Night Terrors

Posted on Mon Dec 11th, 2023 @ 1:00am by Lieutenant JG Toareth Rouen (née Darqa) & Gabrielle Rouen
Edited on on Mon Dec 11th, 2023 @ 1:00am

537 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Prelude: Getting Ready to Depart
Location: Toareth's Quarters
Timeline: Night Prior to "Do Unicorns Like Pancakes?"

Toareth was back at her station, working frantically to find a solution. The others on the project were working similarly. Few words were shared, only results, findings relief from progress and sorrow from further failure and setbacks.

Toareth did not let setbacks deter her much. Decades of hostility and anguish and companionship with her closest companion, loneliness affected her very little these days. And it was a tall order to find a setback greater than the loss of her homeworld. With a war raging on, she was hard pressed to not let anything slow her down.

Test after test, failure after failure, result after result, she continued on with her work without ceasing.

Surprisingly, though, something grabbed her from behind and held her fast. If felt as though someone wrapped their arms around her, and their arms were the size of blankets maybe. Whatever it was, whomever it was, they squeezed hard as though attempting to force the air from her lungs, blood from her ears and nose, life from her very being.

Toareth tried to fight back, wanted to fight back, but found her limbs not responding to her will. She breathed as best as she could, but that breathing was still heavily labored.

The blanket-like arms moved upward to envelope her face and head. It encroached upon her neck and flowed up to engulf her chin. They more flowed than encroached. The form of the arms seemingly changed a time or two, but Toareth was too busy attempting to breath to notice. Toareth jerked, tried to breathe and did her best to call out for help. She jerked this way and that out of desperation.

Suddenly a wash of relief came over her. The blanket-like arms released their hold but did not go away. The world shook a time or two before Toareth flashed open her eyes. Though there was relief, the sense that someone or something had just attempted to strangle her was still there and she sat up with a gasp.

“Mama,” said Gabrielle at her side.

Toareth looked down at her daughter. “Gabby?”

“Mama, are you allwight?”

Toareth scooped Gabby up and held her. “Yes. I am fine. Well, much better now.”

“You were dweaming?”

“Yes.”

“You were saying something.”

“Well,” Toareth searched on how to explain. “You know how you sometimes wake up in the night calling for me?” Gabby was nodding. “Well those are called night terrors. Your imagination runs wild and sometimes you dream something scary.”

“But I have you to run them away,” Gabby said.

“Yes, you do have me.”

“Who do you have Mama?”

“Well,” Toareth bounced Gabby on her leg a time or two. “Well, I have you. I was dreaming and you ran them away.”

“Gabwielwe bwave!” she said.

“Yes, my little one. You are very brave. You saved Mama. All is well now. How about you go back to sleep?”

“OK Mama.” Gabby hopped down. “The night tewwows won’t come back?”

“No,” Toareth shook her head. “You scared them off for the rest of the night.”

As Gabby went back to her room and back to bed, Toareth laid back down. She was truthful, the night terrors did not return. Neither did sleep.

 

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