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Insomnia
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Insomnia |
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Mysteria 
since 2001-03-07
Posts 18328British Columbia, Canada 
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 1,177 words Carol Hart sat up straight in her bed. At her side, her husband John was curled up like a fetus, breathing so deeply but with such regularity, she knew he was sleeping like a log as usual. She didn’t feel tired or for that matter like sleeping at all, in fact, she had never felt more awake. She thought it amazing considering the late hours they’d been keeping over the past week. The town clock struck the hour, going through its sequence of chimes, and Carol knew when exactly what was about to strike as she heard that familiar clanking sound as if the bell had a crack in it. Four o’clock, again, and again, she could not sleep. She and John had celebrated the evening before, because of his getting a promotion at work to Sales Manager. Their friends had come in to have a drink to him on his newfound success. This of course led to another, then another, followed by a fabulously prepared dinner, and a very decadent dessert. She had not exactly taken into account in her preparation using ingredients conducive to sleep that was for sure. When John went to bed he slept no matter what. It was like every male she had ever known in her entire life had a built in switch that shut them down the second their head hit the pillow. Her husband John set a record for the time taken from being awake to asleep. He slept right up to the alarm, and often through it. He was also reluctant to move when poked, shoved, and sometimes rolled onto a floor and didn’t budge. He had his own special way of waking up that was for sure and now she didn’t bother trying. Carol for a one second envied her husband’s ability to sleep and to completely and totally relax. “Just like a kid,” she thought as she reluctantly moved out of the bed into the living room where she could at least surf, read, or have a smoke. She headed to the bathroom first, and decided while awake she may as well do a face pack, and carefully avoided her eyes and lips. Making herself comfortable on the couch she opted to glace through a magazine, trying to lull herself to slumber. However, this idea was not proving successful so she went forward to the kitchen and put the kettle on. She would try some of that herbal tea to further aid her into a dreamy state. The tea ready, she carried it into the living room and again settled there on the couch. She noticed someone had opened the windows at the party to let the smoke out and not shut them. She decided she better latch them for the night. Getting up to go close them, she suddenly became more wide-awake than ever! There was a loud grating, scraping noise right outside the window. She didn’t want to pay any attention to it, and decided to chalk it up to twigs in the wind moving roughly on the wall. The sound not only persisted but it got louder, so she lifted the window to peer out thereby assuring herself all was well. As she hovered near the drapes, she caught a glimpse of a man’s leg coming inside the living room over the furthest windowsill from where she was standing. Now the material billowed as if a figure had indeed entered the room. She recoiled behind the drapes in fear and wanted to scream but couldn’t produce the slightest sound out of her throat. She was now trapped in her end of the drapes convulsively clutching at it, and fell on the floor enveloped in the billowing folds of material waving around her like a million butterfly wings. She struggled to get her husband and felt a thump, or did she hear one? The next thing she knew John was leaning over her, closing the window, and asking, “what the heck are you doing on the floor?” She tried explaining, telling him of the man on the windowsill, and he coaxed her to go on. “Okay, so, this is not the living room, and there is no other man in this room but me. You’ve been dreaming Carol, how do you think you got on the floor?” “I know I saw him,” she cried. “I saw his leg coming over the windowsill John!” “Look it’s past 3 in the morning, you just fell out of bed after a nightmare that’s all,” and that was the best consoling answer he could muster up. “Look at all the darn blankets you snatched off me for goodness sake, these are your curtains!” “Come on will you, let’s get some sleep shall we?” “Wait! What about the guy’s leg?” “For goodness sake Carol, look over there will you? I left a pair of my pants on the radiator to dry before I climbed into bed.” “Well, she said timidly, “What about all the scraping noises John?” “That is only the cable wire outside I was going to fix it earlier before our guests arrived but didn’t’ find the time. It blew loose from the side of the house in the wind earlier. Will you just be kindly be quiet and let me sleep?” He was off in a flash breathing in that deep sleep of his. But, as Carol was trying to straighten the blankets over John she realized one was not a blanket at all, but it was indeed her living room curtain. She also realized she had a bump on the side of eye but from what, she thought? She shook him awake and stood back. “What now?” he roared, jumping out of the bed. But thinking he had scared her, he followed her through the bedroom door into their living room. “Oh gee, I am so sorry Carol,” he said in a minute when the both stood there in shock over the state of their living room. Curtains torn down, and a table was overturned. Her beautiful fern was sprawled all over the rug along with some glasses and ashtrays strewn everywhere. “How you got into the bedroom Carol, I don’t know, but you must have scared that would be burglar to death, looking as you did in that get-up of yours. She had forgotten about her having a mud mask on. She laughed so hard when she looked in the mirror. He kissed her and she giggled as he now was covered with the mud too, and looked hilarious. She was going to have a shiner from hitting the door running in to get John, but a small price to pay she figured. Arm and arm they walked back to the bedroom after first calling the police who said they would send someone around in the morning. John latched all the windows, and in no time at all Carol was fast asleep in her husband’s arms, and that horrible insomnia of hers had been put to rest at least for one night anyway. Carpe' Diem |
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Poet deVine
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-26
Posts 22612Hurricane Alley |
Yours is way scarier than mine! Yours sounded real! I always knew great minds think alike. Maybe we should write scenerios together...you pick the next topic ok? We'll both write a short story about it!!  |
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Mysteria
since 2001-03-07
Posts 18328British Columbia, Canada |
Well...let's see here, how's about Happy Valentine's Day seeing that is coming up? You're on for over 1,000 words. I may have to move it into adult though is that okay? It's a true story I am going to tell LOL. Let me know. |
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Poet deVine
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-26
Posts 22612Hurricane Alley |
Can you be more specific? Set up a scenerio..like: 'a man and woman take a carriage ride for Valentine's Day'...give me more info!!!!!!! |
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LoveBug
Moderator
Member Elite
since 2000-01-08
Posts 4697 |
Oohhhh, very spooky! I liked it a lot, nice descriptions and just very good storytelling. Your adult-ish valentine's day story challenge sounds good, maybe you should open it up to others  Oh, make me Thine forever |
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Mysteria
since 2001-03-07
Posts 18328British Columbia, Canada |
I finished Sharon! My story is simply about a newly married couple where the woman is surprising her valentine. Sorry, finished it last night and it's posted! You pick then how's that? I will write on whatever you wish me to for fun - you betca! |
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miscellanea Member Elite
since 2004-06-24
Posts 4060OH |
Enjoyed the scary penning! You have a good eye for description. I'm looking forward to reading more. miscellanea |
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Mysteria
since 2001-03-07
Posts 18328British Columbia, Canada |
Gee thank you so much, I love writing little bits as a hobby for stress relief actually LOL, it works! Can't do poetry all that well either but that works too for calming the soul. |
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