Page 25 of Rue

Mig nudged her and motioned to the soup. She ate another bite, then sighed sleepily and looked around again. She hadn’t slept over a day and a half since her nap the morning before. Her body was no longer clenching and heaving, and she was so tired!

“Eat, Rue,” Geo called from right next to her.

Sailor blinked at him, ate another bite, and stared at the bowl momentarily. Setting it aside, she yawned and laid her head down, pulling the blanket up as she closed her eyes. She just needed a minute or two… that was all.

A hand woke her, and she jerked slightly, winced at the dim light from the far hall. The room was dark otherwise, but her head hurt so badly!

“Just get ‘r up enough, I can get her after I get up!” Geo huffed angrily, helping to lift her head off his lap.

She’d fallen asleep on Geo?

No, he had to have moved her after.

Mig held her in a sitting position as Geo got up, then turned and picked her up.

“I can walk,” she mumbled, then breathed him in.

She knew that smell.

That cologne, or aftershave, or whatever it was.

She smelled it every night in her nightmares. It clung to her.

Sailor whimpered and squirmed, but strong arms locked around her, holding her still.

The arms eased, and she was laid on her bed, blankets tucked around her. The smell left, and Sailor relaxed. Exhaustion took over again.

The nightmare came, playing out from start to finish. She was on the stairs, vomiting again, when she woke with a scream, sitting bold upright in bed.

“NO!” she cried, though she wasn’t sure what she was saying no to.

Jumping up, she paced. She was still so tired she could hardly stand it, but it was better than the nightmare.

Anything was better than the nightmare.

Chapter 14

An hour later, the door opened, and Geo came in, looking perturbed. “You need to sleep, Rue! You fuckin’ with my kid in there, and now you fuckin’ with my sleep, too! Lay down!”

“I can’t!” she cried, terrified. “The nightmares! Please!”

“Lay down, Rue!” he yelled, coming closer.

Sailor cried out in despair, going to the bed to curl up rigidly on the far side.

The bed moved, and she whimpered, then looked over her shoulder as a blue light lit up the room.

He was on his back next to her, his phone on as he scrolled.

“Go to sleep,” he commanded, not looking at her.

Sailor turned back over, but she was shaking now. The nightmare was here, next to her in bed. She had to get away!

The light went out just as soft music started—classical music, instrumental.

It threw her, seeming so at odds with who he was.

“They say they can hear that shit,” he spoke softly, suddenly, making her jerk. “Make’s ‘m smarter.”

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