The Dream Demon

Chapter 7 - Permission?

Corinthians 15:33

Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character."

I made my way to Jess' house, hoping that this would be a quick visit. Knocking on her door, I could hear raised voices coming from inside. I'm sure I could hear my name being said, but as I tried to make out the rest of the conversation, Jess suddenly opened her door.

"Hey Abi!" Jess grinned, almost shouting my name, as if to let her mum know that it was me at the door.

"Hey.. everything ok? I could come back tomorrow or something if you'd like?" I replied.

"Don't be silly, we're just arguing about what we're having for dinner tonight!" said Jess, man handling me though the door. She pulled me through her house and into her kitchen, where her mother Leah was waiting.

"Abigail! There you are. Lovely to see you again darling. Do you want a cup of tea or anything?" As tempting as Leah's offer of tea was, I couldn't risk getting home late. I'd end up getting grounded and given extra chores. I smiled at Leah, declining apologetically, giving some weak excuse about me having to get home on time, as I had a lot of homework to complete. She just returned my smile, sadness in her eyes.

The three of us spent the next half an hour catching up, talking about school work, church, and our art class today. It turns out Mr Derrington did, in fact, call our parents. According to Leah, he'd sung our praises, saying our work was the best he'd seen in a long time. A huge smile broke out on my face. I felt proud!

"Maybe you should ask your parents about throwing you a party for your birthday, especially since Derrington called them today" grinned Jess.

"That's not a bad idea, but it's still highly unlikely. I could poop gold and they still wouldn't be happy with me." I tried making light of the situation, but the chances of them throwing me a party were slim to none. "Anyway, I should get going now, my stomach is growling like some wild monster, annnnd I've got so much homework to do tonight. Thanks for inviting me over, was great to have a catch up, just the three of us" I said, hugging them as I was about to leave.

"Just don't go having any more scary dreams tonight, ok?" teased Jess.

I rolled my eyes and let out an over-dramatic sigh.

"Dreams? What dreams have you been having?" asked Leah, appearing behind Jess.

"It's nothing really. Jess and I watched some kids movie and I started to have dreams about a character in it. Some demon-god thing called Typhon. Needless to say, we wont be watching that movie again!" I laughed embarrassedly.

"Typhon? What happened in your dream? What did he say to you?" enquired Leah.

"Ah, it's difficult to remember now. Something about making a deal with my parents, that he'll cash in soon.. Oh and he didn't like me sleeping with my cat. I really don't know how my brain comes up with that nonsense to be honest." I looked at Leah, she was frowning and deep in thought. "Well, I best be off. Love you both and see you soon!" I said, walking out the door with a wave.

"Abi, Abi.. wait a second" called Leah as she followed me out of the house. "Abi, did you not sleep with Polo last night?" she questioned.

"No Leah, Josh decided to be cruel and left him outside last night. Why?" I asked.

"Abi, it's widely believed that cats are guardians of the Underworld. The fact that he didn't like your cat being around is quite significant. Please make sure you sleep with your cat at all times, ok?" Leah pleaded.

I couldn't help but get a little worried. Leah seemed genuinely concerned. She was never normally this serious, she was always so upbeat and care free. Now, Leah was wearing a deep frown and a look of worry on her face.

"Promise me Abi" she said, clasping my hands.

"I promise Leah, please don't worry, it was just a dream. I really should be going now, take care!" I gave Leah a small wave and continued on my way home.

Thankfully I managed to get home on time, without breaking my curfew. For the whole walk back, I kept thinking of Leah and the look of concern on her face. I didn't mean to worry her. In all honesty, I didn't expect her to take it so serious. I thought she would laugh at me and think I was crazy.

I let myself in, walking straight to the kitchen. I was so hungry right now.

"Abigail, I've left you a plate of chicken stew in the refrigerator! All you need to do is heat it up" my mother shouted from upstairs.

Mystified, I couldn't help but wonder why she was in such a good mood. If ever I missed dinner in the past, she'd tell me to make myself a sandwich and get on with it. There were times when I'd gone to bed hungry with no food at all. Minutes later, My mother had joined me in the kitchen, making a cup of tea and sitting opposite me at the table. It made me feel awkward.

"Your art teacher called today, he was very happy with your work Abi. Well done!" she said smiling at me. The last time either of may parents said 'Well done' to me, I received a backhander across the face. I wasn't sure how to approach this conversation.

"Thank you mum, I'm sorry if he interrupted your day by calling."

"Nonsense. It was nice of him to call. So tell me, what was your drawing about?"

Well, today's theme was light and dark. I teamed up with Jess and then we decided on what we'd draw. She wanted to draw something representing light, so I got left with the dark option" I said in-between mouthfuls of food.

"Ah, Yes. Your teacher did say that you'd surprised him with how well you drew the subject" sighed my mother, taking a sip of her tea.

"Mum, I was wondering. As it's my birthday in two weeks time, if I could have a party? It doesn't have to be anything big. Just a few friends? I don't want any presents or anything, but a small gathering would be nice" I asked, looking up from my food.

"I'll have to ask your father, but we will consider it. After all, it's not every day that you turn eighteen" she replied, sighing yet again.

"Thank you Mum."

I finished the rest of my dinner in silence, not wanting to push my luck. It currently felt like I'd entered the Twilight Zone or something. Normally, my mother would flat out reject anything I requested. I must remember to thank Mr Derrington for whatever magic he'd managed to work on her.

I washed and dried my plate and cutlery, before making my way to my bedroom. A hot shower was on the agenda, followed by my homework. Feeling nothing but drained, I showered and brushed my teeth. I'm already tired and ready to snuggle up in bed with Polo. Thankfully my homework didn't take me too long to complete. I managed to finish it within half an hour, with Polo snuggled up on my lap. He'd most definitely missed me today. He was constantly purring away, obviously happy to be back in the safety of my bedroom. Picking him up and placing him on my bed, Bible study and prayer was awaiting me. All I wanted was to sleep.

My eyes were half closing by the time I'd finally finished. I crawled under my covers, snuggling up against Polo's warmth. Part of me wanted to leave him out of my room again tonight, just to see if I would dream of Typhon once more.

The sinking feeling in my stomach convinced me not to.