99. Lose control

Dear readers, I only have one thing to say about this chapter, that it concludes the day from the previous chapter. Everything takes place on the same evening and night. However, we return to another character from further back as this chapter starts in StrangerVille, where Allan is in the middle of big challenges.

*****

Evening in StrangerVille

Allan looks angrily at the contents of the pot while he adds a little more liquid to the stew. It’s been one hell of a day.

He hadn’t even relieved the pressure in his bladder after a night’s sleep before his morning started with an unpleasant surprise.

The toilet bowl was filled with new offshoots of the unruly growths that had invaded their sewer system.

He was disgusted by their sweet stench. It almost made him vomit.

There was no other option but to remove them once again, although he considered finding a bush instead to relieve the pressure.

Well, considering the open landscape, it was probably a wise decision. There’s no need to draw excessive attention to their presence.

Allan shakes his head angrily. He can feel his mind clouding over. Everyone in this area has more or less been infected with this toxic air, so who can you trust?

The military seem quite infected, so beyond his own platoon he no longer dares to share any information with the local soldiers.

He has bought some tiny eavesdropping sensors at Erwin’s kiosk, which he has managed to place unseen on random points of interest.

As long as he kindly listens to their babbling about their wonderful mother, they are quite easy to distract.

Later that day, he has visited the local library in the hope of finding some useful information.

He knows Alice would love a place like this, but the sight of the endless shelves with books stresses him out. Where does he even begin?

By chance, he meets a scientist who, somewhat hesitantly, provides some information about the laboratory’s layout.

Just to be safe, he secretly places a sensor on her.

As Allan prepares to leave, the scientist calls him back.

“You should definitely put on an airtight suit before you go down into the lab basement. Prepare for the worst and take care,” she says kindly.

Allan kindly thanks her for the information.

The scientist seems to have more on her mind, but now Allan receives a text message from his superior.

“Sorry, but duty calls.” he says and leaves.

When he gets home to their lodgings he finds a sealed envelope in the mailbox.
It is a message from the Grand Marshal. He has decided to expand their group.

Allan grunts in annoyance as he adds some salt to the stew.

He would never dare to speak against his respected superior, but he can already sense that this expansion is going to cost him a lot of trouble.

He knows private Mooney from the home barracks. He knows she’s sporty and ambitious with a tendency to overachieve. He could have been assigned a worse soldier.

Unfortunately, has he also experienced firsthand that she and Private Duvall have something going on. This may mean that she lets herself be distracted from her obligations.

When he received her, he found it necessary to outline some rules….”Here I expect obedience and that you prioritize your duty before everything else.”

“Certainly Sir. I look forward to serving and fighting evil.” she said.

The thought of his home country doesn’t put him in a better mood.

He misses Andy’s cheerful baby babbling and he has a sneaking suspicion of what Alice might be up to in his absence. That damn jealousy will never leave him in peace.

In his own thoughts, Allan continues his way towards the dining table.

He has spent several hours this afternoon eavesdropping on what the microphones have picked up of his subjects’ conversations. It didn’t give very much.

As far as the soldier is concerned, it is pure nonsense about the wonderful mother’s excellences and beauty.
The scientist seems to be much more careful to avoid topics of importance to his investigation, which meant that she only talked about everyday trivialities.

Allan’s thoughts are interrupted when he hears private Duvall giggle loudly.

He feels his irritation growing. He had foreseen that Mooney’s incorporation into the group would bring about a sloppy behavior.

“WHAT!” he shouts in annoyance as Private Kane approaches.

“Excuse me, Sir, can I have a chair?” Kane asks cautiously.

Allan replies with a short nod.

Duvall and Mooney’s obvious flirtation fuels a growing anger that threatens to make him lose control.

To avoid that from happening, he chooses to leave the focal point.

*****

He should have chosen his own bedroom because the two love-sick youngsters continue to make out in his presence, blind to the outside world.

“Damn it Duvall! Will you find something sensible to do? That is an order!” he roars.

That makes them both disappear from his field of vision immediately.

*****

The rest of his meal fortunately proceeds without interruption and Allan feels that he is slowly regaining control as he stands bent over the dishes.

He decides to do his yoga exercises to get a grip on the remaining tension in his body.

It was his superior who taught him to practice yoga. He has found it essential to controlling his anger.

He takes a deep breath into his lungs and tries to ignore the sweet stench that has gradually taken over the entire environment around him.

