Niki and Andy

Chapter 23: I Should Be Sleeping, but My Thoughts are Wide Awake

December 23, 2020. Niki woke up at two in the morning, sweating and shaking. She just had a terrible nightmare. Her eyes were open but she couldn't move and there was a heavy presence on her chest that made her feel like she was sinking into her bed.

This terrible feeling was like the one she felt when Myles said she won't be coming back. Days before she told Andy and before he made the decision to move in. She woke up in her dark room, the curtains were drawn and the air was cold. Niki was used to sleeping in her room alone, pero kagabi, bago siya matulog, nanuod siya ng horror movie. And then, as she was falling asleep, she started imagining the ghost in the movie.

Sa ibang pagkakataon, Niki would have welcomed that kind of nightmare. But not when she was all alone.

Bumangon siya at dali-daling kinapa ang ilaw. It brought her a bit of relief when her room was finally flooded with light again. She turned off the air-conditioning next. Bumalik siya sa kama at humiga. She turned to her side so she wouldn't see the light directly. Pumikit siya at sinubukang matulog muli.

Her eyebrows furrowed as she concentrated on her sleep, pero hindi na siya dinalaw ng antok. Kapag maliwanag, gising siya. She needed complete darkness, but the darkness was terrifying.

Kinuha niya ang phone at saka siya lumabas ng kwarto. Binuksan niya ang TV para maghanap ng mapapanuod. All the suggestions were horror movies. Bumuntong-hininga siya. She didn't need any more reason to scare herself right now.

Tiningnan niya ang phone. It was almost 3AM. The so-called witching hour. Funny enough, malakas ang imagination ni Niki at naniniwala siya sa multo. Marami na siyang napanuod na horror movies and shows, enough to make her immune to the jumpscares and creepy ghosts in the background, but she also knew the main characters almost always overcome them.

She swiped up on the screen to unlock the phone. Tiningnan niya ang call logs. Andy said she could call him anytime. Kasama rin kaya doon ang oras ng pagtulog nito?

Niki exhaled sharply and pressed on his number. Inilapit niya iyon sa tenga saka siya naghintay. It rang and it kept ringing for a while. She put the phone down, after almost a minute. Ii-end na sana niya ang call nang makita niyang sumagot na ito.

"Hello?"

"Hel-lo?" Andy yawned. "Niki? What time is it?"

"Uh... almost 3AM," sagot niya. "Sorry, I woke you up."

"Napatawag ka? You okay?" Humikab itong muli. She heard shuffling on his end of the line. And then, a click. Bumangon siguro ito at binuksan ang ilaw.

"Sorry I woke you up."

"No, it's okay. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I just had a nightmare," she admitted. "Ayaw kasi akong tabihan ni Ponkan."

She heard Andy laugh.

"He's sleeping in your room," she told him. "It must be your scent."

"Are you having nightmares every night?"

She shook her head. "No. Ngayon na lang uli. Nanuod kasi ako ng horror movie."

Andy clicked his tongue. "Sabi kasi sa 'yo sa umaga ka manuod ng horror."

"I'm just anxious because I'm all alone."

"Do you want me to go back to Manila?"

"No. I'll be fine. Sa umaga na lang ako matutulog siguro."

"Niki..."

"Sorry I woke you up. Kaya mo pa bang matulog? You still have a few hours before morning."