Follow the Hummingbird (The Dream Tamer Chronicles Book 1)

by Elena Carter

  “I will. I can’t do anything right now anyway.” She shrugged.

  “I see you’re frustrated. Don’t be. Just keep listening to your heart. The answers will come.” Alice leaned forward and placed her hand on Tina’s, squeezing it lightly.

  “Hope so.” Tina’s shoulders slumped. “I will see you again, won’t I?”

  “Of course, my dear. Things are much more stable now. You making it here is the main proof.”

  “I’m not that good at it yet.”

  “You’ll get better. You haven’t had much practice. And here.” Alice reached for the big flower pot with a scarlet red geranium in it and broke off a sprout. “Put it in a glass of water. It’ll give roots, and you can plant it in soil later. It’ll work like an anchor. I hope.”

  “Well, doesn’t hurt to try. And I love geraniums. Thank you, Alice.” Tina rubbed the soft green leaves between her fingers.

  “Next time you’ll meet my kiddos.” Alice’s face lit up.

  “I can’t wait.” Tina got up from the swing and hugged Alice tightly. “I’m really happy for you.”

  “Please think about my words, dear. Go back home. Look around. Think. Feel. Notice the little things. Promise?”

  “Promise.” She gave Alice another hug and opened her eyes.

  Sun sneaked into the room through the blinds, and Tina stretched her arms, careful not to break the geranium sprout she held in her hand.

  Tina had invited Kate over, instead of meeting in a cafe, since Natalie had left in the morning to meet Tod. He’d taken a day off, and they wanted to spend it together, talking and trying to work things out.

  Kate had brought cinnamon rolls from the place where they first met, Tina prepared coffee, and they made themselves comfortable in the living room.

  “Before I forget,” Kate said, reaching into her purse, “here’s your amulet. And that’s exactly the way I see it now—as an amulet. Just not for me.” She smiled as she handed the necklace to Tina.

  “Thank you, Kate. Sorry it didn’t work. I wanted to help.” Tina put the pendant on her neck and tucked it under the shirt.

  “I know. And I really appreciate it. I hope I was able to help, too, by giving you that message.” She shook her head. “I don’t know how to explain it. I felt the necklace definitely had some power in it. But the power wasn’t meant for me. I knew this wasn’t my way. Next step is to figure out what exactly is my way.”

  “It’s not easy, I know. Had it made any difference? Were you at any point able to—”

  “See Bob? No.” Kate bit her lip. “But you know what, Tina? It’s okay.”

  “Really?” Tina blurted, regretting it straight away. She winced.

  “I’m thinking if it’s meant to be, it’ll happen. Besides, you showed me it’s possible in principle. That’s already something. Actually, it’s a lot. I think that hope nowadays is very underrated, and you gave me hope. But I can’t keep banging on the closed door when there’s an open one right next to it.” Kate put her hand on her heart. “Bob reminded me of my dream through you. He made it possible for me, too. It would be such a waste if I concentrated on something that is not possible at the moment, when there’s something I can do that will make me happy.”

  Tina nodded. “You’re right.”

  “I loved the text you wrote. You know, this is how I see it: a hummingbird is your guide, you are my guide, and I want to be someone else’s guide. I want to change lives. Maybe at some point it will lead me to another open door, or maybe the one that is now closed will open for me. But in the meantime, I will be doing something.” Kate shrugged.

  “Kate, you should be a motivational speaker. It sounds so exciting, it makes me want to jump up and start doing things too.” Tina laughed.

  “It’s either me or the strong coffee you made, which was absolutely fantastic. Can you teach me?”

  “Of course. Not sure it’s going to change your life, but I’ll be honored to make an input.” Tina grinned and leaned back on the cushions.

  “You have done so much for me, Tina. I know how hard it must have been. I imagined myself in a similar situation, and I wouldn’t have known how to approach someone and tell them what you told me. It takes a lot of courage. I’m very grateful and happy to have you in my life as a friend.”

