(no subject)
Author: Shadowstar
Story: one shot
Challenge: Plantain 30 (one cannot stop sleeping in fear of bad dreams), Fudge Ripple 3 (exhaustion)
Rating: PG
Word Count: 276
Notes: Random one shot that may or may not lead to something more. Just sprang into existence when I read the plantain prompt.
He lay staring up at the ceiling, fighting to keep his eyes open. It was a battle he knew he’d eventually lose, everyone had to sleep at some point and he was reaching the point where he’d sleep no matter how hard he tried not to. And then the dreams would come. The pain, the terror, the hurt of betrayal. He’d live it all over and over again until he woke screaming. And the worst of it was, he could tell nobody about it. There was nobody to tell. A memory tried to rise to the surface, one of gentle hands touching him and a soft voice telling him it would all be okay, but he forced it down. It was no good thinking about that, it was all wrapped up in the nightmares, somehow a part of them and yet separate at the same time. No! He wasn’t going to think about it.
He sat up and began to pace around the room. His head ached, his eyes felt like they were full of grit and every little movement took more effort than it should have but at least moving might keep him awake longer.
He wasn’t sure what time he’d finally collapsed in sheer exhaustion but he woke lying across the bed, his cheeks wet with tears and his throat raw from the screams that had woken him. He curled into a ball on his side and lay there trying to catch his breath. The clock on his bedside table said it was half past five in the morning. Dragging himself off the bed he staggered into the bathroom and turned on the shower.
Story: one shot
Challenge: Plantain 30 (one cannot stop sleeping in fear of bad dreams), Fudge Ripple 3 (exhaustion)
Rating: PG
Word Count: 276
Notes: Random one shot that may or may not lead to something more. Just sprang into existence when I read the plantain prompt.
He lay staring up at the ceiling, fighting to keep his eyes open. It was a battle he knew he’d eventually lose, everyone had to sleep at some point and he was reaching the point where he’d sleep no matter how hard he tried not to. And then the dreams would come. The pain, the terror, the hurt of betrayal. He’d live it all over and over again until he woke screaming. And the worst of it was, he could tell nobody about it. There was nobody to tell. A memory tried to rise to the surface, one of gentle hands touching him and a soft voice telling him it would all be okay, but he forced it down. It was no good thinking about that, it was all wrapped up in the nightmares, somehow a part of them and yet separate at the same time. No! He wasn’t going to think about it.
He sat up and began to pace around the room. His head ached, his eyes felt like they were full of grit and every little movement took more effort than it should have but at least moving might keep him awake longer.
He wasn’t sure what time he’d finally collapsed in sheer exhaustion but he woke lying across the bed, his cheeks wet with tears and his throat raw from the screams that had woken him. He curled into a ball on his side and lay there trying to catch his breath. The clock on his bedside table said it was half past five in the morning. Dragging himself off the bed he staggered into the bathroom and turned on the shower.