Dionte

With the party coming to an end, the nightly mission begins its routine preparations. They hold hands together with Dionte saying a prayer, and after that, discuss what hiding spots to reach upon the nightmare starting. It's easier to pick one ahead of time rather than with daemons on their tails. Every few days, the hiding spot is changed to throw the monsters off track. Their vicious enemies have caught onto them taking refuge over walking the neighborhood streets. Now, it's in search of them in uncommon places which raises the survival level.

Dionte lays his head down on his pillow, staring up at the ceiling in the darkened room. This same room he offered the old man; nevertheless, he promptly refused it. He must be uncomfortable on the couch with his bad back, but Luis won't take a bed he's had since the start of the month. 'There isn't much of December left,' was his explanation. 'So I can survive on some expensive furniture until returning home.'

I know why I'm connected to the twins, finally... It's a revelation that has been weighing on his thoughts ever since Luis's dream state. Still, he can't let this rob his focus from the situation at hand. As the unofficial leader, he needs to remain levelheaded to guide the others through these coming three hours. That and be mentally ready for whatever answer Chantel and he will receive during tomorrow's trip. Choosing to shift his attention to this, he rolls over to get some real sleep before the nightmare begins.

...

The usual red sky that never loses its eerie shine is what greets him when opening his eyes. Dionte slowly sits up with everyone else, and looking around, a sigh escapes his lips. We're safe from immediate danger tonight. There are a few unfortunate nights when they wake up right in the presence of a daemon. The monsters do randomly spawn across the neighborhood, so some battles are lost without a fighting chance. It's made it where they all have died at least once by a daemon's claws. Regardless, The Lord has granted them the strength to endure the hardships and pain this curse reaps.

"Alright, looks to me like the coast is clear so we'll be on our way then," Chantel comments, adjusting her wrist watch as he nods.

"Be careful, and we'll see you at six AM."

Chantel, Jun-Seo, and Pravati depart in the opposite direction. To hide more discreetly, smaller groups are ideal, so they split into trios. His own consists of the elderly man and a spunky teenager who wait for his leadership. The therapist ensures his pocket watch is intact before they head towards their hiding spot.

Dionte walks into the backyard of the house on the corner, which is the perfect place to lie low he only discovered yesterday.

"Home sweet home." He opens the flimsy door of the playhouse, the interior being a cute size for a toddler. Though that charm will be less appealing when holding near three adults.

"We're seriously hiding in this thing?"

"It's unlikely a daemon will find us in here. And anywhere should be better than the garbage again."

The blonde groans but crawls inside first with a grumble. Luis goes in next with Dionte keeping a lookout prior to closing the door behind them.

It truly is more cramped now that they're in there, Dionte hitting the plastic table behind him with a grunt. Hardly any space to move further yet stretch out their legs, but a muscle cramp is better than the alternative. The others can't be any more comfortable lying underneath a vehicle for the next three hours.

"I remember having a similar playhouse when I was little," Rebekah shares, a nostalgic glint replacing her previous agitation. "My Dad got it for me on my sixth birthday. I practically lived in it like it was my second home. Never imagined I'd be using one with this setup."

"It does help fight the cold in my old bones, but the best hiding nook was underneath my front porch. Well, until the daemons got hip to it, that is," Luis comments, and he had held up there a long period alone before the monsters caught on.

"Once they catch us somewhere, it's impossible to use that spot again. Let's hope that as long as we keep rotating, the daemons won't ever find us."

Three golden rules they're to uphold during these games of hide and seek: 1. They erase their footprints in the snow so they can't be followed. 2. The trio must be as quiet as a mouse when chatting as to alert no predators with their loud mouths. 3. Nobody is to leave the hiding spot for any reason, which can be fatal.

Minutes pass, which leaves it to an hour or so with soon half of the nightmare duration over. Dionte checks his pocket watch to read that it's about four forty-five. The dream currently is smooth sailing until a sound of crunching snow freezes all of them. He shushes the two who were previously whispering, and the male slowly takes a peek outside the tiny window. Sure enough, a daemon is spotted sniffing around the house, and he thickly swallows.

Should I try to draw its attention away from us? He could put Pravati's method to action, if there was just something inside to throw while the beast is unaware of them. I guess we're sitting ducks then. The trio's only option is to hope the daemon doesn't draw near their hiding place.

A half-stifled sneeze has his eyes bug, Dionte's head whipping towards the noise that came from the blonde. Rebekah's chubby hand is clapped over her nose, and the three of them sit in a nervous tension for milliseconds. Heavy paws increase in volume as they inch closer to their plastic house; it's clear that they've been found out.

"I'll make a run for it," he volunteers in a hushed tone, and a backup plan is set in this turn of events. "By fleeing to ignite its predatory instincts, you both can find another spot to hide before it circles back around."

There's no chance I'll escape this alive... A big gap is needed to outrun a daemon, one he lacks with it a few feet from them. Nevertheless, his future demise means nothing if they can get out of this unscathed.

He can see a dark shadow cast over the teen's dropped face, her body trembling in a mixture of fear and frustration. There's no reason to beat herself up over it, and this isn't the first time he's used himself as a pawn to ensure the group's safety.

"No way in h*ll."

The outright refusal leaves the old man, and he can't process a response when sharp claws suddenly scratch the plastic structure. This is ruthlessly done, the daemon knowing they're inside, and no time remains for him to counter Luis's stubbornness.

"What do you propose we do then?! It doesn't make sense for all of us to die here!"

"You're the one who said even if this death isn't permanent, you wouldn't want people dying in front of you," he retorts, Dionte's mouth snapping shut. "Just lay down and don't move a muscle!"

No seconds left with the playhouse being flipped on its side has them all collapse on the snow, unmoving. The daemon paces the trio, and its low growls tingling his ears causes a shiver to run down his spine. He feels the monster nudge him, rolling him on his stomach, but he continues to stay like a lifeless toy as he stops breathing. Luis wants us to play dead. It's a tactic used on brown bears, though not always effective. Given the beast only hunts for the kill and not a feast, it should leave them alone if it believes they're no longer living.

Dionte silently prays to maintain his peace while the monster examines him a little more before proceeding. The daemon repeats these actions with both Luis and Rebekah; he hopes fear doesn't reign victorious for the latter, but she pulls through. It takes its exit off the yard, and after waiting a good minute, they sit up.

"I'm shocked that somehow worked," Rebekah voices first. "I was mentally freaking out when that thing went poking at me."

Dionte glances at their newest member with a small smile. "I appreciate you suggesting a method that has us all in one piece. I honestly wasn't too keen on dying again, despite it being my plan."

"I was simply dishing your own words back to you." He pushes up his bifocals, but Dionte doesn't need a prescription to see the relief in the old man's gaze. "It would've made you a hypocrite if you'd gone through with that."

The younger male stands on his feet, and luckily, no other daemons are in sight.

"We ought to get this playhouse fixed and hope no other unwanted company shows up."

They both nod, and the three move fast to get the scratched-up playhouse upright. Thankfully, no further visitors come until their goal of six AM is granted to them.

...

Dionte stands in front of a hospital, parallel to the location of the last special dream. But that was one for the health of the body; this is a place of healing for the mind. The three walk inside the doors of the psychiatric ward, and Pastor Ige talks with the receptionist. After they all sign in, a man in white leads them down the many halls towards their desired patient.

He can't stop himself from sneaking peeks at the boxed rooms where residents are confined. Some scream at the top of their lungs before being injected with unknown medicine while others rock in the corners in a fetal position. It's the type of sight he imagined he'd only see in films, and even as a newer psychiatrist, he doesn't work with people this far gone.

They soon reach the room that's promptly unlocked, and a woman with sunken eyes sits in bed staring off into space. Maggie Sullivan. It's like she's daydreaming, and if she truly is a victim of the nightmares, this might be the only real rest she ever has.

"Maggie, it's been a long time," the middle-aged man softly greets, flashing her a grin she doesn't acknowledge. "I brought along two friends who wanted to speak with you."

The therapist gives a nod of assurance, taking over as he steps into her line of vision. He still maintains a comfortable distance, swatting down to feel more on her level.

"Hello, my name is Dionte, and this is Chantel." He gestures to the tall female who gives a small wave. "We've been told that you've been experiencing nightmares like us." He pulls out a picture he borrowed from Jun-Seo. It's an accurate sketch of the daemons' appearance by the talented young artist. "Is this the monster you see in your dreams, or one similar to it?"

Her dull irises finally show a flicker of life in them, with her head slightly turning towards the notebook paper.

"Yes, the nights I long to see the black daemons again. The reds are much worse. So much worse..." she mumbles this in response before incoherently rambling about her lack of sleep. The permanent dreams are said to have them in slumber the entire night, but that means nothing when being hunted every second of it.

Dionte tucks the sketch back into his jacket and proceeds by asking, "Who put this curse on you and when?"

"Three years ago, my deceased husband discovered I was having an affair."

The mention of his death has Chantel and him exchange anxious glances.

"It started out as a little fling with a colleague, but it became more passionate over time. Who was I to know that insufferable man would secretly follow us on a work trip?" She absentmindedly twists her tangled locks, and his stomach matches it as she shares her piece. "When coming home, he confronted me, so I suggested a divorce. The secret was out, and our relationship was in a rut, but he didn't accept that one bit. Joseph kept yammering on and on about how he couldn't live without me; it was honestly sickening."

Maggie's nose scrunches as if getting a whiff of something revolting. It's evident why her spouse cursed her, but the golden question remains unanswered on a way to stop this.

"When I handed him the divorce papers, Joseph said it was no need for him to sign them. He was going to be leaving this earth behind, but he had a parting 'gift' that would grant me sweet dreams to always remember him by. The very next morning, he randomly fell into a deep sleep. I assumed he may have overdosed because of his threat, but the doctors could find nothing wrong with him when he was examined at the hospital. The terror began that night onward." A hollow smile spreads across her dry lips, one of a truly broken woman. "I was at the workplace even at the dead of night fleeing from that gruesome monster. The unique setting on the beach revealed it all to me; Joseph was the root of my misery."

He doesn't get a chance to further his investigation when Chantel suddenly grasps the patient by her slouched shoulders.

"H-How do we end it? Even if it didn't work for yourself, there must be something we can use!"

"Chantel, calm down!"

"I yearned for the nightmares to end when he woke up from his coma, but after a month passed, he was suddenly announced dead. His heart just up and stopped beating, and that's when I understood my fate was sealed."

Her once tight grip loosens on the woman's arms with the hope they mutually felt upon first arriving.

"I lost Daniel, my love, who believed my family putting me in here was the best option. But these walls won't stop the dreams from terrorizing me or either of you. There is only one method I can do..." Her jagged nails trace the veins in her arms as she scratches herself. "Reunite with him in death. Isn't that right, Joseph? This was your plan from the start so we could be together again! You refuse to let me have peace! You refuse to let me!"

Doctors rush in with Maggie having a breakdown, and the three visitors are forced to leave. Dionte sees one final glimpse of the pure insanity in her flailing prior to the door shutting.

It's a stretching silence as the car drives down the snowy road. A wasted trip one would think with what little they learned from her. The person at fault for it being cut short awkwardly clears her throat.

"I-I'm sorry. If I hadn't pushed, Maggie wouldn't have snapped like that. And you were nice enough to take us all the way out here right after the holiday..."

The pastor shakes his head, his gaze focused on the road ahead. "No need to apologize. That's far from the first outburst she's had during my visits. Actually, hearing her story again, I've come to deduct that there is solely one antidote for your predicament."

"That being...?"

"Well, there are but two emotional factors that make a person cast this curse: Hatred and despair. That's why there are two things that need to heal the scars inflicted: Forgiveness and salvation."

The two listen in as he continues sharing his opinions on a remedy.

"The twins must forgive everyone from the heart that they've cast the curse upon; therefore, the sisters will have no desire for you to suffer in your dreams when their animosity is lifted." The middle-aged man's hand looks to his cross necklace next, the evening light reflecting on it. "The second is salvation from The Lord. Even if they do forgive, the utter despair that weighs on them may erase any hope to wake from their coma. I pity the two so young; suicide attempts being permanent. When their hearts go out, no doctor will be able to resuscitate them."

A hand rises up to Dionte's chest, feeling his own heartbeat quicken while thinking on what Maggie had said. The twins' current health issue is one of unnatural causes, so in the event the curse is finalized, so are their lives. It's an outcome that scares him even more than the nightmares sticking around. That can't happen to them.

"That's precisely why they need God's light to guide them through the darkness. With these both applied, I believe the twins will wake and your nightmares will cease to exist."

Chantel hesitantly nods, seeming to buy some of what he's saying, though still mixed with doubt. "But how would we reach the twins to apologize? They'll be asleep until next year, and by then, it's too late..."

"They say people can hear while in a coma state. Perhaps you all should visit the hospital to give an earnest apology. I recall when Joseph was admitted, Maggie never did that as far as I know during her visits. I too can come and pray over them, that The Lord will give them comfort from the anguish."

What originally appeared to be a fruitless visit now has granted them a mission. The path they needed to take was always right in front of their faces. Nevertheless, he isn't quite ready to put it to action just yet.

"I agree fully with your advice, but can we hold off before going to the hospital?" Dionte requests. "I remember why I'm connected to Kaleigh and Kaylen, but I can't wholeheartedly apologize to them until my special dream state. I got to relive that day for myself to put together the missing pieces."

Chantel's eyebrows raise, turning around in her seat. "Wait, there's a specific reason you're involved in all of this? So much for you being our guardian angel."

This she says jokingly, cracking a hint of a smile despite his anxiety.

"Just let me know the day you do wish to go," Pastor Ige voices. "I don't wish any of you to be in Maggie's position."

The two firmly nod, a kindled determination as they head for home. The mountain path is no longer shrouded, but he fears what rocky trail he must cross instead of guiding the others. I wonder what consequence my harsh actions brought about back then.

A/N This book is officially on a ten chapter countdown before the epilogue. Dionte's arc will finally begin in the next update.