Post Nightmare Shivers solo with incp

ℬrookline glanced at the paperback strung across the table in front of her, and a dark-blue ocean crashed under those iries. She had just woken up, with a pink cheek pressed against yellowed pages, matted hair slick with sweat and tears. Her eyes narrowed as she ran lean fingers though her curly hair, gazing at the wet pages. She didn't understand. She fell asleep; how were the pages of the novel wet? Brookline didn't have a nightmare, did she?

Racking her brain, for what Brookline remembered before she accidentally fell alseep. She remembered how boring the volume was, and how many times she read a page over and over again just because she wasn't paying attention. Then she felt her eyes grow heavy after messing with the corner the page, and she didn't think nothing of it. Next, she woke up with the pages of her book wet.

That's all I remember? The Welsh Ravenclaw thought, her eyebrows knitting together, I can't even remember how I fell asleep. She glanced to under the table, and caught Tigeress in a yawn, and creating biscuits on the floor. Old Brookline would have giggled, as Tigeress meowed, wriggled her tail, and pounced upto Brookline's lap to curl up for a nap. But she didn't giggle, because all the happy had been sucked up, drained, and dried up.

She picked up the tome, though, getting ready to read again, as the clock upon the wall stated 18:34. Dinner time. Brookline could hear her sister, Lizy's firm and scolding voice, Brooke! You can't just read all the time. You need to eat. Eat now. When she was younger, Brookline would read most of the, moving to various places in the house. Upside down on her bed, knees up to her chest on a uncomfortable chair in the kitchen, lying on the soft sofa with her head on the arm rest, on the stairs, or outside on the green lawn. Anywhere is where she would read, amd this time, she was propped up against a pillow, she was reading one of her favorite books, and Lizy had knocked on her door at 20:00, stating that Brookline needed to have dinner.

She rolled her eyes at that memory and she picked up her book. She wanted to read until curfew. Turning the page, Brookline looked for where she had remembered she stopped. A word popped out at her. It's black lettering looked big, and bolded. It was the only word she could make out.

Dream.

Brookline wished she could dream like a regular person, with cheerful rainbows, with well-written books, with bright nature. Instead she got ugly, hideous, terrifying, terrible nightmares about her father and fire, and a bunch of other horrible things that only she had. She even tried to tell her little sisters about these horrors she had. She had went to their dorm the other day, and asked if they had ever had nightmares and should she worry. Marie, the tranquil twin, told her calm down, and listened to the night terror. Minnie had said nightmares were a daily basic, and that she should get over it. That hurt Brookline. She had gotten up, with tears in her fragile eyes and left, leaving a confused look on both of the twins' faces.

There. She found where she was at, and read on. She was in her happy place. Of course Brookline was. Reading was fantastic, and one of her favroute things.

Wait. What? Brookline wrinkled her eyebrows, making her eyes hurt real bad, and her lip trembled. She turned back to the page before and read that sentence again. Her head hurt, everything was spinning and she didn't know what do. Her blue eyes that blazed with intense pain, grew with confusion, and she ended up reading the same sentence almost fifteen times before she gave up and chucked the book onto the table.

The small thud scared her kitten, and Tigeress flinched, her tail puffed up, and leaping off her human's lap, she scurried off behind a book shelf. Brookline rolled her eyes once again. Then she rolled her eyes at herself. Merlin knows why she rolled her eyes at herself, yet, she didn't want to have it this evening.

Brookline grabbed the back of her chair, and popped her back. Oh, sweet relief. She'd been needing that for a while. She got out of the chair, and went over to the shelf Tigeress hid behind. "Hey Tigeress. Sorry for scaring you. You okay?" Brookline called to her kitten as if the feline was a human being, and could talk. If anyone was in here, studying or readiny, they'd ought to think she's mental.

She heard a meow, and heading for that, Brookline dived for Tigeress, wrapping two strong hands around the cat's willowy middle. She huged the kitten to her chest, Tigeress' warmth filing the huge gap in her chest, yet, not fixing the anxiety bubbling deep and dark and secretive in her gut. She headed back to her table, with empty expectations.

Brookline felt like she was going throw up. Setting Tigeress down on the table, she clutched her arms, as sudden and freezing shivers racked throughout her body. Bringing her knees to the chair, she hugged herself, trying to bring warmth in. Chicken skin trailed up her elbows, and she exhaled, wondering if when she did, she'd see white fog like in winter. She did not. She grabbed her kitten, hoping Tigeress' warm fur would be enough to help from not freezing to death. The kitten snuggled in the white t-shirt she had on, and Brookline could have smiled. Tigeress was her best friend.

Okay. As much she adored her kitten, and Tigeress' attempts to help her, Brookline knew she was just too cold, more goosebumps spreading across her arms and legs. She grabbed her book, and hugged her kitten just a little tighter.

"Screw this. I'm going to a classroom. Why the heck does the library have to be so damn cold?! And just at this moment!" Brookline cursed and cursed, as she shivered, using her free hand to rub up and down her arms. She would get up and try to exit the library. She never even got as far as the book shelfs when she heard a familiar voice.

"Did you really think you were going anywhere?"

Male. Warm. Gentle. Welsh accent.

Of course she knew who it was. Brookline would recognize that voice in a hurricane.

Peter Smith.

Brookline could have screamed with joy. Her insides screehed at her to be happy and glad that her childhood best friend was here. Old Brookline would have already raced up to him, and gave him a hug. New Brookline wouldn't do such a thing, and gave Peter a unmistakable frown. Yet, she knew once her teeth clattered together, and a tremor shook her, she knew she had to more firm than that. Despite the cold chicken skin slinking up and down her arms, she had to be firm. Even to her best friend.

"Y - yes, Peter, I am going somewhere. Now, get outta m - my way." Brookline cringed. Of course it had been so cold in this this library -- wait, how isn't Peter shivering? -- she just had to quake and there she goes, she stammers, blowing her cover. Oh, and did her voice seem a little louder, like an fuzzy echo in her ears?

Brookline rolled her eyes at whatever Peter had just said, she couldn't figure out he had stated, her skull pounding so hard, she could barely think.

".... Brookline, stop..." Peter stepped closer, the distance between them just grew a little shorter. He lifted his hand to the Welsh girl's forehead, and grimaced. "Oh Merlin... you're burning up..."

Huh? I'm cold, not hot, stupid, Brookline creased her face, and snorted. "Ex - excuse me? I'm actually so cold my limbs are going to fall out if I don't get the hell out of this stupid l - library." Her teeth bumping together was causing her ears to hurt and echo so bad.

Peter laughed. He said something Brookline couldn't catch, and he took the cat out of her hands.

"Hey!" She exclaimed, and tried to get her pet back, by jumping as high as she could. Peter only laughed again, he was so much taller than Small Brookline.

"C'mon. We're bringing you to your dorm." Peter grabbed Brookline's arm, and tried to lead her out. Being the stubborn brat she was, Brookline stopped in her tracks.

"Why??"

"You're literally sick, Brooke."

"Am not! Just cold!"

Peter gave her a odd look she couldn't make out. Brookline sighed, the pounding in her head never ceasing as she felt absolutely terrible. She was not sick. She was not. She couldn't be. How could she be sick?

occ note: