A day filled with no worries; no patients or paperwork to deal with, no heavy responsibilities or chores to get done; the perfect day off for this usually busy doctor. It was almost a little off putting, not having anything to do, Dr Retro was constantly travelling place to place to meet with her patients that she barely had time to settle into a living space. But she wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip away. Who knows how long it's been since the last time she could relax like this, curled up on her hotel room’s couch half asleep with the sun barely peeking through closed curtains. Dimmed lights, a soft humming noise from the AC, and a cup of lukewarm tea on the coffee table in front of her accompanied her lazy afternoon.
Unbeknownst to her, an uninvited visitor had crept in to crash the party. The low lights flickered as a shadowy figure emerged from an unusually dark corner of the room, moving quickly and silently to the side of the couch where Retro lay. It lingered there for a moment, peering down at the snoozing cat with an unreadable expression. The doctor, through a groggy mind, registered its presence. The attendance of the figure didn’t bother her, in fact she may have even felt a little happy to see it. The figure spoke, her voice sharp and to the point, yet carried an air of something soft hidden behind the harsh tone.
“I know you’re awake. You are not fooling anyone.”
“Mmm.. Barely. It’s rude to walk into someone’s room uninvited, you know...” Retro blinked the sleep out of her eyes as she prepared for a conversation to kick up. “A pleasant surprise to see you, nonetheless.” She lifted her head slightly to get a look at the figure before her, her still eyes half shut. “Tried to get into my dreams again, didn’t you, sugar?” It was rare for the doctor to enter a deep enough sleep that warranted dreams. She always kept her mind sharp and her ears open, never letting her guard down even when she was alone. She’d been through too much misfortune in the past to allow herself to be so vulnerable. Unfortunately to Folly, this also kept that dream parasite from slipping into her unconscious thoughts. This really bothered her. A smile spread across the doctor’s face as she soaked in the silent reply. Just the lack of a response gave Retro the confirmation that she had guessed correctly. “How sweet of you to visit in person.. Though you should really mind your manners next time, hun. A heads up would be nice.” Her nonchalant attitude mixed with the teasing shot a pang of annoyance through Folly who narrowed her eyes.
“You seem more welcoming of my presence than usual.” She pointed out, skipping over Retro’s teasing. The parasite’s timing was never great, appearing most often when the doctor was at her worst. Stacks of paper, stressful patients, late nights at the office, all things that shortened her fuse enough for her to snap at the smallest things. Small things like an unannounced guest there to push her off the edge. Though she’d never admit it, Folly loved that side of Dr Retro. A side most wouldn’t ever see, especially her patients. She had built up a sugar coated wall of sweet greetings and polite conversation. But that sweet candy wrapping housed something sour within, and Folly couldn’t get enough of the taste.
“You’re just lucky you caught me in a good mood.” Retro sighed, ending her sentence with a hefty yawn. Pushing herself up slowly into a sitting position to comfortably stretch her arms and back out. Her yawn was followed by a soft and short purr as she relaxed her body. She rubbed her eyes of leftover sleep and turned back to look up at her guest. Her ear twitched slightly with a hint of irritation when she realized that Folly hadn’t moved a muscle. Her solid red eye still staring down at the cat as she got comfortable in her seat. Creepy. “Are you just going to stand there or what?” Retro huffed, shuffling aside to make space for her guest to sit. She patted the cushion next to her, an invitation to join her on the couch. Folly glanced at the empty spot then back to Retro with an awkward silence.
“I’m not here to stay.” The parasite said flatly.
“Don’t be silly, darling, I can see right through you. Why else would you be here?” Retro raised an eyebrow at Folly, not buying into her act. Something about that cat kept her infatuated, coming back for more, and she was really bad at hiding it. The concept of affection felt miniscule to the swirling rage she was created from. She wasn’t used to having someone there to balance that storm inside of her but since she met Retro she couldn’t stop thinking about the effect she had on her. Maybe that's why she keeps coming back, that sense of normalcy in an otherwise pained existence. She felt herself sinking into the cushion underneath her, the fear of any loneliness left lingering in that moment washing away. To trust someone is one thing knew she couldn’t give in to, but maybe she didn’t need to if she kept her intentions hidden. Warmth filled her core as she felt Dr Retro lean into her shoulder. “Besides…” The cat spoke up once more, dissolving the fog filling Folly’s head. “I was kinda hoping you’d stop by…” Her voice trailed off to a soft whisper. Slightly taken aback, Folly felt her unusually heartbeat speed up as she processed Retro’s words. The thought of the other enjoying her company and actually wishing to see her bubbled up something she hadn’t felt before. It was warm and comfortable, filled with a positivity that went against her very nature. She hadn’t even noticed yet, but a heat had crept into her face, flushing it a bright red. Though, something within her stirred; an irrational violence clawed at her heart, unknowing how to process such intense emotions. As she stared down at Retro resting peacefully on her shoulder, a fierce confusion that matched her urge for violence rose within. Her head spun as her mind turned to darker thoughts. She could easily tear the unsuspecting cat to shreds while she was vulnerable; no witnesses to the scene, a quick and painless release from the burden of feeling. She could easily cure that stirring weakness inside of her. But….
Dr Retro rested peacefully, unbothered, as the familiar feeling of sleep started to set in. She pushed further up against Folly's shoulder with a soft purr, now practically laying in her lap with her head pressed against her chest. She didn’t notice the dream parasite’s internal conflict and she didn’t particularly care. Anyone would say putting this much trust into a being made of malice is insane, that you’d might as well be begging for an early demise at that point. But to Retro, this was the closest thing she’d have to bliss. It didn’t matter to her who they were, where they came from, their story, or their intentions, she would bask in that warmth of another’s touch. Her eyes fully closed now, she wondered how long she’d have with Folly until it was time to part. Then, unexpectedly, she felt a hand move above her head, sending tingles where it had brushed up against her fur. It hovered there hesitantly, almost thinking. A choice was being made; an act of violence or one for self sacrifice. To give in to such sentiment… To let the sickening affection take over… The nervous hand pressed into Retro’s fur as it began to scratch gently behind her ears. A wave of ecstasy washed over the cat as she instinctively leaned into the touch, welcoming the parasite’s decision. Her purrs grew louder, each one sending vibrations of good emotion through Folly. Just this once she could give into temptation, to allow herself this moment of contentment.
The two lay there for hours, Retro had fallen fully asleep, a rare occurrence that was accompanied by a soft snore. And though the idea of visiting the doctor’s dreams was tempting to the dream parasite, maybe she was okay with the kindness reality had shown her for this moment.