I awoke in a cold sweat to someone harshly shaking me.

All I knew was how fast my heart was beating, and that I had the undeniable feeling in my gut that I was scared.

The fact that I opened my eyes to pitch darkness didn't really help with that either.

The next thing I knew, I had a hand over my mouth and a body hovering above mine.

So instinctually, I grabbed at the hand, digging my nails into it as I felt warm tears run down my face.

A hiss of pain came from the person above me, partially snapping me back to reality.

"Ow Khloe!" Doe's sharp whisper sounded from above me.

My entire body froze once I realized what was happening.

Oh, my God.

I must have had another nightmare.

Part of me was glad that I didn't remember it, but the more rational half of me knew that there was more than just that to this situation.

Doe and I just stayed in that position for a couple seconds, while I tried to force myself to calm down.

Only then did I hear some shifting and mumbling from the pets in the other cages.

Doe removed her hand from my mouth as I began to push myself up onto my elbow, feeling how my body was trembling.

She also seemed to be pretty shaken up, judging by the faint silhouette of her body that I could make out.

"What did I do?" I asked hesitantly, already knowing that I had to have done something that woke her, and some of the other pets up.

She crawled over me so that she was no longer on top of me, sitting on her knees right beside me.

"You just started screaming out of nowhere." She explained, "Are you okay?"

I was happy to hear that she seemed more worried than upset with me.

I swallowed hard.

"Y-yea," I began, "Sorry, I just had a uh...nightmare."

It had been so long since I had a nightmare that I almost forgot the toll they had on me and the people around me.

Yet despite the nightmare already being over, I still felt... terrified.

And I knew that it was because Nico wasn't here beside me like he usually was. He was pretty much all I had when it came to protection and comfort.

I felt more tears begin to form in my eyes as I thought that over.

I'm such a baby.

I didn't even make it past the first night without missing him.

"Oh," Doe replied while I wiped my eyes, "Well, At least I think I stopped you before you woke up the vampir-"

Doe was cut off, with some sort of twisted timing, by a vampire kicking open the door to our room.

I barely saw the light begin to flood in before I saw panic begin to flash in Does eyes.

I already knew it was in mine.

"Who the HELL just did that!?" The vampire yelled with a rugged voice, waking up any of the pets that weren't already awake.

No one responded.

I'm pretty sure half of them were still pretending to be asleep.

That was a pretty common thing to do amongst pets as long as you knew how to control your breathing.

I was just grateful that no one was going to call me out.

"Really?!," the vampire asked, "No one's gonna fess up to it?"

He was obviously very upset.

Thoughts began to fill my mind about what he was going to do to me if he found out that I was to blame.

I didn't even have the chance to voice my fear before I felt Doe push my body against the back wall of the cage.

"Turn over." She whispered silently, panic still evident in her voice.

I obeyed, turning to face the back wall as silently as I could.

"Fine, I'll find them myself." The vampires growl echoed through the room as he began walking around the cages.

Our cage was about halfway through the way he was going.

I turned my head to see that Doe was looking at me at me, her brows furrowed in panicked thought.

I was panicking too, and I'm very sure that as soon as this vampire got close enough, my racing heartbeat was going to give me up.

I didn't even have time to calm down, even if calming down was impossible.

Doe seemed to realize this too, judging by how the look on her face seemed to become more distressed.

The vampire kept walking towards us. Making me even more nervous.

I doubted that even my mark from Nico would spare me from this.

I turned my head back, facing the back of the cage before squeezing my eyes shut.

I never should have fallen asleep. I should have known that something like this was going to happen.

The vampires malicious purr sounded from a couple feet away.

"Found you." His voice sounded.

My entire body tensed, trying to reject the fact that this was true, hoping that this was actually the nightmare.

His footsteps approached quickly.

I didn't know what else to do except lay here and wait for him to drag me away.

I had nowhere to run or hide.

Both were futile efforts anyways.

A large clang burst through the air as the vampire kicked the front bars of the cage, nearly causing me to scream.

"So, you're the guilty one huh?" He asked deviously.

This was it.

There was no escaping this now.

I took a couple seconds to try to compose myself before facing him.

"I'm sorry." Doe's voice whimpered shakily as if she was the guilty one.

My eyes shot open wide as soon as she spoke.

What was she doing?

"It won't happen again I-I promise. Please... I'm sorry." She pleaded.

I turned my head enough to see what was going on.

Doe's back was facing me as she held a terrified submissive stance.

She had even somehow made her body tremble with fear.

The vampire bent down to her level with a smirk.

"I bet it won't, deary." He said maliciously before he flipped open the door to our cage.

Why was she doing this?!

Why was she taking my blame?!

I wanted to say something, to push her out of the way and admit what I had done, but my body refused to move or speak.

Doe let out a terrified gasp as the vampire grabbed her by the collar of her shirt and dragged her out of the cage, slamming the door closed.

He watched for a couple seconds as she stumbled to get back on her feet.

"And I'll personally make sure of it," he finished, grabbing her by the back of her neck, "Now follow me if you would."

He lead her back the way he came.

No! What was he going to do to her!

It took a couple seconds before my body allowed me to move, but once it did, I scrambled to the front of the cage, gripping the bars.

I barely noticed Doe look back at me, sending me a faint reassuring smile before the vampire lead her out of the room, darkness enveloped it once again.

I didn't move from that spot. Too many thoughts were filling my mind.

Why?

This was my fault I should have taken the blame.

But she took it for me without hesitation.

She took the punishment for me despite not even knowing what or how severe it would be.

I prayed to any kind of higher being there may be that she would be OK.

A lump began to form in my throat as I finally let go of the bars and pushed myself against the back of the cage, hugging my knees for some sort of comfort.

This was my fault...

I can't let this happen again.

No matter what

I just have to get through this night, and then the next without letting something like this happen again.

If that means I cant sleep then... so be it.