You Sleep When They Sleep

Link to article: You Sleep When They Sleep.
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Sleeping for a snowy dream
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**🕰️ Word Count: 3.6k Words 🕰️**
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[[=]]
...

I turned my head around disoriented by the world around me. It was dark with an absence of color every way. The temperature was not exactly cold or hot although I felt the warmth drain out of me. There was no gravity to match the nothingness to see and I only floated around in the air.
[[/=]]
[[<]]
"Matty?"
[[/<]]
[[=]]
I called out knowing he had to be somewhere. No matter how hard I tried to turn, I couldn't shift my body. I was forced to just float around in nothingness in hopes that he heard me.
[[/=]]
[[>]]
"Daddy!"
[[/>]]
[[=]]
He ran up to me and pounced on my chest. We both began to spin backward in the air in circles. I felt warmth come from his body and heat me right back up.
[[/=]]
[[<]]
"Hey Matty. What's up?"
[[/<]]
[[>]]
"I had... I tried to go to bed, but that guy with all the scales and the teeth came out of my closet! Bleh."
[[/>]]
[[=]]
I made sure to hug him tight.
[[/=]]
[[<]]
"What did he do?"
[[/<]]
[[>]]
"He just watched me and got closer to my bed. But I threw my pillow at him and was able to jump out of the window!"
[[/>]]
[[=]]
I opened my eyes wide and made sure to check his body to make sure he wasn't hurt.
[[/=]]
[[<]]
"Ah. That's... Smart."
[[/<]]
[[>]]
"Yeah! And I think he's still in my room!"
[[/>]]
[[=]]
The world around us shifted. Matty dropped to the ground and I regained my footing. We found ourselves standing on the pavement just outside of home. The yard quickly filled with snow and the sky with a thousand stars. Our clothes shifted to winter outfits -- myself in a puffy blue jacket, him in a puffy blue vest, coats under both of our waterproof layers, with warm gloves and thick shoes to boot.
[[/=]]
[[>]]
"We should go to the park!"
[[/>]]
[[=]]
I looked back inside the house. His bedroom curtains were closed, so I couldn't see inside. I trusted him that a monster awaited -- at least for the moment. If spending time at the park didn't get the monster to go away, then at least it would let Matty calm down.
[[/=]]
[[<]]
"Lead the way."
[[/<]]
[[=]]
He took my hand and began to drag me down the pavement to the edge of the road. Every other light in our neighborhood was on although we couldn't see anybody on the street. Matty paused and looked back at me.
[[/=]]
[[>]]
"Did I take you from anything? I'm sorry if I did."
[[/>]]
[[<]]
"Bah. It's way past my bedtime, anyway. I oughta go to sleep soon."
[[/<]]
[[=]]
He kept going and once again dragged me down the street. We both laughed as we made it to the park.  Leaned against a bench sat two sleds and Matty ran away from me to grab one. I trailed behind as he mounted the top of a steep hill and sat down on his sled. By the time I barely made it up the hill, he was already midway down.
[[/=]]
[[>]]
"Wheeeee!"
[[/>]]
[[=]]
I heard him cry out as he descended. I sat down and made chase and the small hill transformed into a mountain slope. 

Matty let me speed up to him and just barely trail behind.

We saw a ramp in the distance. Matty turned toward it and leaned ahead -- speeding up way faster than I could go no matter how hard I tried to. I saw him rocket toward the ramp getting closer and closer and closer until //striking// the ramp and shooting at least a hundred feet in the air. I had a perfect view of him being launched into space where I was on the slope.


I smiled staring up at him. Well, at least until he fell off the sled.
[[/=]]
[[<]]
"Matty!"
[[/<]]
[[=]]
I leaned forward as hard as I could to hit the ramp. Matty let out a scream just as I flew up into the air. We got closer and closer until he seemed like he would fall within reach of my sled.

But as he fell, I didn't rise. I would undershoot him just barely.

Without hesitation, I put both feet on the sled and lunged ahead. This time, I caught him. I turned around and put Matty in front of me while the cold air stabbed needles against my neck.

