Chapter Text
Lily POV
I lay in my bed, my cat Franklin was asleep and was lying into my back.
I stared at my wall. I couldn't sleep. Something felt off, wrong, but I couldn't quite grasp what.
I was used to feeling lonely. When I was alive I had loud, chaotic brothers and parents that were usually five minutes away from a fight. So, the peaceful silence of my Paradise was appreciated but it was deafening.
Maybe that's why when that little, blonde-haired child in a shark onesie, asked me to walk her down to hell, I couldn't bring myself to part with her.
She wasn't loud but it was obvious that there was a spark behind those blue eyes that I wanted to see, that deserved to be witnessed.
A small fist knocked my bedroom door.
"Sharkie?" I mumbled.
The door cracked open and there she was, holding one of her many shark plushies.
"What's wrong?" I asked, gently.
"I had a nightmare," She replied, sadly.
"Come over here," I told her, "I'm here."
She walked over and sat on the floor beside me with her legs crossed.
"What was the dream about?" I questioned.
"It's stupid," She grumbled.
"I don't think so," I doubted.
She took a deep breath, just like I taught her to do when she started panicking when I was handed her soul file at the Front Deathsk.
"I was alone in your house," She explained, "I looked everywhere but I couldn't find you. Then-"
I couldn't see well but I could tell she was bordering on tears.
I reached out my hand from under the covers, she reached for it and squeezed.
"Then, I opened a door and was in Hell," She continued, "The demons started laughing at me," She squeezed tighter, "and then my Pastor started yelling at me and my Foster Mom too, and, and you saw me."
"I saw you?" I echoed.
"Yeah," She confirmed, "And you left me. You told my foster Mom that I wasn't worth your time."
My heart fractured inside my chest.
"You're worth my time," I assured her, "Your worth my time and care, Sharkie. You're such a sweet kid," I glanced at the clock on my bedside table, "And you need sleep."
"No," She muttered, slowly shaking her head, "I don't wanna dream like that again."
I paused.
"Do you want to sleep in this bed?" I offered, "That way if you have a nightmare liks that I'm right here."
She looked at me, like a stray cat wondering if a strange hand was going to hurt or feed.
"If that's okay," She mumbled.
"Of course," I smiled.
I sat up and gently lifted Franklin, miraculously he stayed asleep, and plopped him on a comfortable spot at the other end of the bed.
I shuffed back and lay down, giving Sharkie space to climb into the bed.
When they did, I gently wrapped my arms around them.
"You're safe, Sharkie," I promised her, "We can talk this all out in the morning."
She yawned softly, "Okay, Mama."