Author's Note: This is related to my other two Professor Layton stories 'Puzzling' and 'Perplexing'.

Flummoxing

Clive opened his eyes as a piercing scream tortured his poor ears. He flew out of bed like a bird on fire and crashed down on the floor painfully. The young man winced and rubbed his aching head, not finding that to be enjoyable at all. He was actually starting to get quite annoyed by the sudden interruption of his joyous sleep.

But what had interrupted him?

He had heard a scream! It sounded like it had come from Flora's room. Getting to his feet, he hurried out of his room like the wind and quickly reached Flora's room, seeing only pure darkness. Why was he the only one who heard the scream? Where was the professor and Luke?

Clive, not knowing where the switch to the light was at in the blackness of the room, started feeling around the wall with his hand quietly. He was unsure if Flora was still sleeping; and had screamed in her sleep, perhaps from a nightmare of some sort.

The young man knew that there were two switches in the room that activated two things: The fan and the lights. He did not want to make a mistake and accidently turn on the fan, possibly scaring little Flora. This was like a puzzle though. He'd just have to figure out which switch activated what.

When he finished the puzzle, he found the switch that worked the lights. The lights popped on and he narrowed his eyes from the brightness. When his eyes finally adjusted to the light, the male put his gaze on the bed in the room. He expected to see Flora there, but, to his horror, she wasn't there! Flummoxed and highly concerned, Clive stepped further into the room and began looking around.

"Flora?" He called out softly, his tone tainted with worriment and perplexity. "Flora, where are you?"

What if she had gotten kidnapped? Was that the reason for her terrible scream? Why wasn't Luke and the professor in here yet? Were they that much of heavy sleepers that they could not hear a loud, shrill scream?

Clive wended over to the bed, getting on his knees and checking underneath it. To his great surprise, he found Flora under there. She was curled up on the carpeted floor, wrapped tightly in some blankets. Her eyes were closed and she had a frightened expression dancing along her features.

"Flora…" Clive trailed, watching her.

Flora's eyes snapped open and she stared at Clive's face with her own large ones. She seemed scared at his sudden appearance at first, but then relaxed when she realized it was only her friend. The female smiled a little, but the smile did not reach her eyes. Clive could see some remaining fear in her eyes. He did not know what she was so scared of, but he would soon find out.

"Flora, what are you doing under there?" Clive questioned her, concern wrapping around his voice. "I heard you scream and I woke up and came in here to investigate. I thought something terrible had happened to you."

"I'm sorry to have worried you," Flora now looked embarrassed. "I must not have been that loud then, seeing as how the professor and Luke aren't awake."

"Seems like they're heavy sleepers, which will always remain a mystery to me," Clive talked, reaching his hands out towards the girl. "Come on, Flora. You can't sleep on the floor like that. You'll catch a cold. Plus, it isn't comfortable either. You'll wake up in the morning aching all over."

Flora hesitated before taking the young man's hands and allowing him to help her out from underneath her bed. Once out, Clive kindly helped her to her feet. Through with that task, Clive pulled the blankets out from underneath the bed and placed them on top of it.

"There." He breathed, finished.

"Thank you." Flora said in her soft voice

"You're welcome, Flora," Clive told her, shrugging his shoulders as if it wasn't a big deal. Then he began to wonder why she even screamed in the first place? He thought about it for a few minutes before concluding that she must have had a nightmare. "Did you have a nightmare?" He ended up asking as he watched her sit down upon her bed.

Flora nodded her head.

Clive took a seat next to her. "Is that why you screamed?" He queried for confirmation, attempting to make sure that he was correct in assuming that was why she screamed.

"Yes." Flora responded quietly.

"What was it about?" Clive questioned.

"I was all alone in the darkness," Flora replied, lowering her gaze to her lap where her hands rested. "I had no friends and I had no family. They were all gone. The professor was gone. You were gone. Luke was gone. I was all by myself. Alone. There was nobody."

Clive listened closely to her words, deciding that that was a horrifying dream. Still, he wondered why she would have a nightmare like that. Clive guessed that the brain sometimes conjured up delusional dreams that do not make any sense whatsoever.

"You're not alone, Flora," Clive reminded her. "You've got me, the professor, and Luke. Even though we aren't related in any way, we're like a family." He explained to her with a smile.

Flora raised her head and looked at the male, a grin spreading across her face. "That's so true! Thank you, Clive!" She happily said.

Clive gave her a hug before getting up. "Well, I should be off to my own room. I'm tired." He informed her, yawning a little bit. He walked towards the entrance to the room and was about to turn off the lights, but Flora's voice halted him.

"Please leave it on." She said.

Clive turned around to gaze at her. "Are you still frightened, Flora?"

"A little." Flora answered.

Clive thought for a moment before saying, "Hold on a minute." Then he disappeared from the room. When he returned, he had a pillow and a blanket. He shut the door behind him and then dropped his pillow on the ground beside the bed and spread his blanket out on the carpeted floor.

"What are you doing, Clive?" Flora questioned him, genuinely flabbergasted.

"I'll keep you company." Clive replied.

"You're sleeping on the floor?" Flora's large eyes got even bigger.

"Yes." Clive responded.

"As you've told me, you'll catch a cold and possibly ache all over when you wake up." Flora told him what he had told her a few minutes ago when she had been under her bed.

"I'll be fine." The young man said.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive."

Flora smiled and then got under her blankets, putting her head on her pillows and shutting her eyes, feeling comfortable now that she had company in the room with her. She didn't feel so lonely now.

Clive turned out the lights and then slid under his blankets, resting his head on the pillow he had brought into the room. He closed his eyes.

"Goodnight, Flora."

"Goodnight, Clive."