My entry for Gruvia day 2019! Thanks a lot Allie, Shelley and Anna for proofreading 3

Screams. The agonizing sounds of buildings crashing down. Wood splintering and bricks coming down like giant hailstones. Through the dust and smoke, the only silhouettes that were visible against the raging fires were that of fleeing people. All the sounds seem to be happening far away, despite being so close.

The boy looked around, barely able to see through all the chaos. He should be close to his home now. There was no way of telling how much further it was, the street had been reduced to piles of rubble. Suddenly he saw a familiar piece of fabric, realising who it belonged to, he started running.

''Mom!'' He yelled as he ran towards the motionless body, stumbling over the scattered debris of what used to be their home just this morning. He kneeled down and turned his mother's face towards him.

''Are you okay-'' he managed to bring out, just before his breath got stuck in his lungs. A pair of stone cold, matte eyes stared into his soul. In a reflex, he let go of the face he was holding. He jumped back.

''N-no.'' he whispered as his breathing sped up rapidly. In panic, he looked around again. Nothing but disaster and death filled the air and ground around him. ''Dad! Dad, where are you?!'' he screamed until his lungs hurt.

Panting, he started to dig through the remains of his house. His hands hurt from all the cuts, splinters and scratches, but he didn't care, he didn't even feel it anymore. The adrenaline rushed through his veins like fire, dulling every other sense but the ones he needed to find a way to survive.

With all his remaining strength, he lifted a wooden pole and threw it aside. His heart skipped a beat. Beneath the rubble, his father lay. The same, lifeless expression on his face and eyes that had lost their glaze. He felt like throwing up.

He turned around one last time to see his parents. All he could do now was run, he could come back later to bury them. There was nothing left of his life now, he just had to run. Run.

In the far distance, illuminated by the burning buildings of the village, the silhouette of the gigantic demonic monster that had rampaged was visible.

''Damn you!'' he screamed until he felt like his chest would burst.

As if it had heard him, the monstrous creature turned around. Its burning, red eyes left the little boy's body shaking in fear. It opened its mouth full of fangs to let out an agonizing roar that went through bone and marrow.

He fell silent, frozen with fear on the spot. This was the end. Soon he would join his parents.

With a loud scream Gray woke up.

His heart stammered against his ribs and the sweat on his back had turned cold now that he sat up straight. It took him a moment to realise he was in his own bed, safe.

A nightmare. Again. Would they ever stop?

He let himself fall on his back again and sighed deeply in an attempt to stop himself from hyperventilating.

Gray looked at his moon-lit room. It was dark outside, he couldn't have slept for long. How late would it be? He hoped he didn't wake her up.

Ever since they started living together, he had been haunted by these nightmares, or rather, flashbacks. As hard as he tried to push these visions away, he was reminded every night that these were his own memories.

Actually they didn't start occurring more often since he and Juvia had started to live together, it had been a little while before that, when his father died for the second time.

It was mainly for this reason, he didn't want to share a room with her. The last thing he wanted, was to scare her with his nightly horrors.

Suddenly he heard footsteps on the other side of the door, followed by a few soft knocks. ''Gray, are you okay?''

''Yeah,'' he hastily replied, ''please go back to bed, don't worry.''

The door slowly opened. He sat up straight. ''I said I was fine.''

Juvia walked into his room. Her light blue nightgown and skin, glowed coldly in the moonlight. He had always wondered if she could be translucent if she wanted to.

''You aren't.'' she said in a shivering voice, ''I've never heard you scream at night that loud before.''

Her words formed little clouds of mist in his always cold room.

''I said not to worry.'' he said as he lay back down in bed, his back turned to her.

''I will always worry, unless I know you're okay.'' she said as she walked closer.

''Please, leave me alone.'' he begged of her in a final attempt to keep her out of his misery.

He heard the bed creak and before he realised what was happening, he felt the blanket lift up and her warmth against his back. Carefully, she draped her hand around his waist and held him tight.

There was no way he could reject her comfort anymore. Tears pricked in his eyes as he gently grabbed her hand.

''Sorry, it's cold in here.'' he quietly said.

''No,'' Juvia said as she buried her face in his hair, ''it's just fine.''

He couldn't hold back the tears anymore, silently they dropped down on his pillow. Every night he had been lonely, so damn lonely. Until now. She was warm, so warm. He could feel her presence radiate through his back, warming him up to his very soul.

''Thank you,'' he said quietly enough not to let her hear his shaking voice. She hugged him tighter in response. He felt his mind turn less hazy, and slowly he sunk away in a deep, peaceful sleep.