Theme 002 - Nightmare (about 1,249 words)

The eleven year old boy known as Rex was having a nightmare. He has had this dream before. This nightmare. He was in a room filled with scientists or doctors maybe he wasn't all too sure. They were all looking at him and commenting about him as if he wasn't there. Making notes on his interactions with machines and the Nanites.

Suddenly just as he looks up at one , they all change into monsters. Faceless creatures. EVOs perhaps. They all start grabbing and reaching for him with vine like hands and shadows. As he tries to get away his whole body starts burning as it's engulfed in flames. Eventually the flames are all he can see , then a panicked eye appears in the middle of the flames right before he wakes up. When he does wake up it's in a cold sweat and he's panting as he tries to untangle himself from the sheets. That's what happened this night. The third or fourth time just this month. The dream was haunting him more and more.

With tears in his eyes Rex untangled himself from his sheets , picked his stuffed llama Green Bean off of the floor, and he headed out the door towards Six's room. Usually he'd go to Holiday but tonight's dream seemed more intense then the others and it caused the boy to be more tense then usual. Six's room was closer than Holiday's room and being as upset and tense as he was, Rex didn't want to go down multiple halls when he could just go down one.

The bright lights of the hallway hurt his eyes as they were use to the darkness of his room. The white and silver of just about everything in the hall didn't make it any better either. The boy squinted his still tear filled eyes to help cut back on the sharp rays of artificial lighting, as he made his way down the hall as quickly as he could with his blurred vision. He quickly reaches Six's room. As he reached out to make his nanites tell the electronic lock to open the door, it opened on it's own. Well it opened with the aid of a certain agent

Six looked down curiously at the young boy. The man was about to ask him what he was doing up at such an hour when he noticed the tears. Oh. The poor kid had a nightmare. He could remember when he was young and seeking out his mentor after a bad dream. Though he doubts any of his dreams were like what Rex's were. Six knew about Rex's reoccurring nightmare.

 He wondered the cause of such a dream or how such a dream kept coming back. No matter how the dreams happen it didn't change the fact that they happen and that they upset the boy beyond anything else as far as Six knew. The green clad ninja secretly felt pity for Rex. After all he won't be getting much comforting at providence. But, Six couldn't just leave the boy standing teary eyed and alone with the hallway.

With a sigh Six got on eye level with the boy and offered a reassuring smile as he ruffled his hair.

" Let's get you back to bed."  He said getting back to his full height as he guided the boy back down the hall. The coffee for his late night last minute paperwork could and will wait. This was more important and this couldn't wait either.

"That dream again?" Six asked quietly as the reached the boy's room. Rex nodded. "It seemed so realist and intense this time" Rex said snuffling. Six turned the light on low as they entered the room.

Rex climbed back into bed and Six tucked him in then sat on the edge of the bed. What the heck does he say? Six wasn't sure. Holiday always handled this stuff. Six thought back on his own childhood. What would one say?

"Don't worry, none of those thing you saw are real. It was just a dream after all. It's not real" It didn't feel right to Six but Rex must have found something comforting there as he visibly calmed down some. He wasn't as tense. Rex inched closer to Six then leaned his head on the man's chest. Six tensed at the contact but allowed himself to relax. It was just Rex after all. He carefully wrapped his arms around the boy. One around his back the other stroking his hair.

"I know. I know that...but it's still scary." the boy whispered.

"I know but you were brave , were you not?" Six asked.

" I...I'm nothing but a baby I was doing nothing but crying" Rex pouted.

Six shook his head " Tears don't measure your bravery." He started as he continue to stroke the boy's hair comfortingly. "You might be scared, but that doesn't mean you're not brave. Bravery is measured based on what you do while you are scared. You had the bravery to leave your room. That's something. A lot of kids your age would stay in their room to scared of the monsters or worried what others would say and think of them. " Six was just pulling out BS now but if it got the kid back asleep he was all for it.

"So you think I'm brave?" Rex asked smiling up at Six.

Six nodded " I do."

" I'm feeling better now thanks Six"

"You good? You ready to get back to bed?" Six asked. Rex nodded. " Alright let's get you in bed" Rex got comfortable again , Six handed Green Bean to Rex, ruffled the boy's  hair one last time and stood to leave. As he stood Rex caught him by the arm. Six turned to look down at the boy. Did he wasn't a story or something? He wasn't good with kids "What Rex?" He asked harsher then intended.

Rex sunk into his pillow and held Green Bean in front of him at the harsh response but quickly recovered and smiled up at the ninja nanny. "Stay with me?" He asked quietly.The man looked confused. He wasn't going to stay the rest of the night "Until I fall asleep" Rex clarified. Six thought about it. Rex saw the hesitation and added "Miss Hollly-day stays with me!" Six sighed and nodded.

" Okay kid I'll stay, but you gotta give me room."

Rex smiled and scooted closer to the wall so Six had room. " Only until you fall asleep got it? I'm not staying the rest of the night." Rex nodded he was fine with that. He just needed someone there until he fell asleep. Six laid down on the edge and looked over to the boy. "Happy?" he asked. Rex nodded as he let out a yawn. He closed his eyes as he curled up to Six.

"G'Night Six" he mumbled half asleep already. Six rubbed the boys back and whispered his reply "Night Rex".

Six planned to only stay until the kid fell asleep, but he didn't plan on also falling asleep. So that's how Holiday found the two the following morning. She smiled to herself as she saw the two. Six was finally the one who had stayed up late with the young boy. The father had done his job. He might be mad at her once he got up but she deiced to let the pair sleep in that morning. After all with nightmares like Rex's it must have been a long night.