Emily is the fun, spontaneous one, whereas I tend to be more cautious and level-headed. Our differences probably kept us from getting into too much trouble in high school (for the most part), but it was a balancing act. She brought me out of my own head and I reined her in when her antics got a bit too crazy. Although our personalities were different, it somehow made for a perfect friendship. I smiled to myself as I recalled some of the crazy things she and I did in high school.
I dried off and wrapped myself in my favorite hot pink terry robe. I made my way to the kitchen and grabbed a quick breakfast, and finally surveyed my surroundings for the first time since waking up. I couldn’t believe how messy I had allowed my apartment to become. Being so busy at work was making it difficult to keep things as neat and organized as I liked. I began gathering things and tidying up. I headed to the kitchen and put the kettle on to make tea, then went to check the dryer for clean clothes. Just then, a sudden excitement came over me, and my heart began pounding furiously in my chest. I had this inexplicable sense of euphoria, like he was sitting right next to me. It was the same sense of overwhelming joy I felt when I dreamt of him. All I could do was smile, not understanding what brought on this inexplicable feeling. I wondered if maybe Damien was experiencing an intense excitement over something in his life, and I was feeling it as well, but as quickly as the feeling came, it vanished. My heart slowed down to its normal rhythm and I was left in a state of melancholy, resuming my mundane household tasks.
***
As I was getting ready to leave and pick up Emily, I tried to shake the strange sadness that came over me after the “episode” in the laundry room. I had to put myself in a better mood, and quickly. I didn’t want to ruin my afternoon with Emily, and I vowed not to speak one word about Damien, or the dreams. Not today. Today was going to be fun and I was determined to have light-hearted girl time without any drama.
I slipped on a pair of skinny jeans, my favorite black v-neck sweater and a pair of silver ballet flats before sending Emily a text letting her know I was heading over to her place. She sent a text back almost immediately with a, “Sweet. So excited for H.H. later!”
Emily had a work Christmas party to attend, and her company was holding the event in a fancy hotel this year, as opposed to having it at their CEO’s residence like they did in years’ past. The attire was formal, and Emily absolutely hated getting dressed up, so it was my mission to help her find the perfect dress (because if left to her own devices, she would throw on a maxi skirt with a tank top, accessorize with an overabundance of bohemian-looking jewelry, and call it a day).
I pulled up to her building and saw that Emily was already outside locking the front door, her brightly colored scarf swaying with the breeze. She hurried down the stairs and into the car, her beaded bracelets jangling merrily as she buckled herself in.
“Someone’s excited to get things started,” I said giving her a hug.
“God, I just hope I find the dress I need at the first store so we can just spend the rest of the day drinking mojitos and eating chips and salsa,” Emily replied.
I laughed. Emily always had a way of putting me in a good mood. “Well lady, I am not leaving that mall until you have the perfect dress, so put your big girl panties on and suck it up.”
“Yeah, yeah… I trust you’ll find me the right outfit, and quickly before I swoon in the middle of the mall, embarrassing you in front of a large crowd,” she retaliated.
“You wouldn’t dare.” I laughed aloud, picturing her doing exactly that.
“So what’s new, Maddie?” Emily asked me.
“Nothing much. Just super busy at work. I got assigned a new, much bigger project, and that has me staying late almost every night at the office, but other than that, not much is new. How about you?” I carefully avoided mentioning anything about the dreams. I wanted Emily to take the wheel, so to speak. I had already burdened her too many times with my concerns over these crazy dreams.
“Oh you know, drama as always. You remember Karen from work right? You won’t believe what she said…” Emily began ranting about her co-workers, which suited me just fine. I smiled and listened intently while I drove, trying desperately to grasp every word she said; pushing Damien into the corners of my mind. I must have zoned out a few Karen’s back, and was now focused on finding a parking spot in the mall’s parking garage, when Emily caught me off guard asking, “So are you still having dreams about your celebrity crush?”
