Dream a Little Dream of Me

Chapter 2

Rain wakes and stretches, marveling on how good it feels not to have to sleep in that cramped little bottle. Sure there had been just enough room to stretch out and Stop had been kind enough to provide him with a mat to sleep on that had been magicked down to the correct size. Rain shudders at the thought of the bottle, he hopes he never has to go back there again.

Rain looks tenderly at his new master. So handsome and kind, Rain thinks he might have gotten completely lucky. Or maybe that’s the reason P’Phayu had been able to open the bottle. P’Phayu was meant to be his. Now how does Rain convince him of that?

Rain remembers how his cousin Dawn, a free spirited young Djinn, had talked about winning over her stoic and serious husband Midnight. She laughingly said that midnight had fallen first for her cooking then for her.

Rain slips out of bed with a grin, that’s it. He will make P’Phayu breakfast. Cooking can’t be that hard.

Phayu wakes up to a cold and empty bed. Had it all been a dream then? It is a little insane to be real. A cute boy who had appeared out of a bottle and his friend Pai and junior Sky being two thousand year old magical creatures. No it had to have been a dream.

He picks up his phone and sees a text from his brother Saifah saying he is staying with his girlfriend for the weekend and that P'Pakin had put out the schedule for the next race.

The text ended with, “Did you find your package?”

Phayu frowns at this last bit. So that much hadn't been part of his dream. He shakes his head, even if he had really gotten a package yesterday that didn't mean everything that happened afterwards wasn't a dream.

He grabs his clothes and goes to take a shower.

Today is Saturday and normally he would spend the time at the garage, but he had some customer plans he needs to draft up before Monday. Today he will just stay home and knock those out.

Maybe tonight he can call Pai and see if he's free to go out to a club. Sometimes he will if Sky is busy with school work. They can have a couple drinks and Phayu will tell him about his crazy dream. They can laugh about it together.

Phayu might even see if he can bring someone home. It's been a while. For a moment he is sorry Rain wasn't real.

He pauses at the top of the stairs when he hears a strange noise coming from the ground floor. Had Saifah come back early? It doesn't sound like Saifah though, it sounds like someone is crying.

Phayu freezes at the bottom of the stairs. The sight in front of him proves that yesterday wasn’t a dream but now he almost wishes it was. What he sees should only be a nightmare. His normally pristine kitchen looks like a bomb went off. Every surface seems to be covered with food and flour. Raw eggs are dripping from the counter to the floor. There is a bottle of milk turned on its side on the floor. A river of milk is making its way around the counter to the dining room.

In the center of all the chaos Rain is sitting on the floor sobbing and clutching his hand to his chest.

Phayu moves quickly and narrowly avoids slipping on a pile of spinach and falling on his butt by grabbing onto the counter.

“Rain, are you hurt?” he asks. Can genies be hurt? Apparently they can because Rain holds up his hand and sadly shows him a nasty burn. Phayu coos in sympathy and helps Rain to his feet. He takes him over to the sink where he runs cold water over the burn. Rain hisses in pain.

“I’m sorry,” Phayu says, “It will make it feel better. I promise. I will get some cream to put on it in a minute.”

After he takes Rain upstairs and treats his burn. He takes in the boy’s appearance. He is basically covered head to toe in flour and other food products.