The Dark Horde by Brewin

here to see Sister May Kennedy for Danny Malone. I called a short time ago to say I was coming.”
    “Sister Kennedy is with Danny at the moment. He’s in A-wing just on your left there, room 7. It’ll be one of the first rooms you come to.”
    Lucas said “Thank you,” and dashed off towards Danny’s ward.
    A sickly-sweet smell greeted Lucas as he entered a cosy room containing a single bed with railings and an open curtain partition. Danny lay sleeping in restraints, a drip in his arm, looking sweaty and pale. A rosy, round-faced nurse Lucas guessed to be in her forties, sat by Danny’s side.
    “Sister Kennedy?”
    She rose and turned to Lucas. “Yes, and you must be Lucas Prescott?”
    “Indeed. How is he?”
    “Yeah nah, alriiight,” she began.
    Lucas started to wring his hands.
    “He’s calmed down now, but a little over an hour ago he was having hallucinations and attempted to escape. He’s obviously in shock from the accident, though apparently not physically hurt.”
    “Hallucinations?”
    “Yeah nah, he claimed to be surrounded by demons that were taunting him. But it’s too early to say how severe or temporary this episode is, but he’s definitely suffered some mental trauma.”
    Lucas nodded in thought, looking at the floor.
    “Until we get some tests done tomorrow, there’s not much we can do except keep him relaxed. Poor thing – we had to put him in restraints and give him something to sleep.”
    Lucas looked to Danny and stroked his hand.
    Danny stirred awake, eyes squinting at the fluorescent light.
    May nodded at Lucas and whispered, “It’s okay. You can speak to him.”
    “It’s Mr Prescott here, Danny. Your principal.”
    A muffled whine, “No. No more, please!”
    “I’m not going to hurt you, Danny, I came here to see how you are.”
    Danny’s head rolled slowly over the pillow. “That’s what they all say! That’s all they ever say!”
    “Your parents will be here to see you tomorrow. You’ll be okay, you’re in good hands here.”
    Danny stared blankly beyond the room into limbo.
    Lucas looked back to May and shrugged. “What should I do?”
    She gave him a consoling look. “Keep trying.”
    “Danny,” Lucas began again, “can you remember what happened?”
    Danny’s answer was clear and resonant, “ The door opened. ”
    Lucas frowned.
    Communication was hopeless. Should I persist or just leave?
    “Has he been like this the whole time?” Lucas asked of the nurse.
    “Yeah nah, while he’s been awake he’s been like that. We can’t get any sense out of him, even to the extent of what happened. Anything we do distresses him, because he thinks we’re demons, or sometimes his parents, or sometimes voices no one can hear. But tomorrow a psychiatrist is coming in to make an assessment, so things should be clearer then.”
    “Hopefully he’ll be more coherent tomorrow after some rest.”
    “Yeah, poor kid.”
    There was nothing more he could do here...
    Lucas left the hospital and sank into his car. Sighing, he started the engine and slowly began driving back to the school.
    Yeah, poor kid.

 
    SUNDAY 10:27 PM
    Now he feared the dark.
    What lurked in the darkness around him? In the darkness of sleep? In the darkness between the stars?
    Real living nightmare.
    But how could it be real? How could it be living? How could it be anything but dream?
    Because it’s coming for you, Brian, however impossible it seems. It’s happening.
    How do I end this? When will it stop?
    It will never end. It is useless to try.

    Brian awoke with a gasp. He was lying under blankets on the lounge couch. Sasha sat next to him watching the television, sipping a mug.
    She noticed Brian wake. “How you feelin’, hun?”
    Brian yawned loudly. “Fucked.”
    He wiped his eyes and tried to focus on his surroundings. He was reminded of the dream by the bandages now on his right hand.
    “Another nightmare?”
    “Yeah.” He yawned again. “How long have I been out for?”
    “Over