Cursed

A small smile surfaces as Katie settles down next to Jason, and he yawns, giving in to his tiredness. Images of the past still floated in and out of his mind, and he knew they would probably bother him tonight. But at least the worst of it was over, and after all his energy had been spent, he was too tired to fight sleep. He’d tried to fight it too many times in the past, just to wind up realizing he couldn’t.


Kyle grins at Misty and watches until she’s left before turning back around and trudging to his room. Not even bothering to undress, he flops into bed, asleep almost before his head hits the pillow.


The bell on Mom and Pop’s rings one more time, a voice calling down the sidewalk after Jess. “Walk you back?” Carson didn’t like the thought of her walking alone in the dark just yet…not until Peter had been put away. He stands waiting for either a yes or a no.


Running…crying...screaming… Jason’s feet pound the ground as he looks over his shoulder, racing through the shadows. He wasn’t in the house. He was in dark woods with no moon to light the way. He was running…running…someone was chasing him. Glowing eyes came after him. Fear clung to Jason’s heart, terror seizing his mind. He ran further and further. He could hear Alex’s laughter behind him, getting closer….closer. Jason felt like he was running in place. He was trying to get away…trying to reach the light. Suddenly he stops. He’s at the edge of a cliff. The deep ravine was so far down that it could not be seen, shrouded in a dark fog.

Jason starts to mumble in his sleep beginning to move, writhing under the nightmare’s hold. He tosses his head back and forth, caught in a world beyond sleep.

He stops, panting…sweating. He hears Alex getting closer and closer. He hears the sharp voice, the demanding tone. He looks over his shoulder at the oncoming tormentor, then looks into the ravine that was certain death. Alex comes nearer. His hand reaches out. But Jason steps away. Time stands still. He’s caught in a strange trance, weighing options that his child’s mind should never contemplate. And he chooses. He steps off the cliff.

Jason wakes with such a start that his whole body jolts and he almost falls off the couch. It’s such a move that even Trooper jumps and gets up to make sure everything is okay.

Jason’s pulse is racing and he tries to catch his breath, staring into his dark living room. The fear was still so fresh, so real. Even if he’d known the nightmares would come, it didn’t lessen the pain.

Feeling Katie still with him, he sinks back down into the throw pillow, a tear trickling from his eye, hidden by the darkness. Why was he cursed with these memories…