Nightmares
The Guardsman Chronicles, Chapter Eight
by Rick Federle
Darien tiptoed into the living room, remembering as he
emerged from the bedroom that he had a roommate. He'd just
gotten back, and he'd spent most of the day today getting over his
jet lag. A quick glance at the clock told him it was just before
midnight. He'd grab a quick snack and disappear back into the
bedroom. He paused as he passed the hideaway bed where William
was sprawled. The sheets were in a state of disarray, and it looked
like he'd been thrashing in his sleep.
"No, I won't let you hurt her." William murmured, rolling
over and back a couple of times. "I won't let you do that." His
hand tightened into a fist, like he was grasping the hilt of a sword.
"You'll pay dearly if you so much as harm one hair on her head."
Darien worriedly tiptoed over to the telephone, faintly
aware of the sounds of William's thrashings in the other room. He
shuffled through a couple of papers until he located Mina's number.
He picked up the receiver and dialed the number.
"Hello?" Mina answered the phone, giving Darien another
reason to pause.
"Hi, Mina. What are you still doing up this late?"
"I couldn't sleep." Mina's voice had an edge to it Darien
couldn't quite place.
"Does William normally thrash in his sleep?" Darien asked.
"No." Mina's voice took on a note of worry. "Is he now?"
"Yes."
"I'll be right there." The phone disconnected abruptly,
leaving Darien staring at the receiver in surprise.
Darien paced the foyer, waiting for Mina to arrive. A soft
knock on the door indicated the arrival of someone and a look
through the peephole told him it was Mina, looking as if she had
run the entire way. Darien opened the door for her.
"Where is he?" Mina asked breathlessly, taking off the light
jacket she'd thrown on.
"The hideaway bed." Darien supplied, taking the jacket and
tossing it on the coat rack.
Mina went over to where William was thrashing, stilling it
with a touch on his shoulder. Mina tilted her head toward the
kitchen. "I was afraid of this." Mina said quietly as they entered
the kitchen.
"How long has this been going on?" Darien asked.
"Since he got back." Mina informed him, leaning wearily
against the kitchen counter.
"He does this regularly?" Darien sounded surprised.
"About once a week." Mina clarified. "I had an uneasy
feeling it was going to happen tonight."
"Why?"
"I should have guessed your reappearance would trigger it
when I found out you two already knew each other. I can usually
tell when it's going to happen."
"You're linked?" Darien sounded surprised.
"Apparently. We seem to be able to tell when each other's
in trouble." Mina explained. "And in pain."
"MINA!!!!" William's agonized shriek sent Mina flying
from the kitchen and over to the hideaway bed.
"I'm here." Mina knelt down next to the hideaway bed and
took William's head in her arms, cradling it against her chest.
"Shh." She said soothingly, rocking his head gently as he clung
white knuckled to her. "It's okay. I'm here."
William's white knuckled grip slowly relaxed, but he didn't
let go of her. "Is he going to be all right?" Darien asked, hovering
quietly nearby.
"Eventually." Mina glanced over at him for a second, the
worry visible in her eyes.
"Mina." William's whisper was filled with relief as he
looked up at her.
"I'm here." Mina reassured him, kissing him on the
forehead.
"I dreamed you had been tortured. Stabbed over and over."
William whispered, his voice pain filled. "And there was blood, so
much blood." He began sobbing.
Mina cradled his head against her again, rocking his head
gently. "Shh." She murmured soothingly. "Everything's fine.
It'll be okay." She looked up at Darien. "Can you get me a
pillow?"
Darien blinked in surprise.
"I'm going to have to stay with him tonight." Mina
explained quietly, looking back down at William. "He needs me."
Darien nodded in understanding and disappeared into the
bedroom to retrieve a spare pillow. When he returned, William was
stretched back out on the hideaway bed.
"Thanks." Mina said, taking the pillow.
"If you'd rather use the bed . . . " Darien offered.
"Thanks, but we'll be okay." Mina said, putting the pillow
with the other one while William was straightening up the
comforter.
"All right. Let me know if you need anything." Darien
said, drawing a nod from Mina. Darien disappeared back into the
bedroom.
"I'm sorry." William apologized as Mina crawled under the
comforter with him, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I didn't
want you to have to deal with this."
"It's okay." Mina put her arms around him, resting her
head next to his; their eyes locked. "Just try to get some sleep. I'll
be right here if you need me."
"Thank you." William gave her a quick kiss to reinforce his
words, then closed his eyes, resting his forehead against hers.
"You're kidding." Raye said in disbelief when Darien told
the girls about it the next day. They had gathered in one of the
back rooms of the temple to hear him out. "This has been
happening all this time and we didn't know?"
"Apparently so." Darien nodded. "I don't think Mina left
him for more than a couple of minutes last night."
"It's that bad?" Serena asked.
"I woke up in the middle of the night to hear him screaming
her name." Darien told her. "I'm guessing Mina left him long
enough to get a glass of water because when I tiptoed into the
kitchen for some breakfast, there was a cup lying sideways on the
counter and a puddle of water on the floor. They were still locked
together when I got up this morning, sleeping, and I didn't have the
heart to wake them up after what they must have gone through last
night."
"Some kind of survivor's guilt?" Amy asked.
Michelle shook her head. "More likely the effect of the
torture."
"Either that or he's been programmed to act that way."
Lita put in.
"Would you stop it!" Alexandra barked at Lita, making the
others flinch. "You're acting like a three-year-old! One of your
best friends is going through who know what and instead of being
supportive you're acting like a spoiled brat!"
Lita's eyes dropped to the floor. "I'm sorry." She said
after a moment.
"Tell that to them, not to us." Alexandra reminded her and
Lita nodded hesitantly.
"There's more. They seem to be linked." Darien reported.
"Linked?" Serena asked. "Like you and me?"
"Yes." Darien nodded. "Mina was still up when I called,
and it was almost midnight. She told me when she got over that
they seem to be linked. And yesterday when you got ambushed,
William seemed to know that you were in danger about the same
time I did. He knew Mina was in danger."
"It works both ways." Mina's weary voice added. "I saw a
vision of William getting beaten by Azmaria the night before he
showed up."
Heads turned to the doorway where Mina and William
stood, an arm around the other's waist. The two were definitely
not their usual selves.
"You look like something the cat dragged in." Serena said.
"That's about how we feel." William said tiredly.
Christine got up and came over to the two. "Uncle." She
declared as she hugged William. Susan nodded in acceptance while
Alexandra and Michelle exchanged a confused look. The others sat
dumbfounded.
"Thanks." William gave her a brief hug with his free arm.
The others hastily expanded the circle, making room for the
three of them. Mina put her arms around William's waist as he sat
down with her. "I'm surprised you're up." Darien observed.
"It was get up or lay there and have more nightmares."
William explained as he leaned against Mina.
"That and we needed something to eat." Mina added.
"Did you eat already?" Serena asked.
"Yes. We stopped on the way over."
"How long do you usually have these dreams?" Michelle
asked.
"It's usually for just for a couple of hours." William said.
"But last night they just wouldn't stop." William squeezed his eyes
closed. "It just kept coming, over and over. I keep seeing Mina
tortured and dying." His voice broke before he could go on.
Mina took him in her arms, rocking his head gently, pressing
his face up against her as he began to cry again. She whispered
soothingly to him as he clung to her, her forehead resting on the top
of his head as she comforted him.
After what seemed like an eternity, the sounds of his
sobbing stilled and Mina raised her head to look at them. "I'm
sorry." Michelle apologized. Mina nodded slightly before lowering
her head again.
After another moment, Mina raised her head again, followed
by William. "Please excuse us." Mina said quietly as she drew
William to his feet and led him out the door, her arms around his
waist.
"What he must have gone through." Serena was the first to
speak in the uneasy silence that the departure of the couple left. "I
don't know if I could have withstood it."
"The love they share is so strong that it can conquer even
that kind of pain." Raye recognized.
"Let's give them whatever support they need." Serena
suggested.
"They need time." Michelle said. "They need to be
together to work it out. They need to be alone, and if their love is
as strong as it seems to be, he'll make it. She'll be sure of that."
