‘Sorry,’ I said, pulling open the door, ‘guess she isn’t happy with either of us.’
Sliding into the seat, I pulled the door closed hard.
‘She’ll get over it.’ He looked fresher and more awake than I did. ‘I’m just worried how you’ll recover from such an early morning.’
Obviously, I looked how I felt, tired and very lethargic. But by the time we arrived at the farm with the window wound down, the fresh air blowing over my face, I felt invigorated and my energy had returned. We pulled up the gravel driveway and up the hill towards Dawn’s welcoming little house. Although I’d only been there once, it had a sense of being home. All it was missing was my mum and dad.
Inside, Dawn had cooked us pancakes which I lathered with honey and ate, enjoying the relaxed atmosphere and company.
‘How have you been, Amelia?’ Dawn set a cup of tea next to my plate.
‘Good,’ I replied automatically. Then after thinking for a second, I said, ‘Well, okay, it has been a lot to process, but I think I’m getting there.’
‘It is a lot to take in, but I’m glad to see you were happy to come back out here. It’s a good sign.’ She smiled warmly sitting beside me.
She sipped her own tea, the steam releasing a minty aroma.
‘In time, when you are listening to your dreams, you won’t get them all of the time or so vividly. They will only come when you need them.’
As much as I believed what they’d told me so far, I had a hard time believing they’d go away. I’d been having dreams most nights for years and couldn’t imagine not having them, although it would be a blessing.
Dawn must have read the disbelief on my face. ‘All in time, all in time,’ she patted my hand that rested on the table. ‘So what dreams have you dreamt since I saw you last?’ She settled beside me, and this time Joe stayed to listen in.
Explaining the two dreams I’d had in the MMC building with Nurse Cameron, and of course, the young girl, I relayed every detail I was able to recall. After a moment of thought, Dawn explained that the girl’s whispering suggested I needed to pay closer attention to someone or listen more carefully. She represented my vulnerable self, and Dawn guessed I needed to listen to my own needs. Being restrained meant I was holding back and not expressing myself because I felt helpless. I had always been reserved and kept to myself only venturing out riding on the coat-tails of Sarah’s confidence. The return of the bear meant my issues weren’t resolved. It was still after me with great aggressiveness. The betrayal of Cameron represented my fear of being disappointed by him.
Most of the aspects in the dream were recurring, so I had come to grips with most of it. Yes, I was fighting against the MMC, who I assumed was the bear. But I was unsure how I was supposed to confront them, or beat them. And the young girl, her showing me the way, meant I had it in me. I just had to dig deep and find it. The part that had me confused was the role Cameron played. My head told me, don’t trust him. Your dreams say not to, but my heart reminded me of the Cameron I had come to know and trust. Was it in him to be such a horrible person?
Voicing my concerns to Dawn, she advised that she could only interpret my dream and she could only guide me as to what they might mean. This, of course, was no help at all while I struggled with the dilemma in my mind.
Time passed quickly, and soon Joe was ready to head in to the city for work. He promised to pick me up and take me in to the MMC building that evening. He took me for a quick walk back to our grassy spot on the hill.
‘I want you to know how happy I am you are out here.’ He looked at his feet and then up to my eyes, holding my stare for a second before I looked away.
‘So am I.’
‘I promise no matter what happens, I’ll look after you. We have a connection, and I want you to know that.’ He reached out to hold my hands.
‘I definitely feel comfortable and safe around you,’ I admitted to him, looking back into his big brown eyes and smiling.
We stood there holding hands for a moment enjoying each other’s presence.
‘I better head off to work,’ he interrupted.
He dropped my hands and strode over to his old car, starting it up with a roar, and the tyres crunched along the gravel driveway. Turning towards the view of the hills, I was happy and content again, carefree. Although in the back of my mind, I knew my life was anything but carefree at that point.
Dawn and I searched the chickens’ nesting boxes for eggs and fed them grain, and threw a bucket of scraps to her adorable piglets that squealed and grunted with delight. Then I sat on a wood-slatted, iron-framed bench while Dawn watered her beloved vegetables, herbs, and plants. The sun had begun its descent towards the west, and I welcomed the shade from a large Poinciana. I imagined it looked brilliant in full bloom, its bright orange flowers a beautiful contrast against the greens and browns of the thirsty landscape. Mums had always looked out of place, standing alone behind their old shed, but at Dawn’s, it was surrounded by other flourishing plants. It belonged.
‘Do you enjoy gardening?’ She leant over her vegetables pulling weeds. I rose and walked over and knelt down beside her to help.
‘I’ve never really tried it. My mum has always loved plants, but they have to be extremely hardy to survive on the farm.’
Memories of my mother’s attempts at growing various plants had me smiling to the point of almost giggling.
‘My sister, that’s Jonah’s mum, she wasn’t much for this type of gardening, but she always had a fascination with a particular flower. I can show you if you’re interested.’ She wiped her dirty hands on her skirt, and I helped her to her feet.
To the side of the house behind the chicken coop, where the chickens were still busily pecking at the ground, was a small greenhouse made of PVC pipe and green shade cloth. It wasn’t much to look at from the outside, but once Dawn pinned back the flap of cloth that served as a door, her face lit up immediately as did my own. There were stunning flowers ranging from the starkest white through to the brightest pinks and purples potted in shallow black plastic pots. Some pots held green stalks, their roots climbing over the sides, while others looked like they were ready to burst open with colour any moment.
‘They’re beautiful, Dawn. I can see why you and your sister love them so much.’
‘They’re orchids. Susan loved them and got me hooked too. They remind me of her. Lovely and bright, and they always make me smile.’
She grinned, recalling a fond memory, so I let her linger in it a little longer.
Joe’s mother had received her first orchid as a gift when he was born. From that moment she was infatuated, and collected various types and varieties. The heat had taken its toll on a few, but Dawn did her best to keep them alive for her sister.
‘Jonah and his mum were extremely close. He looked after her so well.’ A tear rolled over her cheek. ‘He has grown to be such a wonderful boy. I wish she could see him now.’
‘I’m sure she’d be proud to see the relationship you and Joe have.’ It was obvious they shared a close bond.
Dawn drew in a deep breath regaining her composure, and we left the orchids and the memories behind.
***
As we chopped vegetables for dinner, we didn’t speak about dreams or corporations; we just enjoyed each other’s company. It reminded me how much I missed being home on the farm, and I questioned why I’d been so eager to leave.
Once people got into your mind and started telling what you should and shouldn’t want, it was easy to forget to make your own decisions. You just go with what they tell you, as though the ideas they’d fed you were your own. But where had that led me? Living with my best friend who expected me to follow her around and not live a life of my own. Working for a grocery store and spending every third night sleeping in a Sleep Room full of doctors and nurses who’d had me convinced something was wrong with me.
The worst part was, I had believed them. Until I met Joe. Now for the first time in my adult life, I was mak
ing my own choices. It terrified me, and I couldn’t be sure I was making the right ones, but they were definitely decisions I had made on my own.
CHAPTER SIX
When Joe got home from work, we ate and chatted around Dawn’s little dining table. Then the time came for Joe to drive me into the city to the MMC building. Joe suggested if I stopped going, it could make them start questioning me. We were unsure what they’d do if they were to realise I knew their Wristcuffs were for manipulating the population, which is why Joe continued to work for them. He spent portions of his shifts attempting to find as much information as he could. I had to keep going to my overnight stays in Sleep Room Four.
We laughed and talked on our way into the city, but once we pulled up to the MMC building, a dark fog fell over me. ‘I feel sick.’ My stomach tightened, and my head became light.
‘You’ll be fine,’ he reassured me. ‘I’ll pick you up after you finish work tomorrow if you want.’
‘That would be great.’ I forced myself to smile. ‘At least I’ll have something to look forward to.’
He gave me a little wink and took my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. ‘Have fun.’
‘Of course, always,’ I replied sarcastically.
Climbing out of the car, I proceeded around the corner of the building and through the double glass doors towards the elevator.
On the eighth floor, I scanned my wrist at the front desk, and as she handed me my locker key, my heart rate began to quicken. Scared to see Cameron after such terrible dreams that had made him out to be a villain, I worried that he would be able to tell I was second-guