Chapter 23The next morning, when Henley opened his eyes, he wasn’t sure of anything. There was a very dim light streaming into the room through the crack in the curtains, and on their mat, Ciccio and Fortuna were still asleep. It must have been around six in the morning, the dawn not quite here yet. Beside him, facing away, Mason stirred and grunted a word, then made a strange sound and twitched. He was having another nightmare. Henley gently shook him. “It’s okay, Mason,” he whispered into his ear. “You’re dreaming again.”
Mason pulled Henley’s arm over his shoulder and clutched his hand. “Oh, Jesus. Oh, I saw him again.”
“Shh,” Henley said, scooting up as close as he could to Mason’s back. “Go back to sleep. It’s okay.” But then he heard Mason’s breathing change and understood that Mas
