Chapter 2: Intense R.E.M.
Andy closed his checkbook after writing the last bill of the month. He got up from the dining room table and ventured into the dark living room where the calm murmur of the television droned. A toothy grinning David Letterman spoke charismatically into the screen presenting the stupid human/pet tricks segment of the show. 'The Late Show with David Letterman' was the only television program Ephram watched religiously. It was Ephram's connection with New York. With this show, he felt like he was part of New York again. He's traveled halfway across the nation, so far away from his hometown, and the show somehow kept him rooted. He was shocked people in little crap-ville Colorado even knew who David Letterman was. Ephram, with his cheek leaning against a cushion on the couch, curled up in a comfortable slumber. Andy sat down next to him.
Andy tried to pay attention to David Letterman reading the mailbag but his mind kept drifting to something more important - his son. The flicker from the TV lit the room as Andy watched his son sleeping. Ephram was definitely a deep sleeper. His breath was very soft and steady. One would believe him to appear almost dead when he's asleep. Just the very notion of it scared Andy. Ever since the diagnosis, Andy became somewhat of a night owl - checking up on Ephram when he was sleeping to make sure he was alive. He knew it sounded cruel to even think such a thought, but he was very worried. It was a ritual for Andy without Ephram knowing.
Andy admired how child-like his son looked. Ephram's dark tousled hair gave him a boyish appearance and his long eyelashes reminded Andy so much of Julia. His pink lips parted slightly and a line of drool was finding it's way onto the paisley cushion his head rested on. Ephram's over-sized Old Navy gray sweatshirt hung over his bony shoulders and frame like a draped doll. His white crew socks were neatly tucked under blue sweatpants. Andy noticed his son's vulnerable demeanor curled up in his sleeping position. Ephram's long pianist fingers were hidden beneath the cushion. Andy loved everything about his son - the flaws as well as the perfection.
Andy observed how abnormally peaceful Ephram was dozing. He hesitated before poking his son lightly on the shoulder. His son did not budge.
"Ephram?" Andy whispered and shook Ephram's shoulder tenderly. "Hey, buddy." Andy whispered again. Ephram let out a sigh as he woke from his restful nap. He wiped the drool coming from his mouth with a hand and stretched.
"Hmmm. Dad. What'd I miss?" Ephram said sleepily rubbing his eyes.
"You've just missed your favorite show. You must've been super tired." Andy reported.
"Yeah. I've had a tough day. That CAT scan thing really gives my body a workout." He yawned.
"You'd better get to bed then." Andy advised as Ephram agreed and shuffled his way into his room.
*** The Dream ***
The massive silhouette of a man chased Ephram down dark corners of a deserted street. Ephram pounded frantically on doors and called out desperately for help but no one answered. He glanced over his shoulder and the figure loomed in the darkness. There was no time to lose. He had to keep moving. He tried to run as fast as his tired legs could carry him but his legs felt like rubber bands. His attempt to escape the shadows was in vain. The faster he ran, the closer the figure got. Fear filled his body and soul. He called out for his father. "Dad! Daddy!! Daaaad!!" he screamed in horror. But the only thing he heard was the amplified pulsating of his heartbeat echoing in the darkness. He stopped running to catch his breath. With hands on his knees, he puffed as sweat dripped from his temples to the ground. A sound of leaves rustling caught his attention and he raised his head. The shadow suddenly appeared in the distance and Ephram ran. He turned into an alley and panicked when he realized it was dead end. He tripped on his own feet and landed sprawled on his stomach. He turned around to face the dark shadow. The shadow was a mass of darkness with the shape of a man but had no human features.
"What do you want from me?!?!" Ephram hollered. The shadow gave no answer. It silently threatened Ephram. "Leave me alone!" Ephram sobbed.
The shadow reached down and yanked Ephram's arm sending a stab of pain to his upper back. And with that, Ephram woke from his dream in a cold sweat. His heart raced and goose bumps crawled his skin. The dream was so real he could've sworn he actually felt the pain lingering in his arm and back as he sat on his bed. He was still shivering from being frightened so terribly. His eyes darted across his room searching for the massive shadow but it was nowhere to be found. It was impossible to go back to sleep. His room was supposed to be the most comforting place on earth because it belonged to him, but somehow, he did not feel safe anymore.
*** Safety Net ***
"Dad?" Ephram called softly as he stood at the foot of his father's bed. Andy stirred. "Dad?" Ephram repeated.
"Ephram?" Andy said as he sat up. "Are you feeling alright?"
"I know this sounds childish, but can I sleep here tonight? I had a awful dream that really freaked me out."
"Sure. Hop in." Andy welcomed as he pushed back the heavy blanket to make room for his son. Ephram crawled onto the king-sized bed as Andy tucked him in under the thick covers. Facing his father with wide-eyes, he watched Andy pull the covers up to his neck. "Are you ok?" Andy asked.
