Dreams Unwind

She slunk into the bed and curled up near him, resting her head on his lap. She ran her hand over his torso and dragged her claw-like nails through his chest hair.

“Tell me about your day,” she purred.

He smiled down at her and stroked her long, silky black hair.

“No, I don’t want to think about the rest of the world. I just want to be right here with you.”

He lowered his head to hers and kissed her gently on the forehead. He couldn’t help but think how lucky he was to have her. He admired her ruby lips and cocoa skin. Her raven-esque beauty shined in the moonlight as it trickled down through the curtains on their bedroom window.

“What did I ever do to deserve you?” he asked.

Her off-white smile stole his breath away.

“You never gave up.”

She snuggled closer to him and inhaled his scent deeply. Her breath tickled his naked torso, sending goosebumps across his skin. He had never been so content to just sit in silence and enjoy someone else’s company.

“Why don’t we spend more time together?” She looked up at him with big, round eyes.

He brushed a stray lock out of her face.

“I would love to spend all my time with you,” he replied, “but there’s so much to do. I have work, Joey has to go to school…”

She pouted.

“If you loved me, you would find a way.”

“Now, that’s not fair—”

“You know that there’s a way.”

A chill ran down his spine. Her sultry voice had turned to ice, and a shadow had cast itself over her chocolate eyes. His hand froze in her hair, and he swallowed against the hard knot in his throat.

“All you have to do is try.”

A medicine bottle appeared in her hand. She popped open the cap and poured its contents into his open hand. His body trembled, sending several of the pills falling onto his lap and the bed.

“Don’t you want to be with me forever?”

Her voice grated against his ears. His breathing grew shallow. His shaking increased as he raised the pills to his mouth.

“Yes,” she purred. “Be with me, forever.”

He thought about his life. About Joey. Poor Joey still needed his father. He needed his son.

“No!” He threw the pills across the room. “I won’t do it!”

A mixture of a hiss and a caw emitted from her throat. Her face contorted into a feline mask, her pupils stretching into ovals and her teeth dropping into fangs. Her nails elongated into claws, and she swiped at his face.

He covered his face and cried out in pain. By the time he uncovered his eyes, her form had been replaced by a mocha cat with black stripes. The cat hissed at him and leapt onto the windowsill. With one last look back at him, she transformed into a raven and flew off into the night.

*

He awoke with a gasp.

He glanced over at the picture frame on his bedside table. There she lay, immortalized on the beach where they had their honeymoon. Beside it sat her urn. He stroked her hair in the picture and smiled slightly. Then he reached for the bottle of pills on the corner of the bedside table and grabbed his bottled water.

He stared at the pill as it rested in his hand.

“Just a little more time,” he whispered.

He popped in the sleeping pill and took a long, refreshing drink. Then he settled back under the covers, the moonlight bathing him. In the distance, a cat meowed, and a raven cawed.

Author’s Note: For your listening pleasure, here’s the song that inspired this story, “Rhiannon” by Stevie Nicks.