Fan Fiction ❯ Dragon Blade ❯ Chapter 00: BEDTIME! ( Epilogue )

Chapter 00

Bedtime! (Prologue)

 

The man sighed, hunching forward and taking a drink. A clock above a stove showered the room in a red haze. 11 p.m. He sighed, moving his drink to the side and placing his head onto his arms. He had tried to fall asleep, tried so hard to relax and find that place to drift. Nothing.

 

“I can't keep doing this...”

 

He hadn't been sleeping well at all this entire week. He knew why. His body felt alive, energized, but he did not use that energy at all. He simply went to work, came back home, and spent time with his kids. Although, he felt tired afterward, it was not the kind of exhaustion his body once thrived on. Lifting his head up, the man took a sip of his warm milk. Alcohol would get him into a drunken stupor within just a few sips. The last thing he needed was to wake up the household.

 

“Come back to bed...” a gentle voice called out to him. Soon, gentle arms stretched out to embrace him from behind, warmth racing up his spine.

 

“I'll be there in a bit...” the man replied. He voice was gentle as well. It bore a weight, nonetheless, a weight that seemed larger than the man.

 

“You haven't been sleeping well... Why?”

 

“I'm at my prime, that's why.”

 

“... you know... I'm not stopping you. If you feel you have to-....”

 

The man sighed with all his body. “I know. But.... I can't. That was the old me. I can't go back to that..”

 

“There you go again, suppressing an important part of yourself. Hon, we've done this before. You know you can't deny an important part of what you are.”

 

“I know.... But if the kids were to find out.... I don't want them to go through what I had to go through.... I don't want anyone to go through that....”

 

The man sighed once again. He could feel his heart beating, his wife's heart beating. They beat in a rhythm, at once. He smiled, taking her hand and pressing it against his lips. She wore no wedding ring. Nor did he. Their bond was deeper than any object could ever hope to symbolize.

 

“Mommy... Daddy...?” a groggy voice asked, scratching a small hand against a small face.

 

The woman stood upright, removing her arms from around the man's neck. Both turned to see a small form in the darkness. The man smiled, seeing his only daughter bringing her small hand to her face, trying to rub away the sleep. In her other arm, a stuffed toy, no larger than her chest, pressed tightly to her chest.

 

He couldn't see what the toy looked like, but he knew exactly what it was; a silver dragon with wings broken into several segments. Each segment housed a different color; blue, green, purple, red, yellow, and orange.

 

The man smiled. He remembered how she had gotten that toy. Looking back at it now, the only word he could think of how she came into possession of such an item; destiny. She was destined for that toy, just like he had been destined to do a great many things. However, that was then, and this was now.

 

“....I can't sleep...” the small, tired voice said at once, groaning. She seemed to be near tears.

 

The woman moved over to her young daughter, placing a hand on her daughters shoulder. The mother smiled, brushing a piece of hair away from the child's frowning face. Normally, this action would be enough to coax the little one into returning to her bed. This occasion, however, proved to be quite different.

 

“Go to sleep, Andy. It's pretty late and you have school tomorrow,” the woman said, reassuring smile still vibrant and endearing. The girl nearly broke down right there.

 

“I c-can't.”

 

The man raised a brow, than stood to his feet, finishing the last of his milk before placing it back onto the table. He moved over to his daughter, sensing fear in her. This had disturbed him enough; seeing his daughter, who had remained very cheerful throughout most of her life, distraught.

 

He frowned, staring deeply those eyes for just few moments. Soon, he nodded with a knowing smile. Marching over to the child, he extended his hand. Andrea sniffled, trying to suppress her tears, as she stared blankly at the large hand. Her small neck cranked back to see his determined smile, his strength.

 

Slowly, unsure, her hand moved to be completely enclosed by her fathers, whom proceeded to walk to the stairs. The child followed behind warily, with a curious mother not to far behind. Before her husband moved, she knew he made a connection. After that connection, he created a plan. Curiosity sparked, and wishing for the child to go soundly to sleep, she went along with the two.

 

Dark stairs hindered their journey, as Andrea stopped a few times to grab her father's leg. She knew that something waited in the shadows, ready to pounce and strike with sharp claws, or fangs, or both! The mother watched this reaction, arriving to an obvious conclusion; her daughter had her first nightmare.

 

“Daddy... Can I sleep on the couch? I can't sleep on my bed....”

 

“Andrea. You know you have to sleep on your bed...”

 

“But I'm scared! Something moved in my closet!” she cried, moving her hand from her father's grasp to hold her beloved dragon closer to her breast. The first tear began to roll down her cheek.

 

The man nodded. “I know. I'm going to go check it out, make sure you're room is safe. Don't worry, everything will be fine.”

 

With that said, he took the first step into the darkness. Soon, he disappeared into the black blanket that wished desperately to envelop him. Footsteps had remained the only presence that reassured her that her father was alive.

 

Andrea looked to her mother. The woman placed both hands on a small shoulder. Swallowing hard, the child began to move up the stairs. After reaching the top, she darted to the first door to her right, taking a moment to hide herself. Taking a look around, she darted forward, pressing herself against the door.

 

The child looked to the stairs, seeing her mother clumsily dart to the door, concealing herself with little success. The girl stopped a giggle, her small hand moved around the door knob. Her father had already gone in. He was fast, and ten times stealthier than any monster could hope to become.

 

Turning stealthily, the door creaked open. A gasped was heard inside, as well as silent tears. Her brother. Her twin brother, Ashton.

