𝑺𝑳𝑬𝑬𝑷𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑫𝑬𝑳𝑰𝑽𝑬𝑹𝒀 , reddie

night 1

after eddies mother died brutally in a car crash, eddie hasn't been able to sleep alone since.

he had been in the car with her, suffocating smoke filling his lungs. it was a horrible memory he wished to forget.

his aunt would normally lie with him until he fell asleep, telling him stories and singing to him softly.

the issue is, this week his aunt was going on vacation. eddie dreaded being alone during the night, he would have nightmares that wake him up in cold sweat, he would have to grab his aspirator from his bedside table.

his friend bill told him about a company called sleeping delivery. apparently bills cousin had just started working there.

"what do they do?" eddie had asked, his voice quiet and tired.

"help puh-people with i-in-insomnia sle-eep."

"help people sleep?" eddie repeated bills words, a little nervously.

"all the delivery a-agents are m-men. they v-visit your huh-ouse and stay w-with you till you fuh-fall aslee-eep."

"all men?" eddie didn't want to seem weary and hesitant but.. he was.

"my c-cousin said they s-sign a contract for suh-safety and pruh-pruh-privacy reasons when they s-start their s-service."

eddie fiddled with the bottom of his shirt.

"but still... calling a guy into an empty house." eddie didn't want to think about the creeps out there.

"juh-just take the business card a-at least."

and that was it. no more arguing.

of course eddie was sceptical at first, why would he let anyone into his house, they would just leave germs everywhere. let alone a complete stranger. they could be a pervert or a robber.

but as the night got later, eddies anxiety about sleeping alone got worse. he thought about the nightmares and insomnia and then decided he would call 'sleeping delivery' and wait for someone to come help him sleep.

"eddie! what do you think you're doing?" he said out loud, groaning.

he lied down for a while, taking more sleeping pills than usual. but it didn't work.

'i'm alone in this world'

then he signed up for the app without any thought, typing in his address and his name, looking at the options for agents that could help him sleep.

he called immediately, watching as his request for the sleeping delivery boy went through and was expected.

'maybe i should cancel'

eddie bit his nails and paced around.

minutes later and the agent is already on his way. eddie is still pacing, running his hands through his hair and worrying.

'you can't turn back now'

how long had it been...
there were now footsteps, walking right outside.

'the delivery agent..'

knock, knock, knock

eddie walked to the door, nerves rising in his stomach. he took a quick look through the peephole and saw a boy standing there in a school uniform. coke bottle glasses framed his messy hair.

that's..

'that's our school uniform..'

eddie didn't realize it from the picture on the website but now he could tell, plain as day, it was derry high schools uniform.