Arynthe's Story

Nightmares

(continuation)

I spent that night in the hut. "A huge exception," according to Tijgh. He threw some engineering tools off the bed to make space for me. 
"A bed! Such luxury!" I sighed satisfied. 

But there was a problem. A big problem that had been around for years, ever since I lost my father. I didn't dare to sleep. When my father was still alive, he could've watched over me, but now I was alone. Anything could happen while I was sleeping. 

So when I laid there and the lights went out, I didn't sleep. That was probably why I heard the aliens talking in the dining room a few minutes later. 

"I still can't believe it," Wehjo said. "I really thought it was Arynthe this time."
"You still think she's coming, don't you?" Tijgh chuckled. "Man, I told you a thousand times. She's way too careful to show her face anywhere, painted or not. Anyone can recognize Arynthe."
"If all other Ashirians come here, why wouldn't she?"

I couldn't believe my ears! Was I famous? 

"Can't it be possible she lied about her name?" Wehjo asked. 
"I don't think she even knows it's all her. I think she thinks all Ashirians are hunted on the way they hunt her. I think once she discovers the power of her name, she also dies."

Well, I'm alive, I thought.

It was late and I could feel it. I knew that I had to sleep: if I wouldn't, my reflexes would get slow and I wouldn't be able to focus and many more things, but I was frightened. I couldn't know what would happen, and I certainly couldn't trust these aliens. They had different plans than they said they had. They were looking after me. 

I laid absolutely still, part of me desperately trying to get myself to sleep, the other part desperately trying to keep me awake. To end the exhausting inner debate I forced myself to breathe slowly and listen to the sounds of the night. The station's engine hummed. A computer buzzed. A few young people laughed on the promenade. But Wehjo and Tijgh were silent. Suspiciously silent. 

I dragged my heavy body up and stumbled to the door. Out, out! I had to get out! But I fell against the door before it slid open. But wait. It didn't slide open at all. The door was locked. I knew it! I started banging on the door, screaming... 

Then I fell. It took me a moment to realize that I had fallen out of the bed. It was all a nightmare. I wasn't locked. To prove that, the door slid open and Wehjo came in, looking down at me with a concerned expression on his face.

"You okay?"
I nodded and hopped back onto the bed. "Just had a nightmare, nothing more."
"Quite some nightmare," Wehjo said. "You screamed like you were getting murdered."
"Is that so special?" I asked. "Aren't there more Ashirians that have nightmares? I'd say we have plenty material."
"Meh. Some Ashirians don't sleep at all, most others all have their own way to avoid nightmares."

I felt my fingers clench around the edge of the bed. Only me. And would've been possible to not sleep at all. Arynthe, you've ruined years of your life once again, I thought, but my face was an emotionless mask.

"Don't sleep at all?" I asked. "How exactly does that work?"

I'll spare you the details. It was that night that I first tried the drug that I didn't even know the name of back then. Later I came to know it was called "fjouki". Please, do me and my friend Zad a favour, and don't ever even touch it.