Dream 02.13.15

Note: Well, anyone who knows me had to know I was going to do a Skilene one eventually. Happy Valentine’s!

— § —

Unable to sleep, Skipper pulled himself topside for some fresh air. He had that nightmare again, the same one he’d been having every night for a week. He hadn’t told anyone about it yet—partly because it was really disturbing him, and partly because he didn’t want anybody worrying about him.

He ran his flippers over his face and knelt kwa the pool to look at his reflection. He could tell that he was tired with the circles around his eyes. The team had seemed concerned about him the past couple days, but they didn’t say anything. Then again, they were probably waiting for a good time to ask. He’d been a little ill with them due to so little sleep.

A figure appeared inayofuata to him in the reflection and he turned around and tackled them to the ground without seeing who it was.

“Hey!” Marlene coughed as Skipper pinned her kwa the throat. “Calm down! It’s just me!”

Skipper’s eyes widened in surprise and he helped her to her feet. “I’m sorry, Marlene, but wewe know wewe shouldn’t sneak up on me like that,” he said.

“Duly noted,” Marlene mumbled rubbing her head. “What are wewe doing up?”

“Couldn’t sleep,” Skipper alisema without meeting her eye. “What about you?”

Marlene took a breath. “I couldn’t sleep either. I also had this weird dream,” she said.

Skipper arched an eyebrow. “Really?” he said. “What about?”

Marlene hesitated and looked down.

“You can tell me anything, Marlene,” Skipper alisema assuringly.

Marlene sighed and sat down at the edge of the island. Skipper sat inayofuata to her.

“I’m standing in Central Park, at night, and there’s this little girl standing a few feet away holding a teddy bear. She turns to look at me and she smiles this . . . weird creepy smile,” she alisema with her face contorting in confusion and disturbance. “Then she starts chasing me and I make a break for this tree, but the faster I run, the further away it seemed. Then she caught me, and that’s when I woke up.”

Skipper looked at her empathetically. “I know how wewe feel,” he alisema without thinking.

Marlene looked at him. “What do wewe mean? Have wewe been having weird dreams, too?” she asked.

Skipper broke eye contact and looked at the water. Marlene scooted closer to him.

“You know wewe can tell me anything, too, right?” she alisema softly.

Skipper hesitantly looked at her. Then he closed his eyes and sighed. “I’ve, um,” he started slowly, “been having his recurring nightmare for about a week and I just can’t shake it. I’m afraid it might be too—intense for you,” he alisema looking away again.

Marlene knit her brows in concern. “That bad?” she asked softly.

Skipper turned his head back to her with serious eyes and nodded slowly. Marlene looked down at his flipper and gently took it in her paw.

“When I alisema wewe could tell me anything, I meant it,” Marlene alisema earnestly. Skipper looked down at her paw and then into her eyes. She squeezed his flipper a little firmer. “Don’t let this consume you. Tell me,” she insisted.

Skipper sighed deeply and looked away. “Fine,” he said, giving in. “At first, I’m in an upper floor of some building. It’s dark. I start walking toward this closed door with a light shining under it. Just before I open it, it bursts open with huge flames engulfing the area around me. I can’t find an opening to get out. Then I see my team on the other side of the flames, also trapped. I keep screaming to them, trying to get to them, but I can’t. Then the flames reach them . . . and that’s when I wake up.” He hadn’t realized he’d tightened his grip on Marlene’s paw as he explained his dream.

“Wow,” Marlene alisema after a few moments of silence had passed. “That’s awful. wewe know it’s just a dream?”

“Of course I do,” Skipper replied, “but it still bothers me. I keep having the same dream and I don’t know why. I’m not afraid of flames. And why would my mind want to imagine my team die over and over again?”

Marlene thought for a moment. “Maybe it has nothing to do with the flames, au your team dying,” she suggested.

Skipper arched an eyebrow. “What do wewe mean?”

“Maybe it’s about your fear of losing control, that something will happen and wewe won’t be able to do anything about it.”

Skipper looked at her and considered. “That—actually makes sense.”

Marlene narrowed her eyes. “Not sure if I should be offended kwa that au not,” she alisema with a smile.

Skipper smiled back. “You shouldn’t. You’re the smartest mammal I know, Marlene.” For a moment, they maintained eye contact, but broke away as the intensity grew. “I still don’t know how I can go to sleep if I have that dream again.”

“Well, sure wewe do,” Marlene replied. “If wewe have the dream again, just stop thinking and control it. Extinguish the moto and stop being afraid.”

Skipper looked at her again. Then he smiled. “I think I will. Thanks, Marlene.”

Marlene smiled back. “No problem.”

Skipper frowned. “What about your dream?”

Marlene shrugged. “Ah, it’s nothing. It’s probably just something to do with my phobia of humans picking me up,” she answered with a laugh.

Skipper looked down at her paw gripping his flipper and vice-versa. Then he looked back into her eyes. “Why don’t wewe stay with me for tonight?” he suggested softly.

Marlene looked surprised. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Skipper answered, “we could be here for each other if we have a bad dream again.”

Marlene smiled. “Okay,” she agreed.

Skipper scooted closer and wrapped his flipper around Marlene’s waist and she rested her head on his chest, and he, her head.

“Good night, Skipper,” Marlene said.

“Good night, Marlene,” Skipper replied.

The two closed their eyes and didn’t wake up until morning, their nightmares defeated.