He hears a suspicious gurgling sound from the kitchen sink.

Breathe in, breathe out, calm and open inhalation, slowly exhale.

He stretches his body in controlled movements.

He hears Kane cursing from the kitchen and Duvall groaning with exertion on the weight bench.

Stay focused. He lets all extraneous sounds pass and concentrates on his exercises.

Taylor grits his teeth and removes the disgusting growths. This place gives him the creeps.

Ezra and Hallie sneak into the kitchen behind Allan’s back. Allan can hear them whispering.

Concentrate now.

“You guys should be careful,” Taylor says, looking uneasily at their superior.

“If he asks, we’ll be out patrolling the area.” says Ezra.

“Hush, he can hear you.” Taylor whispers, but upon closer inspection it fortunately looks like their superiors don’t notice anything.

*****

Ten minutes later

Where Allan was previously able to focus despite background noise, he is now disturbed by a deafening silence.

A disturbing thought about where his team went causes him to end his training.

It can be revealed that none of them are on patrol….

Tayler looks like he’s unsure whether he should intervene and encourage Ezra and Hallie to go somewhere else, ….or maybe he just wants to be in Ezra’s place?

Whatever is stirring in his mind, he no longer thinks about it when their superior suddenly appears at the door.

Silently as a shadow, he disappears. He feels no need to be a witness to what’s coming next.

This time Allan loses the last bit of self-control and his anger erupts in full force….

“Duvall! Mooney! Damn you two incompetent, horny scumbags. Weren’t you on your way out on patrol? … Mooney! Go to the dummy …Duvall! GO ON PATROL!! That’s an order, NOW!!!” he roars loudly.

Hallie quickly disappears without a word.

Ezra looks startled into his superior’s evil eyes…”S-s-sorry Sir. I’m on my way.” he stutters, which doesn’t make the sergeant’s eyes look any less terrifying.

It takes less than five minutes for the young privates to start their patrol.

In the background, they can still hear the sergeant’s outbursts of rage.

Hallie gives the dummy some solid punches. You can only imagine who she sees before her inner gaze.

Over time, Allan’s rage subsides and he stares silently at the young privates marching towards the center of the town.

He has betrayed his Grand Marshal’s confidence. This is not the kind of leadership he taught him.

His composure and his dignity. Everything he has gained over the past months he is about to lose to this damn town.

*****

San Myshuno

Fatima looks out the window as she heads towards the dining table. It is getting dark.

She’s been working on finishing a website for a client most of the day. Now she’s found some leftovers in the fridge.

She wonders when Elijah will be home.

She has just finished her meal when he comes through the door.

“Hi Fatima! I’ll go straight to the fridge. I’m starving,” he says.

She gets up to do the dishes and he settles down comfortably in an armchair.

He watches her as she washes the dishes. Then his gaze falls on Ambrosius…

He wonders what the cat is up to? He has developed a strange habit of staring straight into the walls.

“Even your leftovers taste wonderful, Fatima,” he says, taking a deep breath of the spicy contents of the bowl.

“Well thanks Elijah, you flatter me. To speak of something else, how was your training? Did you and Marcus have fun together?” Fatima asks.

“Actually, Marcus didn’t show up, but I met another fellow from the Powerhouse club. Don Lothario. He insisted on being my coach.”

“Oh, I know Don. He’s a notorious debauched womanizer,” laughs Fatima.

“Debauched? That’s probably the last thing I’ll call him. I would say emotionally detached,” says Elijah.

“I hear you’re not a woman,” Fatima concludes.

*****

When Fatima makes signs to leave the room, Elijah gets up to stop her with a kiss.

“That guy Don, how closely do you know him?” he asks.

Fatima stops and watches him in surprise. “I would say, close enough to say you don’t have to worry about him,” she replies.

“I get the feeling you two have a past?” he says.

“I assume you have a past too, Elijah?…As for Don, he was just a butterfly fluttering by.”

“Touché!” he says with a wry smile.

“How about we deal with the present? I’ll say you need a bath and I can give you a scrub.” Fatima suggests.

“What man would be able to refuse such a proposal?” he says with a big smile.

The slightly tense atmosphere has disappeared when he follows her into the bathroom.

It certainly looks like Fatima is making sure to scrub him thoroughly….As they say, when the end is good, all is good.

*****

StrangerVille

When the young privates are out of the sergeant’s sight, Ezra stops.

