by Lisa Graves
I held the ring up, examining it closer in the moonlight. A perfect oval opal mounted a tarnished silver band. It looked delicate and old fashioned. The smooth opal’s hidden facets shimmered brilliantly. A hundred different colors sparkled, trapped from within the stone.
I slipped the ring onto the middle finger of my left hand. It fit perfectly.
My eyes caught sight of some bats flying overhead. An owl hooted into the night. The break in the silence startled me. The sound seemed to be a warning to pay attention. I skimmed my eyes around the meadow. There in the shadows of the path stood Elliott.
The dark jacket Elliott wore almost completely hid him from sight. His face looked torn. It was the gleaming white teeth that shone from beneath his smile that gave away his location. Having realized I saw him, Elliott strode into the clearing, unnaturally confident as usual. I wondered, how long he had been watching me?
Elliott seemed to glide across the meadow. In no time, he was standing right beside me. His hazel green eyes burnt into mine. I could see a secret hidden within those eyes. Something he wanted to tell me. Elliott’s flawless lips parted as he started to speak.
All of a sudden, I couldn’t breath. I seriously couldn’t breath! My arms flailed through the darkness. My eyes opened to the grey fuzz of my cat, laying on my face.
“Theory!” I spit out fur as I pushed her off the bed.
Geehz! Ruin a perfectly good dream, I thought. Just then I realized, I had dreamed. Not a nightmare. Not by far. I had just enjoyed an honest to goodness dream. Yes! Actual sleep.
I glanced at the clock, 2 AM. Damn! Well it was too much to hope that I had slept an entire night. I wasn’t that lucky. Eh, at least it was sleep.
I laid there wondering what Elliott was about to say to me in my dream. Come to think of it, had he actually been in my room? Or was that part of the dream too? I couldn’t be sure. I rubbed the grogginess out of my eyes. Already knowing my chances of reentering REM were futile, I decided to go on a walk.
I combed my fingers through my hair as I realized that I had fallen asleep in my clothes. I slipped on my flip-flops and grabbed my hoodie; I lifted the glass and crawled out my window. Every time I scooted down the part of our roof that was conveniently located a foot beneath my windowsill, I would catch myself saying a silent thanks for my good fortune of getting that particular room in the house. My mother would probably notice if I left out the front door. I made only a light thud as my feet hit the soft dirt.
It was a perfect summer night. The light breeze in the air created an electric current in the atmosphere that was almost tangible. The light rustling of the maple leaves overhead beckoned me forward as I walked through the darkness. Without thinking, I knew where I was headed. My dream, still fresh in my mind was drawing me onward.
I was headed to my park.
Tonight appeared to be no different than the hundred other times I made my way, through the darkness, down the familiar abandoned path. I had no reason to be afraid. But I was.
The usual peaceful quiet cradled me, but the butterflies in my stomach wouldn’t hold still. I could hear the field mice scurrying out of my way. I broke from the trees and entered the clearing. I looked up. The crescent moon glowed bright overhead. The starry sky glittered. Then something else glittery caught my eye. I turned to see what it was.
I froze.
Across the meadow, my eyes focused on a small object that was illuminated in the moonlight from atop one of the familiar timeworn tombstones. I gasped. Tonight was not similar to my dream. This was exactly like my dream. Being cautious, I inched forward to the ring that I knew was there.
My body seemed to move in slow motion. I had experienced little clips of deja vu before, but never a full episode. A cool breeze sent a shiver up my spine as I approached the seemingly innocent sparkling piece of metal. Just like the dream. Automatically, my hand traced the edge of the headstone, feeling my way to the ring. The frosty temperature of the trinket shouldn’t have surprised me, but it did. The opal’s vast array of colors were far more magnificent than in my dream. I couldn’t believe it. This was by far the most beautiful ring I had ever seen. All of the colors trapped within the opal were far more attractive than any diamond could ever be. As I slipped the ring onto my middle finger, I suddenly remembered that Elliott was in my dream, too. I twisted around to see if he was going to participate in this deja vu episode.
