Dreams were an interesting thing.
Nickel had long known of the complexity of dreams. It wasn't
something he really understood. His young mind wasn't able to fully
grasp what dreams even were, but he saw first-hand the wide variety
of emotions dreams could bring. Like everyone else, Nickel
experienced his own dreams. They weren't usually anything special.
He had happy dreams, sad dreams, and, occassionally, nightmares.
This would have been enough to show him just how different dreams
could be, but he knew that his own dreams were just the tip of the
iceburg. He may have been young, but he heard the screams that rang
through the house on a regular basis. Funnily enough, he'd never
given it much thought. When something happens from the time you're
born you never stop to ask if it's normal or not. He was six before
he realized what the screams meant. They were nightmares. Only
these weren't like the nightmares he'd experienced. Nickel began to
realize just how sinister dreams could be.
Now eight years old, Nickel knew
without a doubt that something about his mom's nightmares weren't
right. There was something different about them. Katniss wasn't
dreaming that she was being chased by wolves or something like Nickel
had in the past. These nightmares sounded much more terrifying.
They were few and far between, but they'd been on Nickel's mind for
several months. It had been three months since Nickel had last heard
the screams. He was sure there were more than that. No doubt he'd
become so accustomed to them that they often went unnoticed during
the night. On this particular night though, curiousity overcame him,
and he decided to go investigate.
His hands shook as he treaded down the
hallway as quiety as possible. His mother's light gait was a welcome
trait he'd inherited. He wasn't sure what he would find, and he
wasn't sure how is parents would react if they discovered him. The
thought made his heart pound. Nickel could hear whispers from his
parents' bedroom that were distinctly his father's. Nickel's parents
always left their door open a crack, and Nickel was pleased to see
that there was just enough room for him to make out their bed in the
darkness.
Nickel's ears began to pick up on the
quiet sobs that were coming from his mother, and he recognized his
father's whispers as reassuring comforts. The pain on his mother's
face was evident, even in the darkness. Nickel knew without a doubt
that she had faced something unimaginable to him just minutes ago.
Now that he was standing there, Nickel
became unsure of what to do next. He hadn't really thought this
through. Part of him wanted to go and hug his mother, but an even
larger part of him wanted to run back to his bed and hide under the
covers. The horrible pain he saw on his mother's face scared him,
and he was worried about how his parents would react if they
discovered what he had witnessed. After a minute of watching his
parents while his mind went through his options, Nickel decided to go
with the larger part of him. His feet hurried him back to the
comfort of his bed as quick as they could without giving him away.
Nickel burrowed his way deep under the covers, something he
remembered doing since he began sleeping in a bed as opposed to a
crib. He enjoyed the warmth and security that the blankets provided.
Tonight, however, they failed to provide the same feeling of
security. His mind was preoccupied, and he coudn't help but worry.
If he fell asleep, could he have a nightmare like the one he'd just
witnessed the aftermath of? Nickel had always thought of his dreams
as fascinating. Most of them provided great amusement when he
reminisced on them the next morning, but if dreams were capable of
being that horrifying, Nickel wasn't sure he wanted to dream at all.
