Dream (The Waking Sleep Book 2)

by Lucy Adler

  “So, I sort of know who you are,” he said. They were able to tell that he had nodded toward Aury.

  “What do you mean?” she replied.

  “My dad is one of the Benevolent Ones.”

  Aury felt her body tense up.

  “I was only thirteen at the time,” he continued. “I used to go with him to the hospitals. He was ‘grooming’ me, I guess you could say. He wanted me to follow in his footsteps one day.”

  Max was pretty sure he knew where this was going. He stepped closer to Aury and put his hand on her back.

  “It’s Aurora Ellison, isn’t it? Your brother was Josh Ellison?” He paused for a second before continuing. “He used to talk about you sometimes, and... well, this is pretty silly but I always remembered your name because it sounded like it was from a story or something. It’s not that common, you know.”

  Her lower lip quivered and she bit down on it. Her eyes started filling with tears again but she did her best to hold them back.

  “Look, I’m being totally honest with you guys. I have no idea what you are, or what you do. I’ve been taught all kinds of crazy things about ‘sleepers’ and ‘the Dark’, and I’m not sure what I believe anymore. But I’m absolutely certain that no one deserves to be treated the way they treated your brother. The way my father treated him.”

  There was silence again, except for Aury’s sniffling.

  “Here,” he said, stepping forward only as far as he needed to in order to reach his arm out to her. There was a napkin in his hand. “I work in the kitchen, so I usually have a few of these in my pocket,” he said with a gentle laugh, just enough to ease the moment.

  “And how can you get us out of this place?” Max asked.

  “Alright, so, we’re renovating the kitchen, right? And we’re expecting a delivery of new equipment later this afternoon. Some ovens, a couple dishwashers, two fridges. Anyway, I’ll be hauling carts full of boxes back and forth to the service doors. Big boxes. And I sort of thought...” He trailed off, leaving the words hanging in the air.

  “Sort of thought what?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. It’s a stupid idea.”

  “What?!” Max said. “You’ve gone to all this trouble and now you’re not even going to tell us about your plan?”

  “Well, I sort of thought that I could kind of hide you in a closet, somewhere between the kitchen and the service doors. Then, as I pass by, you could get inside the boxes.”

  “And?”

  “And then I’d sort of... throw you out with the trash?” he said with a tone that was somewhere between a statement and a question.

  “Then what?”

  “Well, you’d wait until the middle of the night, then sneak off in the dark. I’m sorry, it’s the best I can do.”

  They could see the outline of his hands raising in a gesture that said, ‘What do you think?’

  “Let’s do it,” Aury replied without a second thought. She sniffed, then cleared her throat. “But you have to promise me something.”

  “Anything.”

  “Hide some food - some clean food - in those boxes. I’m starving!”

  “Absolutely!” he laughed.

  “And make sure there are some of those cherry tomatoes in there, too.”

  “Done!”

  “What’s your name, by the way?” Max asked.

  “Phillip.”

  “I’m Max.”

  They stepped toward each other and shook hands.

  “Alright, I better go,” he said. “I’ll find the best place for you to hide upstairs, then I’ll come back for you in a little while.”

  “Wait, one more thing,” Aury stopped him. “Do you know anything about our friends? We broke into the Institute with a group but Maxy and I are the only ones down here.”

  “Uh, I don’t know. You’re the only ones I’ve seen...?” he replied, shrugging shoulders.

  “Well, maybe that’s a good thing,” she said, looking at Max. “Oh, and what should we do about this guy?” she added, pointing at the unconscious guard with the mangled arms.

  “I’ll bring back something to tie him up.”

  Then she reached out to shake his hand. “Thanks, Phillip.”

  “You’ll never have to thank me, Aurora,” he said, taking her hand in both of his.

  Then he turned around and vanished down the hall, the door closing behind him and cutting off the light from outside.

  ____________________________

  “It’s probably safer if we use the stairs. Less chance of bumping into someone waiting for the lift.”

  Phillip had kept his word. It was only about an hour before he returned to move them up to their hiding place. He and Aury got on either side of Max, each of them slipping their arm under his to help take some weight off of his injured legs.

  “Can you manage the steps?” Aury asked as they started down the hall towards the light.

  “A few apples ain’t gonna keep me in this place, that’s for sure.”

  “What?” Phillip asked.

  “Apples and pears, stairs,” Aury replied, then she caught herself. “I’ll explain it another time!”

  As they emerged from the stone hall, she noticed the empty desk just outside the door.

  “Where’s the guard?”

  “Uh, that’s the guy you... the guy we just tied up.”

  “Oh, right.”

  Phillip had also kept his word about restraining the man who had attacked Max. He brought some rope back with him and they had secured him to the iron bars, then locked the door to the cell. He was still unconscious when they left.

  It took some effort from all three of them, and especially from Max, but eventually they climbed to the top of the stairwell. Phillip left them there for a few minutes as he made sure no one was watching the cameras in the security room, then he led them out into the corridor.

  “Alright, here it is,” he said quietly, pointing toward an unassuming door. He kept glancing back and forth to make sure no one came around the corner at either end of the hall.

