Worried Vigil

[arianna]

Stepping carefully into the room, Arianna tip-toed quietly across the floor. She paid no mind to thoughts of booby-traps or potentially getting in trouble. This, she felt, was more important than her own safety.

"Drew?" the girl pulled the curtains back and peered, squinting, inside.

As the first week of classes had come to a close, Arianna had grown even more worried, frustrated, and concerned. Classes proved to be a good distraction, but at the end of the day she could find nothing else to think of than how to help Drew. Unfortunately, already having loads of homework to struggle through, she had not been able to talk much to the boy all week.

It was drawing on her strength as she tried not to get angry over the fact that Drew had yet to tell her what was wrong. Worse, she started to feel like she should know what it was that was bothering him and that she was too dense to figure it out. But until she could discover the problem, Arianna would try her best to be patient and give her friend the support and comfort he needed. Which was why the girl, after finishing a particularly tough Potions essay, had wandered up to the boy's dorm. Even if Drew was asleep, she could at least check on him.

[Drew Thornton]

Dolores Thornton often told the story of being a young mother of two and reading an article on sleep habits. The article had basically said that the position you slept in was a signal to your mental well being. She had shared it with her husband and they both found it interesting that they slept closely together, a sign of needing security and protection- obviously something every parent would worry about.

On a whim, they decided to check on their sleeping children and were amused to them both sprawled across their respective beds, calm and carefree and secure in the knowledge that nothing would go wrong while they slept.


That was how Drew usually slept- spread out across the bed, unencumbered by worries or stress, drooling lightly on the pillow with the occasional snore escaping. As he grew, it wasn't uncommon to see an arm or a leg hanging over the side and it was a well known fact that he was almost impossible to wake up.

Of course, everyone has their stresses, even a fifteen year old boy, and the last few weeks had been one of those times for Drew. The nightmares had started up again, becoming more and more frequent as the school year began. It wasn't unusual for Drew to wake up in a cold sweat, tangled up in his sheets, and biting back a scream.

This night wasn't as bad as the others, but Ari still found him curled in a tight ball at the top of his bed, arms over his head, whimpering softly and kicking lightly like a puppy worried over the rabbits in his dream.

[arianna]

When Arianna's eyes finally found Drew, curled at the top of the bed, she felt the same need to pull him into a hug as she had felt that day in the fields. The great Drew, who had always seemed strong and brave, and who had helped her through her own troubles, now looked like a small terrified child, hiding himself from the monsters under his bed. Arianna knew, however, that the horrible creatures haunting the boy were not coming from under the furnature.

"Oh, Drew," Arianna sat down upon the edge of the bed and reached out to the boy, placing a hand lightly on his shoulder. Her voice was little more than a whisper. She didn't wish to wake him. He need to sleep.

[Drew Thornton]

He shrunk away from the touch but didn't wake. Whatever dream he was stuck in was tame compared to the ones he had had the previous week, but still he mumbled worriedly and he brushed away the unseen demons that were tormenting him.

[arianna]

Arianna scooted closer to Drew and moved her hand slowly across his back. He was having a nightmare, that was for certain. Though the boy never spoke of them, Arianna knew of his nightmares; how they sometimes occured after she had fought with him. But they hadn't fought in while, so it had to be someone else.

"It'll be okay," the girl murmured as she continued to rub his back.

[Drew Thornton]

"Sokay..." he echoed back in a small, still-asleep voice. "Sokay..."

The tightness in his shoulders was slowly melting away and while his arms still covered his face, the kicking was starting to calm.

[arianna]

"We'll....we'll figure this out," Arianna promised, wondering how exactly that would happen. She then fell silent, her hand still moving along the boy's back, until she found herself humming. It took her a long moment to figure out the song, one of her favourites from Disney's Tarzan and she was soon singing it quietly to the boy. Concidering the situation, it seemed to fit.

"Come stop your crying
It will be all right
Just take my hand Hold it tight

I will protect you
from all around you
I will be here
Don't you cry...."

[Drew Thornton]

As she sang, Drew calmed down until he was still and stretched outon his bed. His arms were still by his head, but no longer covering it and his mumblings had turned into a soft humming and eventually steady breathing. Every once in a while a soft murmur escaped him, but it didn't hold the same worried tone as before.

[arianna]

?And you'll be in my heart
Yes, you'll be in my heart
From this day on
Now and forever more.."

Arianna continued on softly, though a bit louder than earlier. The boys in the other beds might hear her, though they were probably too dead to the world to notice.

"Don't listen to them
'Cause what do they know
We need each other,
to have, to hold
They'll see in time
I know...

When destiny calls you
You must be strong
I may not be with you
But you've got to hold on
They'll see in time
I know
We'll show them together..."

As she started in on the lyrics again, Arianna pulled her legs up onto the bed and leaned against the headboard. She wasn't sure how long she should stay; how long after she left would the nightmares come back. Arianna didn't dare let that happen. She would stay as long as possible. Staying up all night if she needed to.

[Drew Thornton]

Drew sighed deeply, and while it made him shudder as he exhaled, his breathing once again evened out to a steady rhythm.

"Sokay...sokay...justayere..." he sang softly to himself.

[arianna]

Arianna smiled slightly at Drew's mumblings. She was certain he had just told her to stay. Which was more than fine with her. At least she'd know he was okay.

Finishing the song on a soft note, Arianna searched her mind for another. Not finding a decent one, she started back at the beginning of the song she had just finished.

[Drew Thornton]

As Arianna started her song again, Drew continued mumbling softly to himself. It was a good thing as long as the worried tone didn't return. Had he been concious of the fact that another girl was sitting on his bed at that moment, it would have just added to the stress he was under, but for the time being he slept peacefully.

[arianna]

"You'll be in my heart..." Arianna had made it half-way through the song when she started to drift off, pausing a few times to yawn and starting the chorus over when she lost her place. She hadn't even noticed that she had sung the same verse three times already.

Still murmuring the song, Arianna fell asleep for few seconds before snapping back awake. Not wanting to leave Drew, the girl was about to make herself comfortable before remembering what Drew had said about them sleeping in the same bed. Of course she didn't want any trouble, but with Drew wanting her to stay, she didn't want to go far.

Finding a crumpled blanket at the bottom of the bed, Arianna made herself a little bed on the floor. She glanced once more at Drew to make sure he was okay, then curled up under the blanket and fell asleep.