Burnt Lies

Night and Day

Cameron

It had always been a struggle for me to go to sleep, there were nights where I would lay awake eyes wide and staring at each crevice in the ceiling. Nothing helped me sleep no amount of prescription medicine could make me sleep so I just lay there thinking over and over about anything and everything. 

It wasn't that I wasn't tired, I was exhausted beyond breath and fatigued. It was then I heard a soft whimper that drew my attention. I lifted my gaze to where Alara was curled up on the sofa, and then there was another small cry. 

I lifted myself from the sheets and went to check on her. In my mind I justified it as being a distraction and not that I genuinely cared. A distraction from my lack of sleep. 

I shuffled quietly over to her and saw the scrunched up face of anguish on her, her lips parted and short uneven breaths escaping from them.

"No," she whispered, turning to the other side of the couch. Beads of sweat trickled down from her temple, like tears from her body. 

"Alara," my voice was quiet and for once unsure, like I didn't know what to do with myself.

"No, no please don't, no..." her voice was cracked with melancholy a beg for mercy from whatever was tormenting her. 

I rested a palm on her shoulder, it was warm to the touch, I gently shook her, "Alara?"

Her eyes flickered open at the small gesture, there was a glaze of tears in them, they seemed disoriented as though she didn't know where she was. Her tearful gaze met mine, and soon she was pushing herself up to a sitting position. 

"Alara what's wrong?" I tried to keep my voice as soft as possible.

She curled her knees beneath her chin wrapping slender arms around them and pulling them close to her chest. She averted her gaze from mine and shook her head, "Nothing, I'm fine."

My voice became sterner, "Don't lie to me Alara, I hate liars, and I don't want to hate you,"

Her eyes snapped to me at the statement, "Why? Doesn't a little bit of you resent me? For taking away your freedom?"

"You sound like you want me to hate you," I responded. Not divulging anything further. She didn't have to know that the last thing I wanted to do was hate her. 

"Of course I don't want you to hate me, but don't you feel like you should?" She was very insistent on me hating her maybe it was what she had been told about me. That I didn't have the capacity to care about anyone or anything. 

"I decide who I hate, and trust me I don't hate you. Now Alara," paused my hand drifting to hers. She didn't recoil at my touch her nimble fingers intertwining themselves with mine, her deep brown skin perfectly contrasting my pale skin, "Tell me what's wrong." It was more of an order than a request and she knew as much. 

"I-" her voice trembled and this was the most vulnerable I had seen her ever, gone was the sharp witted Alara I knew who didn't bend to anyone, "I- It was just a bad dream."

I raised my eyebrow because I knew there was more to it than that, but I guess I would have to figure it out myself, my mind immediately went to the recent events, that attack she had suffered through, "Was it about the attack?"

She nodded softly.

"I didn't think it would affect me like this." she admitted and subdued look of shame spreading across her features. 

"It's ok, it's normal, it was traumatic and this is just your way of dealing with it,"

She smiled a little, "Since when did you become so knowledgeable," there it was that snarky tone and quick witted responses. 

I flashed her a grin, "I'm a man of many talents,"

She suddenly went quiet again, "The dream. It was horrifying, it felt so real and..." she trailed off a new wave a of tears spilling from her eyes. 

"And they killed him. They killed Theo. I couldn't do anything I was stuck in my position being held back by some monster while they gunned him down."

She began to crumble before my very eyes suddenly her grip on my hand was even tighter and she didn't even realise it, "It was terrifying being so helpless and watching the person I love the most die."

I might not be on friendly terms with Theo but I could imagine how terrifying that would be. 

"It's not going to happen darling, you and your family are safe," without any warning she leaned forward and pressed herself into a hug with me. Her face buried in my shirt and tears still being spilt onto the soft cotton. Darkening a patch of my grey shirt. 

After being tense for a moment, I responded by wrapping my arms around her two. Cradling her in her most vulnerable state and feeling closer to her than I ever had before. 

"Promise me, promise me it will be ok,"

 "I promise." wholeheartedly believing it.

"Like I said, you're my responsibility now, I won't let anything happen to you Alara," my voice was firm and unyielding I was not one to go back on my promises.

She pulled away from me, her wide eyes focused on mine, she smiled shyly, "I'll hold you to that."

I laughed, "I wouldn't expect anything less," I then pulled her to her feet. She looked at me with a puzzled face. 

"I think you'll be more comfortable on the bed," I gestured to the couch, "I'll be fine on the couch,"

I went to arrange my self on the rather small couch but I felt like she needed the bed more than I did, I couldn't even sleep anyway. As I was about to tuck my legs in beneath the blanked she stopped me, "No-wait. I mean," she hesitated a little something close to wariness becoming apparent on her features. 

"I- I wouldn't mind if you were on the bed too," she started and then when she saw my smirk she quickly rushed out, "As long as you stick to your side of the bed that is,"

I nodded, "Sure, I'll keep to my side, but I'm not sure if you will be able to keep to your side," I said because I knew it would immediately annoy her and I wanted to distract her from her nightmare as much as possible. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" she scrunched her nose in disgust, "Nope, not gonna happen,"

She then slipped under the sheets on her side, expertly placing some pillows down the length of the bed, evenly dividing it in two. "Don't cross the great wall of pillows," she narrowed her gaze playfully, "or there will be hell to pay,"

I chuckled at her over the top behaviour, "Whatever you say sweetheart," I then sunk into my own side of the bed. 

Soon after, I slipped into a peaceful slumber the first time in a while and all that was on my mind was how Alara was like night and day sometimes, she was as bright as the sun and others as gloomy as the dead of night. 

But she was my night and day.