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FFVII
Night Terrors Part I

Summary: Darkness looms over Edge. The beginning of some scenes I’m going to try. Not sure how regular these will be, but I would love to attempt something larger. Possibly it will have a Title over all the short scenes.
Genre: Mainly family
Setting: After ACC, prelude to DoC
Rating: M
Status: WIP
OCs: 25%

Disclaimer: All related Final Fantasy VII names and characters are copyrighted © by Square Enix. However, this story and the OCs are mine. Thank you.

NIGHT TERRORS: Part I

Under the covers, Tifa turned around in Cloud’s arms and he pulled her against him till she was snuggled down against his hips. Her back was warm against his chest and his hand rested on her stomach. He breathed in the scent of her hair, spreading between them. With a smile on her face, and her eyes already closed, she whispered, “’night.”

He kissed her ear and whispered the same.

She was asleep within moments, and he was left listening to the howling gale outside. The roaring wind had not ceased for the last few hours and it only seemed to worsen with its intensity. He closed his eyes, planning on following Tifa into slumber, except… through the storm he could hear something…

He opened his eyes wide, and staring at the dark room, he listened to the small voice calling for Tifa. He watched Tifa and her chest rising softly. She was well and truly asleep, and he wasn’t about to wake her. The petite voice called again, this time with more urgency. Marlene must really want something, to keep crying out, and he wondered how long she had been calling. Surely he would have heard her, but of course, they may have been too preoccupied.

He rose from the bed. The temperature had plummeted to a chilly air, and he pulled the blanket up to his pillow to retain the warmth. Before he went anywhere, he had to look for some clothes. Finally finding them thrown across the room, he yanked the black cotton boxers on, and went to see what Marlene wanted.

Down the short flight of steps to her room, he neared her door, and in a trembling muffled voice, Marlene questioned, “Tifa?”

With the curtains pulled, the room was in darkness, and Cloud whispered, “What’s wrong Marlene?” He could see, but he doubted Marlene could.

She was completely concealed, hiding under her flowered duvet, except for a small hole left for her eyes and mouth. “Cloud?” She circled her face with the blanket, but it still covered her head. “Where’s Tifa?”

"Asleep." He approached the bed.

“Oh…” Her eyes were like glistening saucers in the moonlight. “I’m scared…”

He sat on the bed by her head. “You had a nightmare?” At least Cloud knew something about nightmares. He’d had enough of his own.

Lowering the blanket, she looked up at him from the pillow, and her brunette hair splayed over it and her neck, and the big purply-pink moggle she slept with. “I heard something…”

“Ah, I see.” The wind continued moaning outside, and in the distance he could hear knocking, and the clanging of some metal object not tied down. “The wind.” It certainly was eerie this evening, he would give her that.

“There’s something out there,” she whispered and glanced at the window.

“It’s only the wind, nothing to be afraid of.” He tried to pass on his assurance. “We’re all here and Denzel’s across the hall.”

She watched him with a pleading look. “There’s something wrong… I feel it.”

Frowning with concern over her apprehension, he opened his mouth to speak—

-BANG-

At the abrupt noise, Marlene sprang up and clutched the blanket around her shoulders, and her moggle was squeezed into her cheek, and if it was alive it would be strangled. Her eyes of terror went between Cloud and the open door. She probably would have screamed if he hadn’t been sitting there with her.

Cloud also looked towards the door and the sound that seemed to come from the bar.

“Cloud…” her voice shook.

“I’ll go and see.” He stood to go.

“But your swords?” She whispered in a tremulous tone.

His swords?! How afraid was she? But then again, he was only dressed in his underwear. Not a good look if there was an intruder. “They’re upstairs. Don’t worry, I’ll be back in a minute.”

He walked into the dark tavern. Nobody there. Stopping at the window, he gazed at the street, devoid of any life, except for dirt and rubbish whirling in mini tornados. It blew against the glass and down the streets in a ghastly howl. In the distance he could hear scraps, and the clatter of garbage tins been swept down the road. He pulled on the front door. It was locked, but he didn’t expect it would be open. He had locked it himself.

In the kitchen, the back door was locked, and the door to the garage. Everything was as he had left it when he shut the place up. Nothing out of place, or fallen down. On coming to the storeroom, he found the culprit. He surmised that the door had been left open and the wind had decided to shut it. He should have known.