Our fall was broken by a deep pile of snow that buried the two of us deep underground. Before I had a second to recover, Matty shot out of the pile and out of the snow. As soon as I dragged myself upright I saw that we were back in the park and the mountain was gone. Matty bounced up and down in the air.
[[/=]]
[[>]]
"Again! Again!"
[[/>]]
[[=]]
I laughed.
[[/=]]
[[<]]
"Maybe let's not go sledding tonight."
[[/<]]
[[>]]
"Aww."
[[/>]]
[[<]]
"I know, I know. I'm old and can't keep up."
[[/<]]
[[>]]
"Well you caught me! You're not //that// old!"
[[/>]]
[[<]]
"How about we make snow angels for a second? I promise we can play tag after."
[[/<]]
[[>]]
"Okayyy... But only if you promise!"
[[/>]]
[[=]]
Matty dropped down to the snow and moved his limbs out and in to create snow angels.

As I stood I wiped snow off of my clothes acting like I wasn't immediately about to lie back down in it. A minute later, Matty had already finished his angel when I finally started mine.
[[/=]]
[[>]]
"Are we ever going to have a winter with //actual// snow?"
[[/>]]
[[=]]
I grabbed a fistful of snow and crumpled it in my hand.
[[/=]]
[[<]]
"This seems actual enough."
[[/<]]
[[>]]
"But it's just dream snow! Not real snow!"
[[/>]]
[[<]]
"Trust me, snow ain't all it's cracked up to be. When I lived in Spokane, every winter would be cold and frozen and miserable."
[[/<]]
[[>]]
"Did you make snowmen and snow angels?"
[[/>]]
[[<]]
"Sometimes. Not so much when I graduated high school."
[[/<]]
[[>]]
"See! You don't remember it being good because you weren't doing anything fun in it!"
[[/>]]
[[<]]
"Well you know how we're going up to Gran's house over the summer?"
[[/<]]
[[>]]
"Yeah?"
[[/>]]
[[<]]
"While we're there, you should try and convince her to let us come over for Christmas next year."
[[/<]]
[[>]]
"Really?"
[[/>]]
[[<]]
"I'll also try to convince her. She's a tough cookie to crack, but I think we can do it."
[[/<]]
[[>]]
"Deal!"
[[/>]]
[[=]]
The sky grew brighter as thousands more stars popped up covering every inch. There were hardly any splotches of black we could see.
[[/=]]
[[>]]
"Is the monster still going to be there when we get back?"
[[>]]
[[<]]
"Hmm. I don't think so."
[[/<]]
[[>]]
"Why?"
[[/>]]
[[<]]
"It's close to Christmas. They probably want to go on vacation."
[[/<]]
[[>]]
"Monsters have vacations?"
[[/>]]
[[<]]
"Oh yeah."
[[/<]]
[[=]]
...
[[/=]]
[[>]]
"But what if it's still there?"
[[/>]]
[[<]]
"Well, then I'll have to head in first and beat the snot out of it!"
[[/<]]
[[=]]
I flexed my muscles and Matty laughed.
[[/=]]
[[>]]
"Okay!"
[[/>]]
[[=]]
Matty and I turned quiet as we stared up at the stars. I heard the snow around him no longer shift as we took a second to breathe.
[[/=]]
[[<]]
"Did you know that chickens are dinosaurs?"
[[/<]]
[[>]]
"Wuh?"
[[/>]]
[[<]]
"Yeah. Birds are just some type of weird reptile that evolved to get feathers and fly."
[[/<]]
[[>]]
"You're making that up."
[[/>]]
[[<]]
"No, I'm not. It's true!"
[[/<]]
[[>]]
"That's weird..."
[[/>]]
[[<]]
"The funny thing is; whenever you talk about the guy with the scales and the teeth in a trench coat -- all I can think about is that he's just made of fifty chickens."
[[/<]]
[[>]]
"Fifty chickens wouldn't fit in a coat!"
[[/>]]
[[<]]
"Of course they would!"
[[/<]]
[[>]]
"That's way too many! The most you could fit is like... Ten!"
[[/>]]
[[<]]
"Ten? You think they could only fit ten chickens in a coat?"
[[/<]]
[[>]]
"Yeah! Well... Maybe a few more. But not fifty!"
[[/>]]
[[<]]
"Well I imagine they're all kind of squeezed together in there. One in each glove, two in each shoe -- and //at least// three in the head."
[[/<]]
[[>]]
"Where are the rest of them?"
[[/>]]
[[<]]
"Uhhh. Well, you've got to fit at least thirty in the main body. Then a few more on the arms and legs. You've got around fifty spread throughout."
[[/<]]
[[>]]
"No way!"
[[/>]]
[[<]]
"Don't forget the hat, too. There's got to be a few under the hat."
[[/<]]
[[>]]
"Hrmph. I still don't buy it! It's like only thirty."
[[/>]]
[[=]]
He shot up and left his snow angel, I joined him.
[[/=]]
[[>]]
"It's kind of cold... We should go inside and get hot cocoa!"
[[/>]]
[[<]]
"That sounds amazing right now."
[[/<]]
[[=]]
We slowly made our way back up the hill. The ascent was much faster than it was when we went down, and a few minutes later we stood in front of our house. Matty hesitated to enter it and only stared at his bedroom window.