  “I’m happy too. And I am genuinely excited about the art center. I want to help you make your dream come true.”

  “I had some ideas about the website I wanted to discuss with you. A friend of mine is a psychologist specializing in art therapy, and she gave me some suggestions. I wanted to see how we can use them in our website.”

  “That’s great. Let’s take a look.”

  As Kate was taking her computer out of the bag, Tina reached for the necklace and looked at it once again. She ran her fingers along the smooth surface of the glass, squeezed it tightly in her fist for a moment, and then hid it under her shirt again.

  If it’s meant only for me, then I will never take it off, she thought.

  After Kate left, Tina spent some time writing down ideas for the website and doing some research on art therapy. Then she did some work on the article Mike had asked her to write. She didn’t even notice how the day passed.

  Tired, but satisfied with her productivity, she shut the laptop and texted Mike that she’d finish the article next morning. It was almost done, but she couldn’t come up with an ending she liked, so she decided to give it some time and to rest.

  Since Natalie was still out, Tina texted her too, asking if everything was okay. It didn’t take long for Natalie to reply.

  Natalie: Don’t wait up! I’ll probably be back late.

  Relief washed over Tina. It seemed like they were getting somewhere. Maybe they would even spend the night together.

  Tina: That’s great news, sis. Let me know if you’re not coming back so I don’t worry. Love you lots.

  She didn’t feel like cooking dinner or even ordering for just herself, so she fixed a quick sandwich, poured a glass of wine, and tried to find something interesting to watch on Netflix.

  She found it hard to focus on anything, though. Her thoughts kept circling back to Kate’s words about closed and opened doors and about her being okay with not seeing Bob in her dreams.

  I do understand what she’s saying, Tina thought. But I’m not like that. I can’t be. She says it because she hasn’t had the chance to see him. To talk to him. To hold his hand.

  Tina’s eyes welled up with tears.

  That’s why she doesn’t understand. I know she loves him and misses him, but she wasn’t SHOWN it’s possible like I was. There is no way back for me now. I want to be with Greg. I need him. I miss him so much.

  Tears streamed down her cheeks.

  Time doesn’t heal anything. That’s the biggest lie. This pain will always be with me.

  She put the unfinished sandwich aside, finished the rest of the wine with one big gulp, and curled up on the sofa, pulling her knees up to her chin.

  Crying it out was a relief, although a temporary one. She needed it. And she was glad Natalie wasn’t there.

  “I’ll do it. I’ll find a way,” she murmured. She raised her hand to the cold glass of the necklace. She closed her eyes and rubbed it between her fingers. Her breath steadied, and her eyelids grew heavy. In a few minutes, she drifted off.

  Tina stood on a sidewalk paved with stones of different colors. It felt like a warm summer evening, and the air smelled of strawberry and caramel. She looked around. It was early evening; the sun had set, but the sky wasn’t completely dark yet. The street was illuminated by street lights, the warm orange spheres making a beautiful contrast against the dark blue velvet of the sky.

  On both sides of the road were somewhat similar small houses with red tile roofs topping pristine white walls. The only difference was in the windows—they were of the most unusual shapes and sizes, all made of stained glass. Some of the bigger ones looked like actual paintings, depicting a landscape or a still life, while som
e were made in an abstract style, and others looked like a bright and colorful mosaic.

  Each house was surrounded by a perfect vibrantly green lawn, with rose bushes along the paths leading to the front doors.

  A gust of warm wind blew in her face, bringing with it the melodic tinkling of wind chimes from the porches of several houses.

  She took a deep breath of strawberry air and smiled. She couldn’t wait to explore that fascinating place.

  Tina started walking along the empty, paved path, looking around and admiring the fairy-tale-looking surroundings.

  All the windows were lit from the inside. Tina imagined their inhabitants were probably gathered around their tables for family dinner or sitting in cozy armchairs with a book in their hands.

  Looks like they don’t go outside much this time of day. I wonder why, Tina thought. Well, it works for me. I’d love to explore this place on my own.

