Kate was drenched in sweat, on what she supposed was the ground. It was all black and difficult to distinguish top from bottom. She clung to the pant-leg of her beloved Trevor as he pleaded with her to let him go.

“I want us to be together, love. But we can’t if it intervenes. You’re not mine Kate. Not yet.” Although his face was shrouded in the darkness, Kate could feel and hear his despair matching her own.

“I don’t belong to anyone. I want you. I love you.” Her nerves were a sloppy mess and her body heaved and gasped as sobs escaped her throat.

“You belong to him, Kate. We can’t be together. Not yet.” His own voice cracked with emotion.

“No! Trevor please! Don’t leave me here!” She wailed at his side but he was already drifting.

“I’m not leaving Kate. You are. You’re leaving to the darkness. Where you belong.”

Kate couldn’t stand it. She emerged from her room, pajamas on, still outwardly sobbing and vaguely murmuring for Trevor. Her father rushed up the stairs and caught her as she almost fell off her feet in exhaustion.

“What’s wrong?” He was confused and awkward.

She steadied herself and tried to breathe. She managed to get out, “I need to go see him.”

Her father knew who she was referring to. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. You’re too tired. You’ll see him tomorrow.”

“NO! I need to see him NOW!” For the first time in the history of her existence, she had yelled in her father’s face. She didn’t even feel bad about it. She just wanted to see him.

Her father stood there, staring at her. He wasn’t apparently mad at her disrespect. “If you must, I’ll take you.”

Before a knock on the door was even necessary, Trevor’s mother opened it with a worried look on her face.

“Is everything okay, dear?” She noticed Kate’s tears and automatically came out to hug her. Kate didn’t know what to do; she had never had a mother figure, and she wasn’t used to the feeling of comfort when she was upset.

“You go right up to his room sweetie. He’s been talking and yelling in his sleep.”

She crept up the stairs and into Trevor’s room. He lay on the bed, the covers twisted around him stressfully. He had a hand in his hair, and another curled into a tight fist in front of him. He was breathing heavily and moving about restlessly.

Kate walked over and climbed into bed next to him. She heard a whimper come from him. For some odd reason, this sound almost broke her heart. She was so sure that Trevor was so strong throughout this whole ordeal. She was absolutely sure that her dreams were the worst, and that for him it was totally different. But now, in front of her here he was; crying just like she has.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and squeezed. He relaxed, and didn’t stir for a whole minute. Then, he turned around and faced her, shock on his face and tears in his eyes.

“Kate?” His whisper was weak, but feigned a sense of control.

“Shh.” She kissed his lips and wiped the stray hair from his eyes. His eyes searched hers, closed for a moment and then opened.

She tried to hide her own tears and weakness, but of course Trevor picked it up.

“How did you get here? Did you have a dream?”

“My dad. Yeah I did.” She sniffed and wiped at her eyes.

Trevor slid his arms under hers and rubbed her sides comfortingly. “I love you too.”

Kate’s eyes opened widely, and her sleepy discomfort became alert attention. “What?”

Trevor looked around shamefully. “You told me you loved me in the dream. I just figured you meant it. Sorry.”

“No! No, I did! I do! But… I knew we had the same kinds of dreams. But I didn’t know we could have the same exact one.”

Trevor was silent, and then a smile spread over his mouth.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” His grin was becoming lopsided and goofy.

“Trevor, in the dream you said I belonged to the darkness. You remember?”

Trevor was brought back to reality thinking of the sobering dream. “Yeah. And that you were going back to it.”

“So I guess the darkness is a person…? But who?? And why the hell are we dreaming about it?” Kate’s frustration was heavy, but her fatigue was catching up with her. “God I’m tired.”

Trevor lovingly stroked her hair until her eyes closed. Half awake and half asleep, Kate remembered, “My dad.”

Trevor’s voice became a fading hum in her mind as she drifted to sleep. “I’ll let him know.”

Kate dreamed that night. But it wasn’t a horrible farewell like the previous nightmares. This was a blissful, bright and lovely translation of her newfound relationship. She was completely and totally happy.