Phoenix (the intro part 1)

Phoenix’s eyes slowly began to adjust to the darkness in his room. He gingerly sat up making sure not to disturb his wife, who lay asleep next to him. As he wiped the cold sweat from his brow Phoenix tried to slow his pounding heart by calmly breathing deep in rhythm like his therapist had taught him. He looked around the room with only the alarm clock light to illuminate the features. He focused on framed picture of Yosemite on the wall closest to the door, then the alarm clock itself, trying to ground himself in reality.

The clock read 3:15am, and to this Phoenix rolled his eyes. His nightmares had been waking him up at exactly 3:15am every morning for the past month and a half. They were always the same, he would walk across a dry lake bed for what seemed like hours until he came to a large white door, with no walls and nothing but lake bed on the other side. It was simply a door, in its frame with a golden dragon handle. When he opened the door he saw nothing on the other side but more dry lake bed. It wasn’t until he walked through the door that he was suddenly under water, in the same lake he was in before. He would try desperately to swim to the top of the lake when he would feel a pull at his leg. When he looked down to see what was pulling him he found a giant squid with a middle aged man’s face smiling. The squid had it longest tentacle around his leg and in another tentacle held a torch, which somehow managed to stay aflame in the depths of the lake. No matter how hard he would fight the squid, it would pull him in to its beak. When the squid would open it beak, inside he would see a wall of flame and hear thousands upon thousands of screams. Then he woke up. It was always the same.

Phoenix carefully slid the floral pattern comforter off of his legs and silently let his feet to the floor. He walked to the kitchen, admiring the pictures of his wedding and parents that flashed on the digital picture frames in the hall. He put his right thumb to the scanner on the left refrigerator door and covered the speaker above the screen to try to muffle the anticipated greeting.

“PRINT ACCEPTED! HOW CAN I HELP YOU PHOENIX?” the refrigerator yelled through Phoenix’s hand, as a happy little face showed up on the screen below.
“Low volume fridge!” Phoenix whispered to the machine.
“Sorry sir. It’s quite late would you like your usual glass of milk?” the refrigerator whispered.
“Yes I would. Warm it too please.”
“Certainly sir. Should I have the pantry prepare you a cookie?”
“No I don’t think that will be necessary tonight fridge. Thank you.”
“No problem at all sir. Here’s your milk. Do you need anything else?” a steaming glass of milk was produced in the dispensing alcove on the right side of the refrigerator.
“No, that’ll be all for tonight fridge.” Phoenix whispered.
“All right then sir. Have a good night.” the screen went blank and Phoenix removed the glass from the dispensing alcove, being careful not to spill the milk on the gleaming black surface of the refrigerator.

“Baby?” Phoenix heard his wife, Summer, call from their bedroom down the hall. His absence in bed must have woken her up.
“In the kitchen hon.” he called to her. He could hear her footsteps down the hall towards him.
Summer groggily wiped her perfect grey eyes and instinctively called out “lights” when she came to the kitchen. Suddenly the lights above flicked on and the room was washed with bright white light.
“Aw Jeez hon!” Phoenix called out as he shielded his eyes from the light with his free hand.
“Oh sorry babe.” Summer squinted “dim level 2" she called out, and the lights dimmed to a low amber color. “Did you have another nightmare?” she concernedly asked.
“Well I wouldn’t call it another nightmare seeing that it’s always the same nightmare every time.” he remarked with sarcasm.
“You know what I meant.” Summer sighed as she came around the island to Phoenix and tip toed for a kiss. He bent down to kiss her, then resumed sipping on his glass of milk.
“Have you been taking the pills that Dr. Anderson prescribed you?” she asked as she put her thumb to the refrigerator scanner.

“PRINT ACCEPTED! HOW CAN I HELP YOU SUMMER?” the refrigerator yelled, as the face appeared once again on the screen.
“I’ll have what he’s having. And that’ll be it.” Summer said blithely.
“Certainly ma’am! Have a good night!” the refrigerator chimed as another steaming glass of milk was produced in the dispensing alcove, and the screen went blank.

“I don’t like the idea of taking pills to make dreams stop babe, I told you that. I swear these days doctors seem to be so quick to prescribe you something for a problem they know nothing about. Who knows what they’re even prescribing you!” Phoenix plead.
“Yes well honey, you need your sleep. You haven’t been able to focus at work and I know your case load isn’t getting any smaller. Nobody wants a sleepy defense attorney. And you haven’t been the same here at home either. If the pills will help you sleep I think you should take them.” Summer took the glass of milk and leaned against the counter by the pantry.
“What do you mean I haven’t been the same at home?” Phoenix asked as he scratched at the biochip in his arm. He knew exactly what she meant. His temper had gotten shorter and they hadn’t made love in over a month.
“I mean you seem short recently. And I know it’s because you’re not getting good rest. Just please take the pills baby.” She said, trying to word it as softly as she could in her sleepy state.
“I’d really rather not honey.” his face plead to her to say he didn’t have to take the pills, but it was no use, she was focusing on drinking her milk. Not that it would have worked anyway. One of the things Phoenix loved and hated most about his wife was that she was very stubborn when she wanted to be. “But I guess I will.” he sighed as he put his glass in the cup receiver of the dish manager next to the refrigerator.
“Please do baby.” Summer plead as she too relinquished her glass, and walked to Phoenix for another kiss. Phoenix embraced her and kissed her again. “Now come back to bed.” Summer pat his butt and walked back down the hall. Phoenix sighed, called out “Lights Off” and as the lights were dimming to darkness followed Summer to the bedroom.

The next morning as Phoenix was stepping out of the shower, Summer called to him from the closet. “Don’t forget to take those pills darling!”
“I’m doing it right now.” he lied as he wrapped a light green towel around his waist and walked to the sink to begin shaving. He heard the whirr of the closet pulling the garments Summer requested and shook the bottle of pills Dr. Anderson had prescribed when it had finished.
“Good! I want to get some sleep tonight!” she called out again. “And I know how many pills are in that bottle Phoenix so I’ll know if you didn’t really take it!”
Phoenix rolled his eyes and put up his arms in surrender as he opened the pill bottle and dropped a little blue pill into his hand. “Water” he said to the sink, and it began to flow. He took a drink and begrudgingly swallowed the pill