PJ tiptoed across the upstairs hallway and hugged Milo tight until he reached Gavin's bedroom door.

The door creaked open as PJ timidly said, "Gavin... I can't sleep. Can I stay with you?"

Gavin groaned and flicked his bedside lamp on. The light blinded him, forcing him to cover his eyes and squint to see a blurry little brother at his door with a purple monkey.

"What? PJ, it's the middle of the night," he sighed.

"But I'm scared," PJ whined petting Milo's head, "the lady is gonna get me."

"It's only a movie, PJ. There's nothing to be scared of. Go to bed," he said, getting up and leading a reluctant PJ out of his bedroom.

Meanwhile, in their sister's room, Chloe's legs kicked as she squirmed in bed. She groaned and flicked her head around in discomfort.

Nightmares. Chloe hated them.

***

Dream Chloe was in the middle of a black nothing. Everywhere she looked harbored darkness. She appeared to be floating. Her stomach queasy, as her body held no weight.

An uncanny feeling of flying masked her fear of the darkness, or rather, her fear of what was held inside it.

A gentle humming sound piqued her interest. She quickly aimed for the source of this sound only to realize that the humming was coming from all angles, its source unknown.

The woman's face covered with paper from the movie appeared alone in the darkness, as if she had no body.

Suddenly Chloe felt a weight on her arms. She peered down and noticed that she was holding someone - herself.

She looked at the body that was in her arms, her own body with the same face.

She heard a giggle from the floating face.

In that instant, her face on the body she was holding began to decay. Her skin rotted until there was nothing but her skull left. She could see the empty slots where her nose and eyes should have been.

The body she held disappeared like dust between her fingers.

She then witnessed muffled screams of the floating face as the paper shut the sounds from escaping its mouth.

The screams stopped abruptly as the face flew next to Chloe.

"Chloe...", the face whispered in her ear, sending a tingle down her spine.

***

In that instant, Chloe jolted awake with heavy breaths as she clutched onto her bedsheets.

Alone and with the bedsheets held up to her chin, she stared at the wall. The haunting silence in her bedroom surrounded her till morning.

***