“What’s up Ezra?” Taylor says as he approaches.

“The Sergeant Minor. I’d say we should file a complaint against him. He’s turned into an insane bully. I feel like I’m being mugged.” says Ezra

“Oh?! Yeah, I see….I assume he’s under a lot of pressure.” Taylor replies.

“I don’t understand you defending him. I saw him yelling at you for no reason,” Ezra says, not understanding.

“This town is driving us all nuts. These disgusting plants growing in the water pipes and the polluted air…..You don’t seem to notice because you have your head buried in Hallie all the time. You guys should be more careful. It seems to piss him off,” Taylor says.

“I really thought you would back me up. I think he’s an emotionless psychopath who despises the thought of love. I assume no woman wants him.” Ezra says morosely.

“I agree he’s going way over the line, but we’re still on a serious mission, Ezra…although I don’t know what it’s all about,” Taylor says.

*****

While the young private soldiers discuss whether or not to report their superior, Allan has traveled to the sealed laboratory.

He needs some plant spores so his contacts among the scientists can develop a filter for his hazmat suit.

So far he has only been able to collect a few near their lodgings. The scientists mentioned that he needs huge amounts of spores to develop an antidote, which means that at this rate it will take him months to get there.

He looks at the scanner as it emits some strong signals.

As he moves it over the ground in circular motions, he suddenly sees the plant spores light up one by one.

It looks like he has finally started searching in the right place.

*****

Oasis Springs

Valentino sits on the edge of Don’s bed, looking at him thoughtfully.

“Don’t you ever get tired of running?” he says.

“I like running. It keeps me occupied,” Don replies.

“I came to ask if you’d like to join me at the Rattlesnake Juice bar. Just for a change,” Valentino asks.

“Well, I guess I can take a break, so let’s have a single,” Don replies.

*****

A little later we find them outside the bar.

“It’s night!” Don says, a little surprised as he has lost all sense of time.

“You’ve been running for hours.” Valentino replies.

“Well now that we’re here, let’s go inside.” Don says.

Don walks into the bar feeling at home. It’s certainly not his first time ind the Rattlesnake Juice bar.

He has a lot of memories here, both with Rasmus and the Powerhouse club, as well as quite a few memories of casual female acquaintances he picked up here.

He doesn’t want to think about the latter right now, so he quickly orders his favorite drink and sits down to wait for Valentino.

Speaking of female acquaintances, it may seem like Valentino is a bit late.

He is an old libertine, which is one of the reasons why he can quite easily relate to what Don is struggling with.

Don lets his thoughts wander as the bartender pours his drink.

His thoughts fall back on Rasmus.

Their friendship actually began after a wet night with the Powerhouse Club members at this place.

Rasmus had spent the night, sleeping in his drunken state on a bench outside, and that’s where Don found him on his way home the next morning.

Don takes a sip of his sparkling water.

He may have quite a few things to contend with, but alcohol is not on his list of temptations.

He really thought Rasmus was a strange guy, but at the same time he had developed sympathy for him and therefore took him under his wing to teach him a little about how life should be lived.

How little he knew when it came down to it. To be honest, he had actually been clueless about life himself, and it later turned out that Rasmus was far more capable of finding his own path than he had himself. Such a cocky idiot he was.

Don looks philosophically into the half-empty glass and begins to wonder what is keeping Valentino.

Valentino still seems to be captivated by his new acquaintance.

When a guy next to him at the bar strikes up a conversation, Don decides to leave. He’s not really in the mood.

As he stands up, a crowd of people comes through the entrance. It’s a celebrity and her entourage of admirers.

He recognizes Brytani Cho and she clearly recognizes him from his award ceremony.
She gives him a flirtatious, insightful wink. Maybe she still thinks he’s a man with important connections? He should definitely leave now before he gets into more trouble.

At the last moment, his escape is thwarted by Valentino, who suddenly stands in front of him.

Hey, Don, sorry for the delay. I got caught up in an interesting conversation. Let’s take a seat,” he says.

“Well I’ll give a drink. What will it be?” Valentino says cheerfully.

“Actually I’ve already had my drink so I’m covered for now.” Don says seriously.

“Oh!? I really apologize for that,” Valentino says in surprise.

“Well, let’s talk then. You seem remarkably withdrawn. Are those dream visions still bothering you?” Valentino asks.

