Serendipity & the Serpent

Beautiful Nightmare

That night, you let your mind drift back to the tree.

"Think only tree."

You tossed and turned, trying to ease your mind. What was keeping you awake? Why couldn't you fall into a deep sleep.

You peeled open your eyes and let them examine the bonsai on your nightstand. Staring at it intently, you tried to push away anything that wasn't on its branches. No thoughts, simply just the tree.

But for some reason, you still couldn't get your mind off of Johnny.

Your stomach growled. Maybe you needed a midnight snack.

Swinging your legs over the bed, you slid on your slippers and trudged out to the kitchen. The light of the refrigerator made you wince in the darkness. Your hand reached out for something quick on the top shelf, when a noise coming from outside stopped you in your tracks.

You couldn't exactly pinpoint what the sound belonged to, but the constant shuffling made you walk up to the door hesitantly. Standing to your full height, you peeked out the peep hole.

Not a soul in sight.

For a moment, you found yourself wondering if maybe there was a wounded animal on the other side of the door. A stray dog, perhaps? You crossed your fingers, hoping it wasn't a rabid creature that would not be so friendly.

You pulled the door open just a crack. Examining the floor, you saw no animal nearby. Peeling the door open a smidge more, your eyes needed a moment to adjust to the light.

Your eyes landed on a form resting upon the ground, shivering in the cool night air. Opening the door a bit further, you noticed the shape was a little too large to be a raccoon.

You fully stepped out into the hallway cautiously. Walking around the figure, you tried to get a good look as to what kind of large animal would be outside your door.

But what you saw was not an animal at all. In fact, it was a human. One you knew quite well.

It was Johnny Lawrence.

Johnny was laying on the ground, his eyes closed. His arms were wrapped around himself, trying desperately to grasp for warmth.

You gasped and leaned down to his side. Shaking his shoulders gently, you tried to wake him up.

"Johnny!" You whispered.

It took a few moments, but he eventually peeled his eyes open. He looked around as he tried to get a sense of where he was. When it finally registered, he looked at you sorrowfully and whispered your name into the night.

"Yeah," your voice was hushed, "it's me."

He sat up and rubbed his eyes. His hair was a mess, strands protruding in every which way. Dark circles encased his eyes. At first glance, he just looked tired.

But you saw deeper.

"Did I wake you up?" His voice was extremely sleepy.

He hadn't necessarily woken you up, but your thoughts about him did. "No... no, you didn't."

"Good." He spoke softly. Leaning his head against the wall behind him, he sighed.