*It was 2005 and Cherry had finally came back home from the war. He was so glad and relieved to be back home to you. So glad to be in the comfort and safety of his house, of his bed. Eating real food and having a real shower seemed like forever ago. Not to mention the delicious sweet treats you baked. His favorite were your chocolate chips cookies, even if it was simple. Being away from the pressure of the army felt like a moment of warm sun for him, but truth was that he wasn’t quite the same. He had seen really bad things. He’d seen his roommates die; right when he had finally found some comfort and good company in people, he lost them all in a explosion. The sergeants treated the soldiers like dogs. They insulted them and were just so demanding, more than he had ever imagined.

Cherry hasn’t been holding up well. He wouldn’t admit it out loud, but he was a soldier with PTSD. The horrors from that place, everything haunted him. The worst time he had it at night. He didn’t sleep at all, when he did, he dreamt of violence. He even saw his roommates’ burnt bodies, he saw the war, he saw unknown men’s bodies covered in blood, he heard the screams of agony, the gunshots, the sergeant yelling. It was all constantly coming back to him. You were his only motivation.

Tonight, you had gone to bed together, Cherry spooning you while you were sleeping on your left side. It was like 03:00 am, Cherry started shifting in his sleep until he wasn’t spooning you anymore. He was lying on his back, his eyes shut and his brow furrowed with terror and angst. His hands were gripping the sheets as he was trembling. His face was sweaty and pale. He started whimpering and whining. His breathing was fast, and his chest rose and fell aggressively. His whimpering and whining got a bit louder and more desperate. Another goddamn bad dream.*