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Vincent shot up in bed gasping for air. He looked around frantically, making sure no men in red robes were after him. When he realized he was home and that it was another nightmare, he whimpered and hid under his blanket.
He wiped tears from his eyes that had started to fall and told himself to keep quiet. If he laid still, maybe nobody would wake up. He closed his eyes and vivid intrusive thoughts of that day started repeating in his head. So vivid in fact, he felt like he was back at the place it all happened.
Vincent stood at the end of a long hallway. On the other side of the hallway, a red robed man stood. Suddenly, he grabbed the hair of a brown haired middle aged woman. He lifted his sword and cut her head off in two strikes. Her body drained of her blood and it seeped into the carpet.
Her face was frozen in agony, the end of her life being full of pain and misery. The man dropped her head and moved forward to another woman, blonde, who was quivering in fear on the floor. He stabbed her through the stomach, and blood splurted out. She managed to let our one gut wrenching plea for mercy, until the man stabbed her through the heart and she bled out.
The man, satisfied, turned around to look for another victim. Vincent couldn't move. Please. Stop. I don't want to see this. He opened his eyes but the vision remained.
Smoke. Blood. Red robed man at the end of the hallway. Grabs an innocent woman's hair. Chops her head off and drops it while she bleeds. Stabs another woman on the ground, twice. She was dead. He moved forward.
Man. Hallway. Fire. Head. Ground. Blood. Death. Agony. Blood. Blood. Blood. BLOOD. Vincent grasps his nightgown at the chest and screams. “STOP! I DON'T WANT THIS ‘M SORRY!”
Vincent gasped for air as he struggled to get out from under his blanket. He was stuck. He was going to burn to death if the men didn't get to him first. His vision was blurry. The smoke was overwhelming. He felt like he was choking. He was going to die. He let out a scared cry.
When he finally got out, the sobbing man threw his blanket on the ground. He stumbled out of bed and almost fell over from the quick movements, then ran to the door and opened it. He had to escape.
Once he opened the door, he saw the robed man. He was at his door, ready to punish him for his crimes. Vincent screamed in terror and punched him straight in the face, slammed the door in his face and retreated to his room, trying to hide under his bed.
When he realized he wouldn't fit, he frantically tried to open his window, to no avail. The man at the door groaned in pain. “Oww… Vincent, what's going on?” Gilbert spoke, as he touched his nose, trying to determine whether it was broken.
Vincent hurried over to Gilbert, opening his door and pulling him in the room and locking them in. He tried to push Gilbert in the closet, frantically rambling about the men out and how they had to hide or they might die and that the window won't open and that they were after them and-
Gilbert resisted, pushing Vincent away. He put his hands on his brother's shoulders and spoke. “Vincent! What's going on?” Vincent frantically looked back and forth. The door. Then Gilbert.
Gilbert asked again. “What happened?” Finally, Vincent managed to whisper. “T-the men! They're killing people! I-I didn't mean to..! I only…” He sniffled and tried to dry his tears on his already soaked sleeves.
Gilbert sighed and hugged his brother, which seemed to temporarily calm him down. He started caressing his hair gently as he spoke in a reassuring voice. “Shh. It's over, Vincent. You are safe.” Vincent started wailing harder and collapsed on the floor.
Gilbert sat down beside him and cradled him in his arms. “Vincent, the tragedy is over. The men are gone. We are safe.” Vincent sniffled and whimpered. “B-but the fire! We need to get out!” Vincent looked at Gilbert with tears in his eyes. “Please!”
Gilbert gave a reassuring smile and kissed him on the forehead. “There is no fire. We are safe. We are at the nightray residence, not sablier. There are no men here to hurt us.” Finally, believing his brother's words, Vincent let out a heavy sigh of relief. He closed his eyes again, only focusing on the feeling of his brother's caring hands and his gentle voice.
Thirty minutes later, Gilbert guided Vincent back to bed. When his brother refused to let go of his arm, Gilbert turned around in confusion. When he saw his brother staring at him with a pleading expression, Gilbert sighed and smiled. “Fine. I'll stay the night.”
When Gilbert laid down on the bed, Vincent immediately clung onto him like his life depended on it. Maybe it did. Gilbert was happy to help in any way he could. Soon, the two fell asleep cradled in each other's arms and the night continued smoothly without another nightmare.