limit. He felt slower.
There was a loud thud coming from right behind him. Jimmy jumped and stopped running in order to turn around and look. Joel was there, his shoe only inches away from Jimmy’s body. Jimmy backed away, his whole body trembling as he tried to look up at Joel’s face.
Nothing.
He couldn’t make out Joel’s face for some reason. It was there, he knew it was there, he could make out a large, cruel grin but when he actually tried to pinpoint the details, it was as if things were warped or clouded. It was strange but Jimmy didn’t have time to think much of it as Joel knelt down, his hand reaching for Jimmy.
Jimmy gasped at the incoming hand and tried to turn back around to run. He pushed himself but he was stuck, unmoving despite his feet taking one step after the other. He turned back around just in time for Joel’s hand to wrap around his body, completely encompassing him in the hand and only leaving half his chest and his head free.
He squirmed in the grip, fear taking hold of him. He tried pushing back against it but the grip only got tighter. Jimmy stopped, fearing that he would be unable to breath if he kept it up.
He was brought up to Joel’s face and Jimmy squinted, trying his best to look. Static invaded his vision, but he could still see that malicious smile on his face, his eyes filled with glee now that he had caught his prey.
“Well, well, well.” Joel chuckled. “Looks like I finally won.”
Jimmy couldn’t help but whimper as Joel’s laugh grated on his ears. No, this couldn’t be happening. He couldn’t be caught!
“Now I get to decide what I should do with you. Hmm…you were quite fun to play with. Maybe some sort of pet?” Joel said with another bit of laughter.
Jimmy shook his head, eyes shut tight as he tried to keep his tears from falling. This was wrong . This shouldn’t be happening, this couldn’t be happening. He--He…he…
Wait.
This was wrong because…hadn’t this already happened? Joel had…caught him already. But not like this. What…What was going on?
“Hey!” Joel yelled, voice angry. “Look at me when I’m talking to you, pet .”
Jimmy yelped in fear and opened his eyes despite himself. No, no, this wasn’t right. Joel hadn’t been angry. It had been a misunderstanding, right?
Joel’s grip around his body got even tighter and Jimmy felt like he couldn’t breath. He tried to gasp but he couldn’t even do that.
No, no! This was wrong . This was wrong, this was wrong, this was wrong, wrong, wrong, wrongwrongwrongwrongwrong--
Jimmy woke up with a gasp. He sat up straight, clutching his chest and breathing as deeply and as much as he could. He let his breathing slow and his mind catch up as he looked around his room.
He was safe. He was in the walls. It had just been a nightmare.
Jimmy laid back down, staring at the ceiling. Getting caught wasn’t something his mind had just made up though. He had been caught, finally, by Joel earlier. But not…not like that. The Joel in his nightmare was the Joel that had plagued him for months. He’d have nightmares like this a lot, of Joel catching him and either keeping or killing him.
But Joel, in real life, had caught him. And it was nothing like his nightmare. Joel had been kind . He had been sorry . Sorry that he hadn’t noticed Jimmy’s fear.
Jimmy let out a breath. He couldn’t really blame Joel, honestly. He had hid his fear pretty well all things considered. Had met his banter with some of his own. It was no wonder Joel had seen it as a game.
Maybe he should talk to him. Not now, of course, it was the middle of the night. But later. Maybe…maybe they could start over.
His nightmare wasn’t real. He knew that to be a hundred percent true. Maybe that’s why Joel’s face had been warped. He knew it had been Joel in his dream but looking back, he couldn’t actually see Joel’s face. It had made it even more terrifying, honestly. But easier for awake Jimmy to distinguish nightmare Joel from real Joel.
Jimmy sighed and turned over, snuggling deeper into his blankets. Tomorrow. Tomorrow, he would go out there and talk to Joel about all of this.
But for now, he would go back to sleep.
Hopefully this time without any more nightmares.