My eyes almost burst from their sockets as I spied Elliott in the shadows.
An unhealthy excitement filled me, and I scolded myself for it. We had barely met. I shouldn’t be this excited to see him, but I was. I could see Elliott smile from across the meadow as he left the shadows and walked towards me. I realized why I hadn’t noticed him there before. Elliott had on the same dark jeans as before, but a dark long sleeved shirt in place of his white sweater. As he got closer to me, the muscles hidden beneath his clothes became clear. The invisible magnetism that pulsed from Elliott pulled me closer to him, as I closed the ever diminishing gap between us. Elliott’s eyes glistened as he nonchalantly combed his fingers through his chocolate hair. His lips parted as he started to speak.
I was still as a statue. This was the part of my dream Theory had ruined. This was the part of my dream that I’d missed. I stared, curious to what Elliott was about to say.
“I knew it was you. You’re earlier than I thought you’d be.” He smiled.
“Early?” I couldn’t hide the confusion that colored my face.
“I hadn’t expected things to come together for at least a few weeks.”
“Sorry,” I said as I looked at the shiny stone on my hand. “Is it yours?”
“Nope. Its yours Lilly. Always has been.”
I started to fidget in place. I was consumed with a cloudy awareness that was eluding me. Elliott was creating more questions than answers. “Always?”
“How about we sit down? You look like you might faint, again.”
I automatically followed him to the carpet of wildflowers we had laid on yesterday. The smell of the lavender was strong tonight, but it didn’t calm me. The butterflies were still dancing in my stomach. I sat cross-legged facing him. “Always?” I repeated.
“That ring,” Elliott motioned to the opal with his eyes, “is yours.”
“Then how come I have never seen it before?” I challenged. I would have remembered this ring.
“You have. You just don’t remember, yet.” His hazel green eyes were waiting for something.
“Yet?” Boy, he was not being helpful. “Wait a minute,” I paused. “You said early.”
Resting back on his elbows, Elliott looked up at the vast collage of stars overhead. Weighing his words carefully, he said, “It’s so beautiful, isn’t it?” Obviously trying to distract me from my questions. Trying to buy some time.
“Sure, I guess.” I shrugged.
“You’re not even looking.” His perfect face had turned towards mine, a smirk of a smile on his face. I didn’t look up. His forehead furrowed in frustration, waiting. I gave in. A shooting star flew clearly across the starry sky, drawing a temporary line through the darkness.
“Wow,” was all I could say. I had never seen a shooting star so big, or that had lasted so long before. It was amazing. Momentarily, I lost my train of thought. I turned towards him, “did you know that was going to happen?” My eyes wide with wonder. Elliott was obviously hiding something.
He laughed, a quiet laugh to himself. I waited for an answer. He sighed, contemplating. Elliott was still trying to decide how much he was going to tell me. I could tell he was waiting for something, but what?
“So,” he began, “do you want to tell me what happened here yesterday?”
Not fair, I thought. Now it was my turn to be evasive. My eyes turned back towards the sky. I had hoped that Elliott had forgotten about my temporary trance. I bit my lip, trying to think up a response. Unaware that I was even playing with the ring, I only realized it when Elliott’s hand softly touched mine. The
re was energy in his touch.
“Please,” he whispered. His voice tempted me like chocolate.
There was a strange familiarity about Elliott. A voice in my head told me that I had known him for a long time. Could we have met before? Could I have somehow forgotten his flawless face?
“Hey! I asked first,” I said as I stumbled out of my reverie.
“Yes, you did.” He smiled, his subtle accent coloring his words.
I could see a ‘but’ coming. I don’t know how, but I could read him.
“But...” he replied. “I think my story will make a lot more sense after I hear your story.”
“You don’t even know what my story is about.” I suddenly questioned if he did know, somehow.
“Let’s just say that I have a feeling they’re connected.” He winked and shot me a mischievous grin.
“I’d rather not.” I couldn’t stop fidgeting. “You’re going to think I’m crazy.” My fingers wouldn’t stop twisting into pretzels. It was embarrassing.
