Every Waking Dream

by Lauren Eason

  Jess nodded, taking me into a tight hug as Raven joined in. Raven walked with me to my car as Jess went back in to tell everyone goodnight. As we got closer, Raven took my keys from me and got into the driver’s seat as I took the passenger.

  “You two don’t have to come back with me. You can stay,” I said, feeling guilty about the whole ordeal.

  “Melissa will understand,” Raven sighed. “I’ll make sure she’s on the list for visitation.”

  “You’re still going through with that, huh?” In all the chaos, I had almost forgotten.

  Raven grasped the steering wheel as we saw Jess come back outside escorted by Max. “Yep. Things don’t change overnight, even when things seem to be getting better. I’ll see her tomorrow before I go, and you’ll be seeing Jason, right?”

  “Right. The interview. I’m sure we’ll have a lot to talk about, like how I’m ditching him right now,” I grumbled, putting on my seatbelt as Jess jumped into the back seat after a lingering kiss with Max.

  “He’ll understand too. Jess already told him you weren’t feeling well. You can explain things tomorrow,” Raven said, placing a hand on my knee. If she had any questions, she kept them to herself as we drove off. I appreciated her for that. It was something that made our friendship so special, and I sighed with relief, knowing Raven would always have my back. I was going to miss her.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Glancing down the dark halls, I watched as a man wheeled a woman towards me. Her tangled hair enveloped her face as her hands rested on the wheelchair, restraints buckled across her wrists. As they drew closer, I stepped aside, noticing the slight bob of the woman’s head as if she were in a drug-induced state, semi-conscious of her surroundings. I couldn’t tell if I was in her dream or his.

  As he neared with her, a shadow splayed across his face making his features indistinguishable. I tried to catch a glimpse of his nametag, but even that was blurred out as if the woman couldn’t remember. Her head rolled back as her hair finally parted from her face.

  “Maria!” I gasped as I walked beside them, trying to free her from her restraints. My hands glided through them as the dream continued on. Suddenly, the lights clicked on, revealing a blindingly white hallway as other patients filed out of their rooms. I pushed past them, trying not to lose her in the crowd as the male nurse turned a corner with her.

  As I made my way to the end of the hall, I was alone. Maria and the nurse had vanished as I wandered down the corridor. As I did so, the walls dulled in brightness, giving way to an ashen color as the lights flickered overhead. I heard screams and loud banging coming from the doors on either side of me as the depravity of my surroundings increased the farther I ventured.

  My hands trembled as I neared the end of the hall, where all I could see was the outline of Maria sitting in her wheelchair with her head rolled to the side. Long tendrils of her hair laid across her face as her eyes stared at me blankly. I stopped, trying to gather my composure as she stood from the chair, her restraints gone.

  She walked towards me, as a soft whisper hit my ears. “Don’t trust them.”

  “Don’t trust who? What happened to you?” It seemed like only a short while ago that Detective Highwater was telling me she was alright.

  “Don’t trust him,” she said again as the male nurse rushed out from behind her and dragged her into the darkness, his hand covering her mouth.

  I gasped as my phone vibrated next to my head. Grabbing it, I fumbled with the screen before finally answering, turning over in bed to lay on my back. “Hello?”

  “Uh, hey! You sound like you just woke up,” Jason said on the other end.

  I glanced at the clock on my phone and saw it was close to noon. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry, Jason. I overslept.”

  “It’s okay. Did you still need help with that article?”

  “Yeah! When can you get here?” I asked, hopping out of bed and into my closet.

  “I was wondering if you’d like to get out of the house today. Maybe we could go to the pier and talk?”

  I smiled at his determination to get me alone and out of the mindset of the interview being strictly for school. “That sounds great.”

  “Cool. I’ll pick you up in an hour,” Jason said, hanging up the phone. I grabbed some clothes and headed for my bedroom door.

  Opening it, I saw Jess with her hand raised, ready to knock. “Hey, I was just coming to get you.”

