Saturday, December 10, 2005

Nightmares
Nightmares - By : Kath (12/8/05)



I didn’t like him too much. He was one of those guy that you only barely trusted but they seemed to trust you completely. Even though I may not of liked him, couldn’t mean I couldn’t watch him. He sat on the deck, his short black hair lightly blown back from his face. He always did this, always stayed out on deck, that white, form fitting tee-shirt of his clinging to his body after a hard, sweat educed workout. Those three golden earrings that pierced into his left ear always chimed together with the slight breeze and shown brightly in the mid day sun. If it was so hot out, then why did he always wear those black pants and those black boots? He never seemed to change his wardrobe. Then again, neither did I. Always the same thing, a blue dress shirt, black slacks, and a black jacket with a matching tie. Why did I constantly wear a suite? Only the God’s know that answer. I sighed deeply, concentrating back on him. I could see him clearly throughout the window over the sink. Damien would never know how much he caught my attention. He was handsome, I had to admit. Bronzed skin pulled tightly over firm muscle. Broad shoulders that gave him a defined pose. A glare that could send shivers down anyone’s spine, but a smile that could warm up the coldest of hearts.

“And to think…that rat bastard’s younger then me.” I smirked at myself, lightly shaking my head. “Come on Jeff, you’ve got to stop getting so distracted.” I scolded myself, I needed to get back to work. I continued to chop up the vegetables set in front of me. Had I forgotten to mention that I was the head chef on the ship I was them sailing on? I suppose I did, and also, Damien was the first mate. I smiled, he was younger then I was and he had a higher rank then me too. I bitterly laughed at myself. I set the vegetables off to the side, going to fix up a small dish of sliced meats. It was too damn hot outside to use the stove or the oven so I didn’t. I finished my chores quickly and then made a small dip for the vegetables. I finished within record time and decided to go lay down for a bit of a nap before dinner because I hadn’t been getting a lot of sleep in the past few weeks due to some damn nightmares that I’d been having.

I jumped down the stares to the men’s bunkroom and seeing as it was empty, I went over and laid down on the couch. I sighed deeply as I rested my head against the arm of the couch and curled up on one of my sides to try and get to sleep. Before I knew it, I had quickly dozed off.

I woke up at the sound of screams, amazed to find they were my own. My hand automatically went to my heart, trying hard to slow the fast beating muscle in vain. I panted heavily, trying to control my breathing, also in vain. I wiped my sleeve against my head to try and get some of the sweat out of my vision. I pushed my blond hair our of my face, the damn hair always would sit over my left eye and never seemed to want to move no matter how mush I tried to get it to stick. I cleaned my face with my sleeve and slowly laid back down on the couch, my hand going back to my racing heart. I wasn’t sure what time it was, but it must have been late. Damien was asleep next to me in one of the hammocks against the wall so I figured that dinner had passed and I’d just missed it. I shrugged slightly and turned back over onto my side, trying to go back to sleep for the night.

I tossed and turned for what seemed like hours at a time. Finally I sat up and rubbed my eyes lazily, getting out of bed and deciding I might as well go start breakfast. I slowly climbed up the stares to the kitchen, opening the overhead door with a slight shove of my hand and dragging myself into the galley. I started cooking, and didn’t stop cooking. When I was cooking, I lost myself in the art of it all, all the aroma’s that would pass under my nose as I cooked my food to perfection, never burning a single thing that touched the stove. Everything about it, everything about cooking, it was my life. I had grown up on the sea, wanting to be a chef and always training to become better. At the age of 19 I was known as the greatest chef on all the sea’s, and now at the age of 25, I still hold that title. I was so lost in concentration that I hadn’t even realized Damien walk in the room until he tapped me on the shoulder. I jumped, scared out of my skin and almost burnt myself against the stove top.

“What the hell!? Damien! You scared the living shit out of me!” I was angry, I never was to be interrupted when I was cooking, my first rule, and he damn well knew it.

