Now Starring Ch. 07

The next dream was of hiding in some dark cave, the sound of approaching footsteps making my heart beat faster as they grew nearer. I knew that once I was discovered I was in big trouble but didn't know why or who was after me. Before the unseen menace could be revealed, suddenly I was back in my London flat.

John was there dressed only in a smile and nothing else. He was fully erect and seemed larger than I had ever seen him before. I ran to him and he picked me up like I was a small child and carried me into my bedroom. He seemed to have more hands than the usual allotment humans have, and they were all over me. He crushed me to him as his many hands simultaneously tore at my clothes, probed my mouth, toyed with my hair and slid inside me, raising me to a fever pitch.

After what seemed like forever he drove himself into me, that first initial pleasure of his entry giving quickly over to the feeling that he was made of fire and every place he touched me burned like molten steel. I struggled to escape his grasp, desperately trying to disengage him from me but he held me down. As he rocked in and out of me I could smell my flesh burning, and the pain was excruciating. I strained to push him off but my efforts didn't even disturb his rhythm. I held my hands up to my face as they burst into flames and I started to scream.

I bolted upright, still screaming, drenched in sweat and my heart beating a samba in my chest just as Fiona ran into my room.

"David, luv, you alright?" she sat on the edge of the bed, and put her hand on my shoulder.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you, I was just having a really bad dream."

"Anything you want to talk about?" she offered.

"No, it's OK I'm fine, thanks."

"I know you and your dad haven't been close in too many years, but he was so excited when you said you were coming for a visit. He may be a grouchy old bear but he does love you." Fiona stood up and got to the doorway, then turned back, "I know I'm just your step mum but I love you just like you was my own."

With that she shut the door. I waited until I heard her bedroom door shut before I got out of bed, I opened the window and sat next on the chair next to it the cold air cooling me down and gazed out at the stars. I was afraid to fall asleep again, knowing that even worse dreams waited for me just on the other side.

Sometime later, despite my efforts to stay awake, I fell asleep once more. The dream started out pleasant enough; I was lying in my bed, nestled in John's arms with my head on his chest. The lights were off except for the one in the hallway. I was just about to drift off when I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. I had just enough time to start to disentangle myself from John's embrace before my dad leapt into the room brandishing a petrol can dousing us and lighting John and I on fire.

This time I felt no pain. I could see the flames consuming me and I could hear John's flesh sizzling in the heat and the sound of my father's laughter, but I couldn't move or make a sound as the fire roared in my ears. My father stood by the bed, smiling in a very self satisfied way and the last words I heard were, "now you can burn in hell too."

As I jolted awake I could hear the church bells starting to ring in the distance, the sun trying to break through the clouds casting streaks of light on the street below. Somehow the bells made those words seem even more true. Maybe I was going to hell.

Or maybe I was already there.