I Want To Dream Now

Untitled Part 16

The bedroom doors creaks open. Robin's eyes are wide and open. The morning sunshine is abolustely stunning -- it lights up the entire room. Robin notices his wife is not beside him. Her clothes that were on the floor before have disappeared.

"Nina?"

Robin yawns, perking his head up at the creaking door.

Robin narrows his eyes, but then rolls them and flops his head back down on the pillow.

This time he can hear sliding drawers. It screeches his ears, yet he does nothing about it. He can hear the window shuffling open, then the birds singing sweetly. Robin thinks it's just Nina clearing up.

"I'm hungry," Robin mumbles out. "Corn flakes, please..."

Then he can feel his mattress moving. His back bounces with the extra weight. Robin heaves a sigh, and rolls onto his side, stretching his arms out.

"Come here," he mumbles. I've got to try get back to reality. Forget about the illusion Charlene. "Here baby."

He grips onto something, and the person comes forward, pecking him on the lips.

Robin pulls away straight away, his eyes buzzing open. "Wait, hold on?"

Charlene's grin is mischievous. "Morning, baby. Is that what we call each-other now?"

"You're in my bedroom."

He gawks at her, probably more than one ever should.

"Am I now?" She is still grinning widely. She bounces off the mattress, and starts shuffling around again.

Robin's eyes widen. "What are you doing?"

Charlene shrugs. "I don't know. I just ended up here. For some really strange reason, I feel like I'm supposed to be looking for something?"

Robin narrows his eyes even further, until then, it hits him when she starts rooting around his mattress.

"No!" He shouts, hopping off the bed and yanking her arm.

She stares coldly at him, frozen.

He drops her arm, swaying his hands. "Sorry, I mean, you can't just snoop through my stuff."

"Why?" Robin turns around. "Robin, what are you hiding from me?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" She repeats, with a scoff. "You are. I know you are. Oh my."

"Charlene, what's the point? One day, you're just going to vanish. I'll never see you again."

Charlene's lip quivers. "I'm not going anywhere?"

Robin laughs. "That isn't how dreams work, you know that. I think maybe we should just forget about each now, move on with reality."

Charlene shakes her head. "No, I don't want to."

"Charlene," Robin pleads. "We have to. We've no choice."

She blinks so fast, Robin thinks she could cry. "I don't want to forget about you. Please, please, Robin. Don't cut me off."

Robin draws a deep breath. He can feel his stomach knotting again.

"I know that's not what you want," Charlene protests.

"It's what I need."

"But it's not what you want." Charlene steps over the him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. She scratches his ear lightly.

Robin pulls away, moving toward the door. He doesn't look up at her.

"Don't. Please, don't."

Robin sighs, and grits his teeth. "You have to go now."

Charlene rolls her eyes in frustration, but nods and steps toward the door. She stops abruptly at the door, as if forgetting something. She pulls out a tiny piece of paper, and jots down something with an inky blue pen.

She slips it into his hand on the way out, and disappears then into the shadows.

Robin glances at the paper.

087 9838586

Her phone number.