2020-02-11 - Heaven in this Hell

5:37.

Why was it so damn early?

And then, as she rolls over again after glancing at her alarm clock, it hits her like a ton of bricks. The memory of the striking visuals of a group chopping up a body and the accompanying stench makes her sit up in bed and cough.

It might seem that this is one of those nights when Jonathan has been sleeping more lightly, because as she sits up and coughs, he starts stiring. "Early..." he mutters, looking around. "Too early."

She immediately reaches for Jonathan as she finishes coughing, instinctively trying to soothe him by rubbing his back. “I’m sorry,” she whispers, leaning over his stirring form, “Go back to sleep, babe. Everything’s okay.”

She isn’t fine and something is clearly not okay, but she is not about to tell Jonathan that.

Jonathan is unable to hold back a smile as she rubs his back. He pauses at the words about everything being okay. "What's wrong?" he asks, after a few moments, moving to sit up a bit. "If things were okay, would you need to say they were?" He smiles to her. "Don't worry about me, I can handle it, whatever it is."

It’s a habit of Katy’s to always want to comfort and soothe Jonathan, something that’s gone on for the last couple of years since he first got his career ending concussion. She never wants anyone to really know what’s going on with her, though she’s fine with Jonathan knowing, once she gets past not wanting to talk about it. It’s a complicated process, for a complicated girl.

How is it that he’s able to reason his way through waking up stupidly early? Katy sighs. “Let me see you real quick,” she says, pulling the covers away as she says so, looking for any sign of injury, her fear driving her to an irrational place.

"Hmmm?" Jonathan replies as she pulls away the covers. Pausing a bit as she does so. "Looking for anything in particular?" he asks, a bit quietly. "I'm still healthy, don't worry..."

Katy sighs. She explains, “Something doesn’t feel right.” No wounds, no bruises, everything seems to be okay, but she can’t shake the anxiety or the fear, and she isn’t sure why.

Jonathan says, "Wait... what doesn't feel right?" Sitting up a bit more, he reaches out for her, trying to calm her a bit. "Did you... Dream something?""

“Not like the Dreams recently...this one...felt more real, like a memory more than a dream.” Katy frowns as she adds, “They took someone’s body and...” She shakes her head. “Someone’s dead.”

Jonathan winces as he hears that, moving to pull her closer. "Who did? And where?" He frowns momentarily, before he adds, "But don't worry, it ain't me, babe." It's offered softly.

“I don’t know, Jon...they were chopping up the body and it smelled god awful and gross...” Katy is shaking out of fear and Jonathan feels this as he pulls her closer. “I knew it wasn’t you. But...something is different...”

Jonathan lets out a bit of a breath as he hears that. "That is quite gross, that's true." He rests his head on her shoulder as he holds her close. "We'll figure it out. I'm certain of that."

She’s worked up and agitated, unable to calm down and she’s wishing so badly that she could figure out where the unsettling vibe is coming from. Katy radiates anxiety at this point and she’s struggling to manage her emotions, which is always a bad sign.

“I’m scared,” Katy admits quietly, “Why did that dream feel so real?”

"You know, it's okay to be scared every now and then," Jonathan replies quietly, still holding her close and attempting to calm her a bit, even if he may not succeed. "I mean, you've always been so strong. Nothing's wrong with being afraid. I've been afraid so very often, you know. Not just about the head trauma." He admits this, before he adds, "I don't know why that dream felt so real. I wish I could give you the answer, but for now, I can't."

She says nothing when a text message comes in on her phone. Katy grabs her phone and mutters some curse words under her breath before she attempts to put the phone down again. Jonathan has the right idea in his attempt at calming her down but something is going wrong and the phone flies out of her hand and forcefully slams against the dresser mirror, and this time, Katy is breathing heavily.

Frowning as he sees that reaction, glancing to her phone as well. "What's wrong?" he asks, sounding a bit worried. Especially as the phone goes flying. He winces a bit again. "Katy? What's wrong?"

“This is why I have to be strong, or else I lose control...” Katy says, decidedly concerned and confused, “But...I...my control is slipping. I don’t understand.”

"You can still be strong and be afraid of things. Some of the other strongest people I know were afraid of things." Jonathan replies, before he adds, "I'm here for you, always. And I know you will be able to regain that control. Because you're just that good."

