Emma's Fanfiction, The Science of Sleep: Le Bateau de Rêve/The Boat of Dreams

Stephanie is stroking his hair. Her hand feels nice, soft and comforting. Is she really stroking his hair, or is this just a dream? Please let this be real he thinks, but he doesn't really care anymore. He is beginning to regret those harsh things he said to her, well it is true that he does like her boobs because they look friendly and unpretentious. He hadn’t meant to offend her but maybe she didn’t see it as the compliment it was intended to be. Stephanie’s fingers lightly run down his neck and onto his shoulders. Stephane is proud of her for finishing the mezzanine. He likes it up here, being high up from the ground closer to the sky. "Stephane m'aimes-tu? Faut-il aller pour une voile de notre bateau?" Stephanie says softly in his ear bringing Stephane back from his thoughts. "Huh?" Stephane mumbles. "Please no French Stephanie it makes my head hurt". Stephanie laughs, throwing her head back, dark hair falling down her back. “Viens maintenant imbecile, come Stephane lets go”. She says as she grabs his hand.

They are both sitting on Golden the Pony Boy whose fabric is rough and worn, with its edges fraying between its large white cotton stitches. Stephanie’s arms are around his waist and her head resting against his shoulder as they gallop through the trees. “Look!” Stephanie shouts pointing a long finger to the ground ahead.  The one-second time machine is lying discarded, its wires curling and twisting amongst the dry autumn leaves.  "We can't leave it behind ", says Stephane jumping down to pick it up. He flicks the switches forwards in time, backwards in time. Nothing, a frown depends on his face, “I think it’s broken”. Stephane says as he passes Stephanie the machine. “We’ll take it with us and you can fix it on the boat” She suggests.

 

The little wooden boat of trees is waiting for them, it creeks as it jumps up and down in the blue water of the lake made of cellophane. “It looks perfect Stephane, I think we did a good job” says Stephanie, smiling at their creation, “the amount of white cellophane you added is perfect!” She cups her hands over her ears as the wind whistles around them, blowing her hair in swirls around her head.  “Although I did not imagine it to be so stormy, but I suppose that makes it all the more exciting!”  They set Golden the Pony Boy free so he can roam the grassy fields, his golden mane and tail made from pieces of string stream behind him as he gallops away.  

Stephane’s head is bent over his one-second time machine he is fixing as they sit in the boat with the land moving gradually into the distance. His hair is blowing across his face and in his eyes and the boat is rolling on the swell of the lake. But he doesn’t seem to notice as he concentrates, his fingers fiddling with the wires and switches “There!” he says as he holds up the fixed time machine triumphantly. “I have always been good with my hands”.  “Oui oui, I know” Stephanie answers. “Come here Stephane” she says and pats the ground where she sits.

They lie in the boat amongst the trees and look up at the darkening sky. Pieces of blue and white cellophane are flying up and landing in the boat around them, some are getting caught in the spindly branches of the trees. The wild animals are chasing each other across the red felt blanket with the large white stitches keeping them warm from the fresh evening air as they lie curled up together. Over the noise of the wind they can hear the cardboard city across the water with the loud beeping of cardboard cars, the rattling subways and musical sirens. Unexpectedly Stephanie leans closer to him, so close he can see, even in the dim light, the yellow flecks in her brown eyes. Please let this be real Stephane thinks again, he has been waiting for what seems like forever for this moment. He is surprised he hasn’t grown old; a grey beard long and wiry sprouting from his chin and his hands turning gnarled, wrinkled and weathered. Slowly their lips meet.

Suddenly Stephane hears a voice surrounding him and he reluctantly pulls away from Stephanie, “Come in action two, can you complete the mission?” “Come in action two can you complete the mission?” It keeps repeating itself, getting louder and louder. He puts his fingers in his ears. Stephanie is laughing at him. Why is she laughing? Stephane opens his eyes, his white-washed bedroom ceiling stares back at him. He groans and reaches for his alarm clock, “come in action two can y...” the voice stops. Stephane lets his eyes fall shut again, “I love you Stephanie God damn it!”