It's my first time translating my POI stories from mandarin into English I wanna thank KSPretenderFan, one of my favorite arthurs, who's also so kind and inspiring. It's because of you, I picked up the courage to post my stories here. Hope you guys enjoy.
Leave me reviews cause I love feedbacks. LOL~~~
(Inspired by my real-life experience, with some slight changes, I turned it into a story of Zoe and John. For a long time, I had sleeping problems, insomnia, sometimes I couldn't fall asleep at all, the tinnitus is also a true experience. I guess it's due the stress...)
The problem of insomnia has been a long time, so long that Zoe couldn't even remember when it stared. Sometimes she suspects that she was born with it.
The insomnia is not so terrible, more frightening is the tinnitus that followed. Every morning, Zoe wakes up, 365 times a year, non-stop. She feels like her brain has already waken up, yet the body is still in sleep, so she could only lay still, stare at the ceiling, unable to move at all. The darkness slowly turns into a color and then precipitates back to the dark...She could hear some kind of machine hums, sometimes far away sometimes close by, with the same rhythm, buzzed...
She knows that it's only an illusion but just can't get rid of it. Psychological suggestion or counting sheeps, nothing works. At the beginning, Zoe was terrified, wondering if she would eventually go crazy. She went to the doctor's, surgeons and psychologists; they could do nothing besides advising her to relax and prescribing some sleeping pills.
But she does not like sleeping pills,she tried a few times. With pills, she did get really good night sleep, but when she woke up, she felt more tired. After taking medications, she never dreamed, felt nothing at all, which makes Zoe more panic.
Slowly Zoe accepted it she woke up in the midnight, she didn't panic no more, instead she used this rare spare time to think. Zoe considers herself as a skeptic, questioning everything. Most of the time, Zoe doubts about herself, wondering whether her job means anything, whether the material income could compensate for the conscience uneasiness, whether her own way would hurt others.
Zoe feels that her brain is like a train. A train lost control and desperately dashes forward no matter if there's road ahead or not.
Later, she met Reese, . Tried to resist, but Zoe just couldn't help falling for him. Fortunately, fortunately, he feels the same to her.
Reese stayed overnight for the first time during the hurricane sandy. Zoe rushed back from Chicago she fell asleep quite easily because of the fatigue. (The Sandy and Chicago thing is relevant to my another POI story which I will translate later.) But, in the midnight, once again, Zoe woke up instantly, as always, totally sober but could not move. Zoe could hear John,him breathing next to her. Zoe wanted to turn over and hugged him, but she couldn't. The machine sound was exceptionally clear, louder and louder. Zoe's mind felt like a volcano almost to the point of out-breaking In the end, Zoe called out his name, "John, John..."
John woke up and found Zoe just eyes opened, staring at the ceiling. "What's wrong Zoe, nightmares?"
Zoe gently shook her head, and would like to respond but speechless. Aware of of the seriousness, John turned on the bedside lamp,sat up and held Zoe, gently stroked her hair, "It's okay, I'm here."
After a long time, Zoe was fully awake, able to speak and move.
John got out of bed and fetched Zoe a glass of water, "You want to talk about it, Zoe?"
Zoe shook her head, "Not now, I'm too tired," John did not ask her further questions, just kept holding her again until she fell asleep.
The next day after breakfast , they sat down on the sofa, Zoe told John about the insomnia which plagued her for years. John listened quietly, "You should have tole me earlier, there is nothing to be ashamed of."
Zoe looked down, "Sometimes I wonder if it is my problem, I have even seen a psychiatrist... " Feeling much released after telling him, Zoe has kept it secret for years, buried it in heart, never show others her scars.
The second night was still the same. John woke up after Zoe moved slightly. He held her and spoke to her in her ear, talking about his childhood, his hometown...Zoe fell asleep in Reese's low smooth voice.
Later, Sandy passed through, John had to leave, Zoe had to start working too. But from that day on,from time to time, Zoe got voice messages from him. Most of them were his monologues when following the POIs, he recorded them and sent to her. Before going to sleep, Zoe would stuff the earpieces and leave the phone handy. Press the key in the midnight when she woke up, she could hear the voice of Reese. With it, the insomnia became less unbearable.
After who knows how long, Zoe woke up again in the middle of the night. But this time, there was no strange sound, and the body no longer stiff. She rolled over, clinging the man. She listened to his even breathing, suddenly felt so calm and peace.
The train stopped, finally.