"Now it's my turn," Will said, grabbing his glass. "Never have I ever argued with my parents." He almost shouted it, then downed half his glass in one go. Both of them looked at him with concern.

"What was it about this time?" Ryan asked.

"They wanted to talk about my nightmares again." He leaned over the table, about to pour more, but Ryan stopped him, whisking the bottle from under his nose. Will scowled. "Give it back, Ryan," he said, reaching out.

"No way. You’ve had enough." He held the bottle higher so Will couldn't reach it. The angry boy huffed under his breath.

"I’m going to head out," Lola said, stretching.

"I’ll walk you," Ryan offered.

"No need, Sophie is coming to get me." Sophie was Lola’s sister. She often acted as her chauffeur, though she didn't mind—at least as long as her little sister didn't ruin her plans.

"Oh... alright. And you, Will? You're staying, right?" he asked with barely concealed hope in his voice as he put the bottle back in the cabinet. It wasn't quite empty yet.

"Could I?" he asked, blushing. He didn't like causing trouble. Or asking for anything. But he didn't want to go home.

"Of course," his friend cheered, smiling widely. Lola was already standing, ready to go. Ryan saw her to the door and said goodbye. "I’ll make the bed," he announced when he returned to the living room. He headed upstairs to his room, and William followed him. The boy watched Ryan’s narrow hips and shapely buttocks, toned from the horseback riding he had practiced since early childhood. Just the thought of screwing him made him stiffen slightly and brought color to his pale cheeks. Ryan went to the closet and pulled out a sheet. Once he’d finished with the bedding, he announced he was going to the bathroom. During that time, Will stripped down to his boxers. It seemed to him that it was very hot in his friend’s room. He lay down on the bed and closed his eyes for a moment. He was truly exhausted and glad that tomorrow was Saturday. He felt bad about the way he’d left home. He didn't want to hurt his mom, but sometimes he just had enough of them. The room was filled with the faint light of a lamp standing in the corner. Resting and breathing steadily with his eyes closed, the boy didn't even notice when he fell asleep.

Ryan stepped out of the shower naked, already imagining William moaning beneath him. Only he knows how great his surprise was when he saw the boy sleeping in his bed in just his boxers. He was a bit disappointed, but at the same time, something tickled his heart at the sight. He pulled on his briefs, lay down beside the boy, and covered them both with a thin duvet. He watched Will’s peaceful face and kissed his lips gently. Then his cheek, his eyelid, his forehead... Wrapping one arm around him, he lay on his side to face him, staring at him until, weary from the long day, he fell asleep himself. He was happy as a fool to have William by his side.

                                                                                               ***

He was awakened by quiet moans and the sound of a rustling duvet. He opened his eyes, and it took him a moment to adjust to the darkness. He looked at Will, whose face was twisted in a grimace of fear and pain, his forehead and temples clearly slick with sweat. He shook him by the shoulder, but it did nothing. Will began to thrash around the bed even more, then suddenly started screaming. Terrified, Ryan grabbed him firmly by the shoulders and pulled him up into a sitting position. William opened his eyes and looked around in terror.

"Where is he?!" he shouted, glancing briefly at Ryan before looking around again with panicked eyes. "Ryan, where is that monster?!" The boy brushed the sweaty strands from his forehead and stroked his back.

"Will, it's okay, it was just a bad dream."

"I saw him tearing you away from me! He came through the window! Close it, Ryan, close it!" he screamed, terrified and shaking, swallowing back tears. Ryan pulled him close and began to rock him, holding him on his lap. "Ryan, ple-please... close it..." He clung to his neck and whispered in his ear, still crying.

"Will, everything’s fine, no one is here, we’re alone." From the window opposite the boys, a harsh, cold wind blew, bringing with it dry autumn leaves. Something howled terrifyingly.

