four alarm fire // matty healy

Nightmare

I sat on the bus alone. The conversation I had with the bus driver was nice, lighthearted. He kept looking at me through the rear view mirror, his eyes becoming stern at every glance. The bus was driving faster than normal, the barren landscape starting to become less and less clear at every angle.

With the bus still in motion, the driver stood up and moved from the wheel.

"Where are we going?" My voice squeaked.

As the driver moved closer to me, he morphed into something vile. Uncle's grimy hands reached for my neck.

I jolted upright in my bed. My trembling fingers touched the beads of perspiration that collected at my eyebrows. The blanket was too hot so I threw it to my feet. I became clammy instantly.

A single light was on in the bus. Adam's was off, he was asleep in the bunk above me. I craned my neck down the hall to see who was awake at this late hour.

Matty held a cup of tea to his chest as he looked out the window fondly. His knees were tucked underneath of him. He looked like a child again, but his eyes were filled with wonder instead of mischief. He noticed my head poking out of the bed.

"Oh, sorry, did the light wake you up?" I shook my head as he placed his mug on the table beside him. I swung my legs out of the bed and walked to sit on the upholstered chair next to him.

"Bad dream." Matty nodded knowingly. His hair bounced as the bus drove over some potholes. "Why are you awake?"

"The two other giants in my bed woke me up. They kick and snore and I was right in the middle!" He rolled his eyes. "So, I'm here now."

My mouth formed an 'o' shape, then I glanced down the corridor. He was right, I heard them loud and clear. Like a pair of buzz saws.

I turned to face Matty again. He twisted a small lock of my hair was twisting between his fingers. My head tilted toward his hand in admiration, which cupped my face gently.

"Are you going to go bed anytime soon?" I asked. His eyes were thinking, then he responded with a slow shake of his head. His hands went back to his tea.

"Would you stay with me?" My voice was confident, more so than in my dream. To be brutally honest, I was scared about having another nightmare.

Matty nodded though, and followed my to my tiny bunk. We huddled under the small blanket and our legs tangled together. Matty pressed a small kiss to center of my forehead.

"Go to bed, love," he whispered. Love, he head repeated. Love, love, love. It was serene for a moment. We were together, him, breathing in my hair, and me, closing my eyes against his beating chest. A small voice sliced through our tranquility.

"If you two are going to shag, tell me now. I'd rather be kicked by a sleeping George than listen to you guys fuck." Adam whispered the top bunk..

We just laughed and fell asleep in each other's arms.