One Long Night

Kai

I don't know if I was more worried about Aerrow staying over or being alone in a house with a young man… without my father around.

I could handle myself, sure. That wasn't the issue. It was the fact that a teenage boy with hormones was in the living room and my room lacked a locking door.

I sat in my pajama shorts and tank top, my lap draped in blankets, staring at my door as it sat there, cracked open.

No audible sounds could be heard from the living room, as expected. I had been awake for several hours since Aerrow and I said goodnight and laid down. Having tossed and turned in worry for the first hour, sitting on the bathroom counter for the next hour, I hid myself partially under the covers and waited up to see if anything interesting happened.

Ten minutes passed with no activity. Now, boredom began to set in alongside worry. I yawned quietly, standing up. I cringed as my bedsprings squeaked. "Please don't wake up…"

Tip-toeing to the kitchen, this required passing the couch. Seeing the table lamp was still on, I assumed he liked a night light. I sighed, leaning to the side to catch a glimpse of his bright red hair.

I scrambled to the couch when more evidence of his disappearance showed up. Aerrow wasn't here. Maybe he was in the kitchen? The bathroom wasn't an option as I had been in there myself and the light wasn't on. Rushing into the kitchen, the boy wasn't there either.

Nor was his Skimmer in the garage.

Unsure of why I was so frantic to find him when he could come and go as he pleased, I sat down on the couch to catch my breath.

That's when I heard a slight thump, followed by a few quietly spoken profanities.

My gaze shot toward the back door. "My garden!" I stumbled off of the couch and grabbed an energy blade on the way to the back door, threw it open, and leaped onto the intruder. "Don't think you can wreck my hard-earned fruit! I spent hundreds of hours on making this tree produce perfect plums!" I held the blade to his neck and charged up the crystal.

"Kai! Kai, damn it, it's me!" Aerrow gripped my knees tightly and prevented me from jumping off. "It's me…"

Removing the weapon from his neck, I used the glow to see his face. "Aerrow? What are you doing out here?"

Letting me down to the ground, he turned around. "I… I can't sleep. So I came outside and saw your garden."

"You didn't wreck anything, did you?" I asked, brushing the hair from my eyes.

He shook his head. "No… Look, Kai, I have to talk to you." Pausing, he changed his mind. "No, I have to sleep." Obviously forcing his eyes from my appearance, Aerrow pushed his way past me and walked back into the house. Following him cautiously, I asked if anything was wrong.

"I'm exhausted… I've been in the skies for six months without seeing land for more than a day. I'm stuck on a ship with four people and a… a creature that I don't entirely know what he is. I can't escape from them!" He sat down in a huff, his hands vigorously running through his hair. "I have only a few days to escape… and I can't even sleep. This is just life's way of repaying me for everything I've done…"

"Insomnia?" I asked, walking over to the couch. I contemplated sitting next to him, though I was unsure if that was appropriate.

He shook his head. "Stress…"

"When are you guys leaving?"

Rolling his head in his hands, he looked over toward me, his eyes glassy. "In the morning…"

How long had they been here? Yesterday, today, and then tomorrow morning? I thought he said he'd be here longer…

He sighed. "I just need sleep. Do you have any sedatives?"

I nodded. "I'm… sorry for making you stay here. I'm sure you would've gotten better sleep elsewhere."

He shook his head. "Last night, I had Radarr sleeping on my face and Finn snoring in the room next to me. This is heaven."

I can't imagine the kind of sleep he gets there if he can't get sleep in a peaceful environment… "I'll get you some sleeping pills. Look, if the couch is uncomfortable, you can take my dad's bed, or even mine. I don't mind sleeping elsewhere."

"No, no… this is fine."

I hurried to find him some sleeping aids and asked if he needed anything else before going back to bed.

He sighed and said no.

I said goodnight and shut my bedroom door behind me.

Sitting under the covers, I wondered what kind of life being a Sky Knight must entail.