  “For what?” I asked, moving past her into the hallway.

  “I wanted to check on you. You were sleeping most of the day. I was getting kind of worried,” Jess admitted, following me to the bathroom.

  I stopped and turned to face her in the hallway. “I’m okay. I guess I was exhausted from last night.”

  “Do you want to talk about what happened?” Jess asked, biting her lip with anticipation.

  “Not right now,” I admitted, turning away from her and entering the bathroom. I laid my clothes down on the counter and leaned out of the doorway as I saw Jess heading back to her room, defeated.

  “I have a date with Jason,” I said after her. Jess turned around, perking up to my words. “We can talk about it when I get back.”

  With a nod, Jess walked into her bedroom, closing the door behind her. I pulled the entrance to the bathroom closed, taking a quick shower. After dressing, I went downstairs to the kitchen where my mother was enjoying her day off. It was a different setting to see my father at home helping her cook lunch instead of sitting on the couch with a beer.

  “What are you two up to?” I asked, taking a seat on a barstool.

  “We’re following instructions from Dr. Clayborn and spending the day together. Your father is taking me on a date,” my mother replied with a soft smile.

  “Fancy. Where?”

  “Well, we’re going to have a picnic in the backyard,” my father chimed in. “Do you want some lunch?”

  “That’s okay,” I rushed to say. “Jason is picking me up to go to the pier, and I’m sure we’ll get something to eat there.”

  “Oh?” My mother couldn’t contain her excitement. “Is it a date?”

  “A date?” my father asked, glancing between us.

  “Sort of,” I began. “I’m interviewing him for this article I have to turn in tomorrow for the school newspaper about the homecoming game. He’s a star player and knows more about football than I do.”

  “That’s fine with us. Just don’t stay out too late,” my mother said.

  “Us?” my father asked, raising an eyebrow. My mother gave him a light slap on his arm as the doorbell rang.

  “I’ll see you later tonight,” I said as I walked away.

  “Be home before dark,” my father yelled after me as I took my phone out of my pocket. I glanced at the text from Raven. She had sent a picture of her and Melissa spending time together at the beach near her home. I sent her a text back, being a supportive friend. It could very well be the last text she got for a long time.

  Opening the front door, I saw Jason leaning against the railing. He straightened as I stepped out, clutching the long strap of my bag over my chest. Leaning towards me, he bent down, brushing his lips over mine for a quick kiss before taking my hand and leading me down the stairs to his vehicle.

  Being a gentleman, he opened the car door for me as I stepped inside, closing it. Jason got into the driver seat and waited for me to buckle up before pulling out of the driveway.

  “I almost didn’t think you’d agree to this,” he admitted with a chuckle.

  “Really? Why’s that?”

  “Because I feel like I’ve been flirting with you since school began, and you haven’t read any of the signs.” He flashed me a cheeky grin.

  I laughed, relaxing in my seat. “I’m not the best when it comes to the dating scene. It’s been a long since I’ve been interested in anyone.”

  “Oh?” he asked. “Do tell.”

  “I—I don’t think you want to hear about my past,” I said dismissively.


  “You’re a mystery,” Jason commented. “You probably know more about me than I know about you.”

  Jason drove along the roads until we were riding along the coastline. I thought about his remark for a moment, realizing he was right. Jason had been so open with me about his adoption and his family since the beginning, and I was the closed-off one. It seemed only fair to give him a little insight into my life.

  “What would you like to know?” I asked, curious as to what kind of questions he had.

  “How about we start off with something simple? What’s your favorite color?” Jason asked, pulling into a parking space on the side of the road.

  “I guess it would be gray,” I answered after thinking about it.

  “Gray? Seriously?” He smirked in my direction before getting out of the car and coming around to my side. Before he reached me, I had already opened my door as Jason offered his hand.

  “I’m not used to a guy opening car doors for me,” I admitted, blushing slightly.

