Copyright Dale Rogerson
The sleep-thief pauses at Becca Johnson’s door, sensing she’s staring into the darkness, believing every breath her last. Across the corridor, the retired schoolteacher will be fretting, anticipating a long-deserved police visit, while in the adjacent room Ellen Ross is praying for a soldier grandson missing in action.
A profitable night in prospect.
Later, the sleep-thief pauses at Reception, opening its swag-bag of somnolence to lighten the load a little, and the already drowsy night-nurse slumps, her lighted cigarette dropping into the wastebin.
The sleep-thief shrugs, before strolling off towards the dawn.
It’s not like the old folks are asleep, is it?
A cheery little tale for the insomniacs amongst us. 🙂 Friday Fictioneers, so named because we meet on Wednesdays, is on the road once again, with Rochelle Wisoff-Fields directing the traffic from her purple bandwagon. Thank you, officer.
castelsarrasin 
What a captivating noir fairy-tale! The delicate inking-in of the stories behind each door was masterly. And the blaze beyond the end of the story extended out past your 100 words
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Thanks Neil. Glad you liked it.
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Ooooh I love the concept of a sleep-thief!! Superbly done 🙂
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I’m intimately acquainted with this character. This story was born in the wee small hours of this morning, and fitted the prompt. 😦
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Wow. A charming and fascinating tale. Very enjoyable. I’ve already read it a few times.
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Thanks Graham, I appreciate that.
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As a fellow insomniac this would have made me laugh if I wasn’t too tired to do so!
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The only good thing about a sleepless night, is that the chances are it won’t immediately be repeated the next night. Or will it… ?
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Dear Sandra,
I had a visit from that wretch. I love the concept and you wrote it beautifully. I suspect what happens next isn’t pretty.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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A regular visitor at my place, I’m afraid. But with happier outcomes normally. Thanks, Rochelle.
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A lovely night time story, just perfectly crafted.
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Thank you Michael. 🙂
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The sandman’s evil stepmother! Nicely told.
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Thank you!
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An excellent story, I would love to know more about the sleep-thief – what do they do with the sleep they steal? The beginnings of a dark fairytale. Well done.
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I think the sleep-thief mixes his swag with a little bit of something else, before sending it back in the form of nightmares… oh here I go again… 😦
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Love the idea of this. Of course the old don’t sleep so will escape the flames. Nice of the sleep-thief to care and think ahead. Wonderfully evocative.
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He’s all heart… 😉 Long time no see, Sarah Ann.
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Love the sense in this… I think my story took the perspective of being subject to the evil ghost of insomnia… wonder if there will be anyone left with the cigarette in the waste bin.
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Probably not. But that’s life… 😉
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Wow.. Loved this take on the prompt.
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Thank you!
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There is a sleepy feel to this story which belies the thief. One of your best, Sandra.
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Thanks Alicia, I appreciate that.
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Woooooow! Sinister, sinister, sinister. Irony is SO good. Love it!
Five out of five grains of sleep thief swag bag sand.
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Thanks Kent! 🙂
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Oh Sandra, thank you for explaining who it is that keeps snatching my Zs. I hate when my normal sleep time is shortened because I know it is gone forever. I agree with Neil that your story was woven with masterly care!
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Thanks Joe, glad you liked it.
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Splendid. It’s like an anti-thesis of Neil Gaiman’s Morpheus. You should write further adventures Dream Thief.
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Thanks for reading, Tamal.
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Nice one. The sleep thief visited my room last night….managed a few winks and that was about all.
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He must have gone directly to you after he’d been to mine. ‘)
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An intriguing story Sandra.
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Thank you!
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That wretched fellow (because no woman would do such a thing) keeps hanging around my door as well. Lovely take!
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He gets around, for sure.
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So that’s the son of a gun who wakes me up far too early in the morning.
I agree with Tamal. The concept is worthy of being expanded and I’m jealous I didn’t think of it myself. 😉
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Thanks James, glad you liked it.
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I have found the way to combat the sleep-thief is just to accept you are not going to sleep that night. She is less powerful then! A great story with so much that could be explored.
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Yes, when I had a demanding job, I couldn’t see it that way, but now I just shrug, get out a book or my tab and get on with whatever.
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Great idea, superbly executed. See you next week.
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Thanks Paul.
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Each little snapshot heartbreaking in its own way. And we’ve all been there from time to time, a victim of the sleep thief. Written with your usual deft touch, Sandra
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Thanks Lynn, glad you liked it.
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My pleasure 🙂
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Quite imagination with lots of detail. Well done.
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Thank you, Kecia.
