"Are you Charlotte Denver?" He asked her, raising an eyebrow at her. The moment she looked into his eyes, he saw her face whiten to a shade of pale he had never seen before. The man didn't know what that meant, but felt slightly insulted when he heard her gulp audibly. He clenched his jaw. Why was she so scared?

"Why?" She made a face at the sound of her name. She hated the name Charlotte. That's why she always went with Charlie. It was cute and fit her personality. She saw the man open his mouth, but he closed it after a few seconds. That made her raise an eyebrow and she dared to look up into his eyes once more.

His expression was almost comical when his eyelids squinted together and he had a small frown on his forehead. She took this moment to get a grip of herself. She shouldn't have been afraid when she first saw him. Charlie had to remember that she was supposed to be a guardian of the city in only a few months.

"Well?" She had the guts to ask him, her voice sounding much sterner now. He snapped his gaze towards her and Charlie almost jumped, but didn't.
"Well, I- you need me." He made a face after hearing what just came out of his mouth. Was he serious? He had had this conversation over a million times when he was practicing this situation in front of the mirror. But seeing her now and being this close to her, did him no good. He wasn't a social guy, but he was smart. Should've known that reality would differ from practice.

"Excuse me?" She asked the man, who was now the one gulping. She watched in amazement as his Adam's apple moved. She almost smirked, but then looked back up into his menacingly hard gaze.

"You heard me." He said, surprising himself with the confidence in his tone.
"What are you talking about? Who even are you?" Charlie asked. She had more questions, but she didn't want him to notice that her panic kept rising with each question she asked. Should she even still stand here? What if this guy was just a creep? Why was she even listening to him?

The young man looked at the woman in front of him. He had not expected her to be like that. All those things he found out about her over that week of investigation didn't really add up to her personality. He knew she was a trainee at the police department, but she didn't act like a police officer yet.

And then her height. He had only watched her from afar and she looked taller than she did now. He was easily towering over her and he kind of liked that feeling. Her eyes were brown and not black like he assumed. But he was willing to let all of his knowledge about the woman in front of him go and concentrated on what he was here for.

"My name is Morpheus Oneiroi. I heard about your nightmares and I am here to- well, cure them." He answered her questions and waited for her reaction as he watched her intensively.
"Morpheus? Like the God of Dreams?" She laughed humourlessly. Morpheus raised another black eyebrow. He was genuinely surprised she knew about that. Most people in Rian don't know much about Greek mythology.

"Did Doctor Ronald send you? Is this some sort of promotion for a new treatment? Because that's unnecessary. Tell her, I'm taking her advice and tire my body out before I go to sleep." He was confused by her words, but then remembered Doctor Ronald was her therapist.

"No. I assure you, I am no sort of- treatment. Well, somehow I am. But I wasn't sent by your therapist." He said after shaking his head at her words. He had no idea how he would tell her now. All his preparations, all the sentences he learned by heart, were useless now. This conversation already started off wrong.

Charlie squinted her eyes at him. She knew, he was lying. How else would he know that Doctor Ronald was her therapist? She had enough and just wanted to go home. Even though she wasn't looking forward to sleeping, she was exhausted and hungry. Her instant noodles were waiting for her.

"Listen, Morpheus." She let out a snort, before continuing. Morpheus glared at her disrespectful manner.
"No matter what it is, I don't want it. It wouldn't help me anyway." She told him and turned around. She felt slightly hurt and annoyed by Doctor Ronald. Even if her intentions weren't meant to mock her, Charlie felt like they were.

"It is going to help, I assure you." She kept walking, even after hearing his words. That's what they all said. She knew that normally the nightmares stop as people grow up. But they are still here, even now at the age of twenty-four. She didn't know why they came either. She never thought about the stuff she dreamed about. No sane mind would.

"Miss Denver." The man had the guts to follow her. He didn't touch her or anything, but she felt as if his voice would cut right through her skin, and she halted in her step.
"I don't beg and if I have to, I am willing to use other measures in order to convince you." He said as he came to stop in front of her.

Other measures? What was he talking about? Charlie wanted to ask him, but she couldn't. She felt as if her body wouldn't react to whatever her brain was telling it. What was this? She panicked. She wanted nothing more than to run.

Morpheus clenched and unclenched his jaw. He had enough of this act. He was no actor and his patience has never been able to hold great weight. He knew that using Might on her had its consequences, but right now, that was all he could do.

"Now that I have your attention, I want you to listen to me." He said as he avoided looking at her. He wasn't a man of many words and he didn't want to see her- confused look, he assumed.
"I am Morpheus Oneiroi. Yes, Morpheus like the Greek God of dreams. And just like the Greek God I- can give you dreams." He swallowed hard. He realized how that must have sounded to her. Like he had a God complex. Stupid, Morpheus. He finally looked up at her and sighed, before giving her her body back.

Charlie took a deep breath, feeling as if she just now could. She looked up at the man in front of her, her guts telling her to run and so she did. She ran without looking back and Morpheus let her. But he wasn't about to give up. At the sight of her running, he actually let out a chuckle. She was amusing him, which was not an easy task. He gave that to her.

Morpheus was in a playful mood now and so he let her run away. Run into her apartment. Into the safety of her own four walls. At least that's what she thought.

Charlie didn't know who this guy really was, because the fact that somebody would call their son Morpheus was not possible. Okay, maybe it was, but she didn't believe him. He didn't look a lot older than her and a name like that was just so- old school. And foreign. She liked foreign- normally.

But he was something else. He seemed dangerous and she didn't want anything to do with him. Even though he looked like an actual Greek God with his stonehard face and body, the things he said were crazy. Give her dreams and nightmares? Like Sandman? She didn't think so.