“I just thought you could use some help is all.” his light blue eyes stared up at me, worry showing in his face and I bit my lower lip. Did I really need his help? I mean, I had been a bit self absorbed as of recent due to the fact that I didn’t want to tell anyone about my nightmares but Damien usually never talked to me, only when he had to like when we were defending the ship or something like that. It struck me as more then odd. I frowned and stared at him.

“What are you playing at?” my eyebrow raised towards my hairline in a questioning matter.

“Nothing…I just thought you could use some help or something.” he looked distracted, not looking directly at me just somewhere off to the right of my shoulder. I gave a quick glace over my shoulder just to see that all that was there was the same old pans that always hung there. I looked back at him but he still wasn’t looking at me. I sighed.

“Fine, you can wash dished if you really want to help.” he just nodded and walked over to the sink as I went back to the stove. I looked at him through the corner of my eye as he washed. He took every step slowly, as if learning how to do it perfectly. He would dip a plate into the warm, soapy water and then take a damp cloth and start rubbing at it gently, making sure to get off every single stain. Then he’d take the dry cloth and get every last drop of water off before setting it in the drying rack and moving onto the next dish. I was again distracted by him that I almost burn the stir-fry I was working on. I quickly salvaged it and put it off to the side with the rest of the food I had already managed to finish. Well, I knew one thing. The crew was going to have a big breakfast.

When breakfast was finished, I went over and started washing dishes like I always did. I had gotten about half way through the stack of newly dirtied dishes when Damien had appeared beside me, holding out a hand to take the washed dish to dry. I stared for a moment before slowly handing it to him. We cleaned in slow silence, the only thing disturbing it was before I passed every dish I would say “Damien” to warn him another dish was done. We continued like this until the last of the dishes were finished. I smiled at him in thanks after we had finished everything and I went to clean up the rest of the galley, washing the table, cleaning off the stove, and sweeping the floor. When I turned around, I realized that all of this was already done. I looked over to Damien and he just gave me a sheepish smile before quietly exiting the galley.

I smiled to myself. He was a nice enough kid, only 3 years younger then I was and he had a kind heart, even if he rarely showed it. I sat down at the table, thinking over my dreams for the past few weeks.

In my nightmares, I was running. From what was I running? I had no clue but I just kept running until I slammed into a wall I hadn’t known was there. The spot light shown down on me and I was blinded for a moment as I staggered to find my way. When I finally had gotten my sight back I was standing in a small white room, an asleep looking Damien laying in a hospital bed of some sort. I looked at the doctors standing next to his bed but they couldn’t see me I supposed. The doctor with the clipboard kept speaking to his nurse and I caught what they were saying.

“There’s no hope nurse, he’s not going to make it.” the doctor looked down, a sad expression crossing his face and the nurse burst out into tears. My eyes widened slightly as I went next to Damien’s bed. There was no way he was…that he was…no. I couldn’t believe that!

“Damien….Damien wake up!” I grabbed his shoulders and shook him but he acted as if nothing had happened, his eyes still closed and still in a sleep like trance. I could feel the tears pricking at the back of my eyes but tried to hold them back. This couldn’t be happening…he couldn’t be…couldn’t be gone…no…not possible.

“Wake up Damien! Wake up!” I cried as I shook him. “No! NO!!!” It’s then that I would wake up.

“No what?” I shook myself out of my stupor and looked over to the door where Damien was standing, a confused look in his icy blue eyes. I rubbed at my temples, the pressure of a headache building.

“It’s nothing kid, don’t worry about it.” I saw him turn to leave and stopped him. “Hey Damien…” he turned to face me.

“Yeah Jeff?” his voice was solid and real and I smiled slightly.

“You’re not going anywhere right? I mean, you’re not just going to up and kick the bucket or anything like that?” he looked at me confused for a moment but just smiles slightly.

“Don’t worry Jeff, I’m not going to go and die on you without any warning alright?” he smiled fully, his bright white teeth shown past his pale lips and it was contagious, and I found myself smiling too.

“Thanks Damien.” I said under my breath and he nodded before he turned back around and left the room. I smiled to myself as I laid my head in my pillowed arms back on the kitchen table. Maybe I could trust this kid after all.

That's it, I hope you all enjoyed!

~*~Kath~*~
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