I grabbed his hand and walked toward the door at a steady pace. It was unlocked when I arrived and opened with ease. I flicked on a few lights within the house before heading to the kitchen. 

Matty broke away from my hand to go to our couch and read some comics. Meanwhile, I put two mugs of milk in the microwave and got out all the toppings I could think of -- even some we didn't have.

I mixed in real fresh dark chocolate and unwhipped cream before I sprayed a swirl of actually whipped cream atop it.

I sprinkled chocolate chips and mini marshmallows atop which seemed to melt and brown as I left them there. I even put on some nutmeg and crushed graham crackers.

He awaited patiently at the couch as I brought both mugs over. 
[[/=]]
[[>]]
"Oo! Thank you!"
[[/>]]
[[=]]
Matty snatched up his mug and quickly began to down it.
[[/=]]
[[<]]
"Yeah? You like it?"
[[/<]]
[[=]]
He paused from his mug to regain his breath for a second. Chocolate was melted all over his lips.
[[/=]]
[[>]]
"Yeah!"
[[/>]]
[[=]]
I laughed as he finished his hot cocoa and I started to drink my own. It was the best mug I ever had; creamy and deep. The chocolate had a nutty flavor I don't think I'd ever tasted in hot cocoa before. Meanwhile the nutmeg added a great touch to it, as well.

As I saw Matty finish his hot chocolate, I grabbed a tissue.
[[/=]]
[[<]]
"Come here."
[[/<]]
[[=]]
I wiped his face clean of everything that spilled onto his face. After a second, he was good as new.
[[/=]]
[[<]]
"It's getting pretty late, isn't it?"
[[/<]]
[[=]]
Matty looked at his room's door. I could feel the dread come off of him manifest in the air. The beats of his heart grew louder and louder to a point where I could hear them feet away. 
[[/=]]
[[<]]
"Actually, I guess I //did// promise you that game of tag."
[[/<]]
[[>]]
"Oh yeah!"
[[/>]]
[[=]]
The chair I was seated on faded out of existence and I fell backward. Our kitchen disappeared as I fell until my descent was broken by a pile of snow. I was back in my winter clothing from the park. I looked around the woods, seeing snow-covered trees only broken by a small gravel path.

I turned my head around, looking for him.
[[/=]]
[[<]]
"Matty?"
[[/<]]
[[=]]
I felt his hand come out of nowhere and push against my chest to make me fall back into the snow.
[[/=]]
[[>]]
"Tag! You're it!"
[[/>]]
[[=]]
I dragged myself up and saw him running away from me, giggling.
[[/=]]
[[<]]
"Why I oughta!"
[[/<]]
[[=]]
I laughed and brushed snow off of my coat before giving chase.

We ran through the paths, snowy gravel shifting with every step. I was just barely behind him but not able to catch up.

He made a turn away from the main path down one marked by pine needles and stones. The trees closed in as we made chase -- branches getting in my face and obscuring my vision.

When we finally made it out of the narrow trail, we looked down on a small little Christmas town. Red and white poles with LEDs littering every street. Every single hut and cabin had a humungous chimney with smoke billowing up to the moon. Bright yellow lights left every window with only black silhouettes of whatever was inside each house being visible. 

He punched ahead past the clear snowy ground we stood on so I couldn't catch him. A set of wooden stairs presented themself to him, leading him down a hillside I couldn't see over. 

As I finally crossed over the hill, and began practically tripping down the wooden stairs, I saw a giant lodge ahead. It's lights were yellow and fully-well lit, smoke came from a dozen chimneys much akin to the town. 

Matty somehow was already at the door. He turned around and stopped to taunt me, only letting me close enough to see him stick out his tongue before he ran inside. 

The front door was a revolving door. I stepped into it and began to spin -- but I wasn't given entry. Instead I only sped up as the doors revolved faster and faster. 

Speed threw me back against one of the rotating doors. I couldn't see anything outside as the speed got faster and faster.

