The Boy Who Couldn't Go To Sleep

There was a boy; A shepherd who lived and tended to his flock on the hills outside of the city of Sleep. Each night, he'd sit and stare into the town and wish he was there. He never wanted to be a shepherd, He only wished to participate in the festivals that occured in the Dream district. From his grassy knoll, He could see the masquerade take flight throughout the night with all the attendants leaping onto the clouds and back. Games were played where the each guest would see who could reach the furthest star or who could concoct the queerest creature. But, the boy was left to shear the sheep whose fleece composed the clouds on which they partook. He always fantasized of leaving the green for the city, but the Night Mare roamed outside of Sleep, scaring all unwelcomed visitors off. the Night Mare was a large white horse, whose mane burned bright like the sun's reflection off the sea and whose hooves caused typhoons to shudder... and the boy feared her.

The city of Sleep rested on a sea, bobbing up and down as the party continued throughout the night. The boy always wished to go their, but the Night Mare wandered on top of the sea as a guardian, protecting it from harm. The shepherd boy once took his boat across the gap to enter Sleep. But soon after setting sail, the ocean began to roll as the Night Mare came, charging at the boat and roaring into existence a tsunami that went to meet the boy. He tried to row to shore, but the wave threw him back to the hills outside of the city where he still sits. As the boy watched on, his absence from the masquerade caught her eye. She saw him sitting on the hills outside and was curious as to why he would not join. She asked her friend, a flying puffer fish as large and pale blue as the moon, if she may meet the boy. "Of course you may, child," She said to the girl, "I will take you to him." So, the puffer fish moon fashioned for the girl a basket and invited her in. The shepherd boy witnessed all of this and gazed into the sky in awe as the Moon brought the girl from across the sea, undisturbed by the Night Mare below, a beautiful girl who blurred the city lights and glistened brighter than any star in sight. The Moon gently landed the basket on the grass next to him and she stepped out to meet him. Her speech was soft and comforting like the fleece of his flock, and she spoke to him.

"Hello."

That one word from the star in a basket enchanted the boy, and all he could stutter was something similar to "hello".
"What's your name?" the girl asked.
He paused for a moment and replied, "I don't know. I've never been called anything but a shepherd and a foolish boy. I have no name."
"What?" she exclaimed, "How can you have no name?" The girl looked into the boy's eyes, searching for something. The boy has only felt the Night Mare's gaze enter that deep before, but it didn't seem to bother him that she was looking so intently. He felt her close the door to his soul as she spoke quite directly to him, "Peter. Your name is Peter."
He loved the name. "How do you know?" Peter asked.
The girl smiled and said, "Everyone has a name. I just took the time to find it."
Peter couldn't help but blush at the friendly nature of the girl and he asked her, "What's your name?"
"My name is Sariah."
"What a beautiful name."
Sariah smiled, "Thank you." She looked to the sky as the night began to fade and turned to Peter. "I must be going now," she said, "I must be in Sleep before day breaks." She turned to the Moon and entered the basket.
As the Moon began to float away to the city, Peter shouted to her, "Will I speak with you again?"
She smiled.
During the day, Peter dreamed of the night time, where Sariah would come from across the ocean and speak with him about everything from the carnivals of Sleep to all the games the shepherd boy played with his sheep. Sleep had only it's festivities to enjoy and each night was much like the last, but Peter found it fascinating. and Peter's games mostly involved different forms of counting the flock or shapes of clouds Peter would shave from their wool, but Sariah found it fascinating. Every night, she came with the Moon as her guide. The Night Mare still wandered the gap between the hills and Sleep, but never bothered Sariah's voyage. It was after weeks of them meeting, each one starting minutes sooner than the previous, that the Night Mare began to question whether the Moon was allowed to bring the beautiful girl to the foolish boy. The Night Mare grew more and more jealous of the boy and the love he had found until she, alone on the sea, couldn't bear it anymore.

Peter and Sariah had fallen in love. They would rather die than deny it, and that was their downfall. Every night, Sariah had the Moon bring her to him in a basket held by a string and every night was more of a fantasy than the previous. But, this upset the Night Mare. She was a guardian, a keeper of the sea and destined to strike fear into all that she encountered. She was alone, and the foolish boy was not. She grew bitter of his companionship and she could not stand it anymore. So, one night, just the same as the others, Sariah was led by the Moon to the boy, and Peter could not wait to see the girl. As she crossed the sea, the Night Mare took extra interest her journey. She would not let the girl see Peter tonight. The Night Mare cried in anguish, and the sky cried with her, too. The rain began to pour and the wind began to howl. The Moon struggled through the storm to bring her friend to her love, but the Night Mare's spite was too strong for the string that held the basket and the girl. The thread snapped, the basket fell, and Sariah came too. She landed in the ocean and the basket kept her a float, but Sariah was afraid that she would be condemned to death for troubling the Night Mare, and the Night Mare was planning that very act. It was one thing for happiness to exist in Sleep, but the Night Mare couldn't bear to be tormented with love outside of it's walls. The Night Mare approached Sariah, and Peter saw all this from his hill. He was overcome with anger as he watched the one he feared capture the one he loved. He ran to his boat on the shore, and the Night Mare watched as Peter went out to meet her.

He paddled feverishly toward the basket on the sea. Peter had been alone all his life left to dream in a land deserted of visions. The girl that found his name within his soul sat within her basket in fear, surrounded by water and a white horse. Peter neared the Night Mare, who stood strong between the lovers, watching the foolish boy. Peter rowed until he had gotten close enough that he could hear Sariah shouting, "Save me..." The Night Mare glared at Sariah in jealous hate, then returned her gaze to the shepherd boy. She reared her legs into the air, roaring with a passion she'd never felt before. It made the clouds tremble and the party stutter. Guests began to look on as the Night Mare, their guardian, grew ravenous and malicious toward the boy. Her legs landed on the surface of the sea, and it's impact caused waves to form.

Peter kept rowing.

This insolence upset the Night Mare, and she charged the boy. Peter stopped rowing and this helped the Night Mare believe that she had bested him. But, as she went to finish him, Peter lept out of the boat and mounted the horse, holding tightly to her mane. The Night Mare ran across the sea, bucking and rearing, trying to shake the boy off, but he wouldn't let go. In a desperate attempt, she dove into the sea, gliding so gracefully through the clear blue water. She filled her dive with twists and turns that even dolphins found daunting, but as she turned back, the boy remained. Peter would not let go. The Night Mare could not take it anymore. She lunged out of the ocean's surface, flying briefly through the air, and landed on the top of the sea. The boy was exhausted, but continued to grip her mane tightly. The Night Mare spoke and her words reverberated off the clouds above.

"You Foolish Boy! Will you not fear me?"
Peter gasped for air and with what little strength he had replied to the Night Mare, "In the name of Love, I will not fear you..."
The Night Mare had been defeated. She could do nothing to keep the two lovers apart. She said nothing in response. The beautiful white horse merely trotted to the basket and beckoned Sariah onto her back. Sariah respectfully joined Peter on the horse's back, and the Night Mare walked the lovers to the city gates of Sleep, where they joined in festivities. Peter had to take care of his flocks, so he could not live in Sleep like the rest of it's occupants, but he participated in the masquerade that took place in the Dream District. As the night ended, Peter and Sariah thanked everyone for the grand evening, boarded the boat and rowed back to the hills on the opposite side of the sea. They rowed past the Night Mare, who laid on the waters surface and did not bother the boy and girl. And from that day on, Peter and Sariah lived in each other's company, day and night. And whether they went to the city of Sleep by Moon or by sea, the Night Mare did not haunt them, for Love had defeated Fear that night.

The End