Chapter Three: Sleep Tight

These characters are not mine but the bad writing and poor storytelling are.

"Oskar! Look out!"
Eli's cry was too late. Oskar and the tree were on a collision course. He already had his arms folded in front of his head which was turned toward his shoulder. He was braced for impact. With a loud thud and the popping sounds of tree limbs snapping Oskar hit the tree and fell thirty feet to the ground.

Eli swooped down to the ground in haste and landed so abruptly that she stumbled to her knees but quickly regained her balance and sprinted towards Oskar. As she ran her wings retracted into her form. He was lying motionless in a crumpled heap with his face covered by broken tree limbs and leaves. His wings had retracted as soon as he hit the tree and lost his focus. She knelt down beside him.

"Oskar!" she said frantically. "Are you ok?"

Eli quickly but carefully removed the broken and splintered tree limbs from Oskar's bloodied and bruised face and torso.

"Oskar, please be ok. Please, please be ok." Her voice was now full of panic and concern.

Oskar's eyes opened slowly and Eli stared into them with hopeful expectation. As soon as he saw her he began laughing hysterically.

"That was great!" he blurted out between bursts of laughter.

He was laughing and grimacing from the pain the laughter was inflicting on his fresh but rapidly healing injuries. Eli was slightly perturbed that he didn't seem to appreciate her state of concern.

"I don't see the humor in this Oskar. You could have been hurt a lot worse. Broken bones don't heal as fast as scrapes and cuts."

"Oh come on Eli, you saw it. It had to look hilarious." he replied, still laughing.

Eli thought about the scene for a second and then cracked a smile.

"Yeah, you're not exactly a natural at flying."

Eli stood up and reached out to Oskar to help him to his feet. He took her hand and she pulled him up gently. He brushed the leaves and fragments of bark from his pants and then inspected his bear chest and arms. The cuts and bruises were already begining to fade.

"Oskar, don't let this discourage you. It's just gon..."

"Gonna take time. Yeah I know. It's a good thing I've got plenty of that." Oskar replied with a smirk.

"That was so much fun Eli."

"Yes it was but I think that's all the trees can handle tonight Oskar," she replied with her own smirk." We should go get our shirts and head back to the house."

Oskar leaned forward, slid his left leg back and bent down slightly on his right knee. He looked at Eli with a sly grin.
"Wanna race?"

Eli acted as if she were thinking the proposal over then suddenly pushed Oskar backward a little and blasted off in the direction of their shirts yelling out, "Last one there is a rotten egg!" Oskar took off after her.

Seventeen days had passed since Oskar had completed his first solo hunt. He and Eli had left that place far behind them and decided to spend some time in the countryside, where he could learn more about his new abilities. They came to a vast and thick forest with a large and heavily populated city only a few kilometers away. Within the heavily overgrown confines of the forest they found a deep, safe cave to take shelter in until Eli spotted a large two story house nestled remotely in the forest while teaching Oskar to fly. Upon investigation they discovered that the house was vacant. No residents meant no invitation required so they happily opted for the house over the cave.

The house was large and spacious. It had no electricity or water, just a few cabinets full of candles and matches. There were only a couple of dust covered tables and chairs residing in it so most of the large rooms were wide open. The windows were already covered by thick drapery and the doors had strong locks. Oskar had climbed to the second story and broken a window to gain entrance. During their exploration of the house they discovered an attic full of different size trunks and suitcases. Each one was packed full of mens clothing and seemed to be waiting for a trip but the layers of dust that covered them indicated they had been waiting for a long time. Best of all was the discovery of a dark cellar.

The next night Oskar awoke and was reminded by the smell of aging cedar shelves and the dankness of moss covered stone walls that he was in the safety of the cellar. The pitch black darkness of the cellar was soothing to the eyes of a vampire as the pallet formed from clothes found in the attic was much more comfortable than the dirt floor. Through the darkness he could see Eli lying near him and still sleeping. He rolled over on his side and propped himself up on his elbow and stared at Eli. He reached out with his free hand and shook her gently.

"Eli," he spoke softly. "It's time to wake up. Eli."