I stiffened momentarily before shooting an icy glare her way. “He is not a celebrity crush. I don’t even remember the last time I watched a movie he was in, or the last time I even saw him on the news. It’s not like I’m some desperate little teenage girl following his life or anything.” I snapped.
“Geez! Sorry, I was only asking,” Emily replied.
I immediately regretted my reaction. “No, I’m sorry for snapping. Thanks for asking about it, though. There’s nothing to report on the matter, so let’s just have a good time,” I said, smiling at her.
“Yes, let’s. You pick the first store,” Emily conceded. Luckily, Emily wasn’t in the mood to push the subject.
***
Much to Emily’s dismay, we did not find the right dress at the first store, or even the second one. However, by the third store, we had a contender. We were also toting a much needed cup of coffee in our hands.
“Okay Em, I have a feeling we are going to find your dress in this store for sure, and if not, the last dress you tried on was beautiful. You just have to get over the large side-slit. It’s super sexy and you have the legs to pull it off,” I told her.
“Ugh! I am so tired of having to get undressed and redressed. Please let this be the last place we walk into,” Emily was clearly reaching her limit, and she would have probably swooned by now if I hadn’t suggested we get coffee to perk us up.
“I promise. Last store.”
Emily tried on a gorgeous emerald green halter gown that perfectly complemented her auburn curls. It was a mermaid style dress, which accentuated her figure in all the right places. I absolutely adored the dress, but she felt it was too fitted and said the halter strap pressing on the nape of her neck was already giving her a headache, and there was no way she could endure such a dress for an entire evening. So, we went back and got the sexy strappy number with the high slit. It was a lovely shade of cobalt blue, which also did wonders for her complexion.
At a quarter to four, we were finally leaving the mall and heading to our favorite cantina, ready for our much-needed cocktails. Emily turned abruptly toward me in the car. I could see her in my periphery, just staring at me. I knew something was on her mind.
“Yes?” I asked, smirking. I decided to play along…
“Maddie, I worry about you sometimes.”
“Really? How so?” I replied with mock concern.
“Well, you’re so work-obsessed these days that I barely see you, and you have no interest in dating at all any more. I mean, when was the last time you went on a date? I see how guys look at you when we’re out, and you have no interest whatsoever. Why? Don’t you want to find someone to love someday?”
Oh man. I didn’t see that coming. “Is this conversation really happening? I don’t want to talk about my love life, or lack thereof, and why does it matter anyway? I’m currently too busy to date, and my last few relationships, as you are well aware, had disastrous results. The end.” I explained.
“Alright. We don’t have to talk about it. I care about you Madelyn, that’s all. You’re my best friend, and lately you’ve been very closed off and not acting like your usual self. I guess I just wanted you to know that I am here for you if you ever need to talk, okay?”
“I know I can count on you if I need anything. Thanks, Em.” I said, letting the conversation stop there. I wasn’t going to fight with her about it. I smiled inwardly, however, thinking what a wonderful human being Emily was. Her heart was in a good place. As it always was.
***
We
walked into the restaurant and immediately claimed two seats at the bar. Emily and I enjoyed our mojitos and appetizers without any mention of our previous conversation in the car. We laughed, we talked, and we enjoyed each other’s company. I realized that this was exactly what I needed - a break from the pressures at work and the constant thoughts about Damien. In fact, I hadn’t thought of him or the dreams since we arrived at the restaurant.
I stood up and excused myself to go to the restroom when an unexpected dizziness came over me, causing me to grip the back of the stool for support. My vision grew fuzzy and suddenly I began seeing strange glimpses of a dimly lit room filled with soft billowing fabrics; the pungent smell of incense overwhelming all my other senses. Then, just as abruptly as it began, the dizziness and strange vision vanished, making me almost believe it was a figment of my imagination.
“Are you alright, Maddie?” Emily asked, placing her hand on mine.
“I think so. I don’t know what happened. I got dizzy all of a sudden. That was strange,” I said, laughing it off. I didn’t divulge anything else however. “I have to use the restroom. I’ll be right back.”
I quickly walked to the bathroom and into the largest stall, closing the door behind me. I began dabbing water on my wrists and the back of my neck. I felt flushed, but no longer dizzy. What just happened to me? It felt something like a dream, but I was fully awake. It was almost as if I had been transported someplace else; like my body had been in the restaurant, but my conscious mind had been summoned to another place entirely. “Visions” was the only word I could think to describe what had happened, although I was reluctant to think it. I definitely didn’t want to add hallucinatory illusions to the list of psychotic issues I was having. I was suddenly reminded of the way it feels when I enter that crazy dream realm, and I couldn’t help wondering if Damien had been there in that room with the incense and silks. But, the glimpse had faded so quickly, that it was difficult to know exactly who or what was there.
I made my way back to the bar and quickly sucked down the rest of my mojito. If I was going to enjoy the rest of this evening, I would have to try and put this strange occurrence out of my mind for the time being.
“Careful now, if you continue sucking down mojitos at that speed, you’ll be falling off that barstool next. Let’s not relive that night at O’Halligans when we were in college,” Emily joked.
“Very funny. You know all too well it was your fault I fell off that table - you were the one who forced me get up there and sing in the first place. And for the record, I did not get dizzy off that first mojito,” I said smiling at her.
We ordered another round of drinks and more chips and salsa. The conversation turned more lively the tipsier we became. The bartender came over to check on us, and when I looked up at him, his face suddenly shifted and became Damien’s face. I blinked furiously, trying to clear the image, but then all of my surroundings shifted and I was once again in the darkened room full of silks and incense. I shut my eyes tightly once more, willing myself back to the present, but when I opened my eyes, Damien’s face was inches from my own.
“Oh!” I gasped. “Was I asleep? How long have we been here?” I asked, my voice sounding peculiar to my own ears.
“Not long,” he answered. “I’ve only just arrived myself, and noticed you here.”
“But that’s never happened before…” I whispered.
I was once again in this crazy dream realm. Except this time, I wasn’t sleeping.
Just like before, as quickly as the vision began, it simply disappeared. I was once again, sitting at the bar with Emily. Nothing was amiss, however. She and the bartender were chatting, and neither of them seemed to notice anything. I took out my phone to check the time. I needed to go. Something strange was happening and I wanted to be in the comfort and safety of my little apartment before anything else happened.
“Well, shall we get our check and go?” I asked Emily.
She looked at me with a startled expression on her face. “What, you’re ready to go? It’s only 7 pm,” she exclaimed.
“Yes, I realize that, but I have to work in the morning and I still have to finish up some things at home,” I explained. “Em, I know you can stay out all night and still be up early the next morning without a problem, but…”
“You don’t function that way, I know. Alright then, let’s get the check,” Emily conceded with a sigh. I signaled to our bartender and he came right over. We paid our tab and I quickly stashed my phone in my purse and stood up. As soon as I pushed in my stool, I felt like the wind got knocked out of me; as if my body had been hurled into a brick wall. I was gasping for breath, clutching the counter for support.
The car: it was mangled… twisted around a tree. Police sirens blared in the background, their sound getting closer by the second.
“I—I’m… He’s hurt!” I could feel hot tears streaming down my face. “He’s hurt! Please, you have to help him!” I kept screaming over and over again. I couldn’t control the tears and my breaths were coming in short, shallow gasps.
“Who is hurt, Madelyn? What are you talking about?” Emily asked frantically, grabbing onto both my arms.
“Should I call 911?” a male voice asked. I couldn’t tell if it was our bartender or if the voice belonged to another restaurant patron.
“Damien! Please, please… help him.” My words came out strangled and then my knees gave out and everything went black.
***
When I finally came to, I felt nauseous and confused. I was sitting in the passenger seat of my car. I let out an involuntary moan as I adjusted my eyes to my surroundings and saw Emily behind the wheel.
“Oh thank goodness!” I heard Emily’s voice, but it sounded like she was in a tunnel. “Are you okay? I’ve been so worried! You passed out as we were leaving the restaurant and I didn’t know what to do. The bartender wanted to call 911, but I knew you’d be mad since you were all crazy and shouting Damien Pierce’s name. So, I told him and everyone around us that you just had too much to drink and that I was going to take you home. But I don’t know if I made the right decision, Maddie. Should I take you to the hospital? Do you feel sick? Are you having any weird tingling sensations? What should I do?!”
“No. No hospital. I think I’m okay,” I told her, my voice still not sounding like my own.
“It was like you were having some sort of seizure. Maybe we ought to go to the ER,” she said.
“Relax, Em. I’m feeling a lot better now, but…” I faltered. How would I explain the bizarre vision of Damien Pierce, celebrity heartthrob extraordinaire, in a car accident?
“But what? Seriously, Madelyn, that was the freakiest thing I’ve ever experienced. You were shouting and gurgling and you kept saying something about helping Damien. How far has this obsession with him gotten? What aren’t you telling me?” Emily demanded. I noticed her grip tighten on the steering wheel.
“God… ” I placed my head in my hands. I couldn’t manage to say much else. What was I supposed to tell her? That my dreams were now becoming strange visions where I felt as though I was being transported to another place entirely? And now, I felt like I had witnessed Damien Pierce in an actual car accident! This couldn’t be real. I had to be on the verge of some kind of mental breakdown. I looked down at my hands, which were trembling slightly. I felt fine, otherwise. A bit drained, but fine. I folded my arms across my chest to hide my trembling hands.
“Emily, I swear I don’t know what the heck is going on with me. Yes, the dreams about Damien are continuing, and now I seem to be getting these weird glimpses while I’m awake. I think he may have been in an accident.” Saying the words aloud made it sound even crazier than I had imagined. Emily stayed silent for quite some time, pretending to focus on the road. Meanwhile, I couldn’t stop replaying what had happened at the restaurant. One minute, we were paying our tab, and the next minute, flashing images of a sleek black sports car swerving out of control and hitting a tree flooded my mind. I saw Dami
en’s body in a crumpled heap inside the twisted-up vehicle, and that’s when I sank to the floor.
“Maybe tomorrow you should make an appointment with a doctor? I’ll go with you to whatever appointments you make. We’ll figure out what’s going on with you,” Emily said, finally breaking the silence.
“You’re probably right,” I agreed. “I should make an appointment.” I didn’t have the energy to say much more. All I wanted to do was get home and go straight to bed and pretend like this whole evening never happened.
Emily helped me into my apartment and deposited me onto my sofa, refusing to leave until I got up and threatened her with physical force to get out. She finally conceded and left with a promise to call me first thing in the morning. I kissed her cheek and reassured her that all would be fine. As soon as I locked the door behind me, I went straight to my bedroom and fell onto the bed, not even bothering to turn down the coverlet.
That night was the first night in weeks that I experienced dreamless sleep.
***
I rolled over and opened my eyes, noticing it was still dark outside. I peeked at my alarm clock: 3:15 am. It was far too early to get up, but I was no longer sleepy. I decided to turn on the television in hopes of it lulling me back to sleep. I was mindlessly flipping through the channels, when I came upon a news station recapping last night’s breaking news. I caught the tail end of the report:
“Damien Pierce’s agent, Nick Kagen, tells us that Pierce is going to make a full recovery. He could not give any information as to when Pierce will be released from the hospital, nor would he tell us what caused Pierce’s accident. Some speculate that alcohol may have been involved… ”
I felt my vision tunneling and my whole body went cold. I had been right. My premonition of Damien being in a car accident had actually happened. I was sweating and shivering at the same time, and I quickly made my way into the bathroom. I sat on the cold tile, trying to make sense of it all. Something was definitely wrong with me. What the hell kind of weird connection did I have with this actor? And why?
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