  “I’m glad I can be the first.” Jason closed the door as we walked over to the sidewalk along the beach entrance and towards the pier. “But why gray?”

  I stared out at the clouds covering the rays of the sun as a chill coursed through my body. While I had opted for a sweater, I hadn’t thought the breeze would be as crisp as it was. Jason noticed, and while he didn’t have a jacket to offer, he did place his arm around me so I could snuggle in closer to him.

  “Things aren’t so black and white in life. That’s why I like the concept of gray.”

  “So, you’re a student of philosophy,” Jason commented as we neared the beginning of the pier stepping onto the weathered boards. “How’re the stitches?”

  “What?” I asked, temporarily forgetting about that night rummaging through Steven’s house. “Oh...they’re fine. Kind of itchy, but fine, I suppose.”

  “That’s normal. It happens when the scabs form. When we get back to your house, I can take them out for you—”

  “No! I mean...my parents are home, and I don’t want them to know about it. Is there a way you could take them out here?” Jason’s expression was one of confusion before relenting. He led me over to a wooden bench and sat beside me as we saw people pass by.

  “This isn’t exactly the most private place...” Jason commented.

  “It’s okay. There aren’t as many people out here today as I thought, and I don’t particularly care about strangers. I’ll never see these people again anyway,” I remarked.

  Jason sighed, pulling a small swiss army knife out of his pocket. “Okay, lay across my lap, and I’ll take a look. I’ll try to be conspicuous.”

  I did as I was instructed and pulled my sweater up slightly while Jason tugged on my jean waistband to get to the end of the scar. He flipped the small scissors out of the knife and cut through the sutures. I felt a tiny pull as he took them out, pieces of the scab flaking off over the newly formed scar.

  “You’re all finished,” he said, pulling my sweater back down as I lifted myself to an upright position. “That’s going to be one really cool scar. How did you say you got it again?”

  “Uh...I...” I floundered with my words, trying to remember the exact lie I had told him before. Jason looked away across the boardwalk towards the beach and the rolling waves. It was subtle, but I knew he had discovered a part of my secret.

  “You don’t have to tell me everything, Ais. I only want to know if there’s anything I can do to help.” Jason placed his hand over mine as we sat beside each other. I glanced down, slowly lifting my gaze to take in the rest of him and to finally meet his kind eyes.

  “I’m...different,” I managed to say past the lump in my throat. If his hand wasn’t covering mine, it would’ve been trembling with fear.

  “I know,” Jason replied. “That’s part of the reason why I feel the way I do about you. I know you’ve been through hell and back, but I hope one day, you’ll trust me enough to share that piece of yourself with me.”

  I opened my mouth but closed it, trying to choose my next words carefully. Jason placed his hand up to my cheek, brushing my billowing hair away from my face. “Jason...I left last night because I saw someone from my past. It scared me.”

  “Did he hurt you?” he asked, his eyes darkening.

  “No—No, nothing like that. Not physically, at least. We used to be good friends. I told him a secret, and I thought he would understand. He didn’t,” I answered, my voice cracking. My body shook with emotions as I felt those old wounds reopen, bubbling to the surface. I had tried so hard to tamp them down, lock them away, and never revisit that old pain, but here I was.

  “You weren’t the only one who was afraid,” Jason said suddenly. “It sounds like your friend didn’t know how to handle it. So, they did the next best thing. They ran. I won’t run from you, Aislin.”

  “You promise?” I whispered. I couldn’t help how soft, and weak my voice sounded. It was meek, almost a plea.

  “I promise,” Jason whispered back, leaning his forehead against mine.

  Taking a deep, shaky breath, I pulled away. Jason waited patiently. “My dreams aren’t normal. I see...the dreams of others.”

  Jason cocked his head to the side before standing from his seat and extending his hand to me. “Let’s walk and talk about it.”

