Reality of Daydreams

Coffee and Guilt

As I entered the brightly lit house I began to remember the blackout and Cyrus with his little electric lantern. Closing the door behind me I felt myself begin to forget where I had been this whole time and whether or not it had all been a hallucination from wearing thin clothes in the cold Spring. A puddle had formed under my feet as I grabbed a towel from a pile of clean laundry on the floor awaiting holding. As I wrapped myself in the warmth I noticed something out of place. I jumped back as I realized Cyrus had been looking around the front hallway and into the kitchen at me. 

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" I yelled hoping to hid my fearful and shaking self with anger. He walked into the kitchen and swung onto a chair supporting his weight with the top of the table and backside of the chair. He had a goofy grin on his face, showing off his young crooked teeth. "I scared you didn't I?" I looked at him as though looking at a modern art. Confused and worried for the sanity of whoever made it. "Well, I wanted to get back at you for disappearing like a jerk! But it was pretty fun being by myself... with a pantry... full of food..." He had another grin, but I couldn't see it. I wasn't processing it properly. Disappeared. Did I? When? I pushed the thoughts away to a question that seemed more important. "Are they home yet?" I asked referring to our parents and the rest of the kids. Cyrus shook his head. "Not yet, I'm pretty sure the phones are done from all that crashing outside I heard." I heaved a heavy sigh. "I guess we better stay up then-" I said only to be interrupted by a yawn.

"It's ok, I made myself some coffee after the generator kicked in, you can go to bed," Cyrus said after moving all his blankets and pillows from his room into the family room. I yawned again, blinking back my heavy eyelids. "I'm too tired to tell you that coffee will stunt your growth and is bad for you so late into the night, but I'll take that offer..." I leaned against the pillows covering the brick fireplace. "Try to wake me when they get back..." I was back asleep, completely exhausted although I had only gone to work and walked home. Last checking it was 2 or 3 in the morning. Normally I could stay up longer and later than that, so why am I so tired.

***

I heard a scuffling of movement nearby. I opened my eyes slowly against the lights of the family room as I finally peered into the kitchen. Elli was making pancakes I concluded seeing the mix and pan out. As I readjust my position I notice that I couldn't feel my arm. At all. Moving it, without senses, I brought it out from under the blanket which had not been there when I fell asleep. It was limp but ridged in an unnerving way. I must have slept on it wrong for the whole thing to have fallen asleep so completely. Pulling my right arm, which I could still feel, out from under the blanket I began to massage my other arm. The whole while feeling a strange tingling sensation. I stiffened a laugh or cry of panic when Elli finally noticed me.

"How long were you up with Cyrus?" She called out over the sizzling breakfast.

"I don't know, what time did you guys finally get back?" I asked still rubbing my arm patiently.

"Dad made us stopped at a hotel so now we're short a couple hundred dollars," I could sense her looking over at the clock on the oven. "We got home maybe half an hour ago, so about 10- 10:15 ish." 

I stopped with my arm now giving my full attention to Elli. "Where's Cyrus?" I was met with a sigh. "When we came in he was asleep by a cup of coffee so dad panicked and is getting him checked out."

I felt a surge of guilt whelm up inside me.

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A/N

Coffee is not bad obviously, it's just that when an already normally hyper 11 years old thinks they gotta drink gobs of the stuff... it's not good... (no, @Koala_of_Light, I am not intentionally preaching to you! GET OVER YOURSELF!!!! XD )

(I actually felt guilty even writing this part so I guess I'm trying to make up for something.)

Gotta sleep! Hopefully, school is canceled tomorrow!

Nighty Night!!  Z(^_^V)Z