Meeting Pices

As I finished my day, I realized I felt like a war veteran suffering from PTSD, only worse. I didn't just have murders plaguing my dreams; I felt how the victims were killed. I valued Dorian's suggestions. The suggestions he had given me about maintaining space despite my fatigue had helped a lot today, as had others over the last few years. But I didn't dare follow his suggestion to report my dreams. I sat at my desk to call clients back and to confirm the appointments I had in two days.

As I pocketed my phone, I was finding it hard to keep my eyes open.

"Are you going to be able to drive?" Dorian asked as I picked up my bag of books and dirty sheets.

"No. I haven't had enough sleep."

"That's fine. What time is your first appointment tomorrow?"

"No appointments tomorrow." I locked my office.

"Alright. Would you rather go home and get some sleep?"

I shook my head.

"Okay."

Dorian rubbed my back as we left the office. He drove us to his home and I followed him to the house, my feet scuffing on the sidewalk.

"We're home," Dorian called as we entered.

"Okay!" Shaunese called back.

We entered the kitchen where a younger man sat at the table. Dorian kissed Shaunese before greeting the young man.

"Pisces, good to see you."

"I can see your voodoo profession is still panning out, Dorian."

"What can I say? The work speaks for itself."

"Don't I know it?"

"Pisces, I'd like you to meet, N'Lea. N'Lea, Pisces."

I felt my guard drop as he held out his hand to me.

"Nice to meet you, N'Lea."

"Same," I said, shaking his hand.

"So, how do you know Dorian and Shaunese?" he asked.

"I met Dorian at work."

"That's cool."

I started to nod then yawned. "Sorry."

"Long day?"

"Long weeks, actually," I replied looking at the floor.

"Why's that? Do you not love the work you do?"

"No, I do. I just… haven't slept well lately."

"I can understand that."

"How did you meet up with these crazies?" I asked.

"I was a client of Dorian's a few years back. Work has kept me from seeing him a lot."

"What do you do for a living?"

"SLPD Homicide Division. Where did you work before you got your practice?"

"I was a teller at Damian and Shaunese's credit union."

"N'Lea, if you don't mind my asking. Why Kinesiology? It seems like such a large leap from banking."

"A dream," I said, finally allowing myself to sit.

"Really? Your dreams are that memorable?"

"You have no idea." I rubbed my eyes then opened them wide to try and stay awake a little longer.

"That bad?"

I just nodded.

"Okay, you two," Shaunese said. "Come serve yourselves."

Pisces let me go first. He needed to stand close to me since Shaunese's kitchen was small. I started to lift some chili into my bowl then set the spoon back down and leaned against the cupboard. Pisces set his hand under the one that held the bowl and his other hand on my lower back.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes. Sorry."

"You're okay."

Pisces released my hand.

I dished up the chili then joined Shaunese and Dorian at the table.

"How was your day, Shaunese?" I asked.

"Not too productive. I was able to do a little sewing before watching more Numbers."

"Which episode are you on?"

"Episode 13 of season 2."

"You watched some without me?" Dorian asked, frowning.

"Well, I didn't know what time you'd be home tonight."

"I'm teasing, Dear." Dorian kissed Shaunese and I smiled. It was good to see their playful banter. It helped me set aside the darkness of my dream about them.

"What do you like to do in your free time, Pisces?" I asked.

"Read, hike. Not a lot I guess."

"What kinds of books?"

"Sci-fi, action, a good mystery or two."

I nodded as I took another bite.

"What about you, N'Lea? What kind of books do you like?"

"Fantasy."

"Is there a specific type you like?"

"I love it all."

"And then attempts to write it instead of studying," Dorian interjected.

"Really? You write?"

"When I'm not an exhausted mess, I do."

"How long have you been writing?" Pisces asked.

"Five years. I'm still not very good."

"Your descriptions have gotten better, N'Lea," Shaunese said.

"Only when what I see is not of my own making."

"How do you mean?" Pisces asked.

I sat my spoon in my nearly empty bowl no longer feeling hungry. "I record my dreams," I said. "Those descriptions tend to turn out better than describing ideas I have while awake."

"But dreams are of your own making."

I just shook my head and took my dishes to the sink to rinse them out. The kitchen was silent.

"Pisces, how did your last assignment go?" Dorian asked.

"It went well. Well, as well as one can go when dealing with dismembered bodies.

I shuddered.

"Okay, boys. Not a conversation for the dinner table," Shaunese said.

"Sorry," Pisces said.

I entered the front room and pulled out my dream notebook. Despite feeling comfortable around Pisces, and now knowing he worked for the Salt Lake Police Department, I still hesitated to share what I had written.

"N'Lea, you don't have to hide," Dorian called from the kitchen.

"Processing," I called back.

Turning the notebook over in my hands, I held it another moment before putting it away. I hoped tonight would give me nightmare-less sleep. I stayed on the couch for another few minutes before Pisces, Dorian, and Shaunese came in.

"What movie do you want to watch tonight?" Dorian asked.

"Something upbeat," I replied.

"Anything specific?"

I shook my head.

They decided on "The Happiest Millionaire."

The four of us sat on the couch. Pisces sat on my left and Dorian and Shaunese to my right. I ended up falling asleep soon after the girl's grandmother and the boy's mother had their tea party dispute.

I was driving down a dark road. Something in the road caused me to pull over. I got out of my car to inspect it only to have something wrapped around my neck. The murder dragged the body down into the ditch out of sight. The car was driven into the ditch, running over the body just to be sure the person was really dead. Then the killer left.

I woke gasping and coughing.

"N'Lea?" Dorian asked.

I didn't respond. My throat hurt.

Pisces set a hand on my back and I got off the couch. I took my bag and climbed the stairs. I sat near the landing and pulled out my dream notebook.

"N'Lea, are you okay?"

I shook my head and wrote.

The movie continued as Dorian left the couch and sat next to me on the stairs.

"Another nightmare?"

"Yes," I whispered before needing to cough some more.

He felt my forehead.

"I'm not sick. The dream…" Tears filled my eyes and I wiped them away while I finished fleshing out the details. Pisces stood near the bottom of the stairs.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked.

"No. Thanks for the offer though," I said.

"Would you like to go home?" Dorian asked.

"I should. I've got a few things I still need to do tonight."

"Alright. Let me grab my keys."