sleepwalker || z.m.

*~Zayn~*

1:24 am

The constant dripping sound of the bathroom's faucet is keeping me awake. The annoying pattering of the tap water hitting the cold porcelain sink created a rhythm, but a rhythm that was now pounding in the back of my head.

Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip-drip. Drip. Drip.

I thrashed the covers off of my legs, the irritating sound causing me to need to pee. Walking to the restroom, I tried to turn the faucet knob, in hopes to stop the troublesome problem, but to no avail. After using the restroom, I lazily glided into the kitchen, opening the fridge and pulling out the jug of milk. I poured myself some into a collector's Star Wars mug (I went through a stage) and placed the cup in the microwave, setting the timer for 34 seconds.

When I couldn't sleep in the middle of the night when I was younger, I'd pour myself some milk and put it into the microwave, and after a lot of careful experimentation, I found that 34 seconds is just right. It warms the milk just enough so that it's not scorching, but rather a perfect warm temperature.

The loud beeping of the microwave alerted me to get my drink, and as I did, I made my way over to the kitchen's island counter, setting the mug down on the cold granite counter-top.
Burying my head in my hands, I closed my eyes and hoped for the silent darkness to take me over and drown me in a blissful sleep, but I knew by now that was definitely wishful thinking.

It was then, when I had finally learned to ignore the dripping faucet, that I heard a soft knock coming from the door. Opening my eyes and groaning internally, I pushed my chair away from the counter and walked to see who could be here at one o' clock in the morning. I was beyond surprised to see a familiar head of jet black hair and pair of glossy eyes standing in front of me.

"Sleepwalking again?" I muttered under my breath.

"Can... You... Hold... Me?" Nina asked slowly. I guess you can't expect a sleepwalker to be as responsive as a normal person.

"How about we take you back to your apartment?" I asked quietly, mostly to myself.

I took her arm gently and turned her around very, very slowly, careful not to wake her. We walked across the hall, and through her open apartment door, into her bedroom. Laying her down on the bed, I tucked the duvet under the mattress, hopefully to help keep her in bed.

Her eyes still weren't closed, but I figured she would fall back asleep soon and they'd close on their own.

Just as I began walking out of her room, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nina's body twitch slightly, and then her pupils slowly rolled backwards as her eyelids fell over her blue eyes. She was sleeping.

*~*~*~*

3:48 am

It had been two hours since Nina's sleepwalking, and I hadn't slept. Thinking about Louis, my wandering mind wouldn't shut down. I moved around, tried changing sleeping positions plenty of times, taking sleeping pills... None of it seemed to work anymore.

This hell that I was living in had already taken over. It won my mind. It took my sleep. It ripped my happiness away. What more does it want?

I heard a faint knocking on the door again, and I already had an idea of who it might be.

"Nina," I whispered, when I saw her outside my door again. I'm pretty sure it's not normal for someone to sleepwalk more than once a night, right?

"Let me... Sleep with you... Tonight?" she asked.

I didn't get to protest, because she immediately began walking towards my bedroom. I stood next to the door, mouth agape and surprise circling my mind. When I finally followed after her, I saw Nina crawling beneath the bed sheets, eyes fluttering closed as she lay still.

After contemplating what to do, I decided to leave her be, and I began doing some research on sleepwalking.

On one article, I scrolled down to the part where the author talks about how to deal with sleepwalking.

Sleepwalking can be quite disturbing if you don't know what you're dealing with. So here are a few tips to employ next time a loved one goes walkabout at night.First, trying gently guiding the person back to bed.They may want to complete their sleepwalking task first (eg, they may be dusting if they think the house is dirty). In this case, help them out, then guide them back to bed. Don't be embarrassed - they won't remember any of it!If you're not sure what their goal is, you can just ask them. They may be slow to respond or may not respond at all - just keep your questions simple.Don't be surprised if they do strange things, like urinating into a pot plant or eating invisible food. They are acting out automatic responses from waking life and are not fully aware of their surroundings nor what they are doing.
Apparently, it occurs more often in children than adults.
Hours after bedtime, do you find your little one wandering the hall looking dazed and confused? If you have a sleepwalking child, you're not alone. It can be unnerving to see, but sleepwalking is very common in kids and most sleepwalkers only do so occasionally and outgrow it by the teen years. Still, some simple steps can keep your young sleepwalker safe while traipsing about.
Kids tend to sleepwalk within an hour or two of falling asleep and may walk around for anywhere from a few seconds to 30 minutes.

As I looked further into what causes sleepwalking and its symptoms and causes, I heard Nina say, "I'm, sorry."

I didn't know if she'd respond, but from what I had read, sometimes sleepwalkers/sleep talkers may carry out a conversation with someone else.

"What are you sorry for?" I asked, just loud enough so that she could hear me.

I waited for a moment, getting no response. I sighed and pushed my hand through my dark hair.

"I... I didn't say goodbye," she said after a while. My eyes darted back over to her, watching as she tossed around, looking quite uncomfortable.

"To who?" I asked, partially curious about what she had to say.

"H-Harry. I didn't say goodbye to Harry... He left... I didn't say goodbye." Her face scrunched up and she thrashed around in the bed.

"Why didn't you say goodbye?" I wonder how much she'd tell me. Do sleep talkers still have a conscious?

"I.. I was mad... He left me... I didn't say goodbye," she said.

I didn't know how to reply. How do you respond to something like that? I decided to stay quiet, and I continued researching sleeping disorders until it was time to take her back to her own apartment.

Notes