From The Earth To The Morgue
Sleepless Nights
Swelled up from the rain, clouds move like a wraith...
Kai tossed and turned all night, worrying about the next day. Where would she go after she left Frank's house? She had no money... Twenty-five dollars wouldn't get her very far.
She could become a prostitute.... She shivered at the thought. No, that wouldn't work... Old men wanting a go... She shuddered again.
She couldn't stay with Frank. That was too much to ask of him. And she'd only known him for a few hours. She sighed and got up, deciding that trying to sleep was useless. She tiptoed to Frank's room, trying to hear if he was asleep. Her ears were met by silence, and she decided that he was sleeping soundly. She sighed and made her way downstairs, into the kitchen.
She busied herself searching for cereal, and grinned when she found Lucky Charms; her favorite. She sat at the counter and proceded to eat the marshmallows.
She shrieked when she felt an arm slide in front of her, grabbing a handful of cereal. Frank laughed and picked out the actual cereal, saving the marshmallows for last.
"Scared you?" he asked, grinning. She glared at him playfully.
"No... Well, maybe." He chuckled.
"So I let you into my home and you repay me by eating all the marshmallows?" Frank asked, pretending to be angry. Kai shrugged and shoved some more marshmallows in her mouth. He smiled at her and ruffled her dark brown hair.
"So what are you doing up so late?" he asked. She shrugged, swallowing the sugary substance.
"Couldn't sleep," she answered. He nodded.
"I know what you mean... I don't sleep anymore..." he looked away from her, absently drawing shapes on the tiled countertop. She frowned.
"Why not?" He shrugged.
"It's complicated. Ever since Molly, my last girlfriend, left... I can't sleep anymore." Kai nodded, rubbing his back comfortingly. He smiled at her.
"I'm listening," she said softly.
"She was cheating on me... With Bert." His voice filled with anger, and he turned away again.
"Bert?" she prompted.
"He was an old friend of ours-my band... And he just... took her from me..." He sighed. "She was my world... And now I just can't sleep without someone beside me, you know?" He glanced at her, and she nodded, a tear burning the corner of his eye. She smiled half-heartedly and embraced him. He tensed, but held her close as he recovered from the shock.
She felt his tears hit her shirt, and she rested her head on his shoulder, whispering comforting words. She felt his shoulders heaving, trying to keep the tears inside, and she held him closer, telling him that it was okay, that everything would be fine.
After a while, he calmed down and, still clinging to Kai, he almost laughed.
"I've never told anyone that," he whispered. She glided her hands over his back, sending chills down his spine.
"It's okay, Frank. I understand."
"It feels weird standing here hugging a complete stranger and telling her my darkest secret," he said, laughing as they stepped out of the embrace. He sniffled, his eyes puffy and red. She smiled, reaching out to him.
"It's okay." He grinned at her.
"Thanks, Kai, I really appreciate this." She smiled.
"No problem... You sound just like me." His smile faded into confusion.
"How so?" She bit her lip, picking more marshmallows out of the box.
"I've had so many guys cheat on me... I've lost track. Every time I find someone I think I can trust, they hurt me." He nodded.
"So we're the same," he said, phrasing her thoughts exactly.
"Yeah," she replied.
Kai tossed and turned all night, worrying about the next day. Where would she go after she left Frank's house? She had no money... Twenty-five dollars wouldn't get her very far.
She could become a prostitute.... She shivered at the thought. No, that wouldn't work... Old men wanting a go... She shuddered again.
She couldn't stay with Frank. That was too much to ask of him. And she'd only known him for a few hours. She sighed and got up, deciding that trying to sleep was useless. She tiptoed to Frank's room, trying to hear if he was asleep. Her ears were met by silence, and she decided that he was sleeping soundly. She sighed and made her way downstairs, into the kitchen.
She busied herself searching for cereal, and grinned when she found Lucky Charms; her favorite. She sat at the counter and proceded to eat the marshmallows.
She shrieked when she felt an arm slide in front of her, grabbing a handful of cereal. Frank laughed and picked out the actual cereal, saving the marshmallows for last.
"Scared you?" he asked, grinning. She glared at him playfully.
"No... Well, maybe." He chuckled.
"So I let you into my home and you repay me by eating all the marshmallows?" Frank asked, pretending to be angry. Kai shrugged and shoved some more marshmallows in her mouth. He smiled at her and ruffled her dark brown hair.
"So what are you doing up so late?" he asked. She shrugged, swallowing the sugary substance.
"Couldn't sleep," she answered. He nodded.
"I know what you mean... I don't sleep anymore..." he looked away from her, absently drawing shapes on the tiled countertop. She frowned.
"Why not?" He shrugged.
"It's complicated. Ever since Molly, my last girlfriend, left... I can't sleep anymore." Kai nodded, rubbing his back comfortingly. He smiled at her.
"I'm listening," she said softly.
"She was cheating on me... With Bert." His voice filled with anger, and he turned away again.
"Bert?" she prompted.
"He was an old friend of ours-my band... And he just... took her from me..." He sighed. "She was my world... And now I just can't sleep without someone beside me, you know?" He glanced at her, and she nodded, a tear burning the corner of his eye. She smiled half-heartedly and embraced him. He tensed, but held her close as he recovered from the shock.
She felt his tears hit her shirt, and she rested her head on his shoulder, whispering comforting words. She felt his shoulders heaving, trying to keep the tears inside, and she held him closer, telling him that it was okay, that everything would be fine.
After a while, he calmed down and, still clinging to Kai, he almost laughed.
"I've never told anyone that," he whispered. She glided her hands over his back, sending chills down his spine.
"It's okay, Frank. I understand."
"It feels weird standing here hugging a complete stranger and telling her my darkest secret," he said, laughing as they stepped out of the embrace. He sniffled, his eyes puffy and red. She smiled, reaching out to him.
"It's okay." He grinned at her.
"Thanks, Kai, I really appreciate this." She smiled.
"No problem... You sound just like me." His smile faded into confusion.
"How so?" She bit her lip, picking more marshmallows out of the box.
"I've had so many guys cheat on me... I've lost track. Every time I find someone I think I can trust, they hurt me." He nodded.
"So we're the same," he said, phrasing her thoughts exactly.
"Yeah," she replied.