The Shattered Sound of Somnolence

	“Lincoln. Wake up Lincoln,” A voice whispered in the dead of the night, trying to get the lad’s attention. “Your services are required.”

	Lincoln tossed and turned about on his bed. The boy buried his face into a pillow, attempting to drown out the voice calling to him. He mumbled and grumbled in irritation, hoping that would send a message. A series of continuous taps on the shoulder was the response he got. The boy curled up and turned away, desperately trying to fall back asleep. His pesky late night guest would have none of that however.

	“Lincoln!” The voice stated firmly, foregoing any and all courtesy.

	The sudden removal of his blanket was the straw that broke Lincoln’s shivering back. It seemed peace was a privilege that he had not earned. The boy sighed and slowly pulled himself up.

	“It’s one in the dang morning Lisa,” Lincoln groggily responded to his younger sister as he rubbed his tired eyes. “What are you doing up and what is it that you want?”

	“Wonderful. I’m glad you’re awake,” The 4 year old smiled, almost relieved.  “As previously mentioned, I am in dire need of your assistance.”

	“Can’t this wait until tomorrow, Leese? I’m exhausted.”

	“I’m afraid this can’t wait Lincoln,” Lisa sputtered as she adjusted her glasses. “Due to circumstances that have suddenly arisen, some impromptu investigations are about to go underway and you’re the ideal subje— I mean assistant — to get the job done.”

	“I don’t wanna!” The boy cried in defiance, wrapping himself back up in a cocoon of sheets. “I’m still recovering from the last project I helped you with. Just looking at green jello still makes my skin itch!”

	“Come now Lincoln I already apologized for that! Besides, neither of us can return to slumber until this matter has been resolved. This should be a relatively simple task, even for you!”

	“And if I refuse?” Lincoln shot back.

	“Well I guess much can’t be done about that, now can it? If you don’t want to assist me I suppose I’ll have to find a suitable replacement.” Lisa motioned towards the opposite end of Lincoln’s bed and picked up the reclining stuffed rabbit. “I suppose this adorable little fellow will have to do.”

	Lincoln sprung up like one of the many broken coils in his mattress. He was confident that he could take whatever Lisa physically dished out at him. She was a clever lass though and went straight for his emotions. He wasn’t about to let any harm befall his precious childhood friend.

	“Leave Bun-Bun alone you evil fiend!” Lincoln demanded as he swiped the cotton stitched hare from his sister’s tiny palms. The boy coddled the bunny as if it were his offspring. It was almost unsettling to Lisa.

	“Relax Lincoln I was just kidding about Bun-Bun,” the 4 year old revealed with a roll of the eyes. “I wasn’t kidding about requiring your help though so I’ll ask one more time. Will you please assist me?”

	Despite her nasty little joke and pushy attitude, Lincoln could hear the earnest sincerity in Lisa’s voice when she spoke. He wasn’t in the greatest of moods and his current cognitive awareness was less than reliable. Still though, he was well aware of his role as an older brother and the responsibilities that came with it. He resigned himself to his inevitable fate.

	“Alright Lisa you win,” Lincoln sighed, pulling himself out of bed one tired leg at a time. “Let’s get this little experiment over with. I’ll get the hazmat suit.”

	“Must I repeat myself Lincoln? I said this would be simple so there’s no need for any of that.” Lisa reached up and took Lincoln’s hand in her own, dragging him along down the hallway. “These are simple investigations to aid me in my research.”

	“Research in what exactly?” Lincoln asked.

	“Simple house reconnaissance. Making sure everything in this old shack is up to code and verifying the existence of monst—  ERRR MONSTROUSLY DETRIMENTAL HOUSE FUNGUSES. Yes, that is indeed what I meant.”

	Lincoln slanted his eyes and gave Lisa a look of overwhelming suspicion. She shot back with a wide toothy smile. It was that unsettling kind of smile that always made Lincoln and his sister wary of Lisa’s shenanigans.

	“Well alright then,” Lincoln said with an air of skepticism as he scratched his chin. “What do you need me to do first?”

	“The first thing I’ll need you to do is…” Lisa retrieved a notepad from her pocket and began reading off the list she prepared. “Turn on the hallway lamp.”

	“That’s it?” Lincoln raised a brow. He stared down the darkened hallway and then back at Lisa.

	“That’s just the first step!”

	Lincoln began his trudge down the hallway when he was held back by a surprisingly mighty force.

	“I didn’t say to let go of my hand did I?” Lisa stated, pulling herself close to Lincoln. “Come on let’s go. Lead the way, would you?”

	Lincoln huffed and made his way to the lamp. It was a 5 second walk for Lincoln but seemed like an eternity to Lisa. She kept her face buried in her notepad, maintaining composure as she trailed right behind her brother. Lincoln pulled the lamp’s chain, illuminating the hallway as if it were day time.

	“What next Lisa?”

	“Mhm, very good indeed,” Lisa said, momentarily releasing Lincoln’s hand to check a box on her list. “Now onwards to the bathroom!”

	“You want me to turn that light on too?”

	“Bingo. Then after that we need to check the living room, followed by the dining room, then the kitchen and we can’t forget the…”

	Lincoln let out a deep guttural yawn as Lisa continued to ramble on. He still wasn’t entirely sure what her endgame was or what this had to do with funguses but if it got him back in bed faster then he’d just go with the flow.

	The night continued on with Lincoln and Lisa stumbling around in the house, flipping switch after switch and trying on all the available lights. Sometimes he pulled her around like a dog on a leash and other times she did the same to him. She would occasionally jot down notes on her pad regarding wattage and so forth, the likes of which made little sense to Lincoln. As they continued about, Lisa bumped up the criteria for her experiment, which was beginning to seem like a bunch of arbitrary housework to Lincoln.

	“Terrific job Lincoln, if I was grading you on this you’d pass with hovering hues!”

	Lincoln just stared blankly for a moment. He wasn’t sure how to respond to that so he didn’t and pressed further on the main issue.

	“Now, on to the next part. Would you mind examining the confines of all the cupboards in the room?”

	“For fungus right?”

	“Fungus?” Lisa scratched her head with her pencil in confusion until Lincoln’s words finally hit her. “OH YES OF COURSE. The fungus. Please continue.”

	Lincoln grinned to himself as he slowly began to put the pieces of this bizarre experiment together. He raided the kitchen cabinets, looked under the sink and even behind the fridge as per her request. Lisa didn’t loosen her grip on the boy’s hand for even a second as she zipped around right behind him.

	From corner to corner, room to room and attic to basement, Lincoln explore just about every tiny nook and cranny he could. The ‘hiding spaces’ as Lisa referred to them where vacant, with nothing being there that didn’t need to be. Lincoln took notice of the 4 year olds reaction each time he ventured into a new area. She hid slightly, constantly asking the lad if the coast was clear to which he would give a reassuring thumbs up. After nearly an hour of completing random tasks, Lisa checked off the last item on her list as they returned to the kitchen.

	“Well all the rooms seem clean,” Lisa explained. “Metaphorically speaking, I mean did you SEE that basement? Filthy filthy.”

	“So are we done ‘investigating’ then Lisa?” Lincoln asked as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

	“Yes Lincoln, I am more than satisfied with the results. You put this scientist’s working brain at ease. Security and house safety has been sustained. Let’s retire for the night.”

	“Is everything working properly?”

	“Correct.”

	“No deadly fungus?”

	“Errr, correct.” Lisa stammered over her words for a second.

	“No spooky monsters?”

	“Thankfully no—  EXCUSE ME?”
	Lincoln smirked like no one had ever smirked before. Lisa’s face in that instant was priceless as she processed what her brother said.

	“M-Monsters?” Lisa scoffed, her face growing redder by the second. “What kind of superstitious fool do you take me for Lincoln? Even Lily knows that the existence of any so called monsters is completely fabricated. Besides, I—”

	Before Lisa could finish her rant, a loud clanging noise from behind the genius toddler rang through her little ears and froze her in place. The harsh sound of stainless steel slamming against the tiled kitchen floor was enough to turn Lisa as white as the apparitions she didn’t believe in. Lincoln couldn’t help but wince a bit himself.

	“GAAAAH!”The fearless facade Lisa had tried so hard to build up and maintain was shattered instantly and unceremoniously. The 4 year old leapt from the ground and wrapped herself around Lincoln like a belt. He could feel her trembling from the terrifying surprise.

	“Mroooow~”

	“Cliff get off the counter, you’re gonna wake everyone up with that racket!” Lincoln scolded the feline firmly yet quietly. His anger was fleeting as he looked down at his sister.

	Lisa opened her eyes and ceased shaking. She looked up at Lincoln for a moment before realizing the compromising situation she was put in. She slowly and cautiously climbed down the boy like a mountain, cleaned her glasses and continued on as if nothing happened.

	“Well then, this has been quite the eventful night. Come on Lincoln.” Lisa quickly beckoned the boy as she made her way towards the stairs.

	“You know Lisa, it’s okay to be scared,” Lincoln spoke up as he walked over to his younger sibling. “No one is going to think any less of you for it. We all get frightened from time to time, it happens to the best of us.”

	“I was NOT scared Lincoln,” the 4 year old grew flustered and defensive at the boy’s insinuation. “I was merely startled by Cliff’s sudden appearance.”

	“Then why did you have me run around the house like a maniac, checking the lights and looking in dark spaces?” Lincoln pressed on.

	“I already informed you; it’s home reconnaissance!” Lisa’s voice grew hoarse.

	“Then why are your legs still shaking?”

	“Because it’s quite frigid downstairs!”

	“Then why are you crying?”

	“I—I DON’T KNOW!”

	Lisa clenched her fists and bit her lips. She typically avoided showing off her emotional side, all it did was get in the way of her research. On the very rare occasion though, her soft side poked out and she just didn’t know how to handle it. Having another individual witness her in such a vulnerable state only hurt her pride more. She resorted to the only thing a 4 year old could do in a situation she didn’t have control over.

	Before the lispy lass could break down and let loose the waterworks, Lincoln kneeled and gave his sister a comforting embrace. It wasn’t often he saw this side of Lisa. He felt guilty for pushing her on the matter. She may have had the mind of a genius but she was still just a child.

