A Name from a Fairy Tale

The Morning After

Amelia was strangely startled to find herself in her own bed. She wasn't at all sure why. She didn't feel sure of anything except that she strongly felt the need to go back to sleep.She had slept for longer than she had meant to, and yet still her head ached and her eyelids felt heavy with the burden of sleepiness. How late had she been up? She couldn't remember anything of last night.

She had dreamed vividly about a funny man wearing a ripped, burned, and untucked shirtand untidy hair. She struggled to hold on to the details of the raggedy man, but he was already slipping away along with the rest of the dream.

She sat up reluctantly and checked the time. Aunt Sharon would be in soon to check in on her and drive her to school. Normally Amelia would walk, but today rain clouds marred the spirng sky.

A cold breeze wrapped itself around her. Startled, she realized that she had left the window open. She stood up to close it, wincing as the chilled floorboards met her bed warmed feet. She hurried to change. She had fallen asleep in her dress, which she was puzzled to find matted with dirt on the bottom. An image from her dream resurfaced. She had been running through the garden, but running to what? Who was the raggedy man from her dreams?