The X Files | Levi Ackerman

File 3: Not Quite A Day Off

Dad!

The pale sunshine peered through the tightly closed blinds.

Dad!

He stirred in his bed, groaning as he scowled in his sleep.

Daddy!

The pictures rolled inside his head like some sadistic movie, the memories tearing through his brain as though his conscience wanted him to suffer.

Dad!

He slipped and fell into an endless black void, grasping at the empty air for the help that would not come.

"DAD!"

Levi jolted up, his dreaming ceasing for the time being.  He sat up in his bed, the sheets strewn everywhere and thrown in every direction.  His pale forehead was creased and beaded with cold sweat, his chiseled bare torso heaving as his eyes flashed back and forth, searching for someone who was not there.

Finally realizing the difference between dream and reality, Levi steadied his breathing and rubbed his face in his hand.  He groaned, for the migraine in his head had made an appearance once more.  He tossed in his bed and reached over to his nightstand, pulling out the drawer to reveal a nearly empty translucent orange bottle.  He twisted the white cap and violently shook out a few pills, plopping it into his mouth and taking huge gulps of water from the bottle that rested upon the stand.

After draining the water bottle, Levi swiped his eyes with the back of his hand, his breathing now level as he stared down at his lap.  His hands were shaking, so much that the plastic bottle trembled along with his fingers.  He allowed a few tears to splatter onto the plastic, clenching his jaw in fury as he scrunched up the bottle.  He glared down at the thing for a minute, his teeth bared like some kind of beast.

Levi sat there, hunched over as his back rose and fell with the rhythmic samba of his breathing, the morning doves cooing outside and the hushed whistle of wind grazing against his bedroom window.

Eventually however, Levi moaned in protest and got up to ready himself.  He brushed and flossed his teeth, washing his face thoroughly, and combing his hair so the part sat just slightly off from the center.  He slipped into some jeans, not even bothering with a shirt as he strolled into the kitchen, opening the white fridge door to look for something to eat.

"Eggs, cheese, vegetables..." he mumbled, his eyes narrowed to their normal stoic, almost hostile demeanor.  He sighed.  "Omelettes it is, I guess..."

He oiled up a pan and fired up the gas stove to high, beating a few eggs along with a splash of milk and a dash of oregano in a separate bowl.  He poured the egg mixture into the pan,  poking it occasionally with a spatula in his hand.  He added some shredded cheese once the egg foundation seemed secure, along with the leftover sautéd mushrooms, sliced tomatoes, spinach, along with some freshly minced garlic into the pan.  He folded the omelette over and pressed down on the whole dish, making the pan sizzle with a deliciously delightful sound.

As he waited for the cheese to melt and for the vegetables to warm up, Levi leaned against a nearby counter, scratching instinctively on an old scar slashing across his left shoulder.  His sparkling but yet somewhat dull iron eyes stared out into some place out of reach within reality, his thin lips slightly parted and releasing wispy breaths as his nails scraped against his skin.

Snapping out of the odd trance, Levi gripped the handle of the pan and shook it back and forth, grabbing a clean plate with his other hand and flipping the omelette onto its shiny porcelain surface.