  It was a basic closet, maybe two metres by two metres, and chock-full of small boxes and other odds and ends, leaving only a few narrow gaps for them to squeeze into.

  “If no one is watching the cameras, couldn’t we just walk out right now?” Aury asked.

  “It would be super risky. This place is huge, and like a maze! Trust me, it’ll be much safer using the appliance boxes.”

  She took a deep breath then pushed her way as far back into the closet as she could. Since she was quite a bit smaller than Max, she figured she ought to find the narrowest space and leave the rest for him. He followed and wedged himself between two stacks of boxes closer to the door.

  “All good?” Phillip asked.

  “Peachy,” Max replied with wink.

  “We’re good,” Aury’s muffled voice called from the back. All he could see was her hand sticking out, giving him a thumbs up.

  “I’ll be back in a few hours. Sorry to make you wait so --”

  “Blah blah blah,” Max interrupted him. “Just get goin’! And be lucky, Philly!”

  Then he gently closed the door, plunging them back into darkness once again.

  ____________________________

  The time had passed more quickly than either of them expected. They tried not to talk much at first, worried that someone might hear them. But as their self-control waned under the boredom, they started whispering every now and then. Before they knew it, Phillip had come for them, pulling a large hand truck with a steel platform carrying three spacious appliance boxes.

  “Go go go!” he said in an urgent whisper, waving for them to climb on board.

  Max chose the refrigerator box, pulling the flaps closed and then waiting as Phillip rotated it so that they didn’t swing open again along their journey to the rubbish heap. Aury curled up inside a box that had previously contained an oven. Once she was situated, she noticed a bag in the corner.

  “Hope that’ll do!
” he said with a smile. Aury could tell that he was getting a thrill out of helping them, his blue eyes bright and hopeful. She thought it was kind of cute, actually.

  “Perfect!” she replied, pulling one of the cherry tomatoes out of the bag and popping it into her mouth.

  Then they heard Max’s voice from inside his box.

  “What, no mustard?”

  Phillip laughed.

  “You get used to it,” Aury said with a roll of her eyes. Then he closed the flaps so she was hidden from sight.

  It was a long walk to the service entrance but both of them were thankful not to be ducking in and out of rooms or worrying that someone might be watching them through a camera. In fact, riding along in the boxes was oddly relaxing.

  “Almost there,” Phillip whispered.

  But just then, they heard another voice.

  “Hey, Phil! Phil!”

  “Oh, hey Eric. What’s up?”

  “Not much. Have you been down to see the prisoners?”

  Their cart slowly came to a stop as the conversation continued.

  “Uh, yeah. Why?”

  “Were you down there with Barnes?”

  “No. Uh, I mean, he went down there this morning to cover for me but we weren’t together. I had some prep to do in the kitchen for the delivery,” he said, slapping his hand on the box where Aury was hiding. “Why?”

  “He was supposed to help me with something this afternoon but he never showed up.”

  There was silence and both Max and Aury tried their best to close their eyes and listen carefully.

  “Where you goin’ right now?” Eric asked.

  “Just dumping this stuff outside.”

  “Why don’t I help you, then we can head down to the cells and make sure everything’s alright.”

  “I was just down there,” Phillip replied quickly. “Everything seemed fine.”

  “Well, I think the doctor would appreciate it if I checked on them myself. He’s getting ready to start some tests tomorrow. Wouldn’t want anything getting in the way. Especially the girl. I’m still not sure what she did to me at that house a few days ago. She’s dangerous.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Ok, sure. Um, lemme just dump this stuff, then we can head down there. It’s not a big job, you can just wait here if you want? Sound good?”

  “Sure. Actually, I’ll wait for you by the elevator. I just need to grab something first.

  “Sweet. See you in a minute.”

  ____________________________

  Phillip tossed the boxes into the massive dumpster outside the facility. It was near the wall of the building, just outside one of the service entrances. They hid behind it as they talked.

  “Things are about to get a lot more complicated!” he said.

  “How much time do you think we have before Eric sees that we’re gone?” Max asked.

  “Maybe fifteen minutes? I can’t delay him too long without it being awkward.”

  “We probably can’t just walk out of here in broad daylight, can we?” Aury asked, knowing it was a stupid question.

  The last box was in the dumpster and Phillip was staring down at the ground, his brow furrowed as he looked anxious and thoughtful at the same time. Aury caught herself enjoying the way his dark brown hair curled a little just behind his ear. Then she shook her head and focused.

  “Alright, so we have fifteen minutes,” he finally said. “We’ll just have to work with that.”

  “But how?” she replied.

  “Just sit tight here and stay hidden. I’ll come for you soon.”

  ____________________________

  A couple of people walked by chatting about everyday things, strolling along as though they didn’t have anywhere to be, or anything to be doing. Max and Aury stayed crouched down behind the dumpster.

  Before the voices were out of earshot, another sound arose from the opposite direction. A quiet, whirring sound that was drawing closer and closer.

  “It’s a van,” Max whispered.

  It stopped on the other side of the dumpster and they heard someone get out. Then they heard the side door slide open with a clunk.

