[WP] He stood next to the kid watching as black tentacles reached out at them from the slime. The boy gripped his hand harder and asked the therapist "Now do you believe the nightmares have come true?"
In all my years as a child psychiatrist, I was often called in to meet parents and at times, even orphanage heads about concerns with children. It was always the same, depression, anxiety, some dissociative personality disorders, some ADHD and dyslexia sometimes but never was I given a case like this.
The child was Jacob. Jacob Bruno. He was a 6 year old that, according to the orphanage head, had refused to sleep. Whenever they would clean his belongings, they would always find all sorts of things. At first they were just energy drinks and coffee. The highly caffeinated stuff but as it progressed, they started finding more and more unusual things like knives, forks. A lot of sharp objects.
But what was more disturbing was that it coincided with the disappearance of some children from the orphanage. No traces were left but they were all suspecting that it was his doing. Although no substantial proof could be presented, the child was soon separated from the other children.
“Hey Jacob. My name is Dr. Phillips” I ushered him to sit on the long seats that most of the kids seemed to love. And he did as well as I watched him make himself comfortable on the plush seating. “So I heard you don’t like sleeping? Why is that?” I had taken a seat beside him and offered him a lollipop
“I just don’t” He still took the lollipop then eagerly put it in his mouth. Must’ve been deprived of sweets in the orphanage.
“Hmm.. then do you not like your room that much?”
He answered with a shrug then reached for one of the stuffed octopus that was on the floor “It’s okay? I think? Because some of the kids hug me when I get nightmares”
He sounded too innocent to be suspected for murder. There wasn’t even any indication of violent behaviour.
“The other kids went missing though” He was speaking with a frown as he hugged the stuffed toy closer to himself and for a moment, I saw a hint of fear and loneliness in his eyes. I miss them”
“Do you know where they all went maybe?” He shook his head and hid his face with the stuffy. Probably on the verge of tears “How about staying with me for now? I don’t really have a housemate and you need a change of pace”
I tried to sneak a peek at his face as I lowered the stuffy a bit but I was greeted with tear-filled eyes that looked at me expectantly
“Are you sure about that, doctor? You might get in trouble”
“I’ll be fine. I can tell the head that we’re just having a sleepover later. Is that okay with you?” Again, I was answered with a nod “You can keep Octy if you want. He’s been wanting to be someone’s friend for awhile now.
He stayed with me at the office until 5p.m. then I took him to my apartment where I lent him my bed while I decided to take the sofa. The kid needed somewhere comfy. At 8p.m., as per the orphanage head’s instructions, I sent him to bed with a glass of warm milk.
It was around 9p.m. whenI heard some noise from the kitchen and there I saw him sneaking around with my coffee jar
“Jacob?Weren’t you supposed to be asleep by now?”
He looked at me with wide eyes and slowly shook his head “I don’t want to sleep, doctor” his voice sounded weak, almost begging as he took hold of the hem of my shirt and kept close to me.
“You’re still growing, you need to sleep” It was getting late and I wasn’t sure I wanted to be scolded when they picked him up the next day so I did what I thought was fitting. I gave him half a dose of sleeping aids in the guise of candy. As much as I had felt bad doing so, the kid looked horrible and he really needed sleep. With the last bit of consciousness, he was begging “Body no, please don’t fall asleep” he would slap his cheeks and even pinch his arms “ The nightmares will come back-” And with that, he had managed to fall asleep on the couch. I carried him to the bed and tucked him in.
Until 11p.m. It was silent and I was hoping I would fall asleep soon, that was until I felt my couch sinking and some wet thing was touching my toes. It was black slime- I immediately leapt out the bed and bolted right to my bedroom were Jacob was in the corner, eye closed tightly as he kept the blanket wrapped around his body securely
“Doctor! The slime is alive!”
I rushed to his side and held onto his hand, hushing him as I watched the slime come closer. It stopped at the door but I had just hoped that it continued moving instead. The black tentacles that were reaching for us were far more terrifying than the black mass on the ground.
“Now do you believe me.. The nightmares have come true. And we’re next”
“We need to escape!” I looked out the window and the view from the 2nd story looked all too harsh for a child to jump from.
“But how-”
The black tentacles had gotten to us.
According to an Orphanage caretaker, who was just picking up the child in her custody. The psychiatrist Anthony Phillips and the child, Jacob Bruno. Were already dead by the time she had arrived at the apartment. Cause of death: Arrhythmic Death Syndrome
That's sad, I though he can save him but instead, they both get killed. But it's okay we can't really escape death, it's just sad that they need to go first.