When the doors spat me out, I flew across the room. I landed on a couch, seated upright, and with my clothes shifted to a fancy tuxedo. Smooth jazz echoed through the lodge as I got to my two feet. I only walked, for now, while I looked at the fancy winter hotel. Where I had been thrown from laid a giant glass window. I couldn't see the revolving door anywhere.

Outside the window was a giant slope that undercut the lodge. At the very bottom, despite fog and snowfall, I saw the same park by our house, albeit a couple-thousand feet down.
[[/=]]
[[>]]
"Hey! Slowpoke! Catch up!"
[[/>]]
[[=]]
The second I snapped around I saw Matty at the entrance to a hallway. I ran toward him and he grinned. Just when I was within pinching distance, he began to bolt.
[[/=]]
[[<]]
"Why you! Get back here!"
[[/<]]
[[=]]
He laughed. And I laughed. The hallways of the lodge went on infinitely only with the occasional turn and hundreds of rooms.

Matty turned and zigged and zagged every other entrance in an effort to slow me down. We found ourselves deep in the lodge by the time I was close to tagging him. He turned one last corner, and I foolishly followed.

I found myself seated in a saddle on the back of a t-Rex. Reigns to control it were in my hands. 

We were back outside and I once again adorned my given winter outfit. No trees were anywhere near us, now, and instead had been pushed minutes away on either side. Ahead of me and my t-rex was Matty as he rode a triceratops that was running at full speed. 

Quickly the both of us made chase to Matty, although my ride wasn't nearly as fast as his. He slowed down to knock over a giant redwood tree that appeared just out of the darkness, and thankfully we were able to walk on over it. It took a bit for Matty to regain his speed and I pulled up right beside him. He looked up at me. A megaphone manifested in my hand and I raised it to my mouth.
[[/=]]
[[<]]
"Pull over!"
[[/<]]
[[=]]
He grinned and started to make a sharp turn to the left. Before a second thought crossed my head, I made a leap.

I glided through the air attempting to jump on his triceratops. Time even slowed down as I fell. I was close -- able to swipe my hands at it's tail -- but I wasn't quite going to make it.

Then, I felt a large, scaly tail lift me up from my chest and launch me in the air. The t-rex I rode launched me ahead in the air. This time, at a now normally-speeded pace, I fell on the back of the triceratops. I tried to get up to get Matty, but we started going faster than I could stay upright. I clung on to some leather straps of the saddle Matty sat on.

The trees narrowed around us, but I couldn't make out any details because of the speed we went. They all seemed to pass in nothing but blurs.

Suddenly the triceratops froze in its tracks and dug its feet in the ground. Me and Matty went flying ahead down a steep slope of snow.

I rolled around and around as gravity pulled me ahead. Matty, meanwhile, found another sled and rode that so he didn't get covered in cold. Snow collected around me and soon I was surrounded by a giant snowball rolling downhill. My head still peaked out, which gave me just enough sight to keep following Matty.

He looked back and tried to speed up as best as he can to avoid getting absorbed into the snowball. Try as he did, he was not fast enough and was squashed somewhere inside of it. I didn't even have a minute after to react when the snowball crashed against the bottom of the slope and shattered into a million sparkles every which way.

I laid down on the ground, half-covered in snow. I stayed motionless for a bit, regaining myself. I heard snow crunch leading up to me.
[[/=]]
[[>]]
"Daddy? Are you okay?"
[[/>]]
[[=]]
I stayed silent and waited for him to come closer to check on his old man. He crept ahead, cautious. When he stood over me, I shot my hand up against his arm.
[[/=]]
[[<]]
"Tag. Gotchya."
[[/<]]
[[>]]
"Awwww-"
[[/>]]
[[=]]
Matty kicked the snow while I got up laughing. I was covered head-to-toe in the stuff while I looked around. Right there, in front of where we landed, was our house by itself. No neighbors, no road, no park.
[[/=]]
[[<]]
"Alright. We both need to go to bed now."
[[/<]]
[[=]]
I scooped him up and put him on my shoulders. We slowly made our way back to the house although neither of us were in a rush.
[[/=]]
[[>]]
"You wouldn't have got me if I didn't check on you..."
[[/>]]
[[<]]
"Sure I would've."
[[/<]]
[[>]]
"You were nowhere near me!"
[[/>]]
[[<]]
"I got close a few times. You've got to admit, jumping on that triceratops was //at least a little bit// awesome, right?"
[[/<]]
[[>]]
"... I guess..."
[[/>]]
[[<]]
"Hah!"
[[/<]]
[[>]]
"You know next time I'm not going to be so nice! If you're stuck in the snow, I'm not going to help you!"
[[/>]]
[[<]]
"Well I guess I'll have to catch up sooner next time."
[[/<]]
[[=]]
We entered the house. On the table still sat our mugs, both refilled with steaming-hot cocoa. I took a detour to get our mugs before we went to his room.

