Sweet Dreams
[A/N: Another whacked-out vignette from Rachel's POV, though these things will probably slow down, seeing as I just started school again. Considering I should be doing my English homework now, you can thank me for nominating me as a V.I.W. ^_^;;]
"AAAAAAAAHHHHH!!"
Sara's shrill scream splits the night air, and startled, I fall out of my bed struggling with my blankets before I realize what's happening.
I stand up, and flip a lock of hair out of my eyes, grinding the heel of my palm into my right eye.
Wake up, Rachel.
Sara's whimpering now, and I can hear the sound clearly.
Looks like I'm not getting any sleep tonight.
I sigh, shove the blankets off me and onto the bed, and walk to Sara's room. Mom's not home tonight, so I'll have to take care of it.
Like usual. Like yesterday, when she had 'an important case that just came up', or last week, with her 'got to get bail for this client' bull.
Geez. It's just another excuse she has, so she can duck out of being with us.
Like when she was divorcing Dad, and she didn't tell us, not until the last freaking minute when she says, 'Kids, your father and I have decided that it's just not working out.'
God.
Adults are so hypocritical.
They say, "Don't lie" when you're a kid, and then guess what? They lie to you all the time. And then they say, "We just didn't want to worry you" or some stupid bull like that.
I groan, and open the door. "Sara?"
She looks on the verge of a temper tantrum. "Where's Mom? I want Mom!"
I don't bother to say anything, just brush her hair back from her forehead.
Sara's voice gets more insistent, and she starts whining now. "I want Mom!"
"Sara, Mom's at work."
Her lip starts quivering. "But the monsters . . . . "
I sigh, and hug Sara. "C'mon, Sara. There aren't any monsters."
At least not in your life.
She looks up at me, sniffling. "But . . . . but I saw them. They're coming to get me. Under my bed."
Again, I can barely repress a sigh. "Sara, did you watch that werewolf movie that Mom told you not to watch?"
Sara nods at me, mutely, and I smile at her, ruffling her hair. "Sara, monsters don't exist."
Not that you know of. You've never seen the monsters lurking within yourself, have you?
"It's under my bed!" she whines, and I paste a big smile on my face.
"Sara, there are no monsters. Want me to check?'
Sure, sister, there are monsters. Nice lil' slug monsters that crawl into your head and take over your brain and your body.
But I'm not about to tell her that, not when I've just gotten her to shut up.
I pull up the thingy around her bed, and check. And sneeze.
Geez. When was the last time anyone dusted under here?
Nothing here but us dust bunnies, my mind mumbles, but I stand up, giving her a reassuring squeeze. "See, Sara? There's nothing here. Just your shirt that you were supposed to hang up yesterday."
She gives me her 'innocent-look' thing, and whimpers, "Will you sleep with me?"
"Sara?!" I whine in horror for a second, and then she starts getting that look again. I sigh. "Fine, Sara. Just don't go and make a habit out of this."
I pull the covers up, and slide in next to her. She snuggles up to me, and I pull the covers up, just barely repressing a 'Happy now?'
"Sweet dreams," I say, and she snuggles up to me, already half asleep.
David's voice looms out at me from the night, screaming. Again.
Noooooo! Noooooo!
"G'night," she mumbles, as her eyelids close.
I envy you, sister. You know nothing about the real monsters. You know nothing about fear and rage and pain.
You know nothing about the demons in your soul.
I look at her, at her short little girl hair, her innocent eyes, the way she has that little smile on her face, because I'm with her, and something tight inside me dissolves.
For a few seconds, I'm relaxed, not thinking of the war, of the pain, or the agony of it all.
And then David's voice comes out again.
Noooo! You can't do this! Nooo!
Good night, Sara.
Enjoy your childhood while you can.
Sweet dreams.
[A/N: Well? Liked it, loved it, hated it? Send any and all replies to me at anifuture@hotmail.com. And take a look at my webpage, at http://anifuture.hypermart.net.]