2 Only for a few days

For the past few weeks, nighttime had been the hardest time of the day for Ellie. This night was no different.

After making sure Nick was well-fed and had his medicines, she put him back to sleep and also tried to sleep as well.

But despite how tired she felt, sleep was far from her eyes. It had been that way ever since she decided to quit drugs and alcohol.

Her parents, who were her major source of motivation and encouragement, were no more. Now she had to face the struggle alone. And so far, it hasn't been an easy ride. Thankfully, she still had Nicholas to help her stay focused.

Although other withdrawal symptoms like cravings, restlessness, and anxiety had tapered down, the sleeplessness didn't seem to be going anywhere soon.

Seated under the shower with her legs folded, head between her knees, and hands hugging her lower limbs, she let the cold water pour down on her.

The cold night shower had become her friend and daily routine. It was the most effective medicine-free way to help her fall asleep.

Minutes later, she turned off the shower but remained in the same position as she thought about how her day went, and the idea that popped into her head earlier. In the process of doing that, she drifted off to sleep.

"Ellie." A voice called out her name, but it sounded so distant, she couldn't make out who it was. Refusing to let it bother her, she continued sleeping until she heard it again.

"Ellie." Her eyes snapped open. That was when she realized that she was now lying on the bathroom floor, her hands still hugging her legs tightly.

Recognizing the voice to be Nick's, she stood up and grabbed a towel, wrapping herself in it before heading out of the bathroom.

When her eyes fell on Nick, she pulled her brows together. He was sitting in an upright position, and his eyes looked glassy due to the tears forming in them.

"What's wrong, Nick? Why are you awake? Did you have a bad dream?" She threw the questions one after another without break, her feet taking fast steps to get to him as quickly as possible.

Nick shook his head. "No dream. I thought I heard a knock and some noise outside. And when I woke up, I didn't see you. I got scared. I thought the vampires have taken you." A tear dropped to his chubby cheek.

Ellie let out a sigh and sat down beside him on the bed. How was she going to tell him that there were no vampires anywhere? The stupid lie the media is spreading is getting to her brother, and making him all scared for nothing. She would have to stop him from watching the news. For now, at least.

"Hey… don't cry. I was only in the bathroom. No vampire took me, alright. I'm here." She comforted him, wiping his tears with her thumb. "Did you say you heard a knock?"

Nick rocked his head a number of times in response.

"Let me see who it was." Ellie made to stand up, but Nick held her towel in a tight grip, shaking his head.

"Don't open the door." His voice came out as a plea, forcing Ellie to sit back down.

"Alright. I won't open it. Go back to sleep now. I'll be here with you." Ellie helped him lay down, and she covered him up once more.

"I feel a tingle in my legs," Nick announced.

"You do?" Ellie asked, wondering if that was a good thing or not. Nick was in the same car as their parents when the crash occurred. While the adults lost their lives, Nick suffered spinal cord injuries that made him lose his ability to walk.

"I do," Nick answered. "It feels funny."

"I believe it's a good sign. I'll schedule an appointment with the doctor as soon as I can."

"Will I be able to go back to school soon?" Another heartbreaking question flew out of his mouth, and Ellie nodded.

"Yes, Nick. You will resume school very soon." She assured, bringing a smile to the face of the young boy. "Go to sleep now."

"I'm not sleepy. Tell me a story, pleeease." he gave her the puppy dog eyes.

"Alright." Ellie let out a soft sigh. She thought for a moment before a silly story she once heard came to her mind.

"Do you remember the wasp? The one with the tiny waist that looks like a bee?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to know why its waist is so tiny?"

"Yes," Nick responded, adjusting his head and shoulders so he would still be comfortable while looking at Ellie. Anticipation shone in his blue orbs.

"Mr wasp was a very rich farmer." Ellie started telling the story.

"He was so wealthy, people gave him so much respect. But even though he owned the largest farmland in the community, he felt it was not enough. The people will stop respecting me if I don't get richer, he thought to himself. So he bought up the lands of his neighbors.

'Yes. Now they will know that I am superior to them all.' he said to himself, satisfied with his achievement. 'But how will they know if I don't show them?' another question jumped into his mind. He thought about it for a while, then he got an idea. 'I will invite everyone to come work at my farm. That way, they will see how big it is and they will spread my name and fame abroad.

That evening he set out to carry out his plan. He first went to Mr. Cockroach. 'Hello Mr. Cockroach, can you come to help me out on my farm tomorrow morning?'

Mr cockroach agreed, but he attached a condition. 'I will come, but you have to promise not to invite the chicken.'

Mr. Wasp agreed but went ahead to invite the chicken. The chicken also gave a condition, asking him not to invite the hawk, and Mr wasp agreed.

Mr. Wasp invited the hawk as well. 'Please don't invite the hunter,' the hawk requested.

Mr wasp invited the hunter. 'Please don't invite the tree,' the hunter requested.

Mr wasp invited the tree. 'Please don't invite fire,' the tree requested.

Mr wasp invited fire. 'Please don't invite the rain,' Fire requested.

Mr wasp invited the rain. 'Please don't invite the sun,' the rain requested.

Mr wasp invited the sun. 'Of course, I will be there.' The sun agreed. And only then did Mr wasp become satisfied. He went home and threw a party to celebrate his anticipated fame and glory.

The next morning, the cockroach made it to the farm with his little hoe and cutlass. He started working, pulling off weeds and making tiny ridges. Not long after, the chicken arrived, and immediately he sighted the cockroach, he ate him up.

When the hawk arrived, he picked up the chicken and flew away with him, but the hunter caught sight of them and shot the hawk with his gun.

The tree arrived and it fell on the man, and soon after, fire came and consumed the tree. While the tree was burning and the fire was having a field day, rain arrived and quenched the fire.

And after the rain came the sun, which dried up everything.

That evening, Mr wasp returned to his farm to check on the people he invited and how the work was progressing. But when he arrived and saw what has happened, he placed his hands on his waist and screamed 'OH, NOOOOO…'

While he was screaming, his waist was decreasing in size, and by the time he stopped screaming, it had become so tiny, it barely held his upper and lower body together. The end."

Nick's lips were parted in shock by the time she finished the story. "Oh, no!" He whispered. "Why didn't Mr wasp listen? He killed everyone." He uttered in dismay, already feeling sorry for the personalities that lost their lives in the story.

"I wonder too." Ellie put on a sorry look. "Alright. Go to sleep now. It's late."

"One last question. Will my waist become tiny if I hold it and scream as loud as Mr wasp?"

Ellie became dumbfounded. That was one unexpected question.

"No, Nick. It only happened to Mr. Wasp. It can't happen again."

"Okay." Nick finally shut his eyes, and before long, he drifted off to sleep.

When she was sure he was fast asleep, Ellie moved to the couch and grabbed her phone. Initially, she was having doubts and planning to drop the new idea that slipped into her mind. But now she knew she needed to do it.

'Only for a few days.' She assured herself as she finalized the order for the costumes she searched for earlier. For fear of anyone tracing her, she picked the option of payment with cash while picking up the items herself instead of having them delivered to her house.

When the status of the order changed to completed, she let out a sigh. It's time to become a vampire.