by Lauren Eason
“I guess that would be worth a shot...” I grumbled as I pulled the car into the garage. “Great, Mom’s still home.”
“I figured she would be,” Jess stated. “She’s probably been waiting up for us.”
“Uh...as much as I’d like to stay up with you two and drink some herbal tea, I think I’ll bow out of this night watch,” Raven declared. “Your mother probably has some things to talk about privately with you two.”
“I’ll take you home—”
“I’ll catch the bus,” Raven cut me off, stepping out of the car. “The station is right at the end of the street. I’ll be fine.”
“Raven...” I protested.
She held up her hand. “I have my handy-dandy pepper spray with me. I’ll run. Just do what you need to do with your mother.”
I sighed, allowing her to leave as she braved the dark streets alone. I wondered if I would ever be as fearless as she was. Jess waited for me on the top step as she pressed the garage button to close the door. I followed her as we stepped inside the house, the grocery bag in my grasp.
Our mother was sitting in the living room with the lamps on, watching the news. As soon as she saw us, she clicked off the T.V., leaning forward on the couch. We stood in front of her and waited for her to say something, anything.
“Jess, I want to apologize to you for what I did. It was awful, and there’s no excuse for my actions,” she began.
“What about Aislin?” Jess asked. “Don’t you want to say something to her as well?”
My mother took a deep breath before speaking. “Aislin, I’m sorry for treating you so harshly along with your father. I really wanted to be that rock for you—for both of you, but I haven’t been making good choices. I spoke with your father, and we want to try to make things work between all of us again.”
“You’re getting back together with Dad?” I asked, surprised she even cared to try.
“Well, it’s a little more complicated than that,” she admitted, bowing her head. “I love your father, and I always will, but we’ve been through a very rough patch. It didn’t start with you, Aislin. It started with him a few years ago and then progressed into what it’s become today. I thought it would be a good idea for us to go to a family counseling session with Dr. Clayborn next week.”
“Okay...” Jess exhaled. “So, we’re so messed up as a family that we can’t work this out without having to have a mediator present?”
“Your father and I have been keeping secrets from this family, and I think it best that we have someone level-headed there to guide us along. I don’t want this to turn into a screaming match between all of us. Will you both, please do this for the family?” she begged.
“Fine,” I said. “Whatever you want to do. When is it?”
“It’ll be on Saturday. Don’t worry; I’ll call Susan and let her know you can’t work that day, Aislin,” she confirmed.
“When’s homecoming?” I whispered to Jess.
“Not the Saturday she’s talking about,” she whispered back quickly.
“Okay,” I confirmed with our mother. “We’ll be there.”
“Where did you two go today?” she asked, trying to be friendly.
“We bought some herbs for this tea Raven wants us to try. It’s to help with sleep, all-natural,” I said, heading for the kitchen. I took out a boiler and filled it with water before placing it on the stove to heat up.
“Are you sure you should be doing that?” my mother asked, worried I might poison myself.
“I haven’t been on my medication for a couple of weeks now, so there shouldn’t be any interactions with it,” I assured.
“About that—”
“Mom, I’m not starting those meds back. We talked about it,” I stated.
“It’s just that...you seemed so much calmer when you were on them. You seem so stressed now, and I was wondering if that was from a lack of sleep,” she implied. Jess glanced over at me as she finished stuffing the various herbs into the tea ball.
“Mom, I’m fine. Besides, I’d rather use something organic than that manufactured crap. We can talk about all this stuff with Dr. Clayborn during our family counseling—if you want.” I dropped the ball into the boiling water. I figured it was better to appease her than having another fight with her tonight.
A soft sigh slipped past her lips as she nodded. “I’m heading to bed. You girls should do the same. You have school tomorrow.”
“Yes, Mom,” Jess said, exasperated. Our mother finally left us to our own devices as I watched the ball bounce over the roiling bubbles of the water.
My mother had her secrets, and so did my father. Everyone in this family had something they were hiding from the other. It was easier to omit the truth than it was to be straight forward. Jess placed an arm around my shoulders, calming me as we waited for the tea to steep so that we could begin our ritual.
Chapter Sixteen
I sat in the corner of a rundown apartment somewhere in the center of a metropolis. The walls were cold brick with industrial, factory windows facing a skyline of skyscrapers and smog. Although it was slightly cloudy, the sun’s rays couldn’t penetrate into the room, leaving me enshrouded in darkness. Every now and then, the lights from a passing car would illuminate the barren area around me.
I wasn’t sure if it was the tea or my meditation that didn’t work, but I wasn’t in Gabrielle’s dream. Not even close. Instead, I had landed inside Steven’s head, a place I didn’t find comforting in the slightest. He must’ve known this place intimately to dream of it. Perhaps, it was a previous apartment before he moved to Bay County.
The only light source was the single bulb hanging from the bathroom ceiling, where Steven watched himself with horror as his teeth fell out one by one. I heard them clink in the ceramic sink as he pulled them out of his mouth, trying to save them as blood streamed down his chin and onto his bare chest. I always thought dreams like this meant you felt guilty or ashamed about something. The experts say it’s a death omen.
I stood up from the hardwood floor and walked around the blowup mattress towards the kitchenette. Dishes were piled haphazardly in the sink as I ran my hand over the damaged counter and rifled through the cabinets. One of them had a rat inside. I slammed the door shut and backed away.
Opening the door into the apartment, I was met with a brick wall. This was as far as his dream world went, unfortunately.
With a sigh, I walked over to the windows and peered out. Even though I could see more out there than a brick wall, it reflected the view he would’ve seen from this apartment. I glanced over my shoulder to see if he was still in the bathroom. Of course, he was. He had been there this entire time without fail.
Closing my eyes, I tried to focus on Gabrielle and see if I could summon the power to sift through dreams so I could get out of Steven’s head. I knew if I woke up, I wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep. I had to do this fast before my alarm for school went off.
I groaned in frustration. My head rolled back as I stared up at the decayed ceiling before rubbing my hands down my face. Feeling a cold breeze on my back, I turned around to see Steven staring right at me with his mouth hanging open as if he had ripped his jaw apart, trying to save his teeth.
Startled, I stepped away as his dream fixed his mouth and teeth once again. He appeared to be looking out of the window until his eyes flicked over me. The recognition I had seen in others with lucid dreaming, I saw in his eyes.
“Steven? Can you hear me?” I asked timidly.
“What are you doing here?” he questioned, blood dried to his mouth and chiseled chest.
“What are you guilty of?” I questioned, trying to waste no time.
He bowed his head forlornly. “My career is over. I’ll never make it in the music world.”
“What do you mean?” I pressed.
He held up his hands in front of me as his hands changed from their form into gnarled tree roots. They froze in place as he let them drop down beside him. I knew
he was trying to tell me but couldn’t say the words aloud.
“Where are the missing kids, Steven?” I asked.
“Kids? I wish I knew,” he replied somberly as he turned back towards the bathroom. It wasn’t exactly what I had hoped for, but it was the longest conversation I had ever had with someone. I followed behind him as he glared at himself in the mirror.
“Steven, did you kidnap any of those kids?” I knew it was a long shot, but maybe I could get him to reveal something.
“No,” he cried. “I would never hurt anyone. I help people.”
“Through your music. I know. What happened to Gabrielle?” The dream hadn’t disintegrated yet, so I was going to take advantage of what little time I had.
“They took her,” he claimed.
“They who?” I asked urgently.
He remained silent. Getting tired of his riddles, I grabbed his shoulders and forced him to look at me. It was the wrong move because the dream started to fall apart as soon as I did, breaking away in little pieces like ash from a fire. I was losing it as I desperately tried to hang on, but it was too late, and he was gone.
Instead of waking up, I willed myself to stay asleep as I shut my eyes tightly. When I opened them, I was left standing in a brilliantly white place with nothing for as far as the mind could see. It wasn’t a place I had ever been before. Once someone else’s dream disappeared, I usually woke up along with them. This time, I had managed to stay.
Walking around for a few minutes, I knew I was lost, so I sat down and decided my best choice was to meditate. No longer trapped in Steven’s dream, this may have been the ticket to finding a new dream to land in.
I focused on Gabrielle, picturing every angle of her face while softly chanting her name with each breath. It was the best I could think to do in my unique situation. I felt a slight breeze around me as I opened my eyes and saw myself in the middle of a field of flowers. The sun was shining brightly as the winds blew through the tall grass and wildflowers. The sound was soothing as I felt myself being lulled further into sleep.
Shaking my head, I stood up, trying to escape whatever hold this dream had over me. Blinking from the bright intensity of the sun, I glanced around, spotting a lone tree in the distance resting on a small hilltop. I made for it as fast as my legs would carry me, trying desperately to hold onto the dream while staying lucid. Panting, the power that was trying to force me down subsided. I leaned against the tree and looked up into its rustling leaves as its thin branches swayed on the winds.
Turning to my side, I saw the image of Susan, peering out over the expansive field with not another tree in sight. She was wearing a floral dress with a wide-brimmed straw hat. Turning around, she smiled at me. Straightening, I walked cautiously over to her, unsure if she was lucid or even dreaming at all.
“I’ve never had company here before,” she commented as a small table and cushions appeared on the ground in between two large uplifted roots.
“You can see me?” I questioned, waving my hands in front of her face.
“Very odd,” she remarked, waving to me. “Usually, my higher powers appear to me in all shapes and forms, but you seem to be completely unaware of why you’re here.”
She used the same term Lorraine had used back at the tea shop. From my research and from what I was experiencing in this bizarre dream, I wasn’t sure I was in one at all. It seemed that Susan was in a meditative state within her home seeking answers from someone else. It was time to play along.
“I’m always around,” I replied nonchalantly. “It depends on if you’re receptive to my messages whether or not you can see me. I suppose you’re ready to hear them now?”
“Yes! I didn’t mean to sound judgmental or condescending. Please, accept my apology and have a cup of tea with me?” she asked, gesturing towards the table in front of us. I sat down on the plush cushion on the opposite side.
“Why is it you are only now receptive?” I asked, trying to discern her secret. Maybe I could figure out a way to make it useful for my own purposes.
“It has taken me this long to master the art of skillful meditation and awareness. I’m simply glad I finally get to speak with you, Great One,” she answered, a smile on her face.
So, Susan didn’t have any extraordinary power that allowed her to reach out to me. It was starting to look like she may have fallen asleep while meditating at home. If that were true, then my clock had started ticking as soon as I landed in this place.
“Do you know where the missing kids are?” I asked. I knew it could blow my cover, but I had no other way of coaxing it out of her, nor did I have the time.
“Missing kids? The ones from the news in the mortal world?” she answered with a question.
“Yes,” I replied. “Do you know where they are?”
“If I knew where they were, I would’ve reported it ages ago. I’m but a humble flower shop owner. Nothing more.” She took a sip of her tea from the tray, eyeing me over its brim.
“Do you know anyone you’re suspicious about?”
“Why would my higher power be interested in missing people?” Susan asked, slightly annoyed.
“Those people are important to the universe and need to be protected,” I said, trying to sound like this higher being she thought I was.
“I see,” she remarked. “I suppose I should have more faith in you since it appears you’re trying to make the world a better place.”
“Why do you have an account that pays large sums of money for tulips and carnations? Tulips aren’t even in season right now.” It was one of the burning questions I really wanted to know.
Susan hesitated before breathing out a sigh. “That account is open for the people who run the youth outreach program. I cater to their events, and those are the flowers they use to represent their brand. I purchase the tulips from Mrs. Richards from her greenhouses at the high school.”
“What kind of events?” I pressed further.
“You really ask a lot of questions for a being who should know everything about me,” Susan said skeptically, standing from her cushion. She peered down over me. “Who are you?”
The sky around us darkened with gray and black clouds as the sun disappeared behind them. Thunder cracked in the distance as Susan’s mood completely changed. It was time to wake up and get out of here.
I bolted from my seat and ran away from her through the field as I felt myself growing tired. I only knew I needed to be as far away from her before I collapsed from exhaustion within the ever-expansive sea of grass.
Without much of a choice, I fell to my knees, shaking my head from side to side as I tried to pick myself up. Collapsing to the ground, I rolled over on my back and stared at the sky above me. The wind whipped the vegetation around me, the grass lightly brushing over my skin.
“Wake up,” I told myself before closing my eyes.
Gasping, I fell onto the ground with a thud. Jess shot up out of bed beside me and rushed over to see if I was okay. She helped me to my feet and sat me on the bed as I rubbed my head, trying to soothe the headache that had formed right behind my eyes.
“Are you okay? What happened?” Jess asked, sitting beside me. “Did you find Gabrielle?”
“What time is it?” I asked.
“It’s around six in the morning,” Jess answered, glancing over at the clock on my desk.
“I didn’t find Gabrielle, but I did see Steven and Susan.”
“You saw both of them? In the same dream?” she inquired, eyes wide.
“No, I...dream hopped. I don’t know how exactly, and it may have been a fluke,” I admitted.
“Fluke or not, you’ve never been able to do that before, right?” Jess asked excitedly.
“I suppose...anyway, I gathered some information that may be useful. I don’t think Steven has anything to do with Gabrielle’s disappearance. He’s so torn up about it.”
“Are you sure?” Jess eyed me skeptically. “Is that what he said?”
“I mean,
it’s hard to say. I suppose people could lie in their dreams. You know him better than I do. What do you think?” I asked.
“I don’t think we should write him off so easily,” Jess admitted. “As much as I love working with Steven, I haven’t had a chance to really get to know him. There’s a possibility he didn’t know anything about it, but Gabrielle was his student.”
“Okay,” I sighed. “Susan thought I was her higher power. The only thing I could think of was that she fell asleep during a meditation early this morning.”
Jess grabbed the book Lorraine had given me off my desk and flipped through some of the pages. She handed it to me with the page open before pointing to a paragraph on trance work.
“You read this whole book already?” I asked, impressed.
“Not all of it, but I stayed up late last night to watch over you, so I decided to bide my time with reading. It said there’s a chance if you can develop your power that you can eventually enter daydreams and during periods of utter relaxation without a person even knowing,” she concluded.
“Well, apparently, I’m not very good at that. She not only recognized me, but we had a whole conversation until she realized something was off. It’s going to be really weird working with her later.” I could only hope Susan would forget about the strange incident.
“I doubt she’ll say anything,” Jess reassured. “She’s probably unsure of what she saw, and I don’t think she’d talk about dreaming about you.”
“I’ve had stranger conversations,” I muttered under my breath.
Jess cocked her head to the side, pondering my response. “Like what?”
“You and Raven weren’t the first person I told,” I admitted. “Remember Charlie? Our old neighbor?”
“You told him before you told me?” Jess asked, disappointed. “I mean, you really didn’t even tell me. Raven had to do that too.”