Dionte

The sudden gasp of air that comes from the teenager's lips has all of their jaws drop in disbelief. Kaylen springs up in her hospital bed, her heart racing as her head whips back and forth, searching her surroundings. And the object of her desire rests on her parent; the girl's hazel eyes clouding with tears and his own reflecting like a mirror.

"D-Dad..."

Once this hoarse call squeezes through her throat, he embraces the child. The younger twin sobs in Gregory's arms while multiple apologies flood out to match her tears.

"I-I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

"Shh, it's alright. I'm the one who should be apologizing. I-I ought to have been there more for you and your sister."

They sit unmoving for several minutes, with the group of six exchanging looks of immense joy. Chantel grins from ear to ear, while Rebekah's blue irises get moist—though she tries to hide it. Thank you, God, for raising Kaylen from her slumber. His emotions are haywire with the blessings they've received, but also a hint of anxiety because of the twin still asleep.

Dionte examines Kaleigh, and now that they've all settled down, a tension begins to replace the previous relief. Everybody turns to her other half, holding the answers, and she tightly grips her thin white gown.

"Why didn't your sister wake up too?"

Gregory tries to keep his voice steady, but he can hear the anxiety in his strained question.

"K-Kaleigh didn't want to come with me. Actually, she said she couldn't see the light at all as if it was invisible to her... "

So, that's how she was able to break free... Once the anger was lifted from her heart, Kaylen yearned to return to the waking world. Given the older twin wasn't offered the same, it can only mean one thing.

"Kaleigh must still be consumed with hatred and sorrow," Pastor Ige deducts. "It would explain why she was blinded to God's love to provide an exit for her."

It's a chilling reality they're presented with, but it won't do them any good to close their eyes to the truth.

“What’s with the silence?” the blonde asks this, her chubby hands gripping the railing of Kaleigh's bed. "I mean, it's not New Year's Day, so there's gotta be a chance she can come around."

"I-I don't wanna give up on her either, besides just for my own sake." Jun-Seo is next to speak, with his service dog nuzzling against his side. "None of us wants her to die..."

Pastor Ige nods, giving the children a comforting pat on their backs. He was supposed to pray over the twins, but Kaylen woke up prior to him joining hands. This can still be done for Kaleigh, and hopefully, her heart can be touched from above.

"I am curious, how did you two go about casting this curse?"

Gregory brings to his attention something they briefly discussed when he visited his home. He presumed that his daughters received the evil book straight out of their grandmother's hands. Is that really the truth, and when exactly did they set this into stone?

"W-Well..." her voice trails off, and the single parent tenderly rubs her shoulder, encouraging her to continue. "Kaleigh and I stumbled across the book when helping Grandma clean her attic. It was thrown in a box with a bunch of other creepy stuff, and I told Kaleigh she should just leave it be. I didn't know she took it until a few months later."

The younger twin takes a peek at her sister before her head drops towards her lap.

"We were going through a rough time back in September. The bullying got worse ever since Rebekah joined in, and Mom was growing sicker and sicker."

The blonde thickly swallows but doesn't interrupt her, and Luis adjusts his glasses at the mention of her mother's condition.

"We didn't have anyone after losing Jun and Tiara as friends, so we resorted to other methods to numb the pain. I-I started cutting my upper thighs because it was difficult to spot. One night, I caught Kaleigh doing the same to her wrists, which are always covered with her bracelets."

They were self-harming for a period. That's often the first step that later escalates to non-reversible, soul-crushing solutions. By the shaky fingers clutching his ginger hair, Gregory most likely hasn't known about it until the doctors informed him the day they were admitted.

"When Mom finally breathed her last, w-we couldn't take it anymore. The two of us were just so emotionally drained; it was so exhausting to do anything but sleep. I wanted it to stay that way—a scenario where I'd never wake. I had planned on taking so many pills, but Kaleigh had an alternative: a certain curse from the little blue spell book she came across."

"Nightmares on Repeat..." Dionte mumbles automatically, and she nods in confirmation.

"I was against it at first. I only wished to be released from my misery, not execute some plot for revenge. But I was haunted in my dreams by those who hurt me, and that's when I started thinking differently."

In her gaze is a flicker of confliction, though it vanishes.

"We mustered enough strength to say our goodbyes to her before going through with the curse the day after the funeral. At the very end of November, we held hands and recited the chant. I honestly thought it might not work since we had no experience tampering with wicked spells. Maybe the entire book was a fake, but then, we lost consciousness right after completing the ritual..."

Everything in her story aligns. Their cursed nightmares did begin on the first of December. It's been nearly four weeks of suffering, but it doesn't compare to the months the twins were barely hanging on.

"We were able to witness all of your dreams, despite speaking solely during the special ones. I guess it was meant for us to watch our enemies in agony, but it left me with mixed feelings..." Her slender arms are covered in goosebumps as she hugs herself. "Flashbacks spiked my hatred like oil on a fire, but during the normal encounters, I sometimes felt queasy. The strong scent of blood while the Daemons scratched you up was hard to observe. I had become a monster from sickly believing this would give me some kind of satisfaction."

"That's not true!" Jun-Seo quickly objects, the shy boy grasping her by the sides. "W-We were the ones at fault. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, and for the cause of your pain. I didn't even know you were both going through such a deep depression..."

"Jun..."

Chantel walks over to join them, her smile forced. "And I was the reason you lost Tiara as a bestie. It would've helped to have one friend in your corner when life started to pull you under."

"You really don't have to apologize again. I'm just grateful that I gained a second chance. That this isn't the end."

It's a fragile yet hopeful grin that graces her lips, and in her palm is a familiar heart piece necklace. The one her mother gifted to her, which makes Rebekah freeze up. She must have returned it when saying her apologies alone.

"I-I was so upset." Kaylen brings it to her chest, tears trickling down her damp rosy cheeks. "I thought it was gone forever."

"I know the chain is still broken, but you can get a new one to put it on... Look, my presence is probably an eyesore, and I'm a huge contribution to you even considering respiring. Therefore, I can just sit tight in the waiting room to not ruin this heartwarming reunion."

"You don't have to go."

The command pausing the blonde and the old man in the doorway doesn't contain a hint of uncertainty. We all, for some reason or another, hurt Kaylen. There is no measure to who has done more or less, and the younger twin seems to come to this conclusion by herself.

"The curse I cast with Kaleigh was a punishment itself. Besides, I don't want to ever keep the grudge in my heart that had blackened like the darkness."

She holds her heart piece charm up to the light, it shining bright. To forgive is easier said than done, and at times, this can't be done by a human's own power. But her heart has surely been touched, not lost in the negativity as before.

Luis scoffs, folding his arms as he leans against the wall. "You put your wisdom to practice more than a bitter old man."

The two siblings' eyes lock, and an almost flustered expression washes over her. He can't help but let out a small chuckle, closing the small gap between them. This marks the first time they are to be talking face-to-face.

"I never imagined I'd be getting reunited with my younger sister quite like this."

"It is kind of weird seeing you outside the nightmares. Mom talked about you a lot during her final moments, how badly she wanted us to connect when she was gone."

A warmth surfaces at his birth mother's change of character, and he does still have her parting letter to open.

"Well, we have a lot of catching up to do when your sister wakes. Then we'll all four go on an outing together. Does that sound good?"

Her smile is contagious, fully shattering his chains of self-hatred. "Alright."

When the doctor informs them that visiting hours are about over, they take a few minutes more to say their goodbyes. Dionte catches Pravati's pale blue eyes locked on the ginger-haired teenager. Worry is plaguing her about Kaleigh's fate, though surprisingly, she approaches Gregory.

"You need to be careful not to overexert yourself. Winding up in the hospital beside her won't do your daughter any favors. Hope still remains."

"Thanks, and I'll be sure to do that."

She chose to comfort the fellow parent that has to be under a lot of stress. Kaleigh's story isn't over yet either. There are still two days for her to awake; they must stay faithful and patient.

...

The next two nights go by in the blink of an eye. It's now December 31st, the last day of the month before New Year's Day, and supposedly, their final dream state. Kaleigh hasn't woken up, though Gregory and Pastor Ige have practically lived at the hospital. The widowed man, once throwing himself into work, has called off to stay beside her.

Six individuals plus a golden retriever sit around the living room. Another meeting takes place late evening that has anxiety stirring given the circumstances.

"I'll be the one to voice what is on all of our minds. The chances are slim that girl will wake up by tonight. Kaleigh might just be harboring too much resentment to break the curse."

Everyone's faces fall at Luis's thought process, a grim and downright depressing outcome. It's one that no fiber of his being can picture happening. Dionte takes a stand, the group looking to the unofficial leader.

"We can't get disheartened now. It's natural both twins weren't saved at the same time, especially with the curse being Kaleigh's idea, but God can still guide her out of the darkness."

"I know He can perform blessings, but we are getting uncomfortably close to the deadline," Chantel interjects, her tall frame fidgeting on the sofa cushion. "W-We're less than twenty-four hours away from it..."

The nightmares could be made permanent at twelve, that is technically the start of January 1st. Nevertheless, it makes more sense to assume the curse will be long-term after the dream tonight instead of by midnight. This only leaves us until 6 A.M. That's it...

"During moments like these, our faith should be on full display. I say we conduct another fast tonight, just as when we were first searching for the meaning behind the nightmares."

They need to come together on such a crucial matter, and Rebekah, for one, raises her hand in approval.

"I'm for it then. Not like I have the appetite to eat dinner this evening with my mental health hanging in the balance. The dream state made permanent is more traumatizing than the crap from my adoptive parents..."

It's not a shock that Chantel and Jun-Seo also agree, but Pravati's participation wasn't anticipated.

"Really, are you sure?" he reconfirms, the older woman maintaining her composed posture.

"Yes, I wasn't quite ready to join in on the previous fast, but this is one I cannot pass up. We need this unity in coming to Him far greater than any other night."

If she is determined, then he won't persuade her otherwise. New to the faith and old can combine their prayers to the One who hears. Although, the elderly man among them doesn't fall into either category.

"Of course, I wouldn't ask you to partake in this."

Luis adjusts his bifocals, maybe seeing the divine purpose in their task. "Y'all can do whatever you feel the need to. Hmf, perhaps this stubborn person like myself could believe if a miracle is pulled off."

Their meeting is wrapped up on this note, and not a minute later does someone race down the stairs. The younger William is quick to grab her jacket yet unable to reach the door handle before Chantel blocks her path.

"Whoa, what's the rush? Where are you headed?"

"To the hospital," Tiara responds bluntly as if the answer was obvious. "Gregory is already waiting for me out front. I'm going to be spending the night there with him and Pastor Ige. The doctor surprisingly gave us permission—though as far as they know—she isn't in serious condition."

"A sudden sleepover at the hospital. You, who complain for a new mattress the minute your old one starts to sink, is gonna curl up in a hard chair?"

He can tell she's trying to joke with the loud ticking of the grandfather clock taunting them. Unfortunately, her attempt doesn't produce a hint of amusement for her younger sibling. Tiara wipes quickly underneath her eyes, mascara threatening to smear that might've been applied to simply hide the puffiness.

"D-Don't poke fun right now! There isn't anything I can do by staying here with you, so my best bet is to plead with them for Kaleigh to wake up. If she doesn't before sunrise, she's dead. And you. You could have some psychological breakdown with monsters chasing you every night! I-I can't lose—"

Her fears are cut off when Chantel throws her arms around her. She pulls her sister close, whose tears begin to flow, streaking her heated cheeks with makeup.

"It's okay. Everything is going to be okay. I'm not gonna go crazy, and Kaleigh won't keep sleeping. Just stay strong for a little while longer."

The reassurance from the older one seems to calm her, Tiara cracking a smile with a light shove as Chantel teases about her sad clown face paint.

With that, the younger sister hurries outside, and everybody else has gone to do their own thing. All besides the child that should be going home, and Jun-Seo walks over to the homeowner.

"Um, is it alright if I spend the night here?"

"Huh?" His request throws her off, though she slowly nods. "It doesn't phase me, but where is this coming from?"

"I-I just don't wanna sleep by myself; not tonight. I know we'll be together in the dream, so it's kinda childish. Still..."

I get why he wants to stay. It's the exact support Chantel offered him when assuming he might have to confront his special dream solo. There is a healing that can solely take effect in the physical presence of other people. Dionte and she exchange glances, and both turn to the boy shyly petting his dog.

"We get it. As long as your parents give permission, I have no problem with it."

"I'm sure my Dad will agree," he insists quite chipper, hastily zipping his coat. "I'll have him call and come back with my packed bag!"

I guess we'll be having a sleepover of our own. All six of them will be under the same roof, but a holiday celebration isn't on their agenda. His greatest New Year's resolution will be to form a bond with his sisters when they're released from the hospital.

...

Dionte adjusts his hood before getting under the covers. The light at his bedside is clicked off, bypassing his trusted pocket watch. I don't need it this time. Normally, they would pray together once the sun sets for the dream state ahead. Only tonight was this routine skipped over, but there is a reason for it.

His heartbeat is rather steady, contrary to the possible future that awaits him. The Lord has granted him peace, and he wishes the same for Kaleigh. Sleep soon envelopes him, not losing an inkling of rest while preparing for this nightmare to welcome the new year.

...

The group awakens in the middle of the street, the neighborhood they've grown accustomed to seeing by 3 A.M. Luckily, there are no Daemons in sight, and the next step would be for them to split. In trios, they hide until the sun governs the sky; not this time.

"Does anyone have any last-minute objections to what we agreed upon?"

He looks between them as nobody demonstrates any signs of cold feet.

"Nope, we gotta do this," Chantel says, her demeanor a flip of what she used to be at the beginning. "We can't expect Kaleigh to face her inner demons if we can't face our own. No more running or hiding."

The others mutually nod, and this firmly decided, they form a prayer circle. One wasn't required prior to hitting the sack because they'll be spending the following three hours like so. It's the way to outwardly express the overcoming of their pasts and their unwavering trust in the basking light above.

"Heavenly Father, we come to you tonight with a desperate plea for a poor lost soul that needs your consoling..."

Dionte is the person to speak on their behalf, the praying a mixture of thanksgiving, deliverance for Kaleigh, and protection from their predators. And it's not very long into it before a growling sound fills his ears. A daemon has located us. Yet, this isn't a call for alarm, and he doesn't allow it to strike fear in him. More will sniff them out standing in the middle of the road, but that is precisely the purpose. The ginger can be a witness to everything that's transpiring. Maybe this is the key to moving her clouded heart as the time gets lower.

Even as the number of feet pacing them starts to double, it just has him pray more fervently. Faith over fear. They weren't in the right spiritual place to do this earlier, himself included. Now, however, their grip on each other's hands grows stronger with no trembling from Chantel or Jun-Seo. He's certain this is mutual for the other three, and his shut eyes won't have a single peek. When I open them next, it'll be before 6 A.M.

A/N The end of this chapter. Trying to update a bit quicker as the book is now five chapters away from completion. The next update will be from the final P.O.V switch.