Worry. Hope. Worry. What's it Going to Get You?

Prompts: Write about a character who wakes up in the middle of the night or is unable to sleep. Write about a character who can’t stop checking something.

Worry. Hope. Worry Some More. What’s it Going to Get You?

“My flesh feels like it is melting off my bones. It is ghastly hot in here. My sweat is pouring down my face. Yeah, my furry friend, I guess I am your water fountain for the midnight hours. Stop licking my face. Did anyone ever tell you your breath smells like day old tuna?Well at least I have someone to engage in conversation, albeit a one-sided conversation with my feline dependent.”

A screeching meow from the cat.

“Oh, my aching bones. Cat, move out of the way so I can get out of this soaked bed. Make yourself useful and change my sheets. I guess I shouldn’t get mad at you. You are the only living thing that listens to me and shows me any affection. There certainly hasn’t been a veritable line of women waiting outside my apartment door to console yours truly.”

The cat purrs and lays on its back.

“Oh, so you want a belly rub, eh? I can do that, but then I need to try and get some sleep. It’s still so hot in here and I even turned down the air conditioning. I guess I’ll just lay on the wet sheets and boil like a lobster. Ugh.” 

“She has not returned my emails, Cat. What’s with Belle anyway? I need to know her stance on this story. I spent sleepless nights working, refining, and redrafting the content. And this is what I get? A cold shoulder? A mailbox full of ghosts? I know she’s busy coordinating the competition and reviewing other stories. But she could have responded to me. All I get is the standard, generic email she sends to contestants when there is an ISSUE.”

The cat stops purring and stealthily walks to a food bowl on the floor.

“Now you’re leaving me too Cat, for greener pastures. I deserve better treatment. Besides she should know who I am after a couple years of reading my submissions. I could say that my contributions to the company bottom-line have helped to fund a couple of winners with a little left over. My angst is getting the better of me. I surely won’t sleep if I don’t misdirect my anxiety away from Belle. I bet you, Cat, that she is really an adorable soul. I wonder if she is single? Or has a boyfriend? Does she have a cat? Or maybe she is the AI answer to the publisher’s intent to remain aloof and invisible to its paying but losing clients? Anyway, at this point Belle remains an intense distraction interfering with my REM sleep."

The cat moves over to the computer keyboard laying on top of it.

“Cat, that is a good idea! I’ll check my email box. Yeah, I think we are six hours behind. It’s two o’clock in the morning now. It should be eight in the morning for her in England. She’s probably just getting to work now. I can envision her riding a double decker bus. I wonder if there is a subway or a tram to ride? I should probably google that for future reference. Oh, I am so tired. Cat, I need to get some sleep. I’ll just rest my head next to my laptop.”

Ker plunk. The cat’s hair stands on end as a heavy object thuds right next to the computer.

“Ouch. My forehead is killing me. How long have I been out? Oh my gosh it’s three o’clock now and ten in England. I have to check my email. She’s probably responded by now.”

The cat moves toward the computer but hears clicking and decides to jump on the bed.

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing except a bunch of spam and an email from my landlord. The horror of it all! Nothing from Belle and harassment from a crotchety old landlord for past due rent! Ok, I need to breathe in a few times deeply. You need some sleep my boy. Go get rest and check a little later.”

The cat remains curled up on the pillow.

“Move over Cat. Moist sheets or not here I come. My dive into the bed would earn me a 9.0 at the diving competition. Ugh. This wetness is killing me. How am I ever going to get any sleep? Since tomorrow is Saturday, I should be okay. Oh no! It can’t be! No, tomorrow can’t be Saturday, Cat. Belle won’t be in the office. Maybe I have my days wrong. I need to check my calendar and while I am at it, I’ll check my mailbox.”

More clicking. The cat remains curled up on the pillow and occasionally licks it paws.

“Nothing again. Hey what’s this email? Holy crap! My credit card has been locked. This says that I have exceeded my credit limit. I thought I had paid the outstanding balance last week! Hmmm. I need to look into this after I hear from Belle. Oh, I am so tired. I need to get back into bed. Wait! I think today is Thursday, so it is Friday for Belle. It’ll be okay, I think.”

Quickly scurrying out of the bed to avoid being smashed, the cat jumps onto the floor. There is a voice with intense snoring.

“ZZZZ. Maybe she is playing hard to get. ZZZZ. Maybe I should try to call her. ZZZZ. I have no number. ZZZZZ. So tired. So sad. ZZZZ. Heart aches. ZZZZ.”

The cat licks an ear.

“Cat, not now. I am so tired.  If only you could tell me the time. Wait! The time! It’s now 4:30 am and 10:30 am overseas. I need to check my emails now!”

Frantic noise and shuffling startle the cat. It hides under the bed.

“Oh, really? All I get is a bank statement? No Belle? My bank says I am overdrawn on my account. The check for the credit card bounced for insufficient funds and has been returned unpaid. Oh crap! What am I going to do? It will just have to wait until I hear from Belle. Belle, where are you? I need to hear from you. I think I need to cool off and take a cold shower. I am beginning to smell like my cat’s mouth and sadly the litterbox.”

