The Sorry Tale Of Nightmare Cooth

Chapter 13

We fell asleep that night, and in the morning, Charlie wakes up next to me. I don't sleep all that often unless I need to regain energy, but it feels right now as if I have all the energy in the world.

But Charlie doesn't look like that. He gets up and stands.

"Charlie?"

"Uh... yes. Good morning Cooth." He said.

"What's wrong?" I started to feel the pain in my stomach again. Why would I feel this now?

"Nothing... I'm okay. I just need to clean up." He goes into the bathroom and shuts and locks the door.

The pain is getting worse and I realize it's probably something like anxiety. Why was he acting so weird? I thought he would be more open to me after this!

I walk over to the door, but I don't enter. He knows I could, but also knows I won't because of privacy. "Charlie?" I knock.

"Yeah?" He calls back.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I call.

"I'm just... a little conflicted is all, Cooth. Don't worry about it. I'll be okay." He said.

But I was gonna worry about it no matter what. Charlie is my buddy. My friend. My counsel. If there was something wrong with what happened last night, I really wanna know how to make it better...

So I start texting Sarah with the phone Charlie got me.

Cooth: Sarah? I did the whole imprinting thing with Charlie, but he seems to be really upset about it... he said conflicted, but I know it means upset. What's going on?

Sarah: well... I wish I could tell you more about it Cooth, but only one of my coven has ever actually counseled a nightmare through imprintation. I'll try to give you his number so that you can contact him.

- 503-893-0801
Airest Tyrone

Cooth: Okay... thank you Sarah, I'll text him...

I sighed, wondering where this was going to take me.

Cooth: Hello. This is Cooth. I got your number from one of your coven members named Sarah. She told me you know about nightmares and specially imprintation. I had a couple questions about it.

I closed my phone, wondering how long it would take for me to get a response.

Charlie is still in the bathroom and I'm worried about him again. I started to get up when I got a response.

Airest: imprintation? You got to imprintation? And you didn't ask Sarah earlier if that was a good idea for you?

Cooth: it was in the book, there weren't any warnings for it, it just looked like something I could do to get closer to him. Why?

Airest: because imprintation can go either really good or really bad. Lack of experience in this means I can't give these warnings in the book. It's something I have to monitor personally. I really wish you had contacted me first. The book only deals in absolutes. Things like possible mood changes, withdrawing from future activities, depression spikes, conflict of interests, and many other things vary from host to host. This isn't for everyone. Who is your host?

Cooth: Charleston Davis.

Airest: Okay, let me make a file and I'll be over there when I'm done to assess what needs to happen.

Cooth: Wait, but what if he's fine?

Airest: Do you really want to take that chance?

It took me a second to respond, I looked up at the door to the bathroom. I couldn't hear him in there, but I knew he was in there. I sighed and sent Airest my address.

Airest: thank you. I'll be there soon. Inform your host.

Cooth: He's not just my host, he's my boyfriend. Stop just calling him my host. That's pissing me off.

No response from Airest.

I try again with Charlie. I know he might be getting annoyed with me, but I'm really worried...

"Charlie?" I knock again.

This time the door opens. Charlie peaks his head out and plants a light kiss on my lips. "I'm gonna be okay. I promise." He said lightly.

"We have a guest coming over." I told him.

"What? Who? Sarah?" He asked. "Wait, why here? Chastopher is here." He said.

"Well just take him upstairs for this." I said. "It's Airest, part of Sarah's coven. He wants to check up on you."

"Why?"

"Because he knows more about imprintation than the book is letting on. He just wants to see if there are lasting effects. I don't think it'll last too long."

Charlie was silent for a while, but then nodded. "Alright." He said. He came out of the bathroom and started to change into something better.

That's when I noticed some of my clothing strewed around the ground. And surprisingly the pieces are not shrouded in darkness like I am.

I pick up my shirt and look at it.

Charlie notices. "Oh wow." He said softly, picking up my coat.

I laugh. "You like my thrift store jacket?" I chuckle.

"Cooth, this is real leather. You got this at a thrift store?"

"Yeah. It was like $10." I said shrugging.

"I may or may not need to go thrift shopping. I don't know how you scored this for so low, that's incredible...."

"You can uh... you can have it if you like it. I don't mind." I said.

"What? I couldn't, Cooth it's yours." He said handing it to me.

I took it but only to drape it over the others shoulders. "I mean it." I said. "I don't want you to go to one of those stores. They're kinda gross and a little dirty and stuff. Just wear this." I said.

Charlie smiles gently putting it on.

We must be the same size or close because it fits him fairly well. "How could you mistake this for synthetic?"

"I'm not the professional here, Charlie." I laugh.

He chuckles. "So you said this is... Airest? Of Sarah's coven?"

I nodded.

"And he's coming to check on me?"

"Yeah... He said that imprintation can sometimes have some negative effects on the host that vary depending on the host. He wants to see if you're okay."

Charlie nodded and we both sat down and waited. It was oddly silent and a little awkward... I didn't like it...

After a while, Charlie went downstairs to tell Chastopher there were to be guests and not to worry about it. I stayed upstairs contemplating...

What if Charlie decides he doesn't want this anymore? What if even worse he asks Airest to get rid of me?

I don't think I would be able to handle that all too well...