Dear Pup

Chapter 6

"I saw you fell asleep in there," he remarked. Oh, I'm probably not a pretty sleeper. This is awkward.

"Yeah, I had a weird dream. It probably got me a little skittish," I said.

"Did you? Was I in it?" He asked, a sly look on his face.

"Um, no," I lied, "it was just one of those Oscar winning dreams, you know." He nodded with a closed mouth grin on his face.

"Well, good night," he said calmly. He looked at me one more time and then started walking down the street aimlessly, hands in his pockets and a backpack on his back. This wasn't a good part of town to be alone like that.

"Hey!" I yelled. He turned around and looked at me. "You have somewhere to stay tonight?" He looked up and thought about it for a few seconds.

"Well, I was gonna just try to crash at one of my friends' house," he replied and started walking again. I backed out of the drive way in my trashed, old car and drove next to him.

"Come on," I said, "You can crash at my house tonight."

"Oh, I wouldn't wanna freak out your motha' or nothin'," he said nervously, "I don't think your parents would be cool with it."

"Well, it's just my mom you'd have to worry about. And she won't have a problem with helping someone out for a night," I stated while opening the passenger door. He stood there and thought about it for a second. I looked at him with wide, puppy eyes. He put on a defeat grin and drooped his head as he squeezed into the small car. I'm guessing he didn't realize I lived in the neighborhood, because when we pulled into my driveway a few blocks down from his, he looked confused.

"This is it?" He asked.

"Yup," I said, pulling the keys out of the car. I led him to the door and opened it. All the lights were off and it was dead silent. My house was just as small as his, but it had a second story, AKA the attic, AKA my room. I'd decided as soon as we got here, I wanted a room on the second floor. The attic was pretty small and rugged but it worked for me. We installed a small bathroom with a shower and it worked itself out. Julian looked around the house curiously as I turned the lights on.

"It's nice," he said. I shrugged.

"Yeah, so is the dump downtown," I stated. He chuckled and sat down on the couch. I got some pillows and blankets from the closet and came back. I started laying them down on the couch.

"Hey, I got it," he said, "You go to sleep."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure," he said, looking me straight in the eye. He gave me a quick peck on the cheek and began laying down the blankets.

"Hey, if you need anything," I started. I guess he could figure out the rest.

"Good night," he said for the second time tonight. He put on a small smile as I walked up the stairs. I got ready quickly and jumped into bed, instantly scared of going to sleep. I didn't want that dream to come back. But of course, as soon as I drifted away, the dream continued. This time it was scarier than the first time. I could feel my body, but I still couldn't see it. I saw myself in a cage sitting on a chair, head down. I walked to the cage and held onto one of the bars. I flattened my face against it, trying to get a better look.

The me in the cage was still looking down, but I could hear whimpering. She was tied to the chair. A man was standing behind her with a metal box. Wires from the box were connecting to the me in the chair. The man was wearing a black robe that covered him completely. He was speaking in a weird language that I didn't recognize. All of the sudden, he flipped a switch on the box. The pain that subsided over me was critical. I fell to the ground and felt myself spazzing and sputtering. It was an electrical current raging though my body. I could barely see myself in the chair, sitting calmly as if it didn't affect her. I couldn't stand up with the pain. My limbs were jerking in every which direction. Then it stopped. The single light in the cage turned off and total darkness took over. I felt myself breathing heavily, still on the ground. I was practically unable to move, my face smushed against cold concrete. A light appeared above. I slowly moved to look at it. It was the man. His black robes ceased to cover his mask. It was flesh colored with a man's face. It had no eyes, just empty sockets. It had no nose or mouth, just those sockets and a shiny, plastic cover. I screamed for my life as blood began seeping from the edges and dripped onto my face. My screams drowned out as I woke up. I heard feet on the stairs and looked over to them. Julian came up, no shirt, just his basketball shorts.

"You okay?" He said, a concerned look on his face. I shook my head and let tears fall from my eyes. He sat down on my bed and held me, rocking me back and forth.

"You're okay," he said soothingly, "You're okay." I held onto him tight, not wanting to let go.

"Did anyone hear me?" I asked weakly, holding back any other tears.

"No, I guess not," he replied, still holding me.

"Can you stay here?" I said while looking up at his smooth-shaven chin. He looked down into my eyes.

"Of, course," he said, setting himself under the covers with me. He put his arm over my back and I rested my head on his chest. I could feel his breathing, soft and warm. It was probably torture for him to be in bed with a girl and not banging her, but he seemed very restful and calm. I let myself slip away slowly to the beat of his chest. I spent the rest of the night without a single dream.