“No, I…..I am sorry Valentino, I’m not really in the mood tonight, so I will have to move on,” Don replies.

Don quickly exits through a back exit.

The truth is that the thought of Delphine keeps knocking on his mind….

Valentino seems to have decided on a festive evening, so Don will probably be left alone for the rest of the night.

While Valentino offers the ladies a drink, Don continues to run away from his own shadow.

*****

Brindleton Bay

The sky is pitch black when Tusnelda is back on earth. She looks up in the direction of Sixam, which is of course impossible to see with the naked eye. She wonders how long she has been gone.

It has been an eventful journey. She has forgotten her helmet up there, but she has come to realize that this kind of equipment is completely unnecessary for future visits to the planet.

She goes into the living room where Martin is hunched over the computer. He is probably researching some opposing teams.

“Hi Martin, what are you doing?” she asks.

He turns to her when he notices her in the room.

“Hey sweetie. Just the usual…..You look like you’ve been on a space trip? Good to see you back safely,” he says calmly.

Despite his calm exterior, he’s never quite at ease with Tusnelda’s travels in space, but he’s learned to live with it as an inevitable part of her personality.

“Yes, that was quite interesting…. You really don’t need to worry. I’m always safe,” she retorts…which is actually a truth with moderation, as she once barely survived a serious crash.

“Speaking of your alien friends, I got a surprising proposal today. A young alien told me I was assigned to impregnate her.” laughs Martin.

“What!? When did that happen? I clearly told her it’s not going to happen.” Tusnelda exclaims in shock.

“What have you done, Tusnelda?” Martin asks, frowning.

“Nothing! I haven’t done anything. It’s the crazy aliens who draw completely wrong conclusions. I said no! I told them not to touch you. You have to believe me Martin!” she shouts, upset.

“Calm down sweetie. I believe you.” he says, walking towards her.

“I really haven’t said anything, Martin,” she repeats quietly.

“Hey sweetie. I’m fine. No harm done.” he says, holding her.

“I’m glad you are.” Tusnelda says and hugs him back.

“I’m going to talk to Ove from the Space Cutters. He’ll have to clean up this mess.” she says.

“I really don’t understand what’s going on, but let it be…. What do you say to taking a hot bath and in between I can make some late dinner for both of us?” Martin says in his familiar calm way.

“That sounds really nice Martin. We can talk over food. I have some really exciting news to share.” replies Tusnelda.

“It sounds to me like we have a lot to talk about.” Martin says and leaves.

Tusnelda remains standing and follows him with her eyes.

She loves him indescribably and she won’t let anyone mess with him. He is a down-to-earth man and will never become part of the alien world.

She walks towards the bathroom and her gaze is caught by their wedding picture.

He is her solid rock. It feels so safe to be back on earth with him again. She will do everything to make sure it always stays that way.

*****

San Myshuno

Jade and Marcus have stopped by the Casbah Gallery on their way home.

They stand together looking at Elijah’s Aphrodite poster…. “It’s a stunning dress,” sighs Jade.

You look really beautiful in that dress, but doesn’t it mean bad luck to show your future husband the wedding gown before the wedding?

“Marcus you fool! Of course I can’t wear that dress. It’s already been revealed to the whole community.”

“Yes, of course. Who is going to help you find your wedding dress?” he asks.

“Elijah has promised to find a selection of dresses and dress me up. He has pretty good style, you know… He’ll also help me do my hair.”

“It sounds like you’re the best hands.” Marcus says smoothly, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

There was a time when Jade couldn’t mention Elijah without him freaking out, but that’s in the past now since he and Elijah became friends…. Besides, he knows that Fatima is the only woman who matters to Elijah.

“I’m pretty relieved you’re not going to the hairdresser who did Fatima’s hair. I hate to see you with pink spiked hair.” he says cheerfully.

“Gosh Marcus! Who do you take me to be,” Jade says upset.

“Let’s have that drink,” he says, smoothing over.

*****

They both sit down at the Gallery’s empty bar and order their drinks.

It’s at the last minute as the bartender is closing for the night.

Marcus takes a big sip from his glass. He’s done pretty well today, but is always a little wary of upsetting her. It exhausts him.

Jade looks at him. “I didn’t mean it that way,” she says.

He answers her with a grunt.

“Let’s not argue Marcus. You’ve been really attentive today.” she says.

He looks at her as she takes a sip of her drink. So she has noticed?