"Ryan! He’s coming, I can hear him howling..." he whispered, digging his fingers into the back of Ryan’s neck. A cold shiver ran down the brunette’s spine. He glanced toward the window, then pushed Will aside. He wanted to close it quickly, just to stop hearing that horrible sound. He ran to the window, and at that very moment, a terrifying figure appeared. A massive, winged creature, snapping its teeth, reached its talons toward the boy, who was frozen in shock. Sitting on the bed, Will screamed so piercingly loud that Ryan couldn't hear his own thoughts. He pulled the window shut and fell to the floor from the shock.

"Ryan!" Will ran over to him and grabbed his hand, pulling him as far from the window as possible. The boy finally pulled himself together, and they quickly ran out of the room into the hallway. The shrill howling suddenly grew so loud it sounded as if dozens of those terrifying creatures were making it. Huddled together, the boys crouched against the wall; every passing second seemed to last for ages. The horrible sounds intensified, and then they heard the sound of glass breaking downstairs. Without thinking, they burst into the bathroom, and Ryan locked the door. They got into the shower stall and shut themselves inside, listening. The racket in the house continued, and William began to scream even more. He felt a soul-piercing fear. He could hear the creatures calling him. They were saying monstrous things.

"Our master will reach you." "You cannot escape him." "We will tear apart anyone who stands in our way to you." "Prince, surrender to us, and no one will be harmed."

William covered his ears with his hands, but it did nothing. These horrible creatures seemed to penetrate the inside of his head; their words echoed in his ears as if they were screaming right in his face.

"No! No, please," he repeated like a mantra, rocking back and forth with his eyes squeezed shut and his legs tucked under him. He still pressed his hands over his ears, but it was useless. "Go away, leave me alone."

Ryan tried to reach him somehow, though it seemed nothing was getting through except the terrifying din of the monsters. He grabbed the boy by the shoulder and pulled him close. He hugged him, clutching his neck tightly. Suddenly, everything went silent. It vanished. They both felt as if they had been unexpectedly ripped out of a nightmare. But they weren't in bed. They were in the bathroom. In the shower stall, which only confirmed that everything that had just happened was real. Ryan sat beside Will, frozen, listening intently to make sure it was truly over. He looked around the bathroom and noticed the window. He saw that it was dawning outside. The sun was emerging from behind the wall of a neighboring building. He looked at Will again and saw two green orbs staring back at him, wet and definitively terrified. The boy was shaking all over. Ryan offered him a hand and stood up, pulling him up gently. He opened the stall door with his free hand and stepped onto the tiles. He felt a biting chill against the soles of his feet, which cleared his head further. He cautiously opened the bathroom door and peeked out. It was deathly quiet. He could hear his own heavy breathing and his heart thumping in his chest. He felt Will’s grip on his hand tighten, so he turned his head to him.

"I think they’re gone." He peeked out again, and after a moment, stepped into the hallway. They walked very slowly downstairs, descending the steps in silence. When they reached the bottom, Ryan gasped in amazement at the destruction in the living room. They moved cautiously forward. The dining room was no better. But the kitchen was in the worst state. All the dishes, cutlery, and items of every kind were scattered in total chaos, most of them completely destroyed. The oven door was shattered, as was the microwave. The fridge door had been torn off, and its contents lay on the floor beneath it. Both were barefoot, so they tried to avoid any dangerous or sharp objects cluttering the floor. They returned to the living room. Ryan pulled Will onto the sofa. He looked at him. His mind was full of contradictions, questions... everything! But seeing the expression on Will’s face, he decided to hold back. He only asked:

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" He touched the boy’s pale face with his hand. "How is this possible? Because this happened, right? I haven't gone crazy—you saw it too, didn't you?"

"I saw it." Will closed his eyes for a moment, pain etched on his face. "It was..." Suddenly, they heard Ryan’s phone vibrating from upstairs, with the volume set to maximum. They both jumped. Ryan stood up to find it. He ran quickly up the stairs and turned into his room. The phone was lying on the nightstand. The boy picked it up and saw Lola was calling. Somewhat surprised, as he had managed to notice it was 7:20 a.m. a moment before, he answered and rushed back downstairs.

"Lola?" he asked into the phone.

"Ryan?! Are you guys okay?!"