Unending Nightmares

Chapter 7: Rescue

I woke up. My head is throbbing, and I can't seem to forget the nightmare I've just had.

"What's up with that horse and desert thing? And the armor? Where did that come from?" I said, massaging my temples.

"Why do I keep getting these nightmares, and why do they differ each time? What's the white thing?"

I have too many questions but too few answers.

"Never mind, I'll figure it out somehow," I told myself as I got ready for work.

It's been almost half a year since Micah and the others joined, and there is no news of Micah's "revenge"

—

4 months ago.

"I passed the internship, so you gotta keep your end of the bargain," Micah said as we sat across from each other at the coffee shop.

"I thought you'd forgotten about that already," I rolled my eyes as I took a bite of my favorite cake, blueberry cheesecake.

"No, I don't forget easily. I've always strived to reach my goals without help from others," Micah said, looking me in the eye. "So it defeats the purpose when you gave up the championship and gave it to me. It was a difference of 2 points, but why allow yourself to be beaten by an anonymous tie-breaker? You should've at least appealed"

Really huh? What if I told you your Dad was always there to cushion your fall from behind the scenes, brat?

"Nothing much, really. When you become an adult, you care less and less about other things when it means having your dream realized," I told Micah as I took a sip from the Latte I'd ordered. "Great, I just ruined a great Latte art, hehe." I giggled as the swan figure looked like a disfigured butt now. 

"That's the reason? Is it because the studio was barely starting, and you don't want the fame then?" Micah asked, her glasses falling from her nose as she kept on rubbing her eyes "You're dumber than I thought"

I almost spat my coffee. I'm dumb, huh? Well, if that makes you quit asking me about this, then yeah, I am.

"Well, that settles it. I've kept my end of the bargain. So we better get back to work, smelly brat"

"I'm not a brat! I'm 21!" Micah shouted, stomping her white sneakers.

"And I'm 25. Quit murmuring things behind my back, snotty," I told Micah as I destroyed her bangs without reason.

"Hey. Stop it.." Micah struggled and madly stared at me, her cheeks flushed. "You're gonna pay for this, old geezer!"

—
"Heyy. The dates have been more frequent, eh?" Arthur said, looking at me while going around as if inspecting my whole body.

I covered myself with my hands like a woman covering herself from a pervert and said, "What date? It's a mentor-mentee meeting. Please keep the indecent thoughts to yourself, Art"

"Meeting, eh? Then why does Micah keep drinking water with a blush? What did you do to her? Bakaaaa"

Slap!

"I told you it's nothing! Get your hands off of me!"

Holding his shoulders, Arthur looked at me and asked, "What was that for, geezer?"

"You're a geezer! Your whole family is a geezer!"

I told Arthur as I stormed into my office. "Give me the drafts, geezer!" I shouted, then slammed the door shut.

"Dates, huh?" Aether whispered, looking at Micah. "She's pretty, alright".  Aether reached into her bag and looked at a small mirror. "Guess I'm not pretty enough, then"

—

"So that concludes our quarterly meeting. At the end of the day, I need all reports from each department," Aether said as she closed her laptop and walked to the front of the board.

"And one more thing. A new department, as you know, would be established. Brad, please let us know what's the progress so far on your end"

After the meeting, we all got up, but Aether was looking at me. I know what that meant, "go to my office"

"Okay, folks, the meeting is finished; back to work!" I told everyone as I prepared to meet with Aether in her office.

—

Aether's office faced the road, with an L-shaped window giving her a panoramic view of the street below. The walls were painted lilac, with dashes of pink to accentuate her feminine-based design choice. There's a coffee machine in the corner beside a fish tank. On the opposite side, near the window, is Snow's picture on top of a drawer, with a few cat toys loitered around and a huge cat tree connecting her office's walls and the ceiling. Lastly, a huge oak table with a leather chair is in the center, where Aether is seated. In her background is the huge logo of our company, Aether's Studios. 

"I've been meaning to ask you, what's up with you and Micah?" Aether asked as I turned around and held a newly made cup of coffee. 

I choked on my drink. "That's what this is all about? I thought you'd say something else," I told Aether as I approached her, sitting on the chair at the front of her table. Reclining too far, I almost lay on my back. "Nothing. Nothing's going on. I'm just teaching her where her place is. Why?"

"Then why is there an office rumor about you and her? Surely there's no smoke without fire, yes?" Aether asked while holding her new cat, Shiro.

"Wow, about that? I don't care, really. They can make things up as long as it doesn't affect our work progress; it doesn't really bother me. And don't bother yourself too much about it, my old friend. Focus on the expansion. Brains and brawn, remember? Do your mind stuff." I waved goodbye to Aether, finished the coffee, and left the office. "Hey, thank your Mom for me. Beef Stew was spot on"

"Thank her yourself, dummy," Aether muttered, feeling a sudden but short pain in her chest.

—

I look into the eyes of the creature that has pinned me down. As I look into its eyes, I see all the fears I've been keeping away and denying myself flourish into reality.