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Well done. I think we’ve all made acquaintance with this wretch.
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On many occasions, I think. Thanks for reading.
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Last week I officially ran out of superlatives for your writing.
This week surpasses all.
Brilliant concept, superb vignettes, masterly finish.
I have never read a better 100-word story anywhere, ever.
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Aww thanks CE. You know how I appreciate your comments.
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Wonderfully clever and haunting. Might I add that I’m not sure I can sleep now–– worrying about the night nurse’s lit cigarette in that bin. Damn you.
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If I can help somebody…. tra la la! 🙂
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Wonderful concept. I like the sleep-thief’s shrug, tells us a lot about its character.
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A sanguine soul. 🙂
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So, there is a sleep thief after all and I blamed the Menopause fairy. Now I have to apologize to her 🙂
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I think the Menopause Fairy just helps out from time to time…
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A masterful weaving of the individual stories. Very creative.
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Thank you!
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Great writing. The sleep thief keeps company with the “self doubt” witch at my house.
Sweet dreams Sandra,
Tracey
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And at my place they’re both accompanied by the “I wish I hadn’t said that” fairy. Sleep well Tracey.
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Love it. Eerie and mysterious. So much in so few words. Great work!
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Thank you Sascha!
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this reminds me of a co-worker who could sleep in the wee hours of the morning while standing up. he would go to a corner with a tape cartridge in one hand and fall asleep like a log. if you didn’t know him you’d think he was a statue waiting to be picked up.
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Lucky guy!
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I was always the child that would sneak to the living room TV to watch the creepy late night flick. I remember watching ‘Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte’. I was 6(?)
Couldn’t sleep for a month after that.
Thanks for reminding me how much I love the scary stuff. 🙂
– Lisa
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Thanks for reading Lisa.
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oh,my that was wonderful!! Evocative, and just a tinge of evil 🙂
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Just a tinge…? Must try harder. 🙂
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I will read it next week to see 😉
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So clever – and that ending was a tad nasty!
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Most of my endings are. 🙂
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This is so original …and creepy. I can just see that sleep-thief sliding, smoke-like through keyholes and gaps in curtains. You are such a clever storyteller.
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Thanks Sara. There has to be some compensation for all those sleepless nights. 🙂
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“opening its swag-bag of somnolence” I love that.
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The only time the sleep-thief keeps me awake is when there’s a story brewing between my ears or I have taken a laxative and am afraid to fart. That’s the worst.
Your post today is my all-time favorite so far and will stick with me for a long time. Your writing is so smooth and graceful it just sweeps the reader along. You make it look so easy, when we all know it’s not.
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Thanks, Russell, that is what I was trying to say.
Oh, not the bit about the post-laxative fart, I never mention stuff like that.
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Thanks CE, always good to have another perspective on the post-laxative fart though. 😦
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I appreciate your comments Russell, the ones about the writing. The other… well I may just have to go and bleach my mind’s eye. Thanks for reading. 🙂
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Bleach my mind’s eye! I love it.
The rest of my comment was serious, I agree with Russell’s comments on your story this week, it is superlative.
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I’ve been gone so long I forgot how much I laugh (or cringe) at your comments, Russell!
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Don’t hold it in, Jan.
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Great story! I’ve known for some time that there must be a sleep-thief; I just never caught him in action! Is it wrong that I loved the ending to your story? 😮
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No, it’s perfectly all right. 🙂 And it’s been lovely having you around this week.
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Wow, this is wonderful and creeps me out. The description of the residents alone is great, but the concept of the sleep thief and what goes on after the theft just blows me away.
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Thank you – I’m glad you liked it. Sorry about the creepiness though. 😉
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It’s a good creepiness. 😀
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Ooooo creepy! A great tale well told. Hope i sleep tonight
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Well I had another visit last night, so I’m hoping tonight I will too. 😦 Thanks for reading Laurie.
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I will have to tell my insomniac hubby about the sleep thief. : )
A tale many can relate to and would find humor in your door by door descriptions.
I enjoyed this very much, Sandra. Have a lovely weekend.
Isadora 😎
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The concept of the sleep thief is fantastic and I love the way having stolen the sleep, he then uses it elsewhere, to mischievous effect in this instance but, I like the idea he could deprive those not deserving of it and, Robin Hood like, give it to the just.
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The sleep thief is a rather frequent visitor at my place too 🙂
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Whoa! We were on the same wavelength, Sandra. The sleep thief visited me two nights in a row this week.
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Nope..no sleep here!
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What a nasty imp. He’s made things a lot worse. Great writing, Sandra. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Dark and brilliant, Sandra. I loved it
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