If at first you don't succeed, try, try, again - Continued...
RP of notyourdannyboy
Backdated to: September 7, 2008
Note: The following is the continuation of an on-going RP. To start at the beginning, please refer to: If at first you don't succeed, try, try, again.
Daniel:
It was only a matter of minutes from the time Daniel was back in the bed and when he was asleep, and where at first his sleep seemed peaceful, it did not remain that way.
Over the next several hours the boy began to shift in his sleep, and where at first he seemed to be only moaning, restlessly changing positions as if trying to avoid something or someone. Over time though his mood changed and as actual words began to reveal themselves it began clear that he was gradually growing more and more terrified by what was playing out in his dream.
Logan:
Logan made himself comfortable in a padded chair as Daniel laid down to sleep and drifted into a light doze.
At first when the boy's dreams became disturbed, Logan came fully awake but just listened. It wasn't long however before he sat straight and watched, becoming more concerned.
Getting up he went to the washroom for a glass of water before returning back to the bedroom. Water placed on the nightstand should Daniel want some, Logan then gently reached out to him.
He called the boy's name gently but firmly, attempting to wake him as considerately as possible. There's deep concern in his voice, Logan's well aware of what it's like to wake from a nightmare and he doesn't want the boy going from one terror into being startled awake.
Daniel:
Logan's touch instantly strengthened the intensity of the images in Daniel's nightmare. As he screamed for his mother to move to safety, he could once more feel hands grab for him, holding him back as he tried to run to her and his father before the stone suspended above them fell.
"Get out of the way!" His words carried the hysteria of what he was seeing and while he was not yet fully awake, his eyes had come open as he sat up and seemed to fight against those holding him.
"Let me go."
Logan:
Not removing his hand from Daniel, he kept it as a touch and not a restraint or grip. His hope was since it wasn't a grip it wouldn't be a threat as Daniel could move away and further, he hoped when the boy fully came out of the dream he'd be comforted by the touch.
With his own nightmares he found that the words spoken by others when wakening weren't really absorbed or they became part of the nightmare. Using his own experience as guidance, he didn't try to talk to Daniel or assume he knew what was going on in the boy's head and offer specific reassurance or tell him things were okay. Instead he quietly made what he hoped was comforting and reassuring general comments like 'I'm here' and 'you can wake up now', keeping his voice soft but firm.
Daniel:
"No!" Daniel's scream signaled the end of his dream and he came awake with the tears fresh on his face, the image of his parents being crushed by the cover-stone as vivid as the day it had happened. In those first moments he always found himself confused, his surroundings unfamiliar and this time was no different.
The terror was the same though, the feeling of loss, it too a reminder that he'd done this before, but, the man before him? As Daniel wiped at the tears he still couldn't stop he tried to pull the pieces back together.
Logan:
Pulling a tissue from a box on the nightstand, Logan held it out to Daniel while he gave him a gentle reassuring squeeze on the shoulder.
"It's okay," he said softly, "You're safe here."
Daniel:
Daniel was still struggling to gain control of himself as he reached over and took the tissue from Logan. His face was wet with tears and while he was trying to maintain a brave face he was clearly shaken by whatever he'd seen in his nightmare. Sniffing back the tears he wiped first at his tears and then at his nose before beginning to shred the paper in his hands.
"I can't make these dreams stop." The boy's words were quiet and the fact that he didn't raise his eyes from what he was doing, showed how hard it was for him to even talk about his feelings.
Logan:
Hoping to provide some reassurance, Logan's hand moved to the boy's back to rub lightly.
"Those types of dreams don't usually." He said then took a slow breath and continued to talk softly. "At least I know when I have dreams like that it's usually because I haven't dealt with something that I need to."
Logan wanted to give Daniel the chance to open up but was concerned that coming on to strong or direct would only frighten the boy away. He could see it was a difficult subject and didn't want to make things harder than they needed to be.
Daniel:
"I don't want to keep seeing this forever." The thought of the nightmares being a forever thing was enough to break the boy's control, and despite his efforts to hold them back, his tears began again.
