For Nawn Week 2015, with day 1's prompt: nightmares.
For any interested parties, the complete prompts list is on the nawn week tumblr.
I'm a day late posting this, but life.
Gasping, she desperately tried to catch her breath, clawing at the blanket in a futile attempt to free herself from the heaviness on her soul, free herself from what almost felt like a person sitting on her chest. Her cotton pajamas were soaked with sweat, down to the small of her back.
There was a reason she stayed up so late every night, meditating instead of sleeping.
She'd suffered with night terrors since she was a child, and the meditation helped. Not with the nightmares, but it helped her to rest without suffering from the usual panic and distress that haunted her whenever she slept.
Her wide grey eyes, and she tried to blink the tears out of them as she tried to sit up. Her breathing was still shaky and ragged as she fought to calm her racing heart.
Her lungs still felt like they were half-full of water or cement, or like someone had put an elastic band around her chest.
She almost screamed when she saw movement across the room, and thought that perhaps she hadn't woken up – perhaps she was still in a nightmare.
"Everything okay?" Noah asked as he stood in the doorway wearing only his pajama pants, and she realized she must have cried out in her sleep and woken him up.
"I'm sorry for waking you-"
"Don't worry about it." He said, before gesturing to where she was. "May I come in?"
She nodded mutely and he made his way over to her bed, sitting beside her.
Her body numb with exhaustion, she rested her forehead against his shoulder. After a moment, he wrapped an arm around her and she leaned into his bare chest, beginning to feel herself starting to relax slightly.
As he gently ran his fingers through her long blonde hair and pulled her closer, he pressed his lips to her forehead. "You know physical activity and whatnot really isn't my forte, but I'll still protect you."
And as she lay back down, still completely wrapped in his embrace, she found herself with a hint of a smile on her lips.
He couldn't cure her, but maybe he could help.
Reviews are always appreciated, so please don't be shy.