“How about I give you a nice massage when we get home?” he asks.

“That would be really nice Marcus. I’m looking forward to it,” she says.

Let’s assume that the rest of the night continues for them without any further disagreements.

*****

StrangerVille

Meanwhile, Allan has continued to scan the area around the laboratory.

The plant spores light up everywhere on the ground, making his search easy.

Once he has cleared one area, he moves on to the next.

There is no sound in the night except the hum and crackle of the scanner. All sounds of wild animals seem to have died out. The area is indeed abandoned by all living creatures except the alien-like plants.

Allan looks out over the area at another harvest of pink fluorescent plant spores.

Now he just has to collect them one by one.

He lets out a howl of joy.

For the first time this day, he gets a feeling that brighter times are ahead.

*****

Willow Creek

Alice has been working on her new novel most of the evening. With a sigh, she reluctantly lets herself be interrupted when she hears Andy whimper. The nanny left a little over an hour ago.

Andy has been playing quietly in the background with his toys for more than an hour, but now he crawls towards his mother to get attention.

She should be grateful for his gentle, calm nature.

“I think it’s time for your night snack and bedtime,” she says kindly.

Andy looks skeptically at the chair.

He would prefer a baby bottle, but his mother believes that he sleeps better after eating solid food.

He sends his mother an inquisitive look.

It looks like rice porridge….It is acceptable after all.

He eagerly opens his mouth wide.

To his disappointment, he realizes that she is offering him mashed potatoes.

He spits out the food in annoyance and starts crying.

“Please Andy. Don’t be so dismissive. I can’t offer you anything else until I buy new supplies,” Alice exclaims in annoyance.

Andy is crying heartbreakingly and rubbing his eyes.

Why can’t he have his baby bottle?

Alice takes him in her arms and looks lovingly into his eyes. She’s a little ashamed that she didn’t pay him any attention before he got to tired.

“Sorry baby, I got caught up in my writing. You are such a sweet boy. Let me put you to bed.”

He’s still sniffling from crying as she carries him towards his room.

However, he stops crying when he feels the mattress embrace him. He really needs to sleep.

He curls up and reaches for one of his feet to hold on to it. It comforts him and makes him feel less alone.

Alice is already heading towards the living room, sure he will be asleep soon. He is such a calm and gentle child.

She finds some leftovers in the fridge. She suddenly feels tired. She should go to bed and pause writing. She came home late this morning from The Narwhal Arms. She can feel the hangover from too many drinks, and… well, that too.

She feels a little uneasy when she thinks about what happened this night. She has so many regrets. She hopes Allan never finds out. She’s sure he won’t be able to forgive her once again.

*****

StrangerVille

The roots of the supernatural plants in StrangerVille emit a purple fluorescent light into the darkness of the night.

The laboratory is almost hidden in the darkness, but the light behind a window reveals that the building is not completely abandoned. .

Allan has managed to collect a large amount of plant spores and is now taking a short coffee break to gather energy.

It’s a pretty good and tasty coffee so he sends a kind thought to the scientists and soldiers who left the coffee bags in the cupboard when they cleared the building.

He assumes that coffee is not considered significant evidence. Since it was stored in airtight containers, he considers it to be harmless to drink.

The night is as black as the coffee in the mug. In front of the building stand some abandoned military vehicles illuminated by floodlights. As if they have a mission to scare away potential car thieves.

Since the laboratory is hidden from the outside world in an extinct volcano crater, it is not a place you come across by chance. That a thief would venture far into the desert with the intention of stealing is almost unthinkable.

Allan has resumed his mission of collecting plant spores. He is not entirely sure what it will take for scientists to develop a vaccine, but he wants to make sure he has collected enough.

Right now, things are going great.

*****

Willow Creek

Alice has just finished washing the dishes when she hears a light knock on the door.

Gosh! What is he doing here?

She considers for a moment whether to ignore him but then thinks it will be too awkward when they meet again. He must have already seen her through the frosted glass in the door.

Maybe Matt is also having some second thoughts because he is about to leave the house when he hears the door open.

“Hi Matt! I can’t let you in,” she says.

“It’s okay. I just came by to make sure we’re still good friends,” he says.

“How did you find where I live?” she asks.

“I’m a craftsman. I go everywhere and have a lot of contacts. Finding a woman with blue hair wasn’t that hard,” he replies.

