“Kiki, tonight Daddy will watch the stars with you.”


    “Kiki, be a good girl and take your medicine.”


    “Kiki…”


    “Dad, Mom…” I reached out for them, but my hands were pinned down, and I heard a familiar voice


    calling, “Kiki, Kiki, wake up, wake up…”


    I felt two hands gently cup my face.


    Hayden’s anxious face came into focus. His thumb brushed softly across my cheek. “Kiki, it’s me.”


    It was Hayden.


    I was finally pulled out of the heartbreaking dream, but as reality set in, the pain only got worse.


    I bit down on my lip, so hard I could taste the metallic tang of blood.


    In the next second, Hayden pried my mouth open. “Kiki stop. Don’t hurt yourself. Please, listen to


    me…


    His voice kept calling my name, but all I could see were my parents‘ faces.


    “Ah!” I screamed again.


    Hayden pulled me into his arms, and I copsed against his shoulder, sobbing uncontrobly.


    I pounded my fists against him, but no one could understand the depth of my pain, how much I just


    wanted to disappear.


    My parents–my kind, loving parents–why did they have to die like that?


    couldn’t ept it. The more I cried, the more the agony consumed me. It was the kind of pain that


    made you want to tear yourself apart just to escape it.


    But Hayden held on tightly, not letting me go. I couldn’t hurt myself, so I bit down on his shoulder,


    hard.


    And then everything went ck as the storm inside me finally pulled me under.


    When I woke up, there were no dreams, just the dim yellow glow of amp and Hayden slumped


    over in a hair beside the bed.


    I


    Memories of what happened before I passed out came rushing back, and I closed my eyes,


    exhausted.


    he pain was still there, but it wasn’t as crushing as before. I forced myself to bury the image of my


    arents‘ suffering deep down, where it wouldn’t swallow me whole.


    Do you want some water?” Hayden’s voice was soft, almost hesitant. Even though he looked


    exhausted, e noticed I was awake right away.


    nodded, not wanting to worry him any more than I already had.


    ayden helped me sit up and brought a ss of water to my lips.


    +25 RONUS


    “I’ve got it,” I said.


    But my hands were shaking so badly, I almost dropped it.


    “Just drink,” he said, holding the ss for me.


    I managed to sip about half before it spilled down my chin. Hayden gently wiped it away, his fingers


    brushing my skin,


    I nced outside at the dark sky. “What time is it?”


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    “Ten p.m.,” he replied.


    My mouth opened, like I wanted to say something, but he just ran his fingers through my hair.


    “You’re hungry?”


    Not really. But seeing how tired he looked, I knew he probably hadn’t eaten anything either.


    I nodded. “Maybe some roasted pear soup?”


    “Sure,” he said with a small smile. “Anything else?”


    Anything else? I hesitated, then thought of the pancakes my mom used to make. “Maybe fluffy


    cornmeal Jancakes too?”


    Got it. Anything else?”


    shook my head. “No, that’s it.” Then, after a pause, I added, “You can get something for yourself


    too.


    le ruffled my hair gently. “Alright, hang tight. I’ll get someone to bring it over.”


    le started typing on his phone. I didn’t ask who he was texting–I was too drained to care.


    just stared at the ceiling, feeling oddly detached.


    he silence stretched on until my phone buzzed, snapping me out of it. Hayden nced at the


    screen. efore handing it to me. “It’s Wayne.”