	“It’s alright Lisa,” Lincoln whispered as he gently patted the sniveling child on the back. “Now then, do you think you can tell me what this was all about?”

	The brunette wiped her misty eyes and took a deep breath. As quickly as she had fallen apart, she had pulled herself back together. This little girl really was something else.

	“Well to put it simply,” Lisa gathered her thoughts and stifled back any and all tears. “I was awoken from my slumber by a loud disturbance. I’m surprised none of the others were alerted by this. It really soured my mood and put a damper on my defense. I knew I had to enlist help to get to the bottom of this mystery. That’s pretty much where you came in.”

	“A loud disturbance?”

	“Yes and the answer came to me just a moment ago when Cliff knocked over the iron skillet. It was so obvious. The greasy stains on the pan, the food particles on the floor and the ‘World’s Best Dad’ mug in the sink with a sip of OJ still in it. SOMEONE must have had a late night snack to quell their grumbling gut. What a klutz.”

	“Well dad IS a bit of a butterfingers.” Lincoln added with a chuckle. “We’ll roast him about it in the morning. But then why the tears, Lisa?”

	“I know of course that there’s no such thing as monsters, but my delusions led me astray. If I had to take a scientific guess, I would say I was more concerned with the possibility of what it could be, not what it actually was. The curiosity ate at me more than I thought to the point where it got to my psyche. How utterly humiliating.”

	“So that’s what this was all about. You weren’t scared of what was hiding in the shadows, but what WASN’T there!”

	“I’m a woman of science Lincoln. if I can’t reach a conclusive answer then my work has no purpose and I have no meaning.”

	Lincoln tousled his sister’s hair. She certainly was an eccentric individual to say the least. He liked that about her though. There was no one else quite like her around these parts.

	“Quit it Lincoln, there’s a time for head pats and it’s not now,” Lisa chided despite the fact that it was comforting to her. “I’m feeling physically and emotionally fatigued.”

	“Me too,” Lincoln stretched and let out a mighty yawn. He took a hold of his little sister’s hand once more and escorted her up the stairs. “It’s still a school night so get some sleep, Leese.”

	“Lincoln,” the bespectacled lass murmured through her lisp. Her palms were sweaty and her face was still red. “Pardon me if I’m stepping out of line here but if it’s not too much of a burden do you think it would be feasible for me to perhaps, bunk with you for the time being?”

	Lincoln watched as the young girl twiddled her fingers, avoiding eye contact with him throughout the process. It was uncharacteristically adorable of her. He wanted to savor the moment but sleep was beginning to take hold of him. He knew just what he had to say to instill a bit of confidence in his sister.

	“Sorry Lisa, but I can’t let you do that.” Lincoln gently let the girl down.

	“Ah. I see,” Lisa was crushed. She certainly wasn’t expecting no for an answer from him. She could feel the tears swelling up once again but did her best to fight them. “I understand. I’ll withdraw to room for the night and—”

	“I can’t let you do that because I need you in your room to look after Lily in case something happens!”

	Lisa’s eyes widened as Lincoln dropped such a mighty responsibility upon her shoulders. Despite how she felt, Lisa knew Lincoln had a point. For once, his logic was as foolproof as hers. She respected that.

	“It’s a pretty big responsibility after all.” Lincoln added, encouraging his younger sibling. “Do you think you could do that for me?”

	“Of c-course!” Lisa exclaimed, throwing out her feelings of dejection in an effort to maintain her stoic guise. “It’s only fitting that such an important duty befall upon me. She is my one and only younger sister after all!”

	“That’s more like it! Now wait here for a second.” Lincoln dashed into his room and as quickly as he disappeared, he reappeared with a pillow in hand. “You don’t mind if I crash with you and Lily for the night, do you?”

	“Well I suppose that shouldn’t be an issue,” Lisa stammered, trying to play it cool. She certainly was expecting Lincoln to suggest such a deal but she wasn’t one to turn down the offer. “If you don’t mind the limited space my bed provides, that is.”

	Lisa held the door open for Lincoln inviting the lad into her room. Lincoln smiled as he passed Lily’s crib. The infant was out like a rock. He hoped he could sleep as well as her tonight.

	Lisa hopped under the sheets and scooted over as far as possible to give her older sibling some breathing room. The boy slipped in to the bed next to Lisa and let loose another yawn. That little experiment tuckered the already tired boy out more than he thought.

	“Thanks again for assisting me tonight Lincoln; I apologize for subjecting you to my constant whims and heckling. Lincoln?”

	The white haired boy responded with a snore that could rival Lori’s. It didn’t take long for the overwhelming exhaustion to set in and whisk the boy away to the land of dreams.

	Lisa wasn’t too bothered by the tight space nor her brother’s occasional snores. These factors just provided an additional security blanket for the 4 year old. It was actually quite pleasant and soothing. The little girl let out a yawn of her own and scooted as close as she could to her big brother. Lisa didn’t have all the answers but it didn’t take a genius to know that she was in for a good night’s rest.