He went back to Marlene to find her hiding under the yellow flower duvet; the mog’s antenna sticking out next to her head. “Cloud!” she cried as if surprised he had returned unharmed.

He sat down again. “Nothing to worry about, it’s just the storage door.”

“But, I know something’s going to happen.” Marlene stared towards the vibrating window pane.

“Nothing is going to happen,” he stated, trying to calm her down.

“Cloud, you shouldn’t go to work tomorrow,” she breathed out her request with childlike desperation.

“What?” He cried and blinked at her with confusion. He had a full three days away doing deliveries, and he wanted to complete them before the weekend. He couldn’t put it off. How could being scared have anything to do with his work schedule? Now she was getting weird.

“Please, don’t go.” Marlene’s eyes widened as if she were shocked at her own demand. “It’s just… I think if you go, something will happen. Here.”

Marlene had always been insightful, but could she actually know something? Or was she just scared and needy? “We’ll see in the morning…” In the light of day everything always looked better.

“No! I’m really scared… and…and…”

Cloud took a thoughtful breath, and considered her request. “It’s not that easy. I’ve got commitments.” He had to speak with uncharacteristic sternness, “Marlene, we’ll talk about it in the morning.” But even so, and despite his words, she was managing to make him nervous.

“I’m scared. Something bad… is out there…”

Cloud sighed. His skin was tingling with goose-bumps from cold air coming from a draft somewhere. “What?”

“The wind is shrieking. It’s horrible…” Her pretty face crinkled with terror he rarely saw on her. She grabbed hold of his arm, drawing him closer, and she embraced him. “I can hear it.”

Cloud stared into her worried eyes, begging for him to hear her. Perhaps he was just too tired to think straight, but her fear was convincing enough. He listened to the groaning, creaking wind and within it there was a peculiar haunting noise.

“Don’t go…” Her voice was barely audible. “I hear voices…”

If he tried he could imagine he heard voices as well, but beyond human, more like the wails of the dead. He had to admit it was abnormal. “Okay. I’ll stay till you go to sleep.”

Marlene gave a quick nod, and she snuggled down against her soft toy.

Cloud sat watching her, a smile playing on his lips. “’night.”

After some moments, she opened her eyes and creased her delicate brow. “I can’t sleep with you sitting there watching.”

Cloud rolled his head back and sighed at the ceiling. This was getting a little too much. What would Tifa do anyway?

“Lay down.” Marlene shuffled over to the edge of her large bed, and Cloud stretched his body down next to her. She gave him half her pillow and wiggled the duvet out from under him, and he lifted his side to help her, and she stretched it across him, attempting to tuck it past his back.

“Marlene, it’s okay.” The blanket just reached, and he could feel the draft, but surely he wasn’t going to be there that long?

With the moggle under her arm, she put her hand on Cloud’s shoulder and closed her eyes. “Thanks, Cloud. Goodnight.”

“That’s alright, as long as you go to sleep.” His eyes slowly closed as he listened to the wailing wind.

A warm pressure at Cloud’s back nudged him awake. He opened his eyes enough to see Tifa wasn’t lying next to him, although he could have been mistaken with the strands of black hair tickling his nose. It was his arm over the pink moggle pushing into his chin that was the dead giveaway. The soft toy was bigger than Marlene’s head. He guessed it had to be Denzel behind him. Had he been scared too? He probably came into Marlene’s room, as he did on occasion, and seeing Cloud, thought it was an open invite to curl up next to him. The boy breathed down Cloud’s bare back, and the blanket would barely have covered him. It would explain why he was sleeping so close, and why Cloud was now warm.

Cloud wanted to stretch something bad, but he was hemmed in. Arching his neck, he moaned softly. If he woke them now, he would only be trying to get them back to sleep, if they even went to sleep. Suddenly feeling really tired, he extended his legs a little straighter. Sorry, Tifa, and he drifted back into a dreamless slumber.

