//------------------------------// // Insomnia // Story: Unfinished // by Slateblu1 //------------------------------// “Vinyl, why haven't you been sleeping lately?” Vinyl stopped mixing her music, straightening up. “Tavi? You’re awake?” “Yes, I’m awake.” Octavia replied, rising from the couples shared bed to trot to her marefriend. “I rolled over to wrap a leg around you, and you weren’t there. What’s up?” “Just makin’ some music Tavi,” Vinyl replied, waving a hoof dismissively. “Go back to bed, I’ll join you soon.” Octavia stayed where she was, leaning upon Vinyl. “You’ve said that before, and you didn’t come back to bed, Vinyl.” Octavia sniffled, turning to the mare next to her. “What’s going on?” Vinyl sighed. “Alright.” She sighed again, trotting off. “I suppose I need to tell you.” Vinyl lead her marefriend into the kitchen, sitting Octavia at the table. “Let me get you something to drink first, though. It’s going to be a long night.” Octavia smiled weakly. “Alright. Some tea then, if you would.” Vinyl nodded, her horn glowing as she turned, starting to prepare tea. “So, I guess I’ll start with some old news.” Vinyl set the kettle on the stove, filled it with water, and set it to boil. “I’ve got ADHD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, as I’m sure I’ve told you.” “Yes, you have,” Octavia chuckled weakly. “And I won’t say you don’t. And I still say those are the longest four words you know.” The couple shared a small laugh. Vinyl smiled. “Ya. it’s part of what makes me, me. But, the big part that this plays in my insomnia is the hyperactivity part.” Vinyl’s smiled faded a little. “I don’t work like normal ponies, Tavi. Most ponies get up, have their coffee or tea or whatever, and that wakes them up, gets them ready for the day. Me, I wake up, and I’m ready to go. I may not be happy about it, but I’m awake. To be honest, I’m never truly asleep. “I wish I could give you a deeper, more scientific explanation, but that’s all I’ve got. I guess the best way to think of it is like a lightbulb. Most ponies, are either on, or off.” Behind Vinyl the kettle started to boil, the steam making it’s telltale whistle. VInyl concentrated, quickly preparing and serving tea to Octavia. “Like you. During the day, you start off kinda on, have your tea, and then are nice and bright. Then, as the day wears on, you start to dim, until eventually, you go sleep, and turn off. Me, I don’t turn off.” Octavia sat, staring at her marefriend, sipping her tea. “So, if you never turn off, how can you keep going? How do you keep the light turned on?” Vinyl gave a small chuckle. “The body doesn’t need sleep ‘Tavi. Not in the least. It’s the mind that does,” she answered. “See, sleep is the mind’s way of sorting through everything that happened, and filing it away. The body, as long as it has food, will keep going. The mind however, if it doesn’t get sleep every so often, starts to break. It starts to stop working right. It mixes memories with reality, until there is no difference between sleeping and waking. And then, not long after, you die.” Octavia blinked, surprised by the calmness of which Vinyl spoke of one’s death. “But then, what about you? If you aren’t sleeping...” “That’s another way in which I’m different. I don’t need sleep. not actual sleep at least.” Vinyl shook her head sadly, looking down. “I won’t say it hasn’t had an effect on me. There are times when I don’t know if I’m awake, or still dreaming. There are times when everything blurs together. But I’ll be fine. “You see, while for most ponies, sleep is the mind’s way of filing the days events, it’s not for me. I just take a moment to relax, let my mind calm down, and I can get the same effect. To use the light bulb again, you have to turn it off to measure the power it used during the day. Me, I can do that, while still letting it run.” Octavia continued to sit, sipping her tea. Her mind went over everything she had just been told, processing it all. “but then, why don’t you go to sleep? wouldn’t that be more efficient?” Vinyl shrugged. “Ya, likely. But I can’t. I don’t have an off switch for my light bulb. Just a little dial, dim to bright.” VInyl sighed before continuing, her voice darkening. “I’ve tried to sleep lately. I lay down, get comfortable, hold you close, and close my eyes. And I try to sleep. But my mind is still working. Still doing something. And it doesn’t stop. No matter how much I try to slow it down, make to turn off, it won’t. “I wish I could sleep. I want to relax, I want to dream.” Vinyl jerked awake with a start, sitting up in her bed. Her body shook; Eyes flitted open and shut as she tried to look around. Slowly, she managed to take stock of her surroundings. Octavia, her love, lay next to her, sound asleep. The window, though the curtains were drawn, betrayed the darkness of night. The room was as quiet and still as a bedroom should be in the dead of night. Slowly, Vinyl climbed out of bed, shaking. “Am I still dreaming? Or am I awake yet?” she asked herself, slowly stumbling out of her room. Her eyes darted back and forth as she trotted down the hall, stumbling as if drunk. She made her way to the kitchen table, sighing. “Another night wasted.”