"I want it to go away."
Logan:
"It doesn't have to be forever," Logan said quietly trying to reassure.
Pulling another tissue from the box, he wiped gently at the boy's tears. "Sometimes it helps to talk about them, not to keep it all bottled up inside. I can listen if you want to share."
Daniel:
"How do I make them stop?" He struggled to force the words out while at the same time fighting the still falling tears.
"You want me to tell you the dream?" Daniel wasn't quite sure he was ready for that move and it registered in his voice.
"I don't know, it's kinda scary."
Logan:
"The only way I know to make them stop is to deal with whatever is causing them. I didn't think talking about them would help but then I found someone who was willing to listen and it made a difference."
Continuing to rub the boy's back, Logan really wanted to give him a hug and take away the pain. He didn't have nightmares when he was Daniel's age but he was well versed with them now and it broke his heart that Daniel had to go through them so young and so alone.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want, I'm just offering to listen. Sharing though can help make it not so scary. Maybe ease into it and tell me why it's scary instead of what actually happens."
Daniel:
"But, it won't change 'em, they'll still come anyway?" Despite what Logan had said, the boy couldn't stop himself from grasping for that last thread of hope that the nightmare might end.
With his worry voiced, Daniel grew quiet for a moment and dropped his eyes to the tissue in his hands as he started tearing it.
"It's scary 'cause it's real...I mean, I know what's coming and I can't stop it, and I don't want to see it again." His voice quivered with emotion, and it was clear that it would take much for him to breakdown again.
Logan:
"I'm no expert, but mine don't come as often anymore. They used to happen more nights than not, now it's just a night or two a week. I've been told professional help can make a difference to but..." Logan shrugged, not really wanting to go there.
"You dream of what happened to your parents?"
He'd had his suspicions but didn't want to assume... Truth be told, Logan knew he wasn't capable of truly helping Daniel, that would take a great deal of time and he didn't believe they'd have more than a night together. He could listen though if the boy wanted to talk, if not he would sit with him until he settled enough for sleep once more.
Backdated to: September 7, 2008
Note: The following is the continuation of an on-going RP. To start at the beginning, please refer to: If at first you don't succeed, try, try, again.
Daniel:
It was only a matter of minutes from the time Daniel was back in the bed and when he was asleep, and where at first his sleep seemed peaceful, it did not remain that way.
Over the next several hours the boy began to shift in his sleep, and where at first he seemed to be only moaning, restlessly changing positions as if trying to avoid something or someone. Over time though his mood changed and as actual words began to reveal themselves it began clear that he was gradually growing more and more terrified by what was playing out in his dream.
Logan:
Logan made himself comfortable in a padded chair as Daniel laid down to sleep and drifted into a light doze.
At first when the boy's dreams became disturbed, Logan came fully awake but just listened. It wasn't long however before he sat straight and watched, becoming more concerned.
Getting up he went to the washroom for a glass of water before returning back to the bedroom. Water placed on the nightstand should Daniel want some, Logan then gently reached out to him.
He called the boy's name gently but firmly, attempting to wake him as considerately as possible. There's deep concern in his voice, Logan's well aware of what it's like to wake from a nightmare and he doesn't want the boy going from one terror into being startled awake.
Daniel:
Logan's touch instantly strengthened the intensity of the images in Daniel's nightmare. As he screamed for his mother to move to safety, he could once more feel hands grab for him, holding him back as he tried to run to her and his father before the stone suspended above them fell.
"Get out of the way!" His words carried the hysteria of what he was seeing and while he was not yet fully awake, his eyes had come open as he sat up and seemed to fight against those holding him.
"Let me go."
Logan:
Not removing his hand from Daniel, he kept it as a touch and not a restraint or grip. His hope was since it wasn't a grip it wouldn't be a threat as Daniel could move away and further, he hoped when the boy fully came out of the dream he'd be comforted by the touch.
