The Silenced Drummer

Chapter 14: A Nightmare

Ringo did not know where he was, or how he got there.

All around him was darkness. 

It was so cold that his breath could be seen, but for some reason, it didn't bother him.

His footsteps did not echo, and he did not feel anything solid around him.He looked around, nervous. He opened his mouth to speak, but no vibrations were felt and no words were formed.

Remembering why he couldn't speak, Ringo closed his mouth.

Suddenly, a sound echoed throughout the area, causing Ringo to freeze.

Laughter.

Ringo looked around, not seeing anything.

The laughing became louder, as if the source was coming closer to him.

"And we thought that George was the quiet one!" A harsh voice shouted over the laughing.

"I always knew that Pete was a better one anyway!"

"He never sang, so what's the point!"

The unfamiliar voices, seething with malice, continued to yell. Ringo felt the air grow thicker with each moment. He fell to his knees and began to cry.

Or, at least, tried to cry.

He couldn't do so much as whimper as the tears cascaded down his face. He covered his face as the voices became louder.

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Ringo shot up from the bed, taking in a sharp breath.

Upon remembering where he was, he looked around the dark hotel room, spotting George sleeping next to him.

The guitarist was facing away from him, preventing Ringo from seeing his face.

Panting, Ringo quietly got up from the bed and went over to the bathroom, quietly closing the door.

He turned on the bathroom light and walked over the sink. Looking in the mirror, the scar on his neck caught his eye, though this time, he had gotten used to the shock.

Tearing his eyes away from it, he looked down at the white shiny sink and turned the faucet on so that warm water was emitting from it.

He lowered his head, closed his eyes, and began to splash his face with the water, trying to clean the sand out of his eyes.

'I should have known that something like that would happen,' he thought

After a minute, he turned the faucet off and grabbed a hand towel to dry his face. 

'Well, hopefully none of them awoke yet,' he thought as he put the wet towel in the hamper.

Quickly, he turned off the light and opened the bathroom door. Taking light steps, he started to walk across the room, towards his bed.

In the darkness, he couldn't see that George was now sitting up, looking at him.

When he got to his side of the bed, George spoke.

"Ringo, I h-heard the faucet running..."

Ringo took in a sharp breath, scared by the unexpected voice. George looked at him as he laid down, covering himself with the blanket.

George sighed, laying down next to him.

"Did you h-have a nightmare?"

He could see Ringo nod. Ringo turned over to him, burying his head in his chest.

"Oh Ringo..."

George wrapped his arms around the drummer, who was staring to breathe heavily as tears formed in his eyes.

"It's okay," He said softly.

Ringo looked up at him. 

Even in the dim moonlight shining in from the window, George could see that his blue eyes were sparkling with tears as the first of them started to run down his cheeks.

They both leaned in for a kiss.