Before She Falls

Chapter 3

"Hello?" I ask as the shower water continues to pour down. But there's no answer, the humming continues as I maintain my panicked state. Then I hear the sink water start to run as well.

"Hello?" I ask again except louder to be heard over the running water.

"Heart open but, hm hm stays right here, empty for days" I hear through the humming and I can tell from the low, raspy voice that it's Harry on the other side of this shower curtain. Why hasn't he answered me? Why is he even in here?

"Story of my life, hm hm hm hm, drive all night to keep her warm, hm hm is frozen" Harry's hums turn to actual words again.

I quickly rinse my hair out and start washing my body as fast as I can, praying he would just leave.

"Written in these walls are the stories that I can't hm hm" his voice trails off into light hums. "The story hm hm life."

I finished washing myself and turn the shower faucet off. I ring my hair out the best I can before peeking my head out slightly behind the shower curtain. I see Harry's backside, he's shirtless and still wearing the black sweatpants he had on earlier today. I look to the mirror to see that his eyes are barely open.

He's sleep walking, he's fucking sleep walking and singing.

I turn and grab a white towel from the rack above the toilet, then retreat behind the shower curtain once again while I think about what I'm going to do next. I pull the shower curtain back enough that I can step out of the shower. Harry doesn't move but continues to hum and sing the same song. I notice the faucet for the sink is still running so I slowly turn it to the right to stop the flow of water.

"Harry?" I ask as I hold the towel closely against my chest. His eyelids flutter for a second then they close shut. I remember when my little brother used to sleepwalk my mom would tell me not to wake him up because I could really scare him. She told me that if I ever caught my brother sleepwalking, I should try to talk to him and bring him back to his bed so he could fall back asleep. I decide to take my mom's old advice and use it with Harry.

"Harry" I ask a little louder this time.

"Hm?" A mumble escapes Harry's pink lips and I take that as a response.

"Harry, come on. Let's go back to bed" I touch his arm and he shivers.

"Mhm" Harry mumbles again as I pull him slightly to the door of the bathroom. He doesn't resist my force but it does take some of my strength to make his tall, built body follow me.

"Harry, let's go to sleep, okay?" I say in an almost motherly tone. I don't know how else to talk to him while he's like this. I feel embarrassed for him because he most likely won't remember this when he wakes up but it's also kind of endearing how he has absolutely no control over what he's doing right now.

"Okay" he breathes out and stands next to me near the bed.

"Come on, lay down on the bed" I sit on the edge of the bed with one hand holding my towel around myself and the other hand trying to force his body down to the mattress.

"Harry, come lay down" I grip onto his wrist and tug a bit.

"What?" Harry's eyebrows come together as he refuses to lower himself.

"Harry" my patience is running low. "Let's lay down and go back to sleep, okay?" I say and pat the space on the bed where I want him to lay down.

"Okay" Harry grumbles under his breath and finally lowers himself onto the bed. I scoot myself off to make room for him to fit. He relax back and his head sinks into the pillow.

"Go back to sleep, alright?" I quietly talk to Harry as I pull the white blankets over his body.

"Mhm" he exhales and turns onto his side.

I make sure the blinds in the room are shut and all the lights are off before returning to Harry to see if he's asleep already. All I hear is a faint breathing coming from Harry and I think the coast is clear.

"Wait" Harry mumbles so softly I'm barely able to hear it.

I roll my eyes and shuffle back to the edge of his bed.

"What is it?" I whisper as I kneel down to face him, being careful because I'm still in my towel and I suddenly realize how ridiculous this probably looks.

"Lay with me" Harry says, his cheek twitches a little bit.

"I can't, go to sleep" I try to sound as gentle as I can.

"Come lay" Harry says. He's so persistent even when he's not conscious.

"If I lay down will you fall asleep?" I raise my eyebrow to Harry as if he could see me through his sleepy eyelids.

"Yeah" Harry nods his head slightly and sighs.

"Okay" I say as I slide onto the edge of Harry's bed. I can feel my damp towel and wet hair already soaking the soft material of the sheets beneath me. I grip onto my towel tightly and hold it against my torso. Harry breathes and I can feel it against my back, "You smell like strawberries."