Prompt 005: It was a dark and stormy night.
Sometimes, in the Nexus, it rained.
Mr. Sleep sat by a window and absently carved spirals into the wall with his knife. It was pouring outside, which annoyed him. The rain was like a poison to his kind. Every so often, lightning illuminated the dark, abandoned neighborhood that he and the others called home. (Sometimes he thought he could see a giant hand throwing the lightning bolts, but he had learned not to find such things unusual here.)
He could sense Charlotte entering the room even before he could hear her footsteps. "Good evening, Mr. Sleep." He looked over at her curiously, and she shrugged. "I do not need to sleep anymore this evening."
She joined him by the window and for a while, they watched the rain together. Mr. Sleep normally enjoyed their time together, the way her thoughts flowed with his, guiding them along, but tonight, her mind was unsettled. Something was bothering his leader. "Are you all right?" he asked her, his voice a soft whisper.
She looked at him, a little surprised. "I am. I am just... thinking." Several minutes passed before she broke the silence. "Mr. Sleep. How do you feel about dinosaurs?"
Mr. Sleep knew what dinosaurs were, because Charlotte knew, but he had never given them much thought. He looked at her blankly, then held up his knife. Did he want her to kill one? He would probably get crushed if he tried.
She sighed. "Never mind. I think I will look for the Doctor and make sure he is resting. Good night, Mr. Sleep."
Charlotte left the room, and the little Stranger stared out the window. Was that some sort of test, and he had failed? What sort of answer did she want from him?
Human emotions were still very foreign to his alien mind, but he felt a new one inside of him. He felt inadequate.
It didn't feel good at all.
Mr. Sleep sat by a window and absently carved spirals into the wall with his knife. It was pouring outside, which annoyed him. The rain was like a poison to his kind. Every so often, lightning illuminated the dark, abandoned neighborhood that he and the others called home. (Sometimes he thought he could see a giant hand throwing the lightning bolts, but he had learned not to find such things unusual here.)
He could sense Charlotte entering the room even before he could hear her footsteps. "Good evening, Mr. Sleep." He looked over at her curiously, and she shrugged. "I do not need to sleep anymore this evening."
She joined him by the window and for a while, they watched the rain together. Mr. Sleep normally enjoyed their time together, the way her thoughts flowed with his, guiding them along, but tonight, her mind was unsettled. Something was bothering his leader. "Are you all right?" he asked her, his voice a soft whisper.
She looked at him, a little surprised. "I am. I am just... thinking." Several minutes passed before she broke the silence. "Mr. Sleep. How do you feel about dinosaurs?"
Mr. Sleep knew what dinosaurs were, because Charlotte knew, but he had never given them much thought. He looked at her blankly, then held up his knife. Did he want her to kill one? He would probably get crushed if he tried.
She sighed. "Never mind. I think I will look for the Doctor and make sure he is resting. Good night, Mr. Sleep."
Charlotte left the room, and the little Stranger stared out the window. Was that some sort of test, and he had failed? What sort of answer did she want from him?
Human emotions were still very foreign to his alien mind, but he felt a new one inside of him. He felt inadequate.
It didn't feel good at all.