With his own nightmares he found that the words spoken by others when wakening weren't really absorbed or they became part of the nightmare. Using his own experience as guidance, he didn't try to talk to Daniel or assume he knew what was going on in the boy's head and offer specific reassurance or tell him things were okay. Instead he quietly made what he hoped was comforting and reassuring general comments like 'I'm here' and 'you can wake up now', keeping his voice soft but firm.
Daniel:
"No!" Daniel's scream signaled the end of his dream and he came awake with the tears fresh on his face, the image of his parents being crushed by the cover-stone as vivid as the day it had happened. In those first moments he always found himself confused, his surroundings unfamiliar and this time was no different.
The terror was the same though, the feeling of loss, it too a reminder that he'd done this before, but, the man before him? As Daniel wiped at the tears he still couldn't stop he tried to pull the pieces back together.
Logan:
Pulling a tissue from a box on the nightstand, Logan held it out to Daniel while he gave him a gentle reassuring squeeze on the shoulder.
"It's okay," he said softly, "You're safe here."
Daniel:
Daniel was still struggling to gain control of himself as he reached over and took the tissue from Logan. His face was wet with tears and while he was trying to maintain a brave face he was clearly shaken by whatever he'd seen in his nightmare. Sniffing back the tears he wiped first at his tears and then at his nose before beginning to shred the paper in his hands.
"I can't make these dreams stop." The boy's words were quiet and the fact that he didn't raise his eyes from what he was doing, showed how hard it was for him to even talk about his feelings.
Logan:
Hoping to provide some reassurance, Logan's hand moved to the boy's back to rub lightly.
"Those types of dreams don't usually." He said then took a slow breath and continued to talk softly. "At least I know when I have dreams like that it's usually because I haven't dealt with something that I need to."
Logan wanted to give Daniel the chance to open up but was concerned that coming on to strong or direct would only frighten the boy away. He could see it was a difficult subject and didn't want to make things harder than they needed to be.
Daniel:
"I don't want to keep seeing this forever." The thought of the nightmares being a forever thing was enough to break the boy's control, and despite his efforts to hold them back, his tears began again.
"I want it to go away."
Logan:
"It doesn't have to be forever," Logan said quietly trying to reassure.
Pulling another tissue from the box, he wiped gently at the boy's tears. "Sometimes it helps to talk about them, not to keep it all bottled up inside. I can listen if you want to share."
Daniel:
"How do I make them stop?" He struggled to force the words out while at the same time fighting the still falling tears.
"You want me to tell you the dream?" Daniel wasn't quite sure he was ready for that move and it registered in his voice.
"I don't know, it's kinda scary."
Logan:
"The only way I know to make them stop is to deal with whatever is causing them. I didn't think talking about them would help but then I found someone who was willing to listen and it made a difference."
Continuing to rub the boy's back, Logan really wanted to give him a hug and take away the pain. He didn't have nightmares when he was Daniel's age but he was well versed with them now and it broke his heart that Daniel had to go through them so young and so alone.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want, I'm just offering to listen. Sharing though can help make it not so scary. Maybe ease into it and tell me why it's scary instead of what actually happens."
Daniel:
"But, it won't change 'em, they'll still come anyway?" Despite what Logan had said, the boy couldn't stop himself from grasping for that last thread of hope that the nightmare might end.
With his worry voiced, Daniel grew quiet for a moment and dropped his eyes to the tissue in his hands as he started tearing it.
"It's scary 'cause it's real...I mean, I know what's coming and I can't stop it, and I don't want to see it again." His voice quivered with emotion, and it was clear that it would take much for him to breakdown again.
Logan:
"I'm no expert, but mine don't come as often anymore. They used to happen more nights than not, now it's just a night or two a week. I've been told professional help can make a difference to but..." Logan shrugged, not really wanting to go there.
"You dream of what happened to your parents?"
He'd had his suspicions but didn't want to assume... Truth be told, Logan knew he wasn't capable of truly helping Daniel, that would take a great deal of time and he didn't believe they'd have more than a night together. He could listen though if the boy wanted to talk, if not he would sit with him until he settled enough for sleep once more.