Chapter 1—Nightmares
It was half past midnight at the S.P.D. Headquarters on planet Earth, and Commander Cruger, the leader of S.P.D., was restless. Horrible nightmares plagued his sleep as he tossed and turned on his bunk, trying to find the end of the agony. After several minutes, he jolted upward to his senses with a loud scream. Though the nightmare was over, the emotional pain Anubis felt continued on. He sat up in bed in a white sleeveless shirt and black boxer shorts and panted for breath as sweat dripped down his body, soaking his clothes and bed sheets. At this point, there was no going to sleep for him anytime soon; Anubis ripped off the covers and stood up.
"Why……why do I keep having these nightmares?"
He walked around his bunk to the door and turned on the lights to his private quarters. Light flooded the room, immediately taking the place of the depressing and unknown aspects of darkness.
"I thought that ordeal was over. I don't understand why I am unconsciously thinking about it so much."
Looking back at the bed and seeing the wet sheets, Anubis growled at his sense of weakness and went to change them. As he pulled them off, water dripped from the hanging corners.
"I sweated that much? These nightmares are getting worse…"
As the commander proceeded to toss the wet sheets in the hamper across the room with the rest of the dirty laundry, quick footsteps were heard in the corridor just outside his quarters. It wasn't much longer when the footsteps stopped and the door alarm began to buzz upon the arrival of the visitor. Anubis' ears perked at the buzzing noise as he finished what he was doing and headed for the door. He held down a button on the nearby door console and spoke into the speaker.
"Identify yourself."
A female voice responded. "It's Dr. Katherine Manx."
Her image at the door from the hidden camera in the hall confirmed that it was her requesting entry. She stood patiently for his response dressed in a white robe and matching pajama pants. Surprised at her presence at this late hour, Anubis opened the door.
"Commander Cruger. I heard you screaming from my quarters. Is anything wrong, sir?
He sighed at her inquiry. "No, Kat, it was just another nightmare. I'm sure I'll get over it shortly."
Kat then sighed with disbelief. "Cruger, this is the fourth nightmare you've had this week. Perhaps it would help if you talked with me about the dreams you've been having."
"Kat, it's really not that important. I can take care of this myself."
"And keep it bottled up inside you longer? You're only hurting yourself more by not telling anyone about your inner feelings. Please, all I want is to help you."
Anubis paused for a moment. "…Fine. You may come in."
They walked inside and sat down beside each other at a table near the center of the room.
"Ok, Doggie, tell me about your dreams."
"I'll tell you about the nightmare I had tonight. It started with me standing in a dark alley wearing my S.P.D. uniform. Within seconds, a gang of other species of dogs emerged from the darkness, armed with several weapons. They approached my position."
"Other species of dogs? You were on Sirius?"
"Yes, or at least it appeared so. They began to mock me and laugh at my appearance, calling me a 'misfit' and a 'freak'. I tried to get away, but they attacked me before I got the chance. They whipped me, beat me, and ripped off my clothes……"
Tears came to Anubis' eyes; he was getting too emotional to continue. Kat noticed this and put her arm around his shoulders.
"Doggie, you're soaked." Kat's arm remained around him, despite the thin filament of sweat that covered Anubis' clothes and scales.
"……Yes, I am aware of that."
"Would you like me to stay here for the time being to keep you company?"
"Kat, you don't have to---"
"I'm not doing it because I have to; I'm doing it because I want to. There's nothing wrong with someone caring about you, Doggie."
Anubis was stunned at her statement. No one ever had such feelings for him before; he was usually known around S.P.D. as a stiff, stern, and stubborn commander. This was the very first time he really ever opened up to anyone at the headquarters about his feelings.
"I would appreciate that. Thank you, Kat."
"You're welcome, Doggie."
Kat took her arm away from him and stood up. She looked at her sweat-covered arm and gave a slight look of disgust at the sight of it.
"Heh, sorry about that." Anubis grinned and rose to his feet.
"Don't worry about it, it'll wash off. What about your other nightmares? Were they just as bad as this one?"
"Yes. Different circumstances, but the same result every night. I really don't want to talk about them, they were horrible."
"I understand, and I'm sorry about what you're going through. If only we knew what was causing them…"
"I have no idea how they came into my head. They were just a random collection of dreams that started at the beginning of this week." He walked over to his bed and wiped sweat from his forehead. "Kat, could you get me a towel, please?"
"No problem, Commander."
Kat went to a restroom in the opposite corner of the room and grabbed a large towel off a rack bolted to the left wall from the entrance. Meanwhile, Anubis took his sweaty shirt off and tossed it on the floor. It landed with a plop as liquid streamed from the mass of wet clothing. It was then when Kat came back into the main room and noticed the shirtless commander by his bed. She was impressed by his tall, muscular physique as she approached. Anubis noticed her footsteps and turned to face her.
"Oh, thanks." He grabbed the towel and wiped his scaly face and muzzle. Normally, Anubis was regressive about his appearance, his words, and his actions. By doing so, he hid his faults from all of those who ranked below him. He also never wanted any assistance and rejected any inquiries of his personal life and past. He hoped no one would one would find out the truth, for he was afraid of what the consequences might be.
However, there was something different about this scenario. The "private" commander had already allowed Kat into his room at a late hour, told her the subject of his nightmares, and accepted her request of staying with him to give comfort. He had done all of this, plus the fact that he wore nothing but black boxer shorts despite her presence. There was something about Kat that was causing Anubis to change, both mentally and emotionally.
Kat took a seat by the table. "Is there anything else that is bothering you?"
"No, that is all I am worried about." Something else was bothering him, however—something much deeper than these nightmares.
Anubis looked at his alarm clock on the nightstand by his bed. It was already quarter past one. He stretched and gave a long yawn. "I'm think I'm ready to go back to sleep."
Kat stood up. "Are you sure you'll be alright?"
"Yes, I am feeling better now, and thank you for your company. Good night, Kat."
"Good night, Commander." She walked out into the dimly lit corridor as the double doors slid shut behind her.
After she had left, Anubis turned off the lights and carelessly fell on his bed, burdened by the weight of his past. It was beginning to destroy him from the inside out, yet he was too scared to tell anybody about it. He softly howled himself to sleep.
