Sleepless by Cyn Balog Page B

charges, even Julia, ahead of himself. He’s quite self-absorbed.”
    “Yes, I know. I’ve spoken to him about that. He should be more amenable now.”
    “He’s bitter.”
    She laughs. “And you were not, when I stripped you of your human life?”
    She does have a point. It can be difficult to comprehend. “Did you explain to him that if it weren’t for you, he would still have died, and had no chance of resuming his life? It was his time, and nothing could change that. You selected him for a greater, more fulfilling purpose. Did you explain that you were his savior, not his murderer?”
    “Of course, but in any case, all that he once knew is gone. Though he may not show it, I’m sure he is very distressed. And understandably so. You must be patient with him,” she warns, fluffing the skirts of her gown. “Give him time to get with the program.”
    I squint at her. “Get with the program?”
    She smiles. “That’s one of Mr. Colburn’s phrases. I quite like it.”
    I shudder; no doubt I’ll need a dictionary when I rejoin the world. “When will my transition to human begin?”
    “It will start when Griffin performs his first human seduction. The more comfortable he becomes in that role, the more human you will become. As I said, it will happen slowly.”
    I find my hands quivering. Yes, I knew this, but the full reality of it suddenly hits me.
    Tomorrow, for just a few minutes, I will be something I haven’t been in a hundred years.
    Human.
    It’s after twilight. A branch bows and my student appears among the leaves, clearing his throat. The arrogance is gone from his face, and even if that is only a facade for Chimere’s benefit, at least he is punctual. Chimere is right. I should be more understanding. “Are you ready, my friend?” I say to him as cordially as I can.
    “Yeah, bring it,” he answers, eyeing me suspiciously.
    Chimere giggles; no doubt she will be telling all the Sandmen she commands to “bring it” for the foreseeable future. She smiles approval at me, then turns to the boy. “I will catch you later,” she says to him, rather stiffly. Another Griffin Colburn term, I am sure. Then she fades.
    “You two look like you’re up to something, old man,” he says when she is gone.
    I shrug. “I realized I haven’t been very civil to you. This must be difficult to adjust to.”
    He hitches a shoulder. “I’m rolling with it. But it is kind of like ordering the prime rib and getting a cheeseburger. I mean, I can’t touch her. I can’t talk to her. So what’s the point?”
    “If you truly care for Julia, you will learn to put her needs above your own. Being a Sleepbringer is truly a most selfless profession. Something you should be proud of.”
    He rolls his eyes; he doesn’t share my sense of pride.
    “And after a hundred years you may go back to your life and complete your unfini—”
    “Unfinished business, got it. Whatever that means. By the time I get back there, everyone I know will be dead.” He shakes his head. “What is your unfinished business?”
    “I’m not sure,” I say. “I’d had plans to go to college for architecture. My father died coming over to America, but he’d wanted me to have these opportunities he never had in Italy. And then I went and got myself killed. You asked me how before, and I didn’t answer. It was an accident at the mill.”
    “For real? Bummer. Was it gruesome? Blood and body parts scattered everywhere?”
    I shrug. I can’t remember much from that day so long ago, besides the shock.
    “Mine was. Like Night of the Living Dead .” He beams, as if he’s proud of this fact. “But I didn’t have any plans for the future. The only thing I was into was … I dunno, enjoying life. I cruised. Had fun.”
    “But you did enjoy your life. And when you died, you had two choices—either leave it forever, or become a Sandman and return to it after a hundred years. You made the right decision, did you not?”
    “Oh, hell yeah.