I wake up to screams again. Looking over, I notice Wendy in the bed on the other wall with her friend sitting in the bed beside her trying to comfort her. I’m not sure exactly what he’s telling her, but he seems to be upsetting her more. I get up and get in the bed beside her to help her feel better.

“Hey, was it another bad dream?”

She looks at me, her face sad like she’s about to cry.

“It’s okay to cry, you know. Mama says that sometimes it’s what you need. It helps you let go all the sad that wants to get out. Letting it out will help you be happy again.”

Wendy finally breaks and begins to cry. Her mama walks in with a sad face too. Her friend looks at me, smiling, but he makes my stomach upset. He always does.

“Hey, Babygirl, it’s okay.”

Her mama gets in the bed beside us and pulls Wendy into her arms. She hugs her and pets her hair. Mama does the same to me when I’m upset. I look at her mama, worried if Wendy is going to keep having bad dreams. She’s had them almost every night since here. I think her friend is to blame. He whispers in her ears when she’s sleeping. He’s not nice.

“Mrs. Alyssa, is Wendy going to be okay? Is she going to have good dreams soon?”

She looks at me with sad eyes before changing them to happy with a smile.

“She will. Your Papa and I actually have plans to help Wendy next week.”

Wendy looks up at her Mama before talking soft.

“You are? So no more nightmares? I don’t want to keep seeing people die, Mommy. I can’t.”

Her Mommy’s face grows sad again.

“Oh, Baby, is that what you keep dreaming of? I promise we’ll make the nightmares go away. You won’t have to worry about them much longer.”

She pulls Wendy into another hug and pets her hair again, kissing her on the head.

I’m glad that Papa and her Mama are finally going to help her. Papa has a job where he helps people, so I know he’ll make her nightmares go away. I just hope that her friend does too. I want to tell Papa about him, but I’m not sure if he’ll believe me. Mama says that I’m supposed to be quiet about my special eyes. There are some people who are mean about not seeing the things some people can, and they could hurt me. Papa won’t, but I’m not supposed to share my gift with others. I did tell Wendy though. We both can see her friend, and she says too that we have to keep it a secret.

“I’m okay now Mommy. Thank you for making me feel better.”

Wendy wipes her face and her mama smiles before getting up to leave.

“Okay, Babygirl. If you need me, I’ll be in the kitchen. I want you two to stay in the room for now, but we’ll come to get you when breakfast is done. Do you want some milk to tie you over?”

I look at Mrs. Alyssa worried. She doesn’t know Mama’s rules.

“We can’t drink in the rooms. Mama doesn’t want us spilling, so we have to keep drinks in the kitchen or the living room only when there is a special day.”

She gives a smile that makes me smile too.

“I’ll talk to your Mama, but thank you for letting me know, babyboy. You’re such a big help.”

She looks back at Wendy, giving her another kiss on her head before me too, and then leaves.

Wendy looks down sad for a moment before back up at me smiling. Her smiles aren’t as big as sometimes. I wonder if Wendy has always been sad or if maybe she used to be happy before the nightmares started. Mama and Papa say that sometimes people go through things that make it harder to be happy. That when it comes to that, we need to be extra nice to them to help them be happy again. But not to push it. That could make them not happy worse.

Wendy takes a moment before she finally looks at her friend. She never seems happy with him, and I don’t blame her.

“Go away. You’re not him, and I don’t want you here.”

I’m confused by what she means. This is the first time I’ve seen her actually talk to him. She’s told me before that she sees him too when I asked her about him, but she’s always tried to ignore him other than that.

“Come on, Wendy Darling. Don’t treat me that way. We’re friends, so please stop pushing me away.”

“He’s not who?” I ask her while glancing between the two.

She looks at me sad again before looking to the floor.

“I don’t know why, but he looks like-”

She stops talking before she finishes. Both her mama and her keep doing that. They begin to say something before not.

“But I am him? Why are you so quick to think I’m not?”

Wendy looks at him angry now.

“Because you’re not! Stop wearing his face! You’re not him, so stop trying to convince me you are!”

“But, I am.”

His face gets sad now too before the door opens and he disappears. Wendy looks to the one walking in, her Mama again and she’s back to crying. This time running to her Mama.

“Mama, please make him stop. Please make him go away. He keeps trying to convince me he’s a friend, but I know he’s not. He’s a monster. I don’t want to trust him. The angel said that he’s not okay to listen to, that he’ll tell me lies, but he won’t go away.”

Her mama’s face is confused before sad when she kneels down in front of Wendy.

“Babygirl, what monster are you talking about?”

“He’s, he.”

Wendy seems to be getting worse. Her breath is quick like mine does when I’m scared. It makes your head light. Her Mama puts her hands on Wendy’s face.

“Hey, slow breaths, Babygirl. In and out.”

Her mama looks at me now.

“Matthias, I need you to get your Daddy, okay? Tell him it’s urgent.”

I’m stuck in my spot worried about Wendy. It’s like my body doesn’t want to move the way I’m telling it to.

“Charlie! Danielle!” Wendy’s Mama shouts as her eyes flicker back and forth between Wendy and me.

Mama and Papa rush in. Mama to me as Papa stands trying to figure out who to go to before kneeling with Wendy.

Mama grabs my face to look into hers.

“Okay, my Little Prince, look at me, okay.”

I try to, but I just want to see if Wendy’s going to be okay.

Mama picks me up and takes me out of the room and to the back porch. She sits me in her lap and tries to get me to look at her again. This time is easier as she’s the only one to look at, but my worry for Wendy stays.

“Hey, it’s going to be okay. Wendy’s going to be okay.”

“Are you sure, Mama? She didn’t look okay. Her friend isn’t very nice to her.”

She looks at me confused.

“Her friend? Who are you talking about?”

I tell Mama the truth. No one else can hear, so I know I shouldn’t get in trouble for talking about it.

“My special eyes, Wendy has them too. She has a friend that only we can see. She doesn’t like him very much. I think he’s the one giving her nightmares.”

Mama’s face stops looking confused as she continues talking.

“What makes you say that?”

“He whispers to her when she sleeps. I don’t know what he says, but it’s always when he’s whispering to her that she wakes up screaming. She says he looks like someone too, but she wouldn’t tell me who.”

Mama puts her hands in my hair, brushing it back, and gives me a smile.

“Thank you, my Little Prince. That was very helpful of you. I know I said not to say anything about your special eyes, but if you see anything I want you to tell Mama, okay? And please, don’t talk to Wendy’s friend, okay? He doesn't sound very nice, and I don’t want him trying to mess with you too.”

“Will Papa be able to help Wendy, Mama? He helps other people. I just want Wendy to feel better. She’s always sad, and I don’t want her to be. She’s really nice.”

Mama gives me another small smile, this one has sad eyes too.

“I know you don’t. We don’t either, so that’s why Papa has been trying to think of a way to help. Papa works with adults, so it took a moment to figure out what he could do, but I know he’ll help Wendy. Your Papa is always good at finding a way to help others.”

I give Mama a hug, excited that Wendy will finally be able to feel better.

Mama stands up and places me in her chair.

“Okay, I’m going to go inside and check on them, okay? Do Not go near the edge, Do you hear me?” Mama uses her firm voice.

I nod my head. Mama and Papa don’t leave me on the porch alone, so I want to show Mama I can be a big boy.

“I won’t Mama. I’m thirsty though, can I get some milk?”

Another smile from Mama, she speaks with her nice voice now.

“Of course. I’ll bring it out in just a moment, my Little Prince.”

She gives me a kiss before heading inside.