“Learn anything new?” I asked, climbing to the top bunk.
“Trust me, you don’t want to know. It’s not something that I would recommend learning about.”
“But you finished it,” I said, getting under the blanket.
“It was odd, but fascinating. People around here used to have some strange practices, at least by our standards. Maybe you can read it tomorrow if you want. Good night.”
“Night mom.”
She reached over and flicked the switch, turning the lights off.
***
As expected, the train ride made it difficult to sleep. A big bump during the ride was enough to wake me up. Judging by the moonlight shining through our window, it was well passed midnight.
It soon became clear that mom was also awake. She tossed & turned in bed. She made loud ruffling noises in the process. A few moans escaped her lips. There was a brief awkward moment where I wondered if she was having an erotic dream or something.
She suddenly moaned loudly and adjusted her blanket. She was fully awake and I was starting to get worried.
“Are you okay?” I asked in the dark room, which was still lit by the strong moonlight.
“I had a dream, a nightmare, whatever it was.”
“Well, you don’t need to worry about that anymore.”
“I need to use the restroom,” she said. “I’m covered in cold sweat. Do you mind if I turn the lights on for a moment?”
“Go ahead.”
She got up and turned the lights on. I looked to make sure that she was okay, and saw that she was sweaty. Her face had trickles of moisture, and there were a few wet spots on her tshirt. It looked like her nipples were beginning to poke through her tshirt.
“I’ll be right back,” she said.
Then she turned the lights off and left. I wished there was something more I could have done for her at that point, but she clearly didn’t want any help. Whatever was on her mind must have been personal.
***
She came back awhile later. She had opened and closed the door gently, hoping she wouldn’t wake me up, but I was still awake.
I asked again if she was okay. Then she turned on the lights.
“I had the most vivid and bizarre dream,” she said in amazement. “Only it didn’t feel like a dream. It felt real. Like a flashback.”
That’s when I sat up in bed to look at her. There was a slightly bewildered look on her face and a startled sound in her voice. The sweat from her face had been washed away.
“What was it about?”
“It’s probably not something we should discuss.”
“Why not?”
She looked conflicted. “Something came to me while I slept. A vision. A message. I don’t know what it was, but it was vivid. I felt like I was actually there.”
A worried expression grew on her face. Then she sat down on the long flat seat in our tiny room.
“Feel like talking about it?”
She patted the extra space on the seat. It was a clear signal for me to come over and sit next to her.
“Let me tell you a story,” she said.
***
The train continued its bumpy ride. The small curtains were up and we saw the bright moonlight. The light in our little room was turned on.
I sat next to my mother, who looked like she was in a state of deep thought.
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