A knock on her window made her jump and she prayed to the lord it wasn't him. How would he even know she lived here? He seemed like a stalker now. But she dared to look towards the direction of her window and saw nothing. Was she hallucinating now?

She decided to ignore it and sit for a few more seconds in the darkness, not wanting to give that wannabe Sandman any chance to see where she lived. But she heard the knock again and this time, she was sure it was there, because it was louder and scarier.

"Hello?" She asked into the empty room, her gaze fixed on the window. When no one answered and she didn't see anybody, she dared to stand up and walk towards the window. It could be a bird too, she thought as she got closer and looked outside. Nothing.

Suddenly she heard a knock on her door and this time, she jumped in sudden fear and even let out an annoying squeal that could've been confused with the one of a little girl. Or a guinea pig.

What is this? Is today the day of annoying Charlie Denver? Because if so, that day certainly lived up to its name! Her thoughts made her snort humourlessly as she approached her apartment door.

She looked into the peephole, but it seemed as if somebody put their finger over it, so she couldn't make out who was outside.
"Who is there?" She asked, loud enough to be sure the person on the other side must have heard.

When she got no answer, she took a few steps away and waited. This was ridiculous. She felt as if she was going insane. Then she sighed and closed her eyes, willing to forget about all of this.
"Boo." She heard a whisper right next to her ear and let out the loudest scream. She ran towards the door to unlock it and run away. But the door seemed to have no knob. What?

Morpheus watched the woman struggle to find the knob when it was right in front of her. But of course, she didn't see it. He felt bad for doing that to her, but he had to. He couldn't let guilt ruin his plans. He approached her and saw a light switch right next to her and decided to turn the lights on.

"Oh my God. Oh my God." The woman next to him let out another scream in her panic. But Morpheus didn't bother trying to calm her or soothe her. He watched as she ran into the kitchen, which consisted of a fridge, a microwave, placed on a cupboard and a table.

Charlie silently cursed herself for not buying any knives, except for a butter knife. She thought for her breakfast, it was enough, since she'd always eat with her parents. Never did she think she'd have to face a murderer in her apartment. Or a robber. Thinking about that now, what did he want from her again? Oh yeah, he was a psychopath!

"If you want money, I don't have a lot. But it's in my wallet." She pointed the butter knife towards her purse that was placed on the couch/ unmade bed. Morpheus didn't even bother looking towards that direction. His steel hard gaze was focused on her as he took slow, but confident strides towards her.

"Please don't murder me. What else do you want? Please." She felt helpless. Charlie felt so small and intimidated, it was demeaning. Somebody like her shouldn't be scared. She was going to be a police officer for God's sake. But well, she thought, she didn't even have her own gun yet.

"I don't want anything from you. Except maybe your trust, Miss Denver." He kept striding towards her, until she didn't have any more space to move back and found herself pushed against the fridge. Morpheus was now about three steps away from her. She frowned at him.

"M-my trust?" She stuttered as she slowly lowered the knife. Morpheus watched her place the knife onto the cupboard next to the fridge. Not like it would've protected her anyways, but he appreciated that gesture of reconsideration.

"Yes, Miss Denver." He nodded, lacing his fingers behind his back. In the light, Charlie eventually noticed what he was wearing. She felt herself gulping audibly at his dark attire. Literally, his clothes were as black as his eyes. He raised an eyebrow as he watched her eyes silently roam his body. Her bothered facial expression confused him.

"If you want me to trust you, you have to take off that horrible thing." She pointed at his jacket. It looked terrifying and scary. It was Goth, or at least that's what she thought. It was black and looked like the material was leather. But the scariest part was that it was long, it reached his boots and that was just so weird.

"Excuse me?" He asked, his tone monotone, but on the inside, he was kind of hurt. What did she mean? Horrible? It's a jacket. It was very expensive, but it kept him warm at night. Besides, it was the perfect tone of black for his nightly walks.
"Take it off, please." She was surprised when he did. They locked eyes while he gently placed the jacket on the cupboard on top of the knife.

They were so close now, Charlie could smell his cologne. Morpheus felt his lips twitch as soon as he turned his head to see her sniffing the air with her eyes closed. What a weird woman. But he kept his serious expression as she eventually realized what she was doing and opened her eyes again.

Morpheus looked at her for another two seconds before turning around and walking towards her couch, which he knew she also used as her bed. He felt like a stalker, because he realized he knew more about her than he probably should. But at the same time, he did kind of stalk her the previous week, so no wonder.

"How did you get in here?" Charlie's heart finally stopped bumping out of her rib cage and she found it easier to breathe now that he was at the other side of the room. Her apartment was small, but now it felt big enough and that was good.

"Through the window." Morpheus shrugged carelessly as he pointed towards her couch with a lifted eyebrow in question. Charlie nodded and watched him sit down. She dared to take a step closer to him, watching his every move and reaction, but he didn't really show anything.

"That is impossible, I know it was closed." She said.
"No, it wasn't." He argued and she scoffed. If anybody knew if the window was closed or not, it was her.

"Yes it was." She narrowed her eyes. And there it was again, that feeling as if his word cut right through her body.
"No, it wasn't." She heard him say and found herself nodding. But at what? She thought. What were they talking about?

Morpheus clenched his jaw. He did it again. But he had to remember that he did all of it for her.
"Why don't you sit down and we talk?" He asked the woman, who still seemed a little lost.
"I'd rather not." Morpheus accepted her response with a wordless nod.

"Well then, Miss Denver. Shall we begin?" He asked her, making her frown yet again. She did frown a whole lot that day. She hoped she didn't get wrinkles.
"With what?" She asked perplexed. She didn't know anything anymore.

"The 'treatment'." He answered her and heard an immediate gulp.

Oh, this should be interesting.