Short story: The Sleepwalker
I wrote this short story based on the prompt:
Write a short story inspired by the sentence: “He had unknowingly taken up sleepwalking as a nighttime hobby.” Include the words “rainy” and “happy” at least once in the story.
Enjoy. :)
It wasn’t that Mr. Green liked sleepwalking. He had unknowingly taken up sleepwalking as a nighttime hobby.
His neighbors thought him strange. He’d wake up at just before midnight and walk outside and down the street with his eyes closed.
It didn’t matter if it was rainy or windy or even snowy, somehow he always made it out and then went back to bed within an hour.
Sometimes he’d walk past the street corner and the security guard would wave only to realize it was Mr. Green sleepwalking again and roll his eyes.
One particular day, it was rather rainy and windy. As usual, Mr. Green got up and went sleepwalking down the street.
A little boy, Timmy, who couldn’t sleep because of the pitter-patter of rain, saw him through his bedroom window.
Now Timmy was five years old and had never heard of sleepwalking. He wondered why the man walked the streets on such a rainy night with his eyes closed. He watched as Mr. Green walked down the street, apparently unbothered by the rain or wind.
He came to the happy conclusion that the man was closing his eyes enjoying the rain and cool night air.
This thought comforted Timmy and he soon curled into his blankets and fell fast asleep.
He awoke a little while later, however. His brain had worked the problem over and came to the fact that his first conclusion was wrong.
The man kept his eyes closed the whole time. He knew that if he did that, he’d be sure to trip and fall.
Timmy leaned against the window, pressing his nose against the glass to get a better look. Mr. Green walked kind of funny, something between a sudden limp and falling over. It was as if he fell asleep every half step then woke himself up again. He did this repeatedly for every step. Timmy giggled, wondering if the man knew how funny he looked walking like that.
Mr. Green, of course, had zero idea he was even out of his bed let alone that he was outside in the rain walking funny. In fact, he didn’t even feel how the rain was soaking his nightclothes.
It was just then that Timmy realized that Mr. Green wasn’t even wearing a jacket. His eyes widened with innocent shock. His mom always told him he’d catch a cold if he went out into the rain without his jacket. Here he was watching the man oddly walking down the street in his nightclothes, which by now clung wetly to his body.
Timmy backed away from the window. He must do something.
The poor man must not have a mom to tell him he needs to wear a jacket in the rain, he thought to himself before running to the door. Without a second thought, he slipped into his jacket, put on his shoes, and slipped out the front door carrying his dad’s raincoat.
Timmy slowly approached Mr. Green, who by now was sleepwalking back to his house for the night. He followed him for a while, observing the man’s sleepy face now that he was close enough to see it clearly. Sure enough, he saw that the man’s eyes stayed closed completely as he walked. Timmy half expected the man to open his eyes or trip at any time, but he didn’t.
With much effort, he flung his dad’s raincoat over the limp-walking form of the sleepwalking man as best he could. Timmy was pleased to see the edges of the man’s mouth turn up slightly. As strange as it was to see him smile with his eyes closed, and though he still didn’t understand that Mr. Green was sleepwalking, he felt satisfied.
With one more look at the moving form of Mr. Green, Timmy went back to his house, slipped into bed, and fell fast asleep with a smile on his face.
THE END