  “Come on!” Phillip yelled. “Now! Now! Now!”

  They moved quickly, Max grimacing and groaning as he strained his legs as hard as he could to keep up with Aury who was tugging at his arm.

  “I’m sorry, Maxy!” she said, knowing it was hurting him but knowing she couldn’t stop.

  They leapt into the back of the van and Phillip slammed the door shut. A second later, the vehicle was making a sharp u-turn, and they held onto each other to keep from rolling around in the open space.

  At the same time, they heard the service doors fly open and slam against the exterior of the building.

  “Phil! Stop!” a voice screamed. “You don’t want to do this!”

  Unlike the van that had first brought Daria to the Institute over a month ago, there was a small window between the front and rear cabins. Aury managed to balance herself and slide it open.

  “Are they following us?” she yelled to Phillip.

  “No. He doesn’t need to. He’ll have them lock down the gates.”

  “Can you get past them?”

  Phillip’s head cocked to the side and he twisted his mouth up.

  “Maybe? I was kinda hoping we could slip out before something like this happened...”

  The exit was just now coming into view as they passed over a low rise in the landscape. From there, the driveway made a gentle, curving descent to a pair of gates with a structure in the middle. Aury could see about five or six guards pour out of the small building and position themselves in a line in front of it. Behind them, a pair of solid metal barriers were slowly coming together.

  “Um,” Phillip started, slowing the van down a little to give them a few more seconds. “So, I’m sorry to have to ask but... can you do some kind of sleeper thing and, like, get us out of here?”

  Aury’s eyes widened as she felt the weight of the moment suddenly resting upon her shoulders.

  “Max is the one you want for busting through big, heavy objects!” she replied nervously. “That’s not really my thing!”

  But she knew he couldn’t help. He had slept maybe a few hours in the last two nights. Even if by some miracle he was able to access the dream-state, he’d never be able to channel the power they needed to break down the gates. Not without a full night’s sleep.

  “So, what is your thing?” Phillip asked, his voice obviously desperate yet trying not to demand something from her that she couldn’t perform.

  Aury took a deep breath.

  “Alright, I’ll do what I can. But you’re gonna have to get inside that building and open the gate yourself.”

  “What about the guards?”

  “That’s my thing. Just open the gate and drive!”

  ____________________________

  The security team watched as the van continued down the driveway. They tightened their formation and raised their weapons. Three of them had stun devices, the other two had traditional guns with live rounds. They knew the van couldn’t barrel through the gates. It was going to have to stop, or turn back. They readied themselves to take its passengers into custody.

  But then, as the vehicle slowed down about ten or twelve metres away, they saw something appear between it and them. Something that took at least a few seconds for their eyes and brains to process. And even then, they weren’t sure what they were seeing. Or how they were seeing it.

  It stood on all fours, yet it was at least a foot or two taller than any of them, and as wide as four of them combined. It’s substance was like a shadow that had taken on a life of its own, detached from whatever had cast it. And amidst the blackness there shone hundreds of pulsating green lights, like a field of fireflies on a moonless night.

  Then the thing stood up on its hind legs, and a terrifying growl rolled like thunder from its mouth.

  The men took a step back until they bumped up against the guardhouse.
But then one of them gritted his teeth and stepped forward, brandishing his weapon. It was one of the traditional guns and he raised it up, aiming it at the creature.

  “Get back or I’ll shoot!” he yelled.

  The creature dropped to all fours again and turned its head, staring at him with its piercing green eyes.

  Then the man fired on it. Once. Twice. Three times. Even a fourth.

  His hands were shaking now as he lowered his weapon and took a step back. Then another. And another.

  When the rest of the guards saw what had happened - or, rather, what hadn’t happened, as the bullets flew through the creature, sending up puffs of dirt as they struck the hillside behind it - they joined him in a slow retreat that quickly turned into a sprint. They raced off across the grounds, towards the Institute, forgetting entirely about taking anyone, or anything, into custody.

  As they ran away, the gates shuddered and clanked and whirred into motion. At the same time, the massive shadow bear faded from sight as quietly and inexplicably as it had appeared.

  Phillip came running up to the van. Since the guards had been preoccupied, for obvious reasons, he had been able to walk right past them and flip the switch. He jumped back into the driver’s seat. He didn’t say anything or stop to check on his passengers. He just tore out of the driveway and down the road, moving as quickly as the van could carry them.

  In the rear cabin, an exhausted Aury curled up on the floor, her head resting on Max’s lap.

  “We’re moving?” she whispered.

  “That’s right,” he replied quietly, rubbing her shoulder.

  She let out a deep yawn.

  “I think I’m done for today, Maxy.”

  “You did great, turtledove. I’m proud of you.”

  She smiled and yawned again. Then he stroked her hair as she drifted off to sleep.

  5

  Year: 45-46

  (14-15 years ago)

  YAWN

  Charlie let his jacket drop to the floor, right on top of his shoes. He yanked his tie off and tossed it on the coffee table, then flopped down on his back on the couch, rubbing his forehead with his hand.