Seeing Shadows (Shadows 1)

"Caitlin?" This time the voice was softer, questioning.

I tried to take a deep breath but it was painful. My vision started to clear from the haze of the nightmare and I saw Simon standing over me, his eyes dark with concern. The lights were on and I shook my head as I tried to focus.

"Simon?" I croaked.

Simon looked relieved at my utterance. "Christ, you scared the crap out of me. I heard you making these awful noises and when I came in here you were thrashing around and I couldn't wake you up."

I propped myself up on the bed and Simon sat down next to me, his hip pressing into my side.

"Sorry," I whispered. I couldn't think of anything else to say as my mind raced over the vision I had just had. It had felt so real.

"Don't apologize. I'm just glad you're awake. Do you have nightmares often?"

I bit my lip. "Um, sometimes. Thanks for waking me up."

I heard a door open and footsteps padding towards my bedroom. Simon had left the door to my bedroom open and Sarah peered in, her eyes widening at the scene before her.

"Caitlin? Are you okay?"

I tried to smile reassuringly at Sarah. "I'm okay, Sarah. I'm sorry if we woke you."

She stepped into my room, looking at me warily. "What happened?"

"She just had a nightmare. I heard her from my room and came in to wake her up."

Sarah frowned at Simon's statement. "How did you hear her? I'm right next door and I didn't hear anything."

Simon shrugged. "My door was open. I heard what sounded like moaning and when I got up and went into the hallway, it sounded as if it was coming from Caitlin's room." Simon looked thoughtful as he continued. "Although, when I came in here she was barely making any noise. Not loud enough for me to hear down the hall, since her door was closed. Maybe it was just louder before."

I interrupted before Simon continued. "I'm okay now. Sorry for waking you guys up." I smiled weakly as Simon looked back at me, but I saw Sarah's eyes narrow.

"It's okay. That must have been one hell of a nightmare you were having. What was it about?" Simon asked.

I gulped as I met Sarah's eyes. Her narrowed eyes widened with understanding.

"Simon," she said, walking closer. "Why don't you go back to bed. I'll sit with Caitlin while her head clears. Turns out I can't sleep so I was just tossing back and forth in bed anyways."

Simon looked stubborn as he opened his mouth, but I placed a hand on his arm, speaking before he could. "Simon, I'm okay. Please just go back to bed." I looked at Sarah. "Both of you. I'm really okay. I'm just embarrassed that I caused such a commotion." Simon opened his mouth again but I stopped him before he could speak. "Please."

I looked at Sarah pleadingly and she sighed but she slightly tipped her head in acquiescence. "Come on, Simon. We should let Caitlin go back to sleep. She's mortified enough without us fawning over her. I'll keep my door open in case she has another...nightmare." Sarah paused before saying the last word and I knew she had almost called it a vision.

Simon's lips pressed together, the corners turning down, but he gave an exhale of surrender. "Okay, but keep your door open, Caitlin. I hear anything else and I'm sleeping in here with you."

"Simon, you can't do that! What will your mother think?" Just the thought of his mother catching him sleeping in my room made me flush.

Simon smirked. "My mother knows I'm all grown up. I actually told her I wanted you to stay in my room with me and she was fine with it. But I knew you would freak out, so I told her it was probably best if you had your own room."

I groaned as I buried my head in the pillow. "Simon, how could you say that to her! She's going to totally get the wrong idea! And she'll think I'm some floozy! Everybody leave before I die of embarrassment."

Sarah laughed as she grabbed Simon's arm. "Come on Prince Charming, before Sleeping Beauty decides to do you some bodily harm."

Simon allowed himself to be pulled away but he turned around as they were leaving the room. "Remember, don't close your door."

Sarah switched off my lights as they left the room and went their separate ways. I breathed in deeply, finally alone with my own thoughts. Even though the lights were out, the hallway light gave a faint illumination into my room and I was grateful that I wasn't in complete darkness.

My mind raced as I thought of my vision, grasping my iridium charm in my hand. It seemed to have saved me in my vision when it fell against Claudia's hand. Or whatever had been Claudia. Had I witnessed the vardoger taking final possession of Claudia's body? Had the grey matter rushing out of her mouth been the essence of Claudia, leaving her empty body behind to be overtaken by the vardoger?

What would have happened if Simon hadn't woken me up? I worried over these thoughts in my head over and over again. I knew there was no way I would be able to go back to sleep. I looked at the alarm clock on the bedside table and sighed. It had been almost two in the morning when Simon had woken me and now it was closer to three. I had resigned myself to laying restless in bed until dawn when I heard a rustle at my door.