Alone in the Dark

Asleep, Nick’s head slipped off the side of the wooden desk leg, the sudden motion jarring him awake and him leaving him momentarily discombobulated in the darkness. It wasn’t a dream, he was still small. Chuckling softly to himself, “Tom?” he said, looking around the leg only to discover he was by himself. “Tom?” he repeated, speaking a little louder. There was no response. He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach and though he hoped he was wrong, after all, it was entirely possible Tom needed some privacy to go take a leak, he had sinking feeling he knew exactly where Tom had ventured off to, to see the girls.

Over the sounds of the girls’ breathing, he called out once more, “Tom!” No response.

Peering through the gloom toward the bed, he really had no real idea how long he might have been asleep or how far Tom may have gotten in his trek. The fact that a riot of commotion had yet to break out was a pretty good omen he hadn’t yet found a way to present himself to Asha. Which meant if he hurried, there might still be enough time to rein Tom.

Letting out a big breath, he massaged his face and yawned before getting to his feet. Speaking of needing to relieve himself and left with few options, he did what he needed to do. He had no clue how the girls were arranged on the bed or where Asha might be, but he figured more than likely Tom would probably try and get up onto one of the night tables to either side of the bed. He figured Tom was capable enough to get up the cord, after the efforts on the stairs, though he dreaded the possibility he might find the broken body of his friend on the carpet at the base of the nightstand.

“Tom you fool,” he muttered under his breath tone irritated. Sprinting across the carpet and making his way toward the corner of the bed nearest him, he arrived near the mammoth piece of furniture and slowed up, ducking under the edge of the foot of the bed. In the inky blackness hidden under there, it was near impossible to see anything under the bed, so he stayed near the threshold between light and dark, travelling along the side of the bed toward the nightstand. Above his head, there was a loud sound of movement, gigantic bodies moving and compressing the mattress springs. It was so loud, his initial panicked thought was the bed actually might collapse under the combined weight of the girls and come crashing down on him.

Groaning, “What are you doing climbing on top of me?” came the voice of Asha, sounding groggy and very close.

Slowing up from his startled run, Nick paused and turned his head upward to eavesdrop on what the girls were saying.

“I think I shouldn’t have had the big glass of juice just before bed because I need to pee,” TJ replied, her own voice drowsy as she threw her leg onto Asha’s midriff and attempted to clamber over.

“Your boob is practically right in my face,” grumbled the dark haired girl, using an arm and nudging TJ back toward her own spot in the middle of the bed.

“Sorry, but I really have to go,” TJ replied, turning onto her side and propping herself up on an elbow.

“Alright, give me a second. Do you need some light?” Asha inquired, stretching a knowing hand out toward the little switch on the lamp resting on her nightstand

“Mm-hmm, yes please,” TJ responded.

There was an audible click and abruptly the area was bathed in warm soft illumination emanating from the lamp.

The light made Nick jump and drifty back several steps under the bed. Where was Tom? He hoped to hell this wasn’t the moment the other boy chose to reveal his tiny presence to the girls.

“Okay wait,” Asha said, followed by more sounds of shuffling overhead, then suddenly first one then another enormous foot materialized almost directly in front of him. There was no way for him to tell who the owner was, Asha or TJ, either way it was big, toenails painted red.

Another pair of feet appeared, “Thanks,” came TJ’s voice as she stood up and took a couple of paces.

“Ugh, shut off the light,” came Carissa’s pleading voice, farther away, the far side of the bed as she pulled TJ’s pillow over her head to blot out the light.

“What is that?” Asha asked.

“What?” TJ replied.

“On your leg. Is that blood?” Asha said.

Blood? Nick moved forward closer to the edge to see if he could see anything.

TJ looked down at her thigh, a thin smear of crimson across the side.

“Are you on your period?” Asha queried.

“No,” TJ replied in a befuddled tone, reaching a hand down to touch the still tacky streak and bringing her discolored fingers up to her face.

Turning her head to the side, Asha flicked the blankets back, revealing a small human form amidst a discolored spot on the bedsheet. “Oh my god,” she breathed, shifting her position and climbing on the bed on her hands and knees to get a closer look at the blood stained little figure.

For her part, Carissa rolled over toward the light, to investigate the source of Asha’s amazed expression. “What is that?” she inquired.

TJ walked back toward the bed, quizzical expression on her face as she rubbed thumb and forefinger together to get rid of the mess, necessity to pee momentarily forgotten.

Crawling forward on the bed and directly over top of Tom, Asha settled back on her knees, the unconscious sprawled form of the youth situated between her naked thighs near her knees. “It’s Tom Clady,” she answered, creating a cloth corral with the blanket before placing her hands on the smooth skin of her of her legs and shaking her head, “a very teeny Tom Clady,” she commented.