  However, by the time she made it to the end of the street and stopped, wondering which way to go, she had company.

  A tiny hummingbird with a purple throat appeared from nowhere, hovering in front of her face.

  “Oh, hello. I’m happy to see you.” Tina’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Are you going to show me the way? Or keep me company?”

  The bird flew off, and Tina followed. They turned right at the corner, and Tina noticed the scenery was pretty much the same. Houses with stained glass windows, colored stones at her feet, roses everywhere, and the scent of strawberry in the air.

  “What a beautiful place,” Tina said. She knew the bird wasn’t likely to respond, but she felt like having a conversation with her.

  “These houses are amazing. I wish I could see what’s inside. Or at least peek into one of the backyards.”

  As if reacting to her words, the hummingbird made another turn, leading her to one of the houses.

  “Oh, wow. Are we really going to? I don’t know, I’m a bit scared,” Tina whispered.

  The bird led her on the path around the house, not to the front door. In the backyard was a large garden with fruit trees and different bushes along the perimeter and a lawn in the middle. In the center of the lawn stood a beautiful white gazebo, quite big and covered with climbing roses. The hummingbird circled the gazebo, then hovered in front of the entrance.

  Tina walked closer. Inside the gazebo, there was a round table covered with at least a hundred lit candles. The benches around the table were decorated with soft cushions with a floral print and tassels on the corners. The beauty of the scene took Tina’s breath away.

  She stepped into the gazebo and looked around. The roof and walls were covered with blooming roses, and their sweet scent was mixing with strawberry and caramel. It was almost dizzying.

  Tina approached the table. She saw two tall glasses filled with light-red liquid and decorated by mint leaves and large strawberries on the rim of each glass.

  She noticed the hummingbird wasn’t there anymore. As she was about to turn around and look for it, someone wrapped their arms around her from behind, and a warm breath skimmed the back of her neck.

  “Hi, honey,” he whispered into her hair, pulling her closer, and Tina’s heart stopped for a moment.

  “Greg?” She put her hands on his arms, not able to turn around because he held her tightly. “Greg. Finally! I’ve missed you so much.”

  He let her go, and she spun, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face against his chest. He also smelled of strawberry and caramel. The sweetness of the scent mixed with the salt of the tears on her lips.

  “It’s okay, baby. Don’t cry. I’m here. I’m so happy to see you,” Greg whispered while stroking her hair.

  Tina pulled back. “Let me look at you. I can’t believe I finally found you. Or you found me.”

  “We found each other.” Greg ran his thumb over her cheekbone. “I was trying to see you before, but it didn’t work. I could see you sometimes, and I know about some of your travels, but I wasn’t allowed close to you for a while.”

  “But why?” Tina exclaimed.

  “It’s complicated, and I’m not sure I completely understand it. Sometimes the worlds are more open and welcoming. And sometimes our actions upset the balance, and it takes time for this turbulence to stabilize.” He shrugged. “I have a feeling that when I invited you here and traveled around with you, then asked you to convey the information to Kate—who wasn’t invited and wasn’t even meant to know about any of this—it disturbed the Universal balance.”

  “But it’s okay now, right?” Tina’s eyes widened.

  “I don’t know. At least, I’m able to see you in this beautiful place, my love. Isn’t that what matters right now?” He smiled and kissed her nose.

  Tina laughed. “It is, honey. It sure is.”

  Greg turned her around and pointed at the table. “Would you like some freshly squeezed strawberry juice? I really prepared for our date.”

  “I was wondering what it was. And if it was for me,” Tina said. “Everything here smells of strawberry, it’s amazing.”

  “It’s a really nice place. One of my favorites. I was sure you’d love it.” He squeezed her shoulders lightly.

  “I do. It’s stunning. Where is everyone, though?” she asked. “Do they all stay inside?”

  “Well … there isn’t anyone here yet.”

  “What do you mean?” The thought of an empty uninhabited town sent shivers down her spine.

  “It’s a newly born world.” Greg shrugged.

  “A what?” Tina’s eyes widened.

  “There are infinite worlds out there, and from time to time, new ones appear. Maybe because someone wanted them to appear, maybe for some other reason. But similar to our world, where people are born and die, so do the worlds. At a very different pace, and for completely different reasons, of course. Some are eternal. Some exist for millions of years. And some don’t.”

  “I heard about it from Alice. Wow … So this one was recently created? And there’s no one here? When will they … arrive? Appear? Materialize? How does it even work?”

  “I have no idea.” Greg laughed. “Sorry, darling, I don’t know all the secrets of the Universe yet. I don’t even know if they will appear. I mean, many worlds are uninhabited. Maybe this will be one of them. Or maybe it will be used like a transit point for traveling souls—somewhere to have a break or as a perfect location for a romantic date.” He pointed at the candles.

  “Sounds like a big free hotel, only instead of rooms you get a whole house.” Tina chuckled. “But why does it have to be temporary?”

  “What do you mean, honey?” Greg wrinkled his forehead.

  “Why can’t we stay here forever? We wouldn’t even have to create anything. It’s been created for us.” Tina turned around to face him and squeezed his hand.

  “Create what? I’m not sure I understand.”

  “A world where we can live together. It’s possible, I know! Alice has moved to a new world where she gets to be with her unborn children,” Tina explained. “She made a whole new world. And she moved there completely, you know, physically.” For the first time, talking about it didn’t make Tina cry. On the contrary, she was getting more and more excited.

  A shadow ran across Greg’s face. He waited for a moment, as if searching for the right words, furrowing his eyebrows.

  “Are you telling me you want to leave your world?” he finally said.

  “Yes, honey. I do. To be with you.” Tina squeezed his hand tighter.

  “Babe … I’m not sure you understand.”

  “Understand what?” Tina wasn’t sure where exactly this was going, but she knew she didn’t like it.

  He sighed. “This is serious. This is your life!”

  “Exactly! The life I want to spend with you.”

  “Tina …” Tears glistened in Greg’s eyes.

  “Yes, honey. Tina, your wife. Tina, who loves you. Tina, who can’t live without you.” She let go of his hand. “Why do I get the feeling we don’
t want the same thing?”

  Greg rubbed his chin.

  “You don’t want me?” Tina pulled back.

  “Baby, don’t say that, please.”

  “Then tell me. Tell me why you are reserved. Because if you don’t explain, I’ll feel that you don’t love me anymore.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest.

  “I will always love you. And I’m thinking about you in the first place. You, Tina! Your happiness. I want you to live a long and happy life. And it breaks my heart to see you suffer.” He put both hands on her shoulders.

  Tina didn’t know what to say. A lump formed in her throat.

  “Tina, you have your whole life ahead of you. You don’t need to die with me.” Greg squeezed her shoulders.

  “I wish I had died with you,” Tina cried.

  “No. Honey, I am sorry it all happened that way, but it doesn’t mean your life is over.”

  Tina shook her head fiercely. For a moment, she was back at the cemetery on the day of the funeral. She couldn’t breathe, and her heart was about to explode from pain.

  Greg pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her.

  “Stop it, baby. Breathe. Please, breathe,” he kept saying as he stroked her hair.

  After a few minutes, the sharp pain in Tina’s chest eased off, giving place to the familiar feeling of emptiness. Her breathing steadied. She freed herself from Greg’s embrace, wiped her tears, and looked at him.

  “Greg, my life was over the moment I got that phone call from the hospital. I am barely existing now. And I was recently shown I can change it. Are you telling me it’s not possible?”

  “What I’m trying to tell you is that it is possible and you should change it to live fully. I want you to be happy. We’re just talking about different means.” Greg rubbed his forehead, cringing.

  “Is it possible for me to leave my world and be with you in one of these worlds? Maybe this one? Or even create one of ours, together? Isn’t our love enough to build something like that?” She reached out and grabbed his wrists.