“I haven’t had this sort of incident since before my first visit to Gray Harbor, back when it...” Katy’s eyes widened as she processed her thought. “Something is happening to my powers, it’s shifting, changing...I don’t know.”

Jonathan nods as he listens, still holding her close. "We'll figure it out together," he promises her. Glancing over at the phone and the mirror, he sighs. "The flying phone, that was an accident?" Keeping his words calm to try helping her get more calm as well now.

“It wasn’t intentional...like the shattering window incident.” Katy explains, “When I lose control of my emotions, I lose control of the power.” She doesn’t have to explain why it’s dangerous to Jonathan considering the meeting they had gone to. She does however add, “It’s going to make me a magnet for god knows what if I can’t keep this under control.”

"We'll get it back under control, Katy. I promise," Jonathan keeps talking more quietly now, offering her a quiet smile.

Katy focuses on Jonathan’s voice to center herself again. Her fear is still present, but she manages to calm down in his arms.

Jonathan smiles as she calms down. "Feeling better now?" There's a brief pause as he glances around the room, then back at her.

Katy nods. “For now...I just gotta figure out what it all means.” She goes to the dresser to find that her phone in its protective case is still working. Maybe she should reply to the text message, but instead simply places the phone back on the bedside table. It can wait until later.

Jonathan nods as he hears that. Watching as she heads to the dresser to pick up the phone, he smiles at her when she puts the phone on the bedside table. "So, any plans for today... Wait, is it still today and not just too early to call it that?"

“Work,” Katy mumbles, “I plan to lose myself in a sea of code and not leave the apartment. I’m rescheduling my appointments.”

There's a pause as he hears that, and Jonathan grins. "Just make sure you have a couple days available close to Valentine's, since you won't be in town for a few of those days," he offers, a bit lightly.

“Where are we going?” Katy asks, standing at the dresser with the cracked mirror, brushing her hair, the repeated movement seems to be helping her anxiety a little bit.

Jonathan smiles, "Can't expect me to spoil the surprise already," he offers, rather lightly. There's a few more moments of pause, before he adds, "One part a romantic getaway, the other part is that I might need your help for something." Keeping it mysterious for right now.

Katy raises an eyebrow as she grabs her phone and shifts things around in her calendar, making a list of people to call for rescheduling appointments. “What dates are you thinking?” she asks.

Jonathan smiles, "It'll take the actual day and we'll be back here two days after, I think," he replies, with a nod as he looks around the room again.

Katy’s demeanor shifts as she seems to scramble to reply to text messages and her posture seems to portray a bit of tension, a bit of sadness. “Okay, consider it done.” Her tone seems distracted.

Jonathan pauses at that distracted tone. "Something in particular going on?" he asks, softly.

“Family deciding to act like family. At least in part. Looking for answers. Not the only one with the dream. Uncle Patrick doesn’t want anyone to know.” Katy sighs. “I’m just exhausted.”

Offering her a brief smile, Jonathan nods a bit thoughtfully. "In part is better than not at all, right?" As she speaks of being exhausted, he nods a little, "No wonder, with being up this early, and like this."

She mumbles, “I have so much work to do and they want to do brunch.” She considers changing out of her nightshirt but does not. “I need coffee.” She sighs and takes her phone to the next room rather than to go back to bed or go to the kitchen to make coffee.

"Either that or you need some more sleep," Jonathan replies, half succeeding in fighting back a bit of a yawn now.

The only thing Jonathan hears from the other room is Katy’s voice.

”What do you mean she’s unavailable?!? Ugh. Okay thank you.”

Then there’s a door slam and footsteps as the frustrated blonde heads to the kitchen.

Jonathan frowns as he gets up and starts moving for the kitchen as well. "Who's unavailable?" he asks, after a few moments of pause.

“Grand Aunt Margaret. Uncle Patrick was concerned about her so I thought I would call, check in, ask about the changes that are happening. The timing just seems weird with the weird sawmill dream and her disappearing. I don’t understand.”

Katy starts the coffee machine to brew some coffee for her and Jonathan if he wanted it.

Jonathan nods a little as he hears that. "Makes sense to check with her," he replies. "Perhaps that brunch they want to do might be a good idea? Possibly you can get some answers?"

“Hopefully. I could use those answers.” And when the coffee is done, she pours herself a cup loaded with sugar and cream to drink.