The sound of a shower continues to disturb the cat, and it remains under the bed.

“Oh, that felt much better. It’s now 5:30 am and 11:30 am over there. I need to check my email just in case Belle sent a message while I was in the shower. Wait! It’s a message from the office. What in tarnation does my boss want? Oh, Cat, this is not good news for us.  Half the personnel at my company are being downsized! The email says not to come into the office today. I can collect my things next Monday morning. I guess I’ll deal with it next week. Oh, the misery of not hearing from Belle.”

The cat pokes its head from under the bed and scampers up toward the desk. 

“Hey buddy. Thanks for your consoling rub on my face. Maybe I am looking at this all wrong with Belle. I should give her more space, more time. I hope her interests are like mine. I am a decent fellow or chap she would probably say.  I’m good looking, I think. Right cat?”

The cat meows.

“Appreciate the affirmation, Cat. Since I need to kill some time, let me paint a picture of what Belle might look like for you. She probably has long dark hair; a kind, loving smile. Given her name is Belle, I figure she likely comes from a Hispanic or Italian heritage with a slight olive tan complexion, and a medium build. Oh, you wouldn’t understand what a medium build is. Would you Cat? Now that I think about it, she probably is really smart if she works at a major publishing house. I can only surmise she must have a big heart too. What do you think so far about Belle, Cat?”

The cat lays on its back purring.

“Another belly rub? I am tired but I’ll do it. You like that don’t you? Well, it’s now 6:15 am, and 12:15 am across the pond. She’s eating lunch or maybe having a spot of tea, as the locals say. I wonder what she likes to eat? Maybe crumpets. Maybe her uppity tastes might include jellied eel, tripe and possibly black pudding. Scrumptious. Sounds like her company pays her too much because she eats high on the hog, heh, heh.”

The cat curls up next to the laptop as the voice continues to drone on.

“I wonder if she even has time to think about her writers? What we are like? I know! I think I’ll update my writer’s profile to say handsome, athletic, intellectual, wealthy man of US citizenship with great expository and written skills. No.That won’t work. I’m turning my profile into a covert ad for dating. Plus, Belle likely has read some of my work including the last submission. I’ll stick with what I have: ‘A freelance Chrisitan author with little or no experience but who likes to write stories anyway.’How about I throw in a verse or two like from Psalm 119: 103: “How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey”.  Or better yet from Proverbs 16:23: “From a wise mind comes wise speech; the words of the wise are persuasive.”  Hmmm. I think that might work but I feel there is a word limitation. Gee, I just can’t win.”

The cat actually is snoring in its sleep now.

“I guess one of the two of us will get some needed rest. Don’t mind me Cat but I am going to check my email. Ok, it’s now 1:30 pm over yonder. What? Oh, the horror of it! This is worse than a first run high school rendition of the Rocky Horror Picture Show! It’s HORRID! I got NOTHING! Belle has abandoned me. She has forsaken me! Is she telling me it’s over? I am crushed, defeated. I have succumbed to corporate censorship. Maybe this is a good thing having a sense of finality. A part of me died and I need to grieve. I’ll never get those hours of rest back, nor will I get the feedback to press on in my illustrious career as a short story writer. Belle has snubbed me.”

A blip sound comes from the laptop. The cat opens its eyes.

“What’s this? Oh my gosh! Will miracles never cease! And I quote Psalm 40:1 “I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and He turned to me and heard my cry.”  Yes! I have an answer!”

The aroused cat stretches out on the desk appearing indifferent to the jubilation.

“Cat! It’s happened! Belle has answered me! We need to celebrate! I need an energy drink! For you, you get your last can of wet food. Now for the moment we’ve all been waiting for, needless to say just me. I am going to open it. It says,”

IP INFRINGEMENT

“I’ve been dissed, Cat. “

A blip sounds again from the laptop. The cat knocks over the empty bowl off the desk.

“There’s another email message from Belle. It says,

‘Your story is in violation of our regulations and will immediately be removed from your profile site.’ 

Wide-eyed, the cat leapt off the desk hearing raucous laughter.

“Cat, here is what I am writing back. If I contest the ruling, will I be forever banished from my profile? Will you banish me from your life, Belle? You are right in executing your company requirements, but it was a costly endeavor. It will take a long time for my aching heart to heal. Perhaps it will hurt only to the next story or should I play hard to get? Thanks for the emails.  I think I will be sleeping well one last night in my apartment before Cat and I are evicted and we head down to the unemployment office.

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’”

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭31-33‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.” (Lamentations 3: 22-23, NLT)

-END-

Disclaimer: Any depiction of individuals in this story living or deceased, is purely coincidental, including Belle. (Smile)

Biblical citations from the New Living Translation

Author: Pete Gautchier

Acknowledgement: Reedsyprompts.com