Chapter Text
Cameron hated nighttime.
Compared to the day, nighttime was boring. He didn’t get to play with his friends at school, run around, kick a ball, or do anything fun. All he got to do at night was eat yucky vegetables, brush his teeth, and then go to sleep (which, like everything else, was boring).
However, on this particular night, Cameron was up later than he normally was. He looked over at his alarm clock: 10:00 PM. His parents and Marie were asleep, but he didn’t understand why he couldn’t sleep. It wasn’t like there was anything else to do: his mind just wouldn’t shut off.
But what was he meant to do? He couldn’t go to his mom and step-dad and ask if he could sleep with them; he didn’t want to look like a baby when he was almost ten years old, and it was too risky to head downstairs to get a snack. So Cameron was stuck in his bedroom, lying in his bed with a frown
“Great… now what?” Cameron asked himself, lying in bed. Turning to his side, his eyes met a window with the moonlight pouring into his darkened bedroom.
"Maybe I can fall asleep if I get some fresh air?” It was a long shot, but he was willing to do anything at this point to fall asleep. With his mind made up, he threw aside his blankets.
Cameron crept across the room and pushed the window open, sticking his head out. Taking a deep breath, he laid his arms on the windowsill as he stared up at the stars in the sky. It was pretty quiet tonight, like it usually was every night in Tarabiscoville, and even though Cameron was confused about why he never heard any cars or people outside at this hour, he appreciated that minor oddity of the town as it meant he could clear his mind.
Suddenly, Cameron heard a small squeak. Startled, Cameron jumped back and turned around, fearing to see his mom opening his door or see one of the awful shadow monsters he was convinced still existed behind him. But he found nothing.
“That’s weird..” Shaking his head, he went back to look out the window but heard the same squeak once more, closer this time.
This time, Cameron paid a little more attention to where it came from. It wasn’t behind him, but right where he was, standing by the window. He rubbed his eyes to double-check that what he was seeing was real. Right below him was a tiny, fluffy rabbit with orange and yellow fur, which was on a fire-escape near his apartment’s window. It kicked its legs while unconscious, seeming to be sleeping.
“Whoa. A bunny?” Cameron curiously watched the small animal in awe at the creature’s unique fur colour. “Where did you come from?” The fire escape steps were too big for a little bunny to climb up, and it wasn’t like it could have flown or anything. Maybe he got lost and was one of his upstairs neighbors? Curious and determined, Cameron reached out to it.
As soon as his hands brushed the soft fur, the rabbit awoke, squealing and scrambling back down the fire escape.
“Huh? Hey, come back!” Cameron shouted. Without thinking, he pulled his legs over the windowsill and ran after the rabbit down the fire-escape. It was much faster than him, and by the time he finally grabbed it, both of them were in the street below the apartment building.
Sighing in relief, Cameron smiled at the rabbit, who looked back at him with big green eyes. “There you are. Now I’ve got where did you- woah!”
Just as he was about to head back, he yelped in surprise as an unfamiliar sensation spread throughout his entire body; a feeling similar to when someone was about to throw up, yet it wasn’t at all nauseating: it was more… warm and fuzzy.. The tingling started with his hands, but soon spread to his arms and then all over his body. In his state of shock, he let it go, and the rabbit disappeared into the bushes as the tingling feeling got stronger.
“W-What’s happening to me?” Cameon exclaimed, looking at his hands. His hands emitted a bright orange light. In the blink of an eye, the light became overwhelming, spreading across his entire body and forcing Cameron to close his eyes. Once the light died down, Cameron hesitantly opened his eyes.
“What… what was that..?” Cameron groaned. Rubbing his eyes, he instantly felt that something was off. His arms were.. furry?
“Huh?”
Looking down, he gasped: instead of his orange and yellow pyjamas, his arms and legs were orange, but his torso was white, with a rabbit symbol on his chest. There was a weight on his head, as well as the presence of something behind him, but before he could investigate, the bright light came back.
“Arrugh!”
Covering his eyes once again, it left as quickly as it came. Once the brightness disappeared, Cameron was surprised to see that the strange outfit had disappeared, and he was back wearing his normal pajamas.
Cameron was so confused, he couldn’t get a single sentence out and instead blubbered out words like a worn-out car's engine. He stared at his hands like he’d just grown extra fingers, wondering what on Earth had happened. As if tonight couldn’t get any weirder, he saw something from above glow. Looking up, he noticed the light from the windows of the apartment complex came from his room. From his window, he could see someone looking down: his mom.
“Cameron!” His mother exclaimed, looking like she’d seen a ghost. “What are you doing outside? It’s way past your bedtime!” Lately, she’d become acquainted with his weird sleepwalking habits; since last year, they have been getting more frequent, but she only expected him to be downstairs or standing in her and her fiancé’s bedroom. To see Cameron standing in the middle of the road with his window wide open nearly made her have a heart attack.
“S-Sorry! I’ll come back up now!” Cameron called back, racing up the fire escape as quickly as he could, and climbed back over the windowsill into his room. After his mother closed his window, Cameron became silent as his mother's eyes scanned him.
“Goodness, I’ve heard of sleepwalking, but it looks like you were on a little adventure.” His mother chuckled, grabbing the sheets he had thrown onto the floor moments before.
“I’m sorry, Mom. I don’t know… what happened. I... just woke up outside, I swear.” Cameron fibbed.
“It’s okay, sweetie.” His mother reassured, guiding him back to bed to lie down. “We’ll install a lock on your window so it doesn’t happen again, okay? I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”
Cameron nodded, slightly embarrassed about his odd habit, which he had no control over. “Okay, Mom.”
Kissing him on his forehead, she walked back over to his bedroom door. “I'm just happy you're safe. Some dreams can get out of hand if left unchecked. Just get some rest, sweetie."
“I will. Goodnight, Mom.” With that, his mom closed his door, leaving Cameron in his boring, quiet room once again. This time, however, he was glad he was back as sleep overpowered his urge to stay awake. Yawning, Cameron rolled to his side, back facing the window, as he curled into his sheets. Cameron was out like a light shortly, knowing what had happened was just a dream. Only, he was unaware of a small, orange light illuminating from his blankets.