Ethereal

Chapter 20

After a long forty-five minutes, I stood back and looked at the creation - a Christmas tree that I hadn't seen for several years.

Glittering lights and bulbs swung from the branches along with the tinsel that I had managed to get off of Sock the human and onto the tree. The windows shone in the light. The ice that had frosted along the edges of them was creeping farther along the surface with sharp tentacles, as if it was a beast of some kind that was clawing on the glass.

The room itself, however, was warm. With the fake fire in the fireplace, and a small heater blasting us with hot wind not unlike a dragon's breath, it was rather comfortable.

"Okay," I said, breaking the silence. "We finished the tree that you wanted done so badly. So, bed?" I looked at Sock hopefully, but he squinted at me, all serious.

In response to that, I made the most ridiculous face I'd ever made.

I saw the struggle, then, finally, he burst out laughing.

"Whooat?" I questioned.

He reached up and shoved me away playfully.

I went full-on dramatic and stumbled backwards onto the couch. He was just regaining his composure when I widened my eyes and huffed loudly, putting a hand over my chest.

"I am offended."

"Of course you are. That's you're round-the-clock mood, isn't it?" Sock paused and squinted at the floor. "Wait. No. It's apathy."

"Yeah, and what's your's? General psychopathy?"

"I prefer liveliness."

~

It turns out, I wasn't the only one tired.

The moment I convinced Sock to get into the bed, he was out like a candle thrown in a lake. Not only that, but let me tell you - he was a very clingy sleeper. I couldn't move one bit without him tightening his grip on me.

It meant a night of awkward positioning was to come. But I wasn't complaining.

When I did fall asleep, I didn't dream. I just drifted. The endless blackness was peacefully quiet, filled with nothing but silence. Calming quiet, like an old house in the summertime, like a sunny rainstorm. It made me feel like I wasn't against the world, and the world wasn't against me. And that was great.

I wasn't the slightest bit aware of anything, and I liked it that way. With the powerful feelings that swirled through my subconscious like currents in the sea, I couldn't be happier. Not a single thing could break this.

I was sure of that.

~

Uhm.

I have nothing to say for myself.

Sorry this is so late, and sorry it's not fantastic. I've been distracted by other things.

[*Moonwalks away*]