“I can’t let you in,” she repeats.

“It’s okay. I’m not interested in a committed relationship, but I like you and want to make sure we understand each other and follow the same rules. I don’t want to crush any unintentional dreams.” he says.

“We perfectly understand each other! I love knowing we are on the same page,” she enthuses.

“That sounds perfect. I will probably see you around then,” he says.

They embrace each other before he leaves, as if to seal their agreement.

*****

Alice can’t help but smile after he leaves. Her blood is rushing through her veins and she feels very alive.

This is so great. She knows Matt is pretty outgoing and probably has quite a few affairs, but he’s considerate and sweet. She likes him and fortunately she doesn’t have to fear crushing his dreams either.

She quickly changes into her nightgown and crawls under the covers. She has quite a bit of sleep to catch up on.

Even in her sleep, she doesn’t stop smiling.

*****

San Myshuno

Ambrosius approaches Fatima, who is struggling with pipe wrenches over the kitchen sink.

“Sometimes I think this water pipe is haunted,” she mutters in annoyance.

Ambrosius tries to lie down next to her.

He is suddenly hit by a jet of water, which causes him to move.

Offended, he sits down with his back to the room.

Fatima has now managed to stop the leak and she starts wiping the floor with vigorous movements.

Elijah comes into the room and picks Ambrosius up in his arms to comfort him.

He stands with the cat in his arms and watches Fatima. He can never get tired of looking at her.

*****

Shortly after, they get ready to go to bed.

Fatima snuggles up to Elijah.

“You’re staring at me,” she smiles.

“Nah, I’m just thinking….I am grateful to be the man you chose,” he says.

“Does the thought of Don still bother you? she says, stroking his cheek.

“No, not at all.” he sleepily mumbles.

“You’re a bad liar Elijah, but don’t worry. Don means nothing. I will always choose you,” she says gently.

He answers her with a comfortable mumble and a little after a light snore.

Soon they are both sleeping safely in each other’s arms.

*****

Oasis Springs

Don has been running for hours and is now approaching Valentino’s house.

His aching muscles have prevented him from thinking, while he has stubbornly driven himself forward.

Forward to what?

He is about to run past his lodgings but turns around.

He sits down heavily on the bench. Every muscle in his body hurts, but no matter how hard he runs, he can’t control the memories from flooding back.

The first time he saw her, she was standing with some other locals by a bonfire on the beach in Sulani.

He and Rasmus had been on a deserted beach the whole day and Rasmus had teased him that he hadn’t flirted with a single woman all day.

Maybe he felt he had something to catch up on so he started showing off. It gives him such a thrill when a woman looks at him and in front of him was a whole line of women.

However, when she came right up to him and looked him in his eyes, he completely calmed down.

He immediately felt recognized and he lost instantly the desire to show off because it seemed unnecessary.

They stood looking at each other for an eternity.

Later she invited him into her home

He has never before or since made love to a woman like her.

He has never held a woman so divine in his arms. He wished he had held on to her and never let her go.

But he got scared. Afraid of his own vulnerability. Afraid of falling into the abyss.

He tried to apologize and tell her she shouldn’t cry over him, but she had seen through him. He was such a chicken. Such an idiot.

To restore his manhood and self-image, he seduced another woman. Nalani, who today recognized him at the Harbor Quarter Gym.

He should have learned by now. A lie cannot be suppressed but will catch up with you sooner or later

He wishes he could go back and find her.

Tell her how precious she is and how he really feels. Do the right thing…..

Who is he trying to fool? He would never dare. What a wreck he is.

He gets up from the bench and walks into the house.

He is in the middle of the abyss. Everything he thought he was, he is about to lose. Unable to see how he can move forward and unable to turn back.

He continues into the room he now calls his home.

There are so many photos on the wall from his and Rasmus’ trip to Sulani. Perhaps he should take them down so as not to be reminded of his pain.

In front of him, the bed beckons with oblivion.

He gratefully lets himself be embraced by the quilt

He sighs deeply and surrenders to sleep.

*****

He finds her in his dreams, more attracted to her than ever.

*****

A lot has happened in this chapter. Maybe mostly on the inner level. It can be frightening to discover that one’s firm foundation is being threatened. It affects most humans emotionally even when they think it doesn’t.
I have chosen this cover song because I love the sensitivity Lusiant sings it with and because it may relate to more than one person in this chapter.

Enjoy