The Guardsman Chronicles, Chapter Eight
by Rick Federle
Darien tiptoed into the living room, remembering as he
emerged from the bedroom that he had a roommate. He'd just
gotten back, and he'd spent most of the day today getting over his
jet lag. A quick glance at the clock told him it was just before
midnight. He'd grab a quick snack and disappear back into the
bedroom. He paused as he passed the hideaway bed where William
was sprawled. The sheets were in a state of disarray, and it looked
like he'd been thrashing in his sleep.
"No, I won't let you hurt her." William murmured, rolling
over and back a couple of times. "I won't let you do that." His
hand tightened into a fist, like he was grasping the hilt of a sword.
"You'll pay dearly if you so much as harm one hair on her head."
Darien worriedly tiptoed over to the telephone, faintly
aware of the sounds of William's thrashings in the other room. He
shuffled through a couple of papers until he located Mina's number.
He picked up the receiver and dialed the number.
"Hello?" Mina answered the phone, giving Darien another
reason to pause.
"Hi, Mina. What are you still doing up this late?"
"I couldn't sleep." Mina's voice had an edge to it Darien
couldn't quite place.
"Does William normally thrash in his sleep?" Darien asked.
"No." Mina's voice took on a note of worry. "Is he now?"
"Yes."
"I'll be right there." The phone disconnected abruptly,
leaving Darien staring at the receiver in surprise.
Darien paced the foyer, waiting for Mina to arrive. A soft
knock on the door indicated the arrival of someone and a look
through the peephole told him it was Mina, looking as if she had
run the entire way. Darien opened the door for her.
"Where is he?" Mina asked breathlessly, taking off the light
jacket she'd thrown on.
"The hideaway bed." Darien supplied, taking the jacket and
tossing it on the coat rack.
Mina went over to where William was thrashing, stilling it
with a touch on his shoulder. Mina tilted her head toward the
kitchen. "I was afraid of this." Mina said quietly as they entered
the kitchen.
"How long has this been going on?" Darien asked.
"Since he got back." Mina informed him, leaning wearily
against the kitchen counter.
"He does this regularly?" Darien sounded surprised.
"About once a week." Mina clarified. "I had an uneasy
feeling it was going to happen tonight."
"Why?"
"I should have guessed your reappearance would trigger it
when I found out you two already knew each other. I can usually
tell when it's going to happen."
"You're linked?" Darien sounded surprised.
"Apparently. We seem to be able to tell when each other's
in trouble." Mina explained. "And in pain."
"MINA!!!!" William's agonized shriek sent Mina flying
from the kitchen and over to the hideaway bed.
"I'm here." Mina knelt down next to the hideaway bed and
took William's head in her arms, cradling it against her chest.
"Shh." She said soothingly, rocking his head gently as he clung
white knuckled to her. "It's okay. I'm here."
William's white knuckled grip slowly relaxed, but he didn't
let go of her. "Is he going to be all right?" Darien asked, hovering
quietly nearby.
"Eventually." Mina glanced over at him for a second, the
worry visible in her eyes.
"Mina." William's whisper was filled with relief as he
looked up at her.
"I'm here." Mina reassured him, kissing him on the
forehead.
"I dreamed you had been tortured. Stabbed over and over."
William whispered, his voice pain filled. "And there was blood, so
much blood." He began sobbing.
Mina cradled his head against her again, rocking his head
gently. "Shh." She murmured soothingly. "Everything's fine.
It'll be okay." She looked up at Darien. "Can you get me a
pillow?"
Darien blinked in surprise.
"I'm going to have to stay with him tonight." Mina
explained quietly, looking back down at William. "He needs me."
Darien nodded in understanding and disappeared into the
bedroom to retrieve a spare pillow. When he returned, William was
stretched back out on the hideaway bed.
"Thanks." Mina said, taking the pillow.
"If you'd rather use the bed . . . " Darien offered.
"Thanks, but we'll be okay." Mina said, putting the pillow
with the other one while William was straightening up the
comforter.
"All right. Let me know if you need anything." Darien
said, drawing a nod from Mina. Darien disappeared back into the
bedroom.