 

Looking around once, she darted to her brother's bedside, leaping onto the safe barrier of the mattress. Ashton gasped, but she quickly placed a hand over his mouth, keeping him silent. She felt hot tears touch her hand.

 

“Shh... it's me. Mommy will be here soon. Where's Daddy?” she asked, her heart racing with excitement. She clutched tighter to her dragon.

 

Ashton moved onto his knees, staring at his sister. They hugged for a moment, than let go. The young boy wait a bit long before speaking, seeing her mother peering into the room. After the grown woman raced to the bed and sat down, ensuring that no ghouls had reached out to grab her delicate feet, the boy opened his mouth.

 

“Okay, dad came in here, very quietly, I barely heard him until he was right in my face, I don't think he opened the door at all! Anyways, he came in here putting a hand over my mouth like Andy did, then asked me if the monster was still in the room. I nodded, with his hand still over my mouth. He smiled and said that everything would be okay, and not to turn on the lights until he said to do so, not before. Then, he... he...” Ashton hiccupped a bit before continue. “He went into the closet. I haven't heard a thing since.”

 

Andrea felt her lip quiver. “Do you think the monster got him?”

 

“I don't know... I don't know...” he sobbed.

 

The woman moved over to her crying son, embracing him in her loving grip. He cried freely, clutching at her shirt. He began to chant “Daddy... What happened? Where is he?” over and over, in-between more hiccups and moans. The woman kissed his forehead, feeling the urge to jump into the closet herself, pulling the man out, and shout at him until he understood how much fear he was putting `their' children through.

 

Andrea moved the dragon to her face, its head hiding her shaking lip. The silence was a good thing, right? It had to mean that her father was working, doing what he did best; defend his family. Minutes seemed to stretch into hours. Stillness. All eyes watched the closet through shock, tears, or growing levels of anger. Andrea and her mother had just been ready to move off the bed to investigate when a sound stopped them dead in their tracks.

 

Ashton stopped sobbing, as stillness draped over the closet once again. Then, a scrap! Every person in that bed jumped. This scrap followed with a thud, then a weird slap. More scrapping, than a loud bang! A fight! There was a fight in a closet between the man and the monster! Andrea leaned forward, wishing desperately to be in there, cheering her brave father on, watching as the monster shrunk back at his strength, at his great wish to keep his children safe.

 

Just as suddenly as the sounds had started, they stopped. The children's' hearts stopped. What had happened? Did their father win? Did the monster eat him? When could they turn the lights back on? Ashton wined, clutching tightly at his mother, while Andrea bit her lower lip.

 

Movement! The closet was being opened!

 

“Turn on the light! Hurry!” Andrea sprang into action, leaping from the bed over to the bed stand. Placing her fingers around the little round knob, she twisted her hand. Light flooded the room just as quickly as the little `click.'

 

Andrea turned back to the closet, her eyes widened as she watched the brave man collapse on the ground. His blonde hair spilled on the ground, covering his exhausted face. Andrea rushed over to her father, to afraid to even touch him once she was by her side.

 

Suddenly, a groan! Her father was okay! She watched as he pushed himself off the ground, shaking his head, dusting off his clothes. He frowned at the two children, crossing his arms.

 

“No wonder there's a closet-monster in there. It's a mess in that closet!” the man replied, standing to his feet. “Well, don't worry now. The monster is gone, and I'm pretty sure he won't come back for a while.”

 

The man sighed, picking the young girl up quite easily. He walked over to her bed, placing her down upon it. The mother took the hint, trying to calm the hiccupping child in her arms. Hopefully, all this excitement would put them into a quick sleep.

 

“Alright, now it's time to sle-...” the man said, suddenly being interrupted by her daughter, who could not seem to let go of her dragon companion.

 

“How can we sleep after you beat the closet-monster!” she said, nearly yelling in her small voice.

 

“Andrea, quiet down. It's late at night,” the mother said quickly.

 

“Sorry mama...”

 

The man moved from the bed, walking to the center of the room. He stared down at his hand, smiling. He hadn't acted like that in a long while... it felt good to use a skill from his younger year-....

 

The man looked up, his face brightening up. He turned to the three, their eyes watching in wonder at what he would do next. The man rubbed his goatee, thinking of where to begin.

 

“Alright.... well, they say a good way to fall asleep is to listen to a story... and I think I got one. You two get tucked in,” the man said, blue eyes searching the room for a chair.

 

The children began to climb underneath the covers, as the male pulled a chair from a desk in the corner. Sitting down, he began to gather his thoughts. Licking his lips, the woman sat at the foot of her son's bed, watching with great curiosity. What was he going to say?

 

“Alright..... many years ago, there was child. At the beginning of his life, he was ordinary, a regular child growing up in a city, having only one name. He spent his days playing outside, walking downs streets, hanging with friends... nothing really extraordinary.

 

“Then, one day, he experienced a moment that would change the way he `sees' the world. After that, he would go through a great change, and gain many new names. These names would become who he was, is, and forever would be; haunting him with every blink of an eye, with every fiber of his being. He would have to sacrifice everything in his world, just so this planet would see another day.

 

“Yeah... he went through many names; fighter, warrior, murderer, guardian, soldier, friend, enemy, lover, freak, hard-worker, fool, dedicated, cruel, kind, orphan, brother.... protector. But, at the very beginning, he had just one name. This is the story of a good friend of mine, someone who I can't help but pity, love, hate, and pray for.

 

“This is the story of the boy name Christopher Drakken. But, everyone called him Chris.....”