Cloud woke to a hazy light hitting his closed lids. He tried to roll over, but no, that’s right, he was trapped in a bed with kids and an overgrown mog. Opening his eyes, he saw Marlene’s sweet face, eyes closed, fast asleep. Her wrist was lying on his neck and the cuddly toy was crushed into his chest between them. Behind him was a warm lead weight, breathing heavily, and not moving an inch.

Someone entered the room; Tifa, in her little white pajama shorts and singlet.

Thank Gaia, it was Tifa. Cloud watched her approach the window. “Tifa...” his voice was like gravel and he was near pleading.

“Oh, you’re awake,” she whispered and she drew the curtain half way and looked outside. The wind had subsided from the blistering gale, but it still moaned and swirled down the streets. “It’s been blowing all night.”

“You didn’t sleep either?” Cloud eased himself up on his elbow.

Tifa hugged her arms and turned to him, she was pale in the chill dawn light, and goose bumps covered her arms, most likely her legs as well. “No...” She sat on the other side of Marlene, rubbing her arms. “It was a strange night...”

They sat in silence for a few moments and Tifa watched Marlene sleeping.

Cloud finally spoke. “I don’t think I’ll go to the west continent today.” After a night of broken sleep, he was desperate to move his body, and he had a creak in his neck. Despite this, he felt he hadn’t slept at all. On top of that, it was also still blowing up a storm outside.

“Can you afford it?”

“Probably.” It was the failing of the commitment that would cost him. “I’ll see if I can work something out. Anyway, just today.”

Marlene had opened her eyes and looked at Cloud as he spoke, a little smile awakening her face.

Tifa chewed on her lip in consideration, “If you’re sure, but why today?”

Rubbing her eyes, Marlene turned to Tifa, “Tifa…”

“Morning.” Tifa ran her hand down her arm and squeezed. She said with some reprimand, “Did you make Cloud sleep next to you?”

“Kinda.” She yawned and stretched her arms high.

“Yeah, she did.” Cloud pushed himself up and leaned on the bed frame, trying not to wake Denzel, who so far had not been disturbed by their conversation. "But she couldn't sleep."

“He’s not going, ‘cuz I asked him,” Marlene replied with pride.

Tifa frowned, and she had that look, that someone was going to get into trouble. “Marlene, you can’t be doing that.”

Marlene lowered her face and looked hurt. “I’m sorry…” she mumbled. “But, I still don’t want Cloud to go.”

“No, it’s alright.” Cloud glanced at Tifa and her expression softened. He wasn’t sure why he wasn’t going to work, but, something was making him uneasy. “It was a strange night and I didn’t sleep that well. I could really go another round with the pillow, my pillow.” His eyes settled on Tifa and her dark eyes watching him, knowing exactly what he wanted. “Back in bed.” He didn’t mean for it to come out like an order.

Tifa tipped her head and grinned. “I’d love to, but--”

Denzel sat up by Cloud and rubbing his eyes, he yawned.

Marlene said to Denzel, “Cloud’s not going to work.”

Denzel’s eyes went to each of them and it was obvious he was still trying to wake up. “Great!”

“But, there’s no way these two will leave you alone.” Tifa eyed Marlene and Denzel, and a smile tugged on her lips.

“Okay, but I’m not having a ‘day off’ I’m going to do some local jobs,” Cloud told them, wondering if it was a wise decision after all. He said to Denzel, “You couldn’t sleep?” The idea that they had moved Denzel out of the bedroom too soon crossed his mind.

Denzel shook his head. “I couldn’t… the wind was in my dreams, and I heard voices.”

Marlene gasped with her hand flying to her mouth and her eyes shot to Cloud, as if to say I told you so.

Genuine concern shadowed Cloud’s face and he looked at Tifa, sharing the same anxious expression. Tifa sat up straight and took a long breath, and in an attempt to break the solemn moment, she said, “Now that we’re all up and not going anywhere right away, we’ll have those eggs and sausages for breakfast.”

“Sounds only a bit better than staying in bed,” Cloud said.

“Sounds awesome!” Denzel said. “But the wind is still blowing, and it’s cold now.”

“Hopefully this storm will pass soon.” Cloud looped his arm around Denzel’s shoulders. “Nothing to worry about.” It was just the wind, wasn’t it? But, even Cloud had to admit he heard something within it that made him uneasy. But currently the wind was just the wind, and he couldn’t hear anything.