"N E W R"

"SLEEPLESS NIGHT"

Byron

I have a habit of sleeping always, anywhere and anytime, but this time is different; I can't sleep this night.

Nighttime came when something bothers me. When I scurried to the Bed and Bath Department, still, something is still bugging me; like some kind of reminder given to me? Even as I lied down on the end part of the king- sized bed, with Feffer, beside me, and the Allgoods, who are above me and Feffer, it still kept on disturbing my sleep than children snoring across the department.

I have this kind of habit that I can't sleep or rest without a problem solved. Right now, I have the sleepless night because of this stupid thing that keeps on running around my head! "C'mon Byron, it might not be something important…" I say to myself "…or is it?"

I roll to my right "It might be some reminder given before that I'd accomplished already." I roll to my left "I just need to think about this tomorrow. I have all the time needed to think about it." Resolving my conflict, I stretch my jaw as I make a heavy yawn, stretch my paws upward and downward and slowly shut my eyes.

Minutes after, I'm still wide awake.I close my eyes again for the next few minutes, but still, nothing happened. My eyes are like the owl's eyes of the night.

"Ugh!" I force to roll my body, on the soft bed "Why can't I sleep?!" It's not about the reminder that's bothering me a while ago. There is again, something bothering me.

"Maybe, it's nothing." I close my eyes. "I just needed a little relax from all the stress I'd gone through." I take a slow deep breath, close my eyes and relax on the comfy bed. As I try to sleep my mind a mantra keeps on calling on my head.

'The N.O killed your parents, Byron!"

It keeps on repeating in my head. Even if I want it to stop it, I really can't. The mantra keeps on getting louder and louder and louder when I jerk my body forward. I make heavy sighs as perspiration starts to dwell on my cheeks.

"The N.O killed my parents?" I ask myself "It can't be. It just can't be." I doubt myself. "Matilda, Eliza and Benjamin Allgood kept on saying the same thing. How and why did they know this kind of information?"

"Impossible. The magicians only took away my parent's life!" I say to myself again and again.

"Mmmmph…" Wisty rolls her body facing Whit's back.

"What does Wisty look like when she sleeps?" I curiously ask myself. Looking your crush's cute face while she is sleeping is a great opportunity (hehehe). I tip toe through the space between Whit and Wisty. As I gaze Wisty's face this near, my face blushes and turns to red as tomato. My heart starts to beat faster than my usual. I bend down to see her cute face as I curl and move her red dreadlocks to her side, because it was covering her face. I make a slight smile and quiet chuckle. Looking her, this close, makes me want to kiss her!

"Wisty," I say to her in my mind, like I'm really saying it to her! " if you could just hear me now, I just want to say I'm sorry. Every time I see you sad and tortured because of me, I too also feel the same way. I hope you could forgive me someday. In case you didn't know, I lik-"

"Brrrrrr…." She shivers from the cold surrounding. I pull her blanket up to her shoulders and her folded lips turn to a slight smile.

"What am I doing here on this king-sized bed?" I ask myself. "These children who were affected by the New Order slept on sleeping bags, sofas, couches and some slept on the cold ground." I jump down out of the bed. "It's very unworthy for an enemy like me to sleep on a bed-"

Suddenly, green dusts swirls around my body. I grow taller in height and my arms and legs starts to grow as well. My body turns into human skin and paws becomes human hands until I'm back turning to human again.

One thing that's changed in me is the navy blue jacket that I'm wearing, a scarf around wrapping around my neck and yellow pants that are loose and long until reaches to the shoelace knots of the black and white rubber shoes. "This isn't the clothes I worn when I was in…"

Then I stop moving because something snaps in my head; I know remember the reminder given to me "…Shadowland."

"You're a boy?"

I make a sudden movement to wear the voice came from. It was a child lying down on the floor. To his surprise, he has his big eyes on me and a mouth slight open.

"Sssshhh…" I hush to him. "It's a secret. Don't tell anyone."

"Sssshhh…" he repeats and nods slowly.

"You want to sleep here?" I ask him showing my place on the bed.

He nods slowly again, he stands up and lies down beside Feffer. "Thank you, Mr. Weasel." He yawns.

I make a slight smile and rustle his head until he falls asleep, smiling. I walk through the gutter of children and I make it out without making a single sound.

A green ball shoots out of my 'S' pendant to my hand. The green ball turns to a long staff that Salvatore gave me. Now I know what the reminder is telling me about. I look at the big clock hanging on the wall.

"It's one o' clock am." I say to myself.