Insomnia (PG-13) Champagne Challenge 127

[cassysj]

I do not own any recognizable characters no copyright infringement is intended.


April 29th 2011

Josef opened the freezer lid and looked at the time. 5:15AM

All the freshies were awake watching BBC America to see the wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton. The girls were two floors below him but he could still feel the excitement. Sofia was sketching the dress. Summer was talking about their long courtship. Even his girlfriend Solita dropped by to watch the wedding with the girls.

He closed the lid and tried unsuccessfully to sleep.

Solita was so excited you would have thought she was going to be Queen of England. She had been worried about coming over tonight. It was the first time she had seen anyone besides Tangie since they had gone public. Everyone was polite but it was strained. Tangie did a good job of keeping everyone on topic to make Solita feel more at ease.

He wondered how far he was willing to take this with Solita. He should just cut her loose. That would be the right thing to do.

He sighed. When did I ever do the right thing when it came to love?

His mind drifted back to 1955. If Sarah were awake she would be glued to the television set. He called the nurse last night to bring in the television and put the wedding coverage on. Sarah once told him she was in England when Princess Elizabeth married Prince Philip. She was only thirteen but she stood in the street for hours with her mother just to get a glimpse. She considered it one of three best days of her life. The first was when she met him, the second was when she found out they could be together forever.

Josef growled. Once his mind went back to New York he’d never sleep. He closed his eyes and saw Sarah. Not as the vital young woman he fell in love with but the animated corpse that had been asleep for fifty six years.

Fifty six years she had been in prison. The first fifty-two years he wished every night she would wake up. After Beth gave him her diary he wished every night for her release. If she ever woke up how could he possibly make up for what he took from her. She could never adapt to this world and he could never be Charles Fitzgerald again. That vampire died in 1955 and the one that took his place wasn’t worthy of Sarah Whitley.

He got out of the freezer. It was 6:20. He couldn’t go downstairs because the wedding coverage was still on. He hated royal weddings. He attended one in recent history, for Sarah.




April 1956 New York City. Waverly Place




Sarah had not moved a muscle in the last year.

“Sarah, I’ve just returned from Monaco. Your favorite actress Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier. You would have loved it. He sat next to the bed and relived every detail of the wedding. From her gown to the Prince’s uniform.

“Sarah if you wake up I’ll take you to Monaco. I’ll have us introduced to the new Princess.

He begged and pleaded for ten hours. God forgive him he even burned her with silver. The heat radiated from her skin for minutes, she didn’t absorb the blood quickly enough from her IV. When he got no response he sent a wire to his friend Charles and left New York immediately.

Sarah Whitley and royal weddings were the only things that kept him awake.

[jen]

Cassy

Wow!

You are quick!

Sarah Whitley and royal weddings are the only things that keep Josef awake?

Sarah I would expect but the royal wedding angle was a surprise.

Nicely done!!!

Jenna

[Luxe de Luxe]

I'm with jen, the royal wedding bit was a surprise, but it was also a really powerful event to hang a major hang up on, if you get what I mean. they really meant something to the woman he loved. fortunately they're infrequent enough to prevent any major bouts of insomnia.

[francis]

Poor Josef, his thoughts are coming back to Sarah and he can't sleep. Great story, using actual events makes it even more as if vampires are real.

[allegrita]

The idea of Josef trying desperately to bring Sarah back to life by telling her about Princess Grace's wedding just about broke my heart. No wonder royal weddings ruin his sleep. I wonder what happened when Diana and Charles got married...

[cassysj]

jen - I'm all into Prince William's wedding right now and it is an interesting thought that it would torment Josef.

Luxe - You're right fortunately they are infrequent. I imagine there are certain things that will always be triggers for Sarah in his life.

francis - I have a lot of fun putting them in the "real" world."

Alle - I imagine Charles and Diana was torture for him. There was no way to avoid it even in the U.S. I don't remember if Princess Anne's wedding to Mark Phillips had the same worldwide coverage. Charles and Diana may have been the first time since Princess Grace he had to deal with it in "real time".

[Lucy]

I'll bet royal weddings keep mortals awake too.....

[darkstarrising]

Very original idea linking the royal weddings of the past with those of the present, and being milestones in Josef's life. How sad that weddings, events of two people in love joining together should be the way that brings his thoughts back to Sarah.

[cassysj]

Lucy DSR - I see I missed these comments. Thanks for reading. Since we had a royal wedding last week I was checking out this story again.

[Moonlighter]

No surprise that thoughts of Sarah would keep Josef awake, but the weddings keeping him up is a surprise. Nice.

Poor Josef, his thoughts are coming back to Sarah and he can't sleep. Great story, using actual events makes it even more as if vampires are real.

What do you mean "as if"? Vampires are real.

The idea of Josef trying desperately to bring Sarah back to life by telling her about Princess Grace's wedding just about broke my heart. No wonder royal weddings ruin his sleep. I wonder what happened when Diana and Charles got married...

And don't forget Fergie and Andrew... Another sad ending, but a royal wedding nonetheless.

[cassysj]

Moonlighter - It's the little things that get to us. Royal weddings will always be connected to Sarah in his mind and while he doesn't do regrets......it's hard not to look back.

Thanks for the bump

[cassysj]

Shameless bump. This was a sad one.

[Marigold]

How very sad...

Yet another royal wedding is taking place, and Sarah is still asleep.

I really like how you included Josef's thoughts about Solita.

Nicely done, Carol!