Post by shannon on Mar 21, 2008 23:58:30 GMT -5
It was the silence that scared her the most. For some reason she couldn't understand, Shannon could no longer stand to be in a quiet room. She kept expecting there to be noise everywhere... birds singing, ocean waves crashing against the shore, a dog barking, people talking nearby. Without background noise, she couldn't sleep anymore. Not that sleep was something that came easily to her, anyway.
Even with the expensive "white noise" generator that Boone had bought for her, Shannon often lay awake at night, staring up at the ceiling as if she expected to see the stars, instead of the fake glittery sparkles of the popcorn-style ceiling.
Tonight was no different. Once again, she was lying in bed, her eyes wide open. The truth was, she was terrified of what she would see when she closed her eyes. She couldn't stand the dreams any longer. They didn't make sense. She'd even tried writing them down in a dream journal, but they were all just a series of fuzzy, confusing images. She was tired of trying to figure them out.
In fact, she was just plain tired. She needed some sleep.
"This is stupid," she said to the ceiling. "They're just dreams, right?"
She closed her eyes and tried to force the dreams from her mind. Using some stretches she'd learned in a yoga class long ago, she tensed and relaxed each muscle, starting from her head and working down to her toes. As she tensed, she inhaled, and she exhaled as she released. This technique had always worked for her when she was younger. And this time was no exception. Soon her exhausted mind and body drifted into an uneasy slumber.
It didn't take long for the dreams to start again. She saw flashes of things she didn't understand--a dog, a boar, a polar bear. And once again, the little boy, talking backwards. At the sight of him, she sat straight up in bed, gasping for breath.
Reaching blindly for the table next to her bed, Shannon's hand closed on top of her inhaler. She took two quick puffs and waited as the pressure began to ease.
"Damn it," she said aloud. "Damn it."
Still shaking, she reached for the phone and hit Boone's number on speed dial. She knew he hated when she called in the middle of the night, but she really needed him right now. "Boone, damn it. Pick up!" she said into the phone.
Even with the expensive "white noise" generator that Boone had bought for her, Shannon often lay awake at night, staring up at the ceiling as if she expected to see the stars, instead of the fake glittery sparkles of the popcorn-style ceiling.
Tonight was no different. Once again, she was lying in bed, her eyes wide open. The truth was, she was terrified of what she would see when she closed her eyes. She couldn't stand the dreams any longer. They didn't make sense. She'd even tried writing them down in a dream journal, but they were all just a series of fuzzy, confusing images. She was tired of trying to figure them out.
In fact, she was just plain tired. She needed some sleep.
"This is stupid," she said to the ceiling. "They're just dreams, right?"
She closed her eyes and tried to force the dreams from her mind. Using some stretches she'd learned in a yoga class long ago, she tensed and relaxed each muscle, starting from her head and working down to her toes. As she tensed, she inhaled, and she exhaled as she released. This technique had always worked for her when she was younger. And this time was no exception. Soon her exhausted mind and body drifted into an uneasy slumber.
It didn't take long for the dreams to start again. She saw flashes of things she didn't understand--a dog, a boar, a polar bear. And once again, the little boy, talking backwards. At the sight of him, she sat straight up in bed, gasping for breath.
Reaching blindly for the table next to her bed, Shannon's hand closed on top of her inhaler. She took two quick puffs and waited as the pressure began to ease.
"Damn it," she said aloud. "Damn it."
Still shaking, she reached for the phone and hit Boone's number on speed dial. She knew he hated when she called in the middle of the night, but she really needed him right now. "Boone, damn it. Pick up!" she said into the phone.