Cabin Fever

XII: Nico

Thanksgiving dinner came and went. The large wooden table full of people and plates, all talking and enjoying each other's company. There was even a small fold-able kids table placed in the center of the now cleared out living room. For those at the adult table in the dining room, the voices were almost too much to bear. There was laughing and playful shoving. Some of the older cousins who had finally earned a right at the table were causing a scene, obviously still playing into their more childish nature. It was odd, to say the least. A family so happy to be around each other that they are actively sharing a nice meal together. That wasn't really the case in my house. We never really had people over or hosted events, and even when one was hosted by a different family member we were either not invited or it was across the country and we couldn't afford to go. I started down a rabbit hole about my family and the history of them inside my own head, and after a minute I couldn't really escape. It felt like I was being pulled under the ground again.

That's when I was brought back to the scene by Will's hand on my thigh. He brought me back from so far deep in the rabbit hole. I met his eyes and put my hand on top of his and squeezed, enough of a gesture to show I was all good, without having to tell him that. The conversations continued and I finished off my plate. The brazen turkey was juicy and cooked perfectly, the potatoes in the cheesy and mashed varieties were amazing, always good dishes. There were a few casseroles, and they must have been family recipes because I had never seen them anywhere.

The meal had long since finished, but as the adults topped off their wine and the children got up for seconds, or thirds, or scraping the leftovers from the side of the pans, people were starting to quiet down and assume a more relaxed position. It had probably been years since the last time I ate that much, and longer since then that I'd sat down with this many people. Will's hand was still on my thigh and it grounded me here, in this moment.

Half the table started migrating to the couches to resume talking and catching up, and to give the meal a bit of time to settle before desserts were pulled out. The kids had started playing tag and hide and seek while the adults sat back and made sure no one got hurt. The night was winding down and honestly it was one of the better nights I've had in a while, and having Will there next to me made it even better.

~~~

After some desserts, the sun setting, and some of the family deciding to put their kids to bed and retire for the night before coming back tomorrow seemed like a good time for Will and I to do the same.

We made our way through the door to our basement bedroom and immediately fell into each other's arms. Feeling his heartbeat and his warmth was so inviting. We snuggled up on the couch and started to doze off. It wasn't long before Will had started snoring on my shoulder. It was taking a bit longer for me to get sleepy. That nightmare really shook me up and I wasn't sure where it came from. I was actually kind of scared to fall back asleep in case it came back. I tried anyway and after the long day I just had, and Will snoring next to me, it wasn't difficult to get into the mindset. I leaned back and let my mind wander until I grew drowsy. I started drifting off and soon I was asleep again, and it was honestly a fairly nice experience. I was warm and wrapped in this embrace from the unknown. I could still feel Will's body next to me but more in an ethereal sense than physical. I knew I was in a dream but nothing was happening, I just sat there waiting, and waiting, and waiting.

I heard Will cough in the distance, now unknown of his direction. I had found myself deep in this dream and it started getting weird.

My surroundings became dim and where once there was nothing, large dead trees with overarching branches started to sway, and the branches bared fruit. A pomegranate, perfectly ripe. I was urged to reach up and grab it, but my nerves kept my arms firmly at my sides as I walked through this forest. I was being tempted, and surprisingly, I was resisting. My scene changed and I almost stumbled off the edge of a pointed cliff. Under me lay a city. An island civilization with a thick river of black flowing through the center. It was a beautiful sight. The dream seemed to be horrifying in nature, but I wasn't scared. I felt almost at home? It was unnatural to say the least.