"Yea - I think so." Ephram answered. "Thanks."
Andy, awakened from a very rare good sleep by his son, was now worried again. Ephram never had a nightmare that spooked him so much he had to sleep with his father. Something wasn't right. But Andy was glad Ephram turned to him for comfort. Andy waited for Ephram to fall asleep before he fell asleep himself. It was a very short-lived slumber before awakened again by Ephram.
"Let go of my arm!!" Ephram mumbled in his sleep. "Let go!!"
A loud painful-sounding grunt from Ephram woke Andy instantly. Still trapped in his nightmare, Ephram thrashed in his sleep. "Ugh! My arm!!" He moaned.
"Ephram! What's the matter?" Andy bellowed and turned on the lamp on his nightstand. Andy realized Ephram was talking in his sleep.
"Wake up!! Ephram!" Andy grabbed his son's shoulder and felt his son's wet cheek brush against his hand. Disoriented, Ephram accidentally jabbed his father in the jaw with his fist. "Wake up, son. You're having a bad dream." Andy continued. Finally, Ephram opened his eyes and saw that he was holding his left arm in a tight grip.
Now, he was sure his arm, in fact, did hurt. It was too real. He sobbed and his father held him in a long embrace. "It was just a dream. It wasn't real." Andy soothed. Ephram was crying not so much because the dream scared him, but because of the jarring pain in his arm, which he did not want to reveal to his father.
"My God, you packed quite a punch there." Andy said loosening his jaw with his hand as he noticed Ephram's hysterics subsided. "Didn't know you can be so dangerous in your sleep."
Ephram's eyes told him he was sorry. "Don't worry about it. I'll be black and blue in the morning but I'll survive." Andy added. "So, you want to talk about it?"
Ephram shook his head and buried his face into his father's shirt. "Ok. Then you want to go back to sleep?" Andy guessed. His son nodded.
"It's ok. Don't be afraid. I'll annihilate any monsters that come into your dreams. They'll have to answer to me before they can harm one hair on your head." Andy declared.
Eventually feeling safe, Ephram drifted back into his slumber. Andy knew sleep was out of the question for the rest of the night. He guarded Ephram with a vengeance - making sure no more morbid dreams tormented his head. Ephram's nightmares were gone and he slept quietly until dawn, giving his father a calmer peace of mind.
* end of chapter 2 *
Andy closed his checkbook after writing the last bill of the month. He got up from the dining room table and ventured into the dark living room where the calm murmur of the television droned. A toothy grinning David Letterman spoke charismatically into the screen presenting the stupid human/pet tricks segment of the show. 'The Late Show with David Letterman' was the only television program Ephram watched religiously. It was Ephram's connection with New York. With this show, he felt like he was part of New York again. He's traveled halfway across the nation, so far away from his hometown, and the show somehow kept him rooted. He was shocked people in little crap-ville Colorado even knew who David Letterman was. Ephram, with his cheek leaning against a cushion on the couch, curled up in a comfortable slumber. Andy sat down next to him.
Andy tried to pay attention to David Letterman reading the mailbag but his mind kept drifting to something more important - his son. The flicker from the TV lit the room as Andy watched his son sleeping. Ephram was definitely a deep sleeper. His breath was very soft and steady. One would believe him to appear almost dead when he's asleep. Just the very notion of it scared Andy. Ever since the diagnosis, Andy became somewhat of a night owl - checking up on Ephram when he was sleeping to make sure he was alive. He knew it sounded cruel to even think such a thought, but he was very worried. It was a ritual for Andy without Ephram knowing.
Andy admired how child-like his son looked. Ephram's dark tousled hair gave him a boyish appearance and his long eyelashes reminded Andy so much of Julia. His pink lips parted slightly and a line of drool was finding it's way onto the paisley cushion his head rested on. Ephram's over-sized Old Navy gray sweatshirt hung over his bony shoulders and frame like a draped doll. His white crew socks were neatly tucked under blue sweatpants. Andy noticed his son's vulnerable demeanor curled up in his sleeping position. Ephram's long pianist fingers were hidden beneath the cushion. Andy loved everything about his son - the flaws as well as the perfection.
Andy observed how abnormally peaceful Ephram was dozing. He hesitated before poking his son lightly on the shoulder. His son did not budge.
"Ephram?" Andy whispered and shook Ephram's shoulder tenderly. "Hey, buddy." Andy whispered again. Ephram let out a sigh as he woke from his restful nap. He wiped the drool coming from his mouth with a hand and stretched.
"Hmmm. Dad. What'd I miss?" Ephram said sleepily rubbing his eyes.
"You've just missed your favorite show. You must've been super tired." Andy reported.
"Yeah. I've had a tough day. That CAT scan thing really gives my body a workout." He yawned.
"You'd better get to bed then." Andy advised as Ephram agreed and shuffled his way into his room.
*** The Dream ***
The massive silhouette of a man chased Ephram down dark corners of a deserted street. Ephram pounded frantically on doors and called out desperately for help but no one answered. He glanced over his shoulder and the figure loomed in the darkness. There was no time to lose. He had to keep moving. He tried to run as fast as his tired legs could carry him but his legs felt like rubber bands. His attempt to escape the shadows was in vain. The faster he ran, the closer the figure got. Fear filled his body and soul. He called out for his father. "Dad! Daddy!! Daaaad!!" he screamed in horror. But the only thing he heard was the amplified pulsating of his heartbeat echoing in the darkness. He stopped running to catch his breath. With hands on his knees, he puffed as sweat dripped from his temples to the ground. A sound of leaves rustling caught his attention and he raised his head. The shadow suddenly appeared in the distance and Ephram ran. He turned into an alley and panicked when he realized it was dead end. He tripped on his own feet and landed sprawled on his stomach. He turned around to face the dark shadow. The shadow was a mass of darkness with the shape of a man but had no human features.
"What do you want from me?!?!" Ephram hollered. The shadow gave no answer. It silently threatened Ephram. "Leave me alone!" Ephram sobbed.
The shadow reached down and yanked Ephram's arm sending a stab of pain to his upper back. And with that, Ephram woke from his dream in a cold sweat. His heart raced and goose bumps crawled his skin. The dream was so real he could've sworn he actually felt the pain lingering in his arm and back as he sat on his bed. He was still shivering from being frightened so terribly. His eyes darted across his room searching for the massive shadow but it was nowhere to be found. It was impossible to go back to sleep. His room was supposed to be the most comforting place on earth because it belonged to him, but somehow, he did not feel safe anymore.
*** Safety Net ***
"Dad?" Ephram called softly as he stood at the foot of his father's bed. Andy stirred. "Dad?" Ephram repeated.
"Ephram?" Andy said as he sat up. "Are you feeling alright?"
"I know this sounds childish, but can I sleep here tonight? I had a awful dream that really freaked me out."
"Sure. Hop in." Andy welcomed as he pushed back the heavy blanket to make room for his son. Ephram crawled onto the king-sized bed as Andy tucked him in under the thick covers. Facing his father with wide-eyes, he watched Andy pull the covers up to his neck. "Are you ok?" Andy asked.
"Yea - I think so." Ephram answered. "Thanks."
Andy, awakened from a very rare good sleep by his son, was now worried again. Ephram never had a nightmare that spooked him so much he had to sleep with his father. Something wasn't right. But Andy was glad Ephram turned to him for comfort. Andy waited for Ephram to fall asleep before he fell asleep himself. It was a very short-lived slumber before awakened again by Ephram.
"Let go of my arm!!" Ephram mumbled in his sleep. "Let go!!"
A loud painful-sounding grunt from Ephram woke Andy instantly. Still trapped in his nightmare, Ephram thrashed in his sleep. "Ugh! My arm!!" He moaned.
"Ephram! What's the matter?" Andy bellowed and turned on the lamp on his nightstand. Andy realized Ephram was talking in his sleep.
"Wake up!! Ephram!" Andy grabbed his son's shoulder and felt his son's wet cheek brush against his hand. Disoriented, Ephram accidentally jabbed his father in the jaw with his fist. "Wake up, son. You're having a bad dream." Andy continued. Finally, Ephram opened his eyes and saw that he was holding his left arm in a tight grip.
Now, he was sure his arm, in fact, did hurt. It was too real. He sobbed and his father held him in a long embrace. "It was just a dream. It wasn't real." Andy soothed. Ephram was crying not so much because the dream scared him, but because of the jarring pain in his arm, which he did not want to reveal to his father.
"My God, you packed quite a punch there." Andy said loosening his jaw with his hand as he noticed Ephram's hysterics subsided. "Didn't know you can be so dangerous in your sleep."
Ephram's eyes told him he was sorry. "Don't worry about it. I'll be black and blue in the morning but I'll survive." Andy added. "So, you want to talk about it?"
Ephram shook his head and buried his face into his father's shirt. "Ok. Then you want to go back to sleep?" Andy guessed. His son nodded.
"It's ok. Don't be afraid. I'll annihilate any monsters that come into your dreams. They'll have to answer to me before they can harm one hair on your head." Andy declared.
Eventually feeling safe, Ephram drifted back into his slumber. Andy knew sleep was out of the question for the rest of the night. He guarded Ephram with a vengeance - making sure no more morbid dreams tormented his head. Ephram's nightmares were gone and he slept quietly until dawn, giving his father a calmer peace of mind.
* end of chapter 2 *