The glowing green numbers of her alarm clock in the darkness burned brightly in the pitch blackness, showing that it was the middle of the night. As the memory of reality returned from the cessation of her sleep mode, she recalled the sequence of events that occurred beforehand. After her conversation with Aldrec, she went into her room to clear her mind. She must have been much more tired than she thought. Those were the last clear memories she had before falling asleep.
"By the maker …" She murmured. She ran her hands through her hair, rendering it damp with the profuse sweat from her forehead. She sat quietly for a moment, allowing her breathing to return to normal.
And then, it hit her.
"I … had a dream!" She said hoarsely. There was no doubt about it; the sensations of the experience were still fresh in her mind and upon her body. They were so real, and yet, there was a strange sort of unreality associated with it: a contradiction that baffled her logic.
It was incredible! The sounds, the sensations … she had no idea that they would be so real! By the maker, she could still feel the hands!
And then, she froze, overcome with a massive wave of embarrassment, as she came to realize exactly what kind of a dream it was.
"Oh … my god!" She whispered shakily, her hands absently moving to her lips. Her eyes went wide, still veiled by stifling darkness.
She began to laugh, loud, raucous, and uncontrollable. She covered her mouth with her pillow as not to wake her brothers or sisters, but the laughter still poured out as she pounded on the bed. She laughed until her insides ached, and great tears began to pour from her eyes.
When it finally passed, and she could move around without fear of once again doubling over from a second conniption fit, Mericlou turned on the light and checked on Needles. She lay in her pile of old clothes that she had fashioned on the floor by the bed, sound asleep, even after the noise she had made. Quickly, she fixed her hair, turned off the light, and into the hallway. Thinking back on the dream, she discovered that she did have one regret about it. She would be too mortified to recount it to the rest of her family.
Everyone had gone to bed, it seemed, as all was dark in the apartment. For this, she was thankful. She dreamed for the first time; she was the first android to ever dream, as far as she knew … but, the kind of dream it was had been as disconcerting as it was enjoyable. And what it had entailed had made her both excited and frightened. She very much needed to take a walk. The night air might work to set her thoughts in order.