Little Nightmares 3 Novels & Stories

I doubted my sanity would remain intact if I were to be left on my own. We all sat in the cozy living room, surrounded by plush cushions and soft blankets. My three best friends; Layla, Janelle, and Sofia, as well as Alyssa, my sister-in-law, flanked me on the large couch, while Alfredo and Alvida, my parents-in-law, sat on a couch opposite ours. The room was bathed in the warm, afternoon sunlight, but no amount of light could erase the darkness that still clung to my very being. I took a deep breath and looked at them, my voice shaky as I spoke. "I've been having these recurring nightmares,"

For a moment, the room feels heavy, and then finally, his voice breaks through the silence. “I’ve been having nightmares,” he whispers, his small voice cracking. “About the scary lady we met at the amusement park. She was really mean, Mommy. She… she kicked away my stuffed bunny. I was so scared, and ever since then, I keep dreaming about her.” His eyes finally lift, locking onto mine. The fear swimming in them is raw, tangible, and it hits me like a punch to the chest. My heart skips a beat, and I can feel the tightness in my throat.

I say as I make us food. "He has been asking for her too," Patrick murmurs as he looks towards our bedroom. I sigh. Lena is having more nightmares and wakes screaming most nights. I sigh as I run fingers through my hair. We hear a whimper and stop what we are doing. A scream fills the air, and we rush for our girl. Her belly is adorable as she shields it. "Don't hurt my babies!"she yells, trying to move away. "Little one, you are okay. Wake up baby",I lift her to my lap. She is sobbing for us, and it breaks my heart.

"That’s what I need you to find out." Aaron finally sighed, shaking his head. "Alright, send me the details. I’ll dig around. But don’t get your hopes up—finding out the truth might be a lot messier than you’re hoping." As they spoke, a nurse suddenly rushed over, her face filled with urgency. "Dr. Aaron! The patient in Room 108 is having severe nightmares. She’s trembling, and we can’t seem to wake her up!" Lucas's heart clenched. Ella.

I didn’t want to go back to sleep, but exhaustion eventually pulled me under again. The nightmares returned, more vivid and haunting than before. This time, Lila and Eddie chased me through dark woods, wielding clubs and shouting threats. No matter how fast I ran, they were always right behind me, their presence suffocating. I woke again, my head pounding from the intensity of the dreams. By morning, I was drained, a dull headache pounding at my temples. I packed my things and drove back home, craving the comfort of familiarity. I hoped that being with Asher and the boys would bring me the peace I so desperately needed.

I pushed it open silently and entered. It was everything I had expected. The exact opposite of my room. The themes here were black and grey. Black furniture, grey walls, grey and white beddings. The air conditioning was off, but it was so damn cold in here, the air so tight I could hardly breathe. Or it was just the fact that I knew my presence here was wrong. It was much bigger than my room, obviously. And I liked it. I was someone who suffered from nightmares, but paradoxically, the darkness here, was calming.

Lena was five years old when the nightmares started. Alina woke to her daughter’s screams echoing through the hall. She was moving before consciousness fully returned, Kaden right beside her through the bond. They found Lena sitting up in bed, golden light pulsing from her small hands. Her eyes were open but unfocused, seeing something that wasn’t there. “Lena, wake up,” Alina said, kneeling beside the bed. “Baby, it’s just a dream.” Lena’s eyes focused. The light faded. She threw herself into Alina’s arms, sobbing.

The door was cracked and cast a thin bar of light over a tangled nest of blankets where three little children slept like puppies in a pile: the younger López daughters Julieta and Emilia, and Gabriel. My son was twitching and sobbing in his sleep, clearly wracked by a nightmare. Automatically, I knelt by his side and tucked him up in my arms, cradling him against my heart. I kissed the top of his head and rubbed his back, murmuring quiet nothings, the way I’d always done when he had nightmares.

Sleep didn't come easily. My irritation over what was unfolding between Mira, Rowan, and Valerian had me tossing and turning for over an hour. When I finally did drift off, my dreams were restless and dark, filled with terrible visions of my friends dead, Lyanna bleeding out with her body becoming some kind of weapon, and a wall of fire sweeping over my entire pack and every shifter on earth. By the time my alarm went off at three in the morning, I had barely managed two hours of sleep.

The one three feet from my bed. I sat up so fast my vision blurred. The clock on my nightstand said 3:03 AM. My bedroom door was closed. I always close it. Through the gap at the bottom, I could see the hallway light was off—but I hadn't turned it off. I had left it on, like I did every night, because I'm afraid of the dark. A thirty-two-year-old man afraid of the dark. Pathetic, I know. But the light was off now.