Sleepwalking - Chapter Five

How silly. The thought kept nagging at her. Why would she be imagining either of the boys would be dead? She loved both the boys, Billy as a friend and Patrick as her future husband. The thought wasn't just silly. It was frightening. The boys were fine and she would see them both at school today.

Maybe it was her sister. No! Nothing had happened to that great family and she didn't know why the idea wouldn't leave her alone.

She had woken up to the idea that Patrick had been killed in a car accident, but she knew it was just a thought, not a fact. She would go to school and see him and they would both have a big laugh over it.

But it wouldn't leave her alone. She kept thinking that it would be better if it was one of Kim's other siblings. Even Billy would be better than it being Patrick. Anyone else. Maybe Kim's father died. Maybe no one had been killed. How ridiculous! Everyone is fine. She would start thinking of her Science Fair entry that would infuriate her as it had been doing lately and she would forget all about that stupid idea. Later that afternoon, she would be making out with Patrick at the locker and she would feel as ridiculous as the need for a sympathy card for this gorgeous young man who was going to marry her and father her children and who was killed this morning on the road in a snow storm. Aaaaah! No!!! No!!! What was wrong with her!?!

"Joey. Joey!" Her husband was standing over her shaking her arm. "Wake up. The kids are having breakfast already. And who's Patrick? Anyone I should worry about?"

"I wish I knew. Not only could I walk in this one, I was in my teens and this drop dead gorgeous guy and I were making out. Of course, you had to wake me up just then. You never let me have any fun."

"Well, if I knew you were having fun in these dreams of yours, I would have woken you up sooner. They haven't stopped yet, huh? You should see a doctor."

"Oh, pish-posh. I'm sleeping, at least. It beats insomnia. Besides, Patrick's got a nice set of abs."

"If you wanted a six-pack, I could just pick one up at the store on the way home."

"Six-pack? It's more like a six-pack and a bottle of tequila. This guy is built." As Joey settled into her chair, she winced, trying to move her toes.

"You okay? You gave us a good scare last night."

"You think you were scared? Actually, I've fallen enough times to know what's at the bottom, so I don't know why I screamed. Sorry I woke the house up, but I'm glad you got here as quick as you did. My toes still hurt."

"No problem. Just call me before you fall and I'll help you into your chair. It would be less painful."

"The hell I will. The doctors said the day will come when I won't be able to do what little I can do by myself -- BY MYSELF. I'll be damned if I'm gonna ask for help one second sooner than I have to."

"Suit yourself." He leaned over to kiss her, taking one last sip of coffee and one more kiss. "I'm late. Gotta go. You need anything?"

"No. I'm all set. Thanks again. Drive carefully, and call me when you get to the office."

Looking puzzled by his wife's request, he shrugged, "Will do. You keep your lips off that guy."

"I'm gonna have to. I think he's dead."

"Your kisses aren't all that now," The man laughed as his wife tried to hit him with the pillow and he left the room.

By the time she was clean, dressed, and got to the kitchen, her children were just finishing breakfast. "I'm sorry guys. Your father didn't wake me up in time. It's all his fault and you make sure you tell him that when you see him." She gave and got kisses from her children as they left the table, with her oldest rising to clear it off, "How do you feel?"

"A little soar. Thanks for your help."

"Did you visit the dirty house again? Dad said you were rambling on about something in your sleep."

"Yeah, I was there again, but not as me and they cleaned the house. They must have heard I've been dropping in at night. I guess the woman who lives there is supposed to be some sort of neat freak usually."

"Mom, you're starting to weird me out. You do know that these are just dreams, right?"

Joey just gave her daughter a stern look and continued, "Anyway, the room is actually quite beautiful with a little cleaning and some sort of spray. We'll have to research it, but can you actually smell things in your dreams?"

"I don't see why not. I wake up to the smell of coffee after dreaming of drinking a cup in a dream."

"No, I don't mean a real smell that you sense while dreaming. I mean a dreamed smell."

"What did you smell?"

"Well, I didn't smell it, the person in my dream was smelling cleanser of some sort. Or at least that's what he was complaining about to his mother, but it smelled like smoke to me. I was rather relieved after waking up to find the house wasn't on fire."

"He? You were a guy this time?"

"Yeah, a really cute one."

"Cool. The smoke must have been the food."

"Oh, did your father burn breakfast again?"

"No, actually it was pretty good. That house was so clean, you smelled cleanser?"

"Sort of. He smelled cleanser. I smelled smoke. It's weird."

"You've got that right." Joey's other daughter Frankie entered the room. "You guys are talking about those weird-ass dreams AGAIN?"

"You didn't mind talking about nothing but dreams when you were having them!" Her sister seemed annoyed.

In an effort to calm her daughters down before a fight ensued, Joey joked with her teenagers, "I can see being jealous of my life being more interesting when I'm unconscious than yours is when you're wide awake, so I won't provoke you further and bring you to school which is where the conversation is always interesting and never repetitious and where you would obviously rather be.

Simultaneous groans were heard as mother and children exited the kitchen.