Trent's Nightmare 
by Mitch 

Daria couldn't sleep. She didn't know why, but she just stayed awake. She laid in bed and
looked at the celling. After cointing the cracks, she felt her stomach. Four months had
passed since she heard the five month delayed news. Now, she was looking at the near
future with much anticipation. In a week, perhaps a few days, she would be a mother... 

"Daria," whispered a most recognizable voice next to her. Was Trent having trouble
sleeping too? "No, Daria, no." She couldn't tell what her husband was talking about. Trent
started rolling back and forth. Daria realized that he must have been having a nightmare.
She thought twice about waking him up, she had never woken him before. "Daria,
don't...leave me..." Leave him? Why would she ever leave him? His turning became more
frequent, making Daria more and more sure that he should wake up. 

"DARIA!" Trent found himself sitting up in bed back at his Woodland home in a cold sweat.
He heard a familiar deep yet, in his peference, pleasent voice say his name, "Trent?" He
turned and saw his wife since 2005 alive and well. Trent started to relax when he
remembered something. "Daria! The baby!" He immeadiatly threw the covers off Daria,
revealing her rotond belly of the past few months. Trent sighed and fell on his pillow. 

"Trent?" "Yeah?" "You had a bad dream, didn't you?" "Wha...what makes you say that?"
"The way you were rolling around, talking in your sleep, and cheaking on the baby when you
woke with a start." "Well, yeah. I had a...nightmare, Daria." "Want to talk about it?" "I...don't
know..." "Trent, I'm already involved. I heard talk about me in your sleep and the baby's
involved too. I think I have a right to know." 

After a sigh, Trent said "Alright Daria." Then he gulped. "It was night. We were watching
"Sick, Sad World: The New Editions". Then, suddenly, you went into labor. I rush you to the
hospital. There you're contractions get worse...and...worse. Then you take my hand. I look
in your eyes. They're a lot weaker and sadder than usual. Then you say, in a weak voice,
'Remember me, Trent.' Then...y-you..." 

Trent was now crying.. Daria handed him a tissue. She waited a moment before
addressing her husband of the past five years. "Trent, you have a right to be scared. I'm
scared too. We didn't plan this. It was rushed on us. This has been a busy four months.
But...you''ve told me a lot of times that I'm strong, that I can handle anything, even this." 

Trent blew his nose before answering. "I...I know you're strong, Daria. You always were.
But...in my dream...I think to myself, 'I killed her! I killed the woman I love! She died by
having my child!" 

Trent began to sound as if he was choking. Daria put a hand to his shoulder. "Trent," she
whispered, "feel the baby." Trent put his hand on Daria's stomach...and grinned. "Trent,"
said his wife, "I don't know if I ever felt more alive than I have these past few months." He
hugged her, as tears flowed from his eyes. The Morgendoffer-Lanes begain to relax. "Sorry
for waking you, Daria." "That's okay. I was awake already." Before falling asleep, Trent
heard Daria whisper, "Thanks for dreaming about me." 

THE END