Waking Up

After a long day, I fall asleep quickly, but my sleep is interrupted over and over by a recurring nightmare... one where Sarah and I are stalked and cornered by a massive black anaconda. After days of stalking us, it tricks us and finally drags her away, leaving me alone in the dark and noisy jungle. Scared and lost, I eventually scream into the blackness for it to take me, too.

After the umpteenth time, I wake up to the glow of the bright, warm sun. With blurry eyes, I look at the clock on my phone and groan. 6:54 AM. I feel like I barely slept, but I'm hoping breakfast and a melatonin gummy will put me back to sleep again.

I step out into the hallway on my way to the bathroom, wearing nothing but my boxers. Just a beautiful day with me and my Sarah, and nothing el...

"Sup, white boy..."

I nearly jump out of my skin when Darnell's dark, muscular frame steps out of my bathroom and gives me a sly grin. With a yelp, I race to cover myself, dainty hands scrambling to conceal my slender white body from a black muscleman.

"Shit, boy, you ain't gotta cover up. If this was my house, I'd walk around naked, too."

Remembering our house guest, I finally drop my hands, feeling silly about it. Of course, this was my house and I shouldn't be so embarrassed if another guy sees me in my boxers. Still blushing, I'm finally brave enough to make eye contact.

"Sorry, Darnell, I just forgot you were here. Um..." I'm not really sure what to say to a guy I just met yesterday. "...did you sleep well?"

As I uncover my body, I swear I can hear Darnell groan, but I don't want to mention it and embarrass him again. He looks me up and down for a second, then chuckles. "Yeah, it was alright. Prison schedule's still got me waking up at 6."

He clears his throat, looking a little uncomfortable. "Thanks again for your hospitality, hope I didn't ruin y'all's night."

In fact, he had ruined my night just a little, but I couldn't say that to a guest. "No, you were fine, Darnell. We were all having fun."

"Good," he replies in his rough deep voice. "By the way... I found a ring in my bedroom. Like an engagement ring in a little box."

He looks at me with a smile playing in his eyes. "Were you gonna propose to my Sarah?"

My face turns beet red as Darnell calls me out on my secret plan, one I hadn't told anyone about. I'd totally forgotten to take the engagement ring out of his room, where I'd hidden it, and now I was found out. "Oh-... you found that? Yeah, I was going to propose soon."

Knowing her longtime friend might disapprove, I deliver the news with hesitation. "Do you think I should do it...?"

"Absolutely, white boy..." He says with a smile that feels a little dangerous. "The two of you are soulmates... bonded forever, right? A package deal."

I liked that. I had never thought about it that way, but we were already unified and bonded together through our trauma. Getting married was a logical next step.

"Like a 2-for-1 special," Darnell mutters, probably thinking I can't hear his words of encouragement. But it means a lot, and I feel a little more confident as a result.

"Thanks," I say, feeling more upbeat but just as naked. "Can you just put the ring back where you found it? I'll find a better place for it."

"It ain't no thing, little homie," he says with a chuckle as he heads back toward his room, but he stops and turns back.

"Oh yeah, my parole officer is coming over today. It ain't nothing to worry about, he just needs to check on my situation... make sure I'm being taken care of properly." His phrasing makes me a little confused, but I just shrug. It didn't sound like a big deal.

"Don't worry, Sarah and I will make him feel at home."

"I know you will...", he replies with his typical cryptic smile, like he knows something I don't. I finally step into the bathroom for my morning routine, looking forward to another beautiful day with my Sarah.