Passports and Keyholes

The Birthday Wish

Flipping over to her other side, she turned her back to him, just wanting a full night of rest; the perfect ending to a perfect birthday.

Sleep left as quickly as it came. Gina's eyes shot open and focused on the clock across from her, the neon glow telling her it was midnight. There was a shuffling behind her.

Her heart began to pound in her chest. She didn't dare move or make a peep. Her imagination went wild. It was either the Blair Witch or an intruder looking for money. She wasn't sure which one was worse, and she didn't have any money to steal so either outcome left her dead. She swallowed hard, sure that the gulp had been heard by the intruder.

Her rational mind came to play, finally, focusing on the empty bottle of wine on the nightstand; a weapon. Slowly but eagerly, she reached her hand out, then all at once shot up in bed, grabbing the bottle by the neck and whipped around, attempting to knock anyone out if they had been close enough to make contact with.

She yelped at the dark figure in front of her and it stilled... or it had always been still? She gasped, feeling ridiculously silly at the moment. But she could have sworn she heard something moving... she knew she didn't make that up. There had been rustling, like someone was sorting through the clothes hanging in the closet.

Every shadow mocked her and she'd had enough. She turned on the lamp next to her bed, adjusting the bottle of wine, tightening her grip on the neck like she was holding a baseball bat.

Her chest rose and fell quickly, her heart trying to escape.

The closet door was closed. She remembered she had closed it after throwing a sheet over Bucky.

Crawling onto her knees, she lowered her head over the side of her bed, and peered underneath. Nothing.

Out of her peripheral, she saw something move and she quickly righted herself, ready to swing the wine bottle at anyone who launched at her.

The white sheet covering Bucky slipped off of the cardboard cutout, cascading down to his feet. Gina's eyes shot to his. They stared at each other, Gina refusing to blink, still unsure of what was going on.

And then Bucky blinked. A small smirk pulled up the corner of his mouth.

Gina screamed and jumped off the bed. She staggered backwards toward the bedroom door, her free hand feeling for the door knob.

"St-stay back!" She warned him.

Bucky's form had changed. He wasn't even cardboard anymore. He was, well, real? Was it possible? Gina blinked hard, shaking her head. She had to be dreaming.

Bucky lifted his arms, looking at them, stretching his fingers. The metal arm groaned slightly with the movement.

"Where am I?" He asked, looking around Gina's room before locking eyes with hers.

He spoke. He actually fucking spoke. Gina had heard that some people could control their dreams and she wondered if perhaps she had suddenly gained the ability. She was convinced she was dreaming, but even so, it still felt so real. She clutched her chest, her heart still pounding so heavily, she could hear her blood streaming through her veins.

Bucky furrowed his brow, waiting for a reply.

"Um," she swallowed hard, setting the bottle down next to the TV. "Chicago?"

"Chicago? You don't say?" He scrunched his nose and ran his fingers through his hair, thinking. "How'd I end up here?"

Did it matter that none of this made any sense? If this was a dream, she was going to make the best of it. This was the perfect ending to a perfect birthday.