"I'm sorry." William apologized as Mina crawled under the
comforter with him, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I didn't
want you to have to deal with this."
"It's okay." Mina put her arms around him, resting her
head next to his; their eyes locked. "Just try to get some sleep. I'll
be right here if you need me."
"Thank you." William gave her a quick kiss to reinforce his
words, then closed his eyes, resting his forehead against hers.
"You're kidding." Raye said in disbelief when Darien told
the girls about it the next day. They had gathered in one of the
back rooms of the temple to hear him out. "This has been
happening all this time and we didn't know?"
"Apparently so." Darien nodded. "I don't think Mina left
him for more than a couple of minutes last night."
"It's that bad?" Serena asked.
"I woke up in the middle of the night to hear him screaming
her name." Darien told her. "I'm guessing Mina left him long
enough to get a glass of water because when I tiptoed into the
kitchen for some breakfast, there was a cup lying sideways on the
counter and a puddle of water on the floor. They were still locked
together when I got up this morning, sleeping, and I didn't have the
heart to wake them up after what they must have gone through last
night."
"Some kind of survivor's guilt?" Amy asked.
Michelle shook her head. "More likely the effect of the
torture."
"Either that or he's been programmed to act that way."
Lita put in.
"Would you stop it!" Alexandra barked at Lita, making the
others flinch. "You're acting like a three-year-old! One of your
best friends is going through who know what and instead of being
supportive you're acting like a spoiled brat!"
Lita's eyes dropped to the floor. "I'm sorry." She said
after a moment.
"Tell that to them, not to us." Alexandra reminded her and
Lita nodded hesitantly.
"There's more. They seem to be linked." Darien reported.
"Linked?" Serena asked. "Like you and me?"
"Yes." Darien nodded. "Mina was still up when I called,
and it was almost midnight. She told me when she got over that
they seem to be linked. And yesterday when you got ambushed,
William seemed to know that you were in danger about the same
time I did. He knew Mina was in danger."
"It works both ways." Mina's weary voice added. "I saw a
vision of William getting beaten by Azmaria the night before he
showed up."
Heads turned to the doorway where Mina and William
stood, an arm around the other's waist. The two were definitely
not their usual selves.
"You look like something the cat dragged in." Serena said.
"That's about how we feel." William said tiredly.
Christine got up and came over to the two. "Uncle." She
declared as she hugged William. Susan nodded in acceptance while
Alexandra and Michelle exchanged a confused look. The others sat
dumbfounded.
"Thanks." William gave her a brief hug with his free arm.
The others hastily expanded the circle, making room for the
three of them. Mina put her arms around William's waist as he sat
down with her. "I'm surprised you're up." Darien observed.
"It was get up or lay there and have more nightmares."
William explained as he leaned against Mina.
"That and we needed something to eat." Mina added.
"Did you eat already?" Serena asked.
"Yes. We stopped on the way over."
"How long do you usually have these dreams?" Michelle
asked.
"It's usually for just for a couple of hours." William said.
"But last night they just wouldn't stop." William squeezed his eyes
closed. "It just kept coming, over and over. I keep seeing Mina
tortured and dying." His voice broke before he could go on.
Mina took him in her arms, rocking his head gently, pressing
his face up against her as he began to cry again. She whispered
soothingly to him as he clung to her, her forehead resting on the top
of his head as she comforted him.
After what seemed like an eternity, the sounds of his
sobbing stilled and Mina raised her head to look at them. "I'm
sorry." Michelle apologized. Mina nodded slightly before lowering
her head again.
After another moment, Mina raised her head again, followed
by William. "Please excuse us." Mina said quietly as she drew
William to his feet and led him out the door, her arms around his
waist.
"What he must have gone through." Serena was the first to
speak in the uneasy silence that the departure of the couple left. "I
don't know if I could have withstood it."
"The love they share is so strong that it can conquer even
that kind of pain." Raye recognized.
"Let's give them whatever support they need." Serena
suggested.
"They need time." Michelle said. "They need to be
together to work it out. They need to be alone, and if their love is
as strong as it seems to be, he'll make it. She'll be sure of that."