There was no movement from Eli so Oskar began to shake her with a little more force.

"Eli," he spoke now with his usual tone. "Come on Eli. You need to wake up."

Eli remained still and calm while Oskar grew impatient and slightly concerned. He shook her again and this time he was moving her whole body back and forth.

"Wake up! Wake up!"

Eli moaned a little and then began to unravel herself from her curled position. She stretched her arms and legs as she yawned and opened her eyes. Oskar watched with a relieved mind as she sat up and looked at him.

"Oh Oskar, is it time to get up already?" she asked with half open eyes.

"Are you feeling alright Eli? This is the fourth night in a row that you've slept later than me."

Eli yawned again.

"Oskar. I think...," she hesitated for a moment and reached for Oskar's hand.

"I think it's time Oskar. I think it's time for my sleep."

Oskar snatched his hand from hers and stood up quickly.

"No Eli. That's not it. You're just tired because of all the flying and the...and the..."

Oskar looked around the dark cellar desperately for some reason that would prove Eli's assumption false. When he found none he stormed off to the stairs and left the cellar.

Oskar walked over to a window in the large empty room near the front door and pulled back the drapes. The soft glow of the night sky illuminated as much of the room as the window would allow. He looked out toward the sky and then bowed his head and rested it against the smooth glass of the window. Tears formed in his eyes so he closed them and tried to hold the tears back but couldn't. As the tears fell to the floor tiny craters formed in the dust where they landed.

Eli came up the stairs from the cellar and walked over behind him but he didn't acknowledge her presence. She put her arms around his waist and locked her hands together then buried her forehead between his bear shoulders. He felt a tear run down his back.

"I'm sorry Oskar. I didn't mean to upset you," she said with a comforting tug that pulled Oskar against her and away from the window.

Oskar raised his hands and placed them over Eli's.

"No Eli, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have acted that way. I just... I don't...," he couldn't find the words to express the feelings of the heartache that had taken hold of him.

"It's ok. This hurts me too. I don't want to leave you, ever. There's nothing I can do."

"I hoped that with me being with you now you wouldn't have to sleep like that anymore."

"Me too Oskar. Me too, but we've talked about this before."

"I know Eli. How long do we have? I mean how long til you sleep?"

"I'm not sure but it will be soon. It always starts like this."

"Where will you sleep Eli?"

"I don't think we have enough time to travel so I guess the cave will be the safest place."

Oskar separated her hands with his and turned to face her.

"Why not here Eli? In the cellar."

"Oskar you know it may be weeks or months before I wake and people might come here."

Oskar looked down at the floor and then back at Eli.

"You're right, but please stay here until it happens Eli. Please. I'll take care of you when it does. You know I will."

Eli weighed Oskar's suggestion for a moment and then offered a faint smile.

"I know you will. We'll make preparations in the cave tonight and I'll stay here until it happens."

Oskar grabbed Eli, pulled her to him tightly and lifted her off the floor.

"I love you Eli."
"I love you Oskar."

Oskar recommended taking one of the large trunks in the attic to the cave for Eli to rest in. She happily complied. They acquired the trunk and went to the cave and positioned it as deeply as the width of the cave would allow. Eli seemed satisfied with the arrangement so they left the cave and ventured into the city to feed.

Two nights later Oskar awoke and despite all his efforts could not get Eli to do the same. He pulled Eli's tranquil body to his and held her for most of the night as he wept. Not long before dawn he lifted her in his arms and carried her through the forest and into the cave. He lowered her down gently beside the large trunk and then opened the lid. The trunk was lined with some of the clothes they had found in it. Oskar patted and fluffed the contents to make sure the layers were thick and soft. He lifted Eli again, kissed her on the cheek and placed her carefully into the trunk. He lowered the lid slowly and stopped a couple of inches from closing it. He peered in at Eli and said in a whisper, "Sleep tight."

Oskar sat beside the trunk, knees at his chest and his arms folded on top with his face buried in them. For as long as he could remember he had always felt alone even in the company of others, but now for the first time in his life he understood what being alone truly meant.