Will I Dream?
Yomiel sighed as he stroked the cat curled up in his lap, snoring away softly. Sissel's tail twitched back and forth as she dreamed, no doubt caused by whatever she was dreaming about. Having no need for sleep, he himself no longer dreamed.
"I envy you friend," he whispered. "I truly do."
But perhaps it was for the best he was unable to dream; the gods only knew what nightmares would plague if he could. There was certainly no shortage of bad memories for his subconscious to choose from: the police interrogation... the Temsik meteor... coming home to his fiancee's house to find her dead... the first time he realized he was unable to die...
His hand stopped petting Sissel, falling to his side. Or worse yet his dreams could be unbearably pleasant; dreams of getting married and starting a new life together... of the family they would have created... the children they could have had... or the memories he had of loving someone and being loved...
His hands fisted, clenching his pant legs in a death grip. Yes, it was definitely for the best he could not dream. What use did a corpse have for dreams anyway? Why should he be tormented by things he would never have, a life he could never reclaim?
He did not feel the rough tongue stroking his hand so much as he was merely aware of it. Yomiel glanced down to see Sissel's head tilted up towards his, her eyes slitted at him in concern.
He shot her a weak smile in reassurance. "I'm sorry if I awoke you," he murmered, and resumed his petting.