Good Night, Sweet Dreams
Everyone was in their own rooms for the night sleeping, except for Sophie who was tucking The Witch of the Waste into her bed. "There we are. Now you get some sleep now all right?" Sophie said with a smile and went to leave the room.
"Wait." The Witch said, grabbing Sophie's wrist. "Couldn't you stay just a bit?" She asked with pleading eyes.
"All right." Sophie nodded in agreement and pulled a chair up next to the bed and sat in it.
Hin the dog made his way into the room and settled at the foot of the Witch's bed. "Good doggie," she smiled and closed her eyes.
Silence reigned throughout the castle for quite a while until the creaking noise of someone on the old wooden stair was heard. "Sophieeeee…." Howl's whispered voice called. "Sooooophie…."
"Shh, Howl, I'm right here," Sophie said as she walked to the door of the bedroom. "What's the matter? You should be asleep."
"But Sophie, I can't sleep well until you're there with me," he complained as he walked over to her and kissed her cheek.
Sophie sighed and took Howl's hands. "All right, but we'll need to wait here a bit."
"Okay." Howl agreed with a smile and pulled another chair up to the bed next to Sophie's. They both promptly took their seats.
Not long after a wailing noise could be heard from Markl's room. Soon Markl himself came running out of his room and down the stairs. "Sophie? Sophie?" he cried.
"Markl, Markl what's wrong?" Sophie gasped and ran out to him with Howl following. She fell to her knees and Markl ran into her embrace.
"I…I…I had a bad dream," he cried into her sleeve.
"Shh…it's okay," Sophie's soothing voice told him as she picked him up and carried him into the other room. He relaxed in Sophie's arms as they all settled back into their chairs.
"Hey! Hey!" Calcifur cried as he floated into the room. "What's everyone doing in here?" he asked and settled on Howl's shoulder.
"Calcifur, be quiet, their almost asleep," Sophie said pointing out the Witch and Markl.
"Ah," he said and stood silent.
Markl and the Witch quickly feel into the land of slumber as Sophie's eyes were dropping shut. Calcifur didn't seem to far away from sleep either as he rested on Howl's shoulder.
"You should sleep too," Howl said as he wrapped his arm around Sophie's shoulders.
"Yes…but I need to get Markl back to his…." she yawned, "room…"
"Shh, it's all right, just go to sleep," he said.
"All right Howl," Sophie said sleepily as her head fell against Howl's free shoulder. "Good night."
"Good night, sweet dreams," Howl smiled and rest his head against hers.
Sophie awoke sometime the next morning not know where she was. 'Oh, that's right, we all fell asleep together in here,' she thought. She scanned the room. Everyone was still asleep. The Witch and Hin on the bed, Markl in her arms, Calcifur on Howl's shoulder and Howl next to her. She smiled contently. She loved her new family.