The door had a sign on it which read, "MATTY'S CAVE. NO ENTRY ALLOWED." I cautiously wrapped my fingers around the handle. Matty dropped down from my shoulders and hid behind my legs. I gently opened the door and walked through.

A large bed took up most of the room -- while a desk fitted out with lamps and pencils and papers and drawings sat right next to it. The floor of his room had a city-themed carpet with half-built Lego sets littered throughout every other step. A few shelfs were on the wall with completed sets. Right next to the door was a bookshelf filled to the brim, although the only books that really got any use were Percy Jackson novels.

I checked the closet, and the only stuff inside was a dresser and some clothes hanging around.
[[/=]]
[[<]]
"Nobody's here."
[[/<]]
[[>]]
"You're sure?"
[[/>]]
[[<]]
"Mhm. No monsters in sight."
[[/<]]
[[=]]
Matty ran inside and jumped onto his bed, hot cocoa still in-hand. I turned a lamp on and then shut off the room light.
[[/=]]
[[<]]
"Alright. After you finish that, you need to brush your teeth."
[[/<]]
[[>]]
"But we're sleeping. Why do I need to brush my teeth?"
[[/>]]
[[<]]
"Oh. Uh. Good point."
[[/<]]
[[=]]
He shot into crisscross-applesauce position and sipped down on his drink.
[[/=]]
[[>]]
"What if the monster with the scales comes back?"
[[/>]]
[[<]]
"Do you think they will?"
[[/<]]
[[>]]
"Yeah! What if he's just hiding really well?"
[[/>]]
[[=]]
Matty pointed to his closet. 
[[/=]]
[[<]]
"Tell you what-"
[[/<]]
[[=]]
I grabbed handfuls of unused Lego bricks and scattered them both in the carpet and just in front of it.
[[/=]]
[[<]]
"If they somehow sneak their way into it, whenever they try to come out they're going to step on Legos and start running away in pain.
[[/<]]
[[=]]
Matty giggled.
[[/=]]
[[>]]
"That's not going to work!"
[[/>]]
[[<]]
"It will! Then after they start running around, I think they're going to trip and their trench coat will come off. When that happens, I need you to count how many chickens they were made of."
[[/<]]
[[>]]
"What if I can't catch all of the chickens?"
[[/>]]
[[<]]
"Then we can just say I'm right about their being fifty chickens crammed into them."
[[/<]]
[[=]]
Matty grumbled.
[[/=]]
[[>]]
"There's only like forty chickens in it at most..."
[[/>]]
[[=]]
He finished his hot chocolate and I took the mug from him. I set the mug down on his desk while he tucked under the sheets.
[[/=]]
[[<]]
"Goodnight Matty."
[[/<]]
[[>]]
"Goodnight."
[[/>]]
[[=]]
I shut of the lamp and the room briefly turned to darkness. Glow-in-the-dark stickers of stars were strewn across the ceiling of his room and shone through the darkness. I stood against the dark and walked through the door.
[[/=]]
"You're sure the scaly guy isn't coming back?"
[[/>]]
[[<]]
"I'm sure. And, if he does -- I'll come right back here and slug him straight in the eye! Sound like a deal?"
[[/<]]
"Hrm. Deal."
[[/>]]
[[<]]
"Goodnight."
[[/<]]

I stepped through the door to wake up back in the living room. It was late, about 1 A.M. The TV was still on and playing some weird late-night documentaries. I shut off the TV and began walking to my room. Before I finished the journey, I quietly peeked inside Matty's room to check that he was still asleep. His blankets were thrown on the ground and he was laid flat. I walked inside quietly and lifted his sheets back on him so he wouldn't be cold. After that, I left the room for my own.

My teeth still needed to be brushed and my face needed to be cleaned. It took a few minutes for me to get finished, and after that point I sat down in bed. The alarm specifically read, "1:23 A.M." when I checked it. A sigh left my mouth as I tucked myself into the sheets and fell back.

The weight around my eyes grew and I let them close. Should Matty need me, I'll already be visiting right there in dreamland.

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You Sleep When They Sleep

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