Elliott’s face became serious and he shook his head. “No I won’t. Promise.” His eyes dove deep into mine. He was cheating. Looking at me in ways that ought to be illegal.
I could tell that I was loosing the battle. If I wanted any answers from him, I was going to have to admit lunacy. I shuddered at the thought. Surely, Elliott would leave after I explained my epiphany. Repulsed by my very presence. I frowned.
“Lilly, please trust me,” he begged. Elliott’s eyes on the verge of spilling his secret.
I paused, hoping he would cave. He didn’t. So I began, “well..” I hesitated, choosing my words carefully.
“Go on,” he urged.
“Yesterday I happened to find the answer to a question I didn’t even know I was looking for. It threw me for a loop, that’s all.” My eyes shot to his. “Sorry I acted so strange,” I added.
His eyes penetrated mine. “There’s more...”
I sighed in defeat. “Yes.”
“Can I hear it?” His honey voice tried to coax my secret out. “Please.”
“How do I word this...” I thought aloud.
“You could start with the answer, or the question.” Elliott suggested. His eyes were intense. He was oddly excited to what I was about to say.
I gave in and began, “The question came after the answer, so I’ll start with the answer.” I looked at Elliott. His whole body was paying attention, memorizing my every word. How odd. I couldn’t understand why. It made me a little self conscious. I fidgeted and had to look away in order to put my words together.
“I have a photographic memory, well semi-photographic. I can’t just glance at something and remember it forever, but if I really look at it, I will. And something set my mind off yesterday,” I looked at him accusingly, “or on rather, an esoteric phrase. I can’t pinpoint where it came from, but it woke something within me.”
“I shut my eyes in order to see?” he whispered.
“Yes. As you saw, I did what I said. I shut my eyes, and you can’t imagine what I saw. What I realized.” I paused, remembering.
“Please tell me.” Elliott pleaded.
“I don’t know if I can put it into words.”
“Will you try?”
“Well, my little epiphany was that I think it’s possible to open up our minds; to utilize more than the puny amount we currently use. So, the initial question that I was inadvertently searching for was, is there more? And now the current puzzle is how to do it?”
“How to use more of your brain?” Elliott questioned in an understanding tone, a strange smile spread across his face.
I had lost myself in my thoughts. His voice brought me back to the moonlight and the meadow, and Elliott. I appraised his mood, his eyes. Surprisingly, Elliott didn’t look as though he thought I was a nut. I sighed in relief. He hadn’t left running.
“Your turn,” I challenged.
Now it was his turn to sigh. I could tell that Elliott had hoped I had forgotten our deal. I answer his question, he answers mine.
Elliott gently took my hand in his. Again, he felt electric. An invisible energy flowed through me. I had to shake my head to regain focus.
Elliott hid a laugh behind his smile at my reaction. “This ring,” he said, as his fingers gently caressed the stone, “I gave to you a very long time ago.”
My face, drawn in utter disbelief, stared at Elliott as I let his words penetrate my mind.
“Talk about brain power, Miele,” he continued. “That’s why I’m here.” Elliott laughed to himself. He was hiding something.
I noticed an odd maturity in his voice. “How old are you,” I asked, as I again surveyed his appearance. From what I could tell he couldn’t be much older than me. Twenty tops.
“Nineteen,” he answered, a little too quickly.
“Then how...” my voice escaped me. Trailing off into the darkness.
“We knew each other from before,” Elliott said suggestively.
Elliott eyed me. Reevaluating how I was digesting the words he was feeding me. I made myself smile.
“You didn’t really answer me. Well, at least tell me what you meant by the whole early comment.”
Elliott laid back completely, resting on the blanket of flowers. I mirrored him and waited.
I lay there gazing up at the twinkling canvas painted by the gods. The stars were utterly beautiful. The blue, black, white, and red colors of the night sky were a pleasant distraction from Elliott’s silence. I kept waiting. It felt like ten minutes before either of us spoke.
Elliott took my hand in his and squeezed it as he whispered into the night, “I am so happy to be with you again. I have missed you so. I have been searching for you for a while now.” Our faces turned towards each other. His hazel eyes penetrated all the way down to my soul. I felt totally exposed, yet completely protected at the same time.
Elliott looked as if he were about to speak. His secret so close to exposure. Just then he shied away from me. A worried look crossed his face as though he had said too much. Elliott got up and started to walk towards the trees. To walk away.
I frantically hurried to my feet. I ran to catch up to his unnaturally fast pace, but he was already entering the shadows. I reached the cover of the trees not five seconds after him, but I couldn’t see him anywhere. He was gone.
Bewilderment overcame me, and I started to sob. I wasn’t used to the roller coaster ride my emotions were on. A warm, comforting breeze flew through the trees and surrounded me. And I could have sworn I heard a voice in the wind say, “I’ll see you soon.”
Chapter 3. Waking Up
I woke the following morning, in my bed, with a strange feeling. The warm midday sun shone bright through my window. I blinked my eyes, and tried to wake up.
My mind was still trying to pinpoint the difference I felt. The feeling was saturating me completely. What was it?
It hit me.
I felt rested. Really rested. Energized even. Energy? My mind, quicker than usual, due to sleep, instantly thought of Elliott. And my dream.
It all seemed so surreal. I racked my brain for an answer. What was real? Did any of my memories of the last twenty-four hours actually happen?
I looked down, evaluating my clothes - pajamas. But, I couldn’t remember changing. I sat up, scrunching my periwinkle blue pajama bottoms in my hands. A glittering on my left hand caught my eye.
The ring.
Bewildered, I examined it closer. Yep, it was the one from the dream. The one I remembered. How could I forget something so beautiful? The entrapped rainbow of colors mesmerized me. I found myself staring deep into the ocean of sparkling blues, the orchard of amethyst purples, the forest of greens that were accented with apricot orange and mulberry red. How could so many colors occupy one little bean-sized area?
A sudden banging on my door made me jump.
“Wake up fishy! Wake up!” My little sister Sophie yelled through the door.
“Ugh,” I rolled my eyes. I guess I am
officially awake. “I’m up Soph. Go away!” I yelled back as I got out of bed.
I showered mechanically. My mind wandered to someplace far away. To another world. I could almost make it out, except the steam was clouding my vision.
“I’m going nuts,” I muttered to myself, shaking my head back to the here and now. I let the warm shower pour over my body completely, as if I were standing beneath a tropical waterfall, before I turned the handle off and stepped onto the cool tile.
For some reason everything seemed different today. Sleep couldn’t have changed so much, could it? I dried off and dressed in my usual tank top and jeans. I looked in the bathroom mirror. I hadn’t looked at myself in awhile. Insomnia dulls the senses.
Re-energized by sleep, I decided to actually do my hair. The lid on the jar of hair gel was difficult to open since it had sat so long unused. The glue stickiness pulled at my hair as I tangled my pasted fingers through my short locks until it was a perfect array of spikes. Not having done my hair for awhile, I decided to be creative and swept my bangs across my face, accenting my eyes.
I permitted myself one last quick look at my hard work in the steamy mirror as I went to leave. Another face was starring back at me from over my shoulder in the reflection. I was scared stiff. I couldn’t make a sound. All of the color drained from my already pale face. I wasn’t sure what to do. My eyes were glued to the green eyes staring back at me. It was too steamy to make out the face, but there was something very familiar about the eyes.
Adrenaline pulsed through my veins as I decided to turn around and face whomever was behind me. I took a deep breath and turned to face... nothing.
No one was there.
I could have been mistaken for a spinning top for the number of times I rotated around from mirror to wall to mirror again. Searching for some evidence that what I had just witnessed was real. The alternative was that it wasn’t real. That I was crazy. And I didn’t want to come to that conclusion.
Paranoid now, I tiptoed to my room, trying to make as little noise as possible. All I wanted to do was figure out what was happening to me. I had always figured sleep to be a good thing. Why was I having such a hard time distinguishing reality from the mysteries of my imagination? I needed to be alone.