  His eyes cast over me like a warm blanket as I stared at this angel of a human being. Hesitantly, I placed my hand in his as he pulled me gently to my feet, wrapping his arm around me once again. He guided me down the pier past the food trucks towards the Ferris wheel. We stood in line in silence for a bit until it was our turn to board.

  I slid over along the seat as the attendant closed the door behind Jason. He smiled over at me as he closed the gap between us. Wrapping his arm around me tightly, I leaned against his chest.

  “Tell me about this superpower of yours.”

  “You believe me?” I asked, curious.

  “I think there are people in this world capable of extraordinary things. I’ll tell you a secret of mine,” Jason went on. “When I was younger living in my foster home, I used to have this imaginary friend. His name was Ray, and he lived in our bedroom closet, but no one believed me. One night, I woke up to the covers sliding off and at the foot of my bed was Ray staring at me. It was the first time I was actually afraid of him.”

  “What? What was he?” I asked, snapping to attention as the wheel moved us up for another couple to board.

  Jason smiled weakly at me. “I’m pretty sure good ole’ Ray was a ghost. When I told everyone about the experience, my therapist decided I should start coming three times a week instead of only twice. I know how hard it can be to tell people you’re different.”

  “Do you still see these things now?”

  Jason shook his head. “Not anymore, but I wholeheartedly believe in ghosts. That experience will haunt me for the rest of my life. Pun intended.”

  I giggled as I relaxed against him again, the wheel pulling our cart to the top before stopping. A shiver coursed through me as Jason pulled me closer. “I guess we’ve both seen some things we don’t fully understand.”

  “Is your ability like dream telepathy?” Jason asked.

  “How do you know about that?” I had never heard of the term until Dr. Clayborn told me.

  “I researched it when I was younger. I thought I was having bad dreams until I learned that I could see dead people.” Jason gave a short laugh.

  “This is so different for me,” I admitted. “The last time I tried to tell a boy about my experiences, he freaked out. It didn’t go well.”

  “Not everyone is going to react the same,” Jason sighed. “Like I said before, some people are afraid of things they don’t understand. I may not know the specifics of what you’re able to do, but I’m not going to judge you for it. From one screwed up person to another.”

  Touching Jason’s cheek, I leaned in to place a passionate kiss upon his lips as the wheel started to turn again. This time it
made several full circles, taking us around through the air over the cloudy beach. We stayed that way for several minutes, simply kissing. Our arms entangled around each other, afraid to let go.

  Jason’s scent filled my senses as I heard the waves' crashing against the shore and mechanical clicks of the wheel taking us up and down and around. I couldn’t imagine anywhere else I’d rather be. As the wheel fell for the last time, my heart fluttered at the possibility of a semi-normal life with Jason.

  The wheel stopped at the bottom as an attendant opened the door for us. We scooted out of the cart and walked away from the ride as I held his hand in mine. As we passed by other couples, I felt completely normal for the first time in my life. I had Jason to thank for that and wondered if this was how Raven was feeling right now with Melissa.

  Smiling to myself, we walked up to one of the food trucks as Jason ordered us two corndogs. He handed the stick to me as I ate it, savagely realizing how hungry I was. Jason turned back to the cashier.

  “I’m going to need two more of those corndogs,” Jason said with a smile. The cashier nodded and came back with two more as I was finishing my first one.

  “A man truly after my heart!” I exclaimed as I took the second corndog from him.

  Jason laughed while holding his two in one hand. “You can thank Ben for that little tip. Always keep your girlfriend well fed.”

  “Girlfriend?” I asked, my eyes lighting up with the idea.

  “Well, I was hoping,” Jason said as we strolled along the pier. He bit into his food and waited eagerly for my response.

  “That sounds perfect,” I said. We stopped by the railing and watched as a few golden rays made their way to the shoreline. “I suppose I should interview you now—you know, for the article.”

  “Right,” Jason replied, clearing his throat. “What would you like to know about the amazing game of football and how we defeated Clairmont High?”

  I smiled, thinking to myself that I finally felt like I deserved to be happy.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven