DREAM DEMON DUELS

At his desk, Tre lays slumped in his chair. Alarm blasting. He wakes up gasping. Paralyzed in his chair. Just a few feet in front, He fades into view. Here he is again, his embodied insomnia, his sleep paralysis demon, his shadow and umbra. Whom he’s named Ret. 

“Heeey, Tre.” Ret cackles maniacally. Tre frowns and growls in protest.

   Ret taunts Tre who remains stuck in his seat. Tre stares and Ret smirks back. He paces the room, knocking Tre’s things to the floor. A few books from his desk, some clothes from the closet, drops Tre’s thermos from chest height and it pounds the ground loudly. 

“Oops, hope that wasn’t expensive.” 

Tre whines and mumbles and grimaces in pain hearing it. Ret rubs his hands together and prances out proudly in a quiet tip toe before just slamming the door.

   He rips open the door of the fridge and reaches in. He opens a pint of milk and pours both it and a bottle of chocolate syrup down his throat as he alternates between the two. He tears open a pack of cookies on the counter. Oreos. He stuffs his face, sprinkling crumbs on the counter like seasoning.

   He returns to Tre’s room and scans the room. He smiles, pleased with his own work. He then claps twice. Waking Tre up to a mess. Papers and books and clothes scattered across the floor. Tre sighs and groggily gets up to clean up.

   Tre spends the morning cleaning his living room as well. A mess made the night before by Ret. He wipes down crumbs on the kitchen counter and his older cousin Chase walks into the kitchen. Scoffing with a smile at the mess.

“Y’all have a rager in here?” 

“Yeah a day-ger. Still got a few cookies left though!” He offers Chase some from the box and sheepishly stares at the mess.

“I’m good thanks,  but tell your Dad I stopped by?” Tre nods and daps him up before rushing to wipe down the counter faster.

   Just as Chase leaves, Ret returns. Tre tosses the cloth into the sink and faces him. 

“Alright let’s settle the damn thing.” Ret rolls up his sleeves.

“Yeah I got just the game.” Tre cracks his knuckles and winces.

   The two sit down in front of the TV for the first challenge. Mario Kart. Tre has the upperhand for the first few races. Ret chuckles before upping the ante and drifting circles around him in the last races of the Grand Prix. Tre sulks. Ret has a higher score and wins the first challenge.

“Well that was easy.”

   Next the two head out to the backyard. Tre and him sit at a table. Cookies on plates. They begin their eating contest and Ret clears his plate, grabs Tre’s plate, and finishes both. Burps.

“Next?”

   Their last challenge is inside the house again. Tre takes out two blank sheets of paper. Tre chooses something to draw and the two begin scribbling away. Tre smiles weakly and Ret just whistles a tune to himself. Tre turns his around after the five minutes pass. Reveals a cartoonish wolf. Ret turns his drawing around next. Reveals a detailed, realistic, well shaded wolf. Ret jumps up.

“Three for three, man, it’s good to be me.”

   Tre bows his head down in defeat before getting a call. He goes out to the backyard to make the call and shuts the door behind him. Ret appears by his side anyway. Pretending to eavesdrop.

“Hey Alisha, what’s–”

“You know what’s up. You better not bail tonight.”

Tre rolls his eyes at Ret and Ret blows raspberries back.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, but I–”

“Okay. What’s the excuse now?” as she says this, Ret does the chicken dance.

“Ate some bad pork chops last night, still messing me up.” Ret tilts his head and facepalms.

Tre puts a hand on his stomach as if she can see him. Groans into the phone.

“Drink a probiotic or something. Like some prune juice.”

“Indigestion suddenly doesn’t sound so bad.”

“Fine drama king, how about tea? I’ll text you the one to grab.” He waits for her response and lightly chuckles upon reading which one. He ponders it and notices Ret has faded away. For now it seems.

“Yeah I’ll give it a try tonight, but I’ll see you tomorrow!”

“Riiight. See you tomorrow.”

   Tre goes back inside and Ret is already waiting on the couch. He jumps up and rushes into Tre, possessing him. 

“So scared to let me have a spin?”

They both fight for control of the body. Tre trips over himself. Attempting to keep balance and even grabbing his own arm to stop Ret from making them punch themselves. Chase walks in, seeing them. 

“I’ll just give him a call and come back another time. See ya, cuz.” 

Hands up in support of his cousin’s struggle, he walks out.

    At night just before midnight, Tre pours hot water into a cup. Ret laughs and tempts Tre to reach into the fridge instead. 

“Tryna stay up right? Let’s have more milk and cookies instead cause I’ll have some anyways when you go to bed.”

Tre simply smiles, ignoring him and taking the cup to his room.

   He takes a few big gulps at his desk. Reaching the bottom of the cup as he rests it on a tray. The moment he does, he face plants on his desk. Snoring loudly.

   Ret returns once again, smiling until he tries to move. Realizes he’s stuck in place. He glances in horror at the cup and sees the tea bag. Realizes it’s not coffee. It’s Chamomile Tea.   

“Aw you lucky brat.”

   Tre, still asleep on the desk, has another out of body visitor. Resembling him except they’re wearing blue shades.

“Who the hell are you?” Ret can only turn his head at him.

“I’m me. Lights out!”

 They clap as Ret fades away again, frantically tapping himself before he does. 

After Ret fades away the visored visitor snaps their fingers three times. 

   Tre wakes up slowly, yawning as he does. Goes back to sleep on the desk.

   The next morning Tre wakes up stretching and smiling. He heads to the bathroom.

Slips into the shower. He gets out, he dries off, and gets dressed in noticeably brighter clothes than the days prior.

   He goes to the kitchen. He pours hot water into his thermos, making a cup of coffee as he a pops some waffles out the toaster. He eats a quick breakfast and then heads out towards the door.

Smiling at the bursting rays of sunlight and making a call. 

“On my way there now.”