Dream Walker - house of children

The table was full but no one had started digging in yet. Five heads turned in his direction, Allie had her attention on some juice from the ice box. The twins looked behind him and then grinned.



“Allie,” red haired and freckled the boys broke out in unison. “Izzi is not even dressed.”



“What?” Allie's long blonde curls jerked with her head shooting up and looked at the pale shadow hiding behind Josh. “Izzi you’re a right mess.”



Startled, Josh looked and saw Izzi wearing one of his old shirts, no pants and her wild black mane was more akin to a bird’s nest than hair. Iz pulled back, uncertain as her ice blue eyes looked over herself then she scowled at them all. Sitting down in a huff she took the chair next to Josh and glared at the twins.



Allie frowned but she gave Josh that look saying it was all his fault somehow. He’d brought her home, hadn’t he? Well yes, but he didn’t have much choice on the matter either. A few giggles before it settled down to a quiet and everyone dove into the food. Pancakes and sausage, his favorite!



Iz cautiously took a little of everything, watching the others and then following their example. Pancakes were suddenly her favorite as she tried to wolf them all down in one bite and nearly choked. “Chew it Izzi.” He told her and then showed her chewing with his mouth open.



“Ew!” Rigol grunted. “Keep your mouth closed with food in it.” The eldest of the boys enjoyed correcting them all in their bad behaviors.



Iz darted her attention back and forth, trying to mimic them all and not quite getting it down pat. She learned quickly though.



“So Izzi, did you sleep well?” Tad or Todd asked, he never could tell which twin from the other.



Iz thought about it and then shook her head. “I do not like the periods of unconsciousness, I see things.”



Tad or Todd looked at her strangely and then started laughing. “You mean when you sleep you don’t like dreams!”


“Were they bad dreams?” Concerned, Rigol asked.



“Oh I hate bad dreams!” Thinna sniffled and then popped her tiny thumb in her mouth.



A bit horrified, Iz looked at them. “I do not dream.”



Both twins barely contained their laughter. “Well when you see things while you are sleeping it is called dreaming, Izzi.”



Iz scowled and then shook her head. “Dream walkers do not dream. Ever.” Her eyes were daring anyone to say different.



“Maybe you didn’t dream Izzi.” Josh shrugged trying to stay on Iz's good side.



“Yeah, right maybe you just walked in dreams.” Todd or Tad suggested. “What did you not dream about?”



This time Iz thought about it and nodded thoughtfully. “I saw strange things. I was a princess in a tall, tall tower so high when I looked out the window I could touch the stars in the sky.”



Thinna squealed in delight bouncing her thatch of red gold ringlets around her angelic face. “That’s what I dreamed! And a great shiny black horse could fly me to the moon.”



Iz agreed that was indeed what she had seen in her sleep. “Then I was all the way back on the ground, fighting a large man with a gold belt and when I finally bested him a bell rang and I was the champion of the world!”



“That is my dream!” Allan jumped up. More legs than body he bounced around excited.



“I like that dream.” Iz admitted.



“It’s my favorite dream.” Allan put his hand up and Iz high-fived him.



“That you learned?” Josh scoffed at her.



“It was in the dream.” Iz shrugged as she continued her dream report. “After that I had to wear a great big ball gown and forced to dance as the lights swirled all around and I was dancing with,”



Allie interrupted loudly and hushed Iz. “That’s enough Izzi.” Allie’s face was bright red.



Iz looked to him as if he had some answer for her and he shrugged. Allie’s dreams were probably as corny as all teenage girls dreams were.



“What about you Josh? What did you dream?” Thinna quipped.



“I didn’t.” Josh wasn’t sure if he was troubled by that or not. He didn’t feel rested but he didn’t feel exhausted as he usually did in the morning. For once he hadn’t been troubled in his sleep by dreams at all.



Iz didn’t say anything. His dreams were more or less her problem. Maybe he had dreamed and Iz ate them. By the pancake she was stuffing in her mouth he didn’t think so.



“Chew Izzi, chew it see…” Josh reminded.



“Ew! Quit chewing with your mouth open.” Rigold grumbled.