FABLES IN REVERSE

The Insomniac King

In our first short story a restless king sits up in his bedroom, waiting to go to sleep. If that day will ever come. Until then, the king imagines his deceased wife and friend to pass the time...

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King Tamlen sits up on his bed, stares over at the clock, and waits.

"29... 30... 31..."

Every second, every minute, every hour, he's been counting the time since dawn.

"33... 34... 35 minutes."

He continues on. Counting hasn't helped him fall asleep so far, so why would he continue? The answer to that: It just helps him pass the time a bit. But when that doesn't work, his mind would drift off; he'd begin to imagine his dead wife Irene, an angel, and his old friend Ashoka, a demon. For what reason? Well that's something he could only answer.
He'd talk to them and they'd talk back, or well... more like imagine them talk back, after all they weren't real, yet the king believed they were.

" 8 O'clock."
He read the time aloud.
Perfect time; another night to imagine being with the ones he lost.

He begins.

A demon to the left, angle to the right, and an imaginative king sandwiched in the
middle.

"Stupendous timing." Says the king to the angel. "I was afraid that you wouldn't have shown up."
He jokes, knowing that there is no way for them to be late if he imagines them at a certain time.
"And you Ashoka?" He turns to his left, facing the demon, "Do you still wish to take my soul?"

He imagines their responses.

"Of course not. Why would I ever want to do that?" Ashoka smiles at Tamlen with a seductive expression, sweeping her white-streaked, green hair out of her face.

" Focus on me, not her. I love you so much." Irene turns Tamlen's head towards her. She pulls him against her and away from Ashoka.

They acted much like if they were real, and could hear him, he replies.

"It was just that last time you said you would. I suppose you were only joking then." King Tamlen chuckled.
"Now I would love to chat with the two of you a lot more, really I do. But I must count on to 9 O'clock."

"10... 11... 12 minutes."

"At least let me keep you company..." Ashoka leans over and lays her head in his lap.

"Or...I could and you can leave." Irene says while trying to push Ashoka's head off his lap.

Ashoka growls.

"You may, but I must continue to count."
He starts off again, this time from 13 minutes.

"13... 14... 15...16 minutes... I must count on til it is the time."

"Time for what?" Ashoka asks, now sitting on the floor and looking up at Tamlen.

"What's going to happen?" Irene asks and puts her head against Tamlen's chest.

"I forgot. You haven't stuck around long enough before. So you'll see for yourselves."

Time passes on and the three of them sit and wait.

"59...60."

9 O'clock

A young man barges in the king's bedroom, lays on the king's bed, and goes to sleep.

The king shoots up and stands facing the boy.
"This is the reason why we waited." The King explains, "Every night at this exact hour, this boy dares to enter into my room and sleep on my bed!"
The king sounded irritated. "He chooses to ignore my presence and lie there. I know he can hear me! How defiant!"

The king takes a deep breath before speaking again.
"No matter what I say, he just ignores me. And when I call out to my guards, they either don't listen, don't hear me, or don't care. And I can't sleep when there is a stranger in my bed!"

The boy turns over on his side; the king becomes enraged.

"Just look at him! Enjoying his rest! Proud that he has stolen it from the one who truly needs it!"
"The only thing that can get his attention is this..." The King then gets up on the bed, shakes the boy, and shouts in his ear 'til he awakes.

"My God!" Screams the boy before he falls of the side of the bed. "Ocara! Help! Come quick!"

Seconds later an old maid enters into the room.

"What is it yo'r Highness?" Says the maid.

"The boy is in my bed!" Yells the king. "Again!"

"I've been woken suddenly." Cries the boy.

"Again?" The maid talks to the boy, but ignores the king.

"Hello!? Yes, again!" The king notices that he is being ignored.

The maid continues talking to the boy. "I'm sure it was nothing to worry." She pulls the boy back to his bed. "You are just very tired because you are ill. And the room being so cold doesn't help. Just stay under the blankets and go to sleep yo'r Highness."

"Alright.." The boy shrugs then does as she says.

"No!" The king says right before the maid exits.

The maid stops and looks around the room.

"I order you to remove this boy from my bed at once!"

The maid looks into the direction of the king. She freezes, her eyes widening, and before the king could speak again, the maid slams the door and scurries off.

"Damn you maid! Damn you boy!" He screams before turning to his demon and angel.
"You see! They always do that! They ignore me! It's because of them that I can't go to sleep!"

Ashoka lift her head as she watches the king. "Tamlen..." She gets up and hovers in the air, slowly moving her hands down his shoulders and chest, hugging him. "Don't be mad. There is a reason why you can't sleep," she tells Tamlen. "If you were to know the truth it would hurt you." She hugs him tighter, not wanting to let go. "We're not figments of your imagination. I'm actually your dead friend, and Irene, your dead wife. We stayed with you because we felt bad for you... you are dead. A ghost... a spirit who cannot pass beyond the human realm." Ashoka fights back the tears that came with every word she says as she starts whispering in his ear. "The boy that comes and sleeps in here every night... that's the person that killed you. He's your son. And it's all Irene's fault."