Rosalind's Nightmare

        She woke up with cold sweat covering her brow and neck. While she usually dreamt of equations and saw particles moving through space, colliding and radiating energy, she never had dreams as vivid and surreal as this. She would not go back to sleep, she knew that much.

 

        Rosalind got out of bed and put on her night robe. She quickly descended the stairs and headed for the kitchen, but not before catching a glimpse of Robert, who apparently fell asleep while reading Einstein's recent publication on special relativity, the paper still on his chest. Quaint little theory, she reflected as she stopped in the doorway to look at her male self. What they below were just starting to figure out ,she already worked out a decade ago. She didn't dwell on those small discoveries too much though, universe had much more delicious fish to fry.

 

        Sight of Robert himself was endearing too, with him staying up late and reading to fall asleep here. So sloppy. she chalked it up to the opposite chromosome. It would also explain why she was the one who made the breakthrough first and not him.

 

        In the kitchen she put on the kettle and reached for coffee. Rosalind wasn't too fond of it, but she intended to stay in the lucid realm for as long as possible.

        She was almost done with brewing when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

 

        "Oh my! Robert, you know better than to sneak up on me like that." she jumped and turned around to see the sleepy face of her "brother".

 

        "I heard someone in the kitchen, it woke..."

        "...you up, yes. We don't like nocturnal disturbances, I know that.

        "You know, I actually don't mind being disturbed this time..."

 

        His hand snuck across her back form the shoulder to her waist.and slowly traveled downward. Her silence and stiffness were enough of a reply. He stopped.

 

        "I have coffee."

 

        She did not hear a yes or no, but she reached for a second cup anyway.

 

        "So, a new equation?"

        "No."

 

        They were now seated on the sofa in the main room, porcelain cups of coffee in their hands.

 

        "A new take on dimensional barriers we've been discussing?"

        "Not that either."

        "Well in that case I give up."

        "The girl."

        "A girl?"

        No, The Girl."

        "Oh? what of her?"

 

        Roslaind took a sip of her coffee.

 

        "She was strange. she was nothing like the child we know, but grown up, mature.

        Are you sure it wasn't a tear you saw?"

        "Robert, I can tell tears and dreams apart."

        "Well, was she doing anything?" Robert could see puzzlement and shock on his "sister's" face.

        "She stood in a shadow, with only a light illuminating her face. She kept altering her hair, clothes...

        "Did she say anything?"

        "She kept repeating one thing - 'there is profit to be made and men who make it'.

        "What could that mean?"

        "Unfortunately psychology, dream interpretation and palmistry are not my areas of expertise."

 

        They sat in silence for moment, both sipping their coffee.

 

        "I think the siphon might be interfering with brain activity and induce things that should not...

        "And then she drowned me."  

        "Excuse me?"

        "She approached me, placed her hands on my throat and forced me under the water."

        "But there was no water."

        "Well, apparently I didn't know there was until she pushed me into it. The strangest of all, she had no thimble."

        "Now you've done it."

        "Done what?"

        "Confused me completely."

        "Her hand was intact! All fingers in place as she grabbed me, phalanx bone was there. Its as if we didn't pull her through that opening.

        "But we did."

        "I know that, but in the dream ,we apparently didn't."

 

        They took took another sip of coffee in unison.

 

        "I do think you must be overworked."

        "It probably is that, yes." Rosalind took last gulp of her coffee and set the cup on the table. "Robert?"

        "Yes?"

        "Would you consider... resting with me?"

        "I assume the offer extends only to rest alone, with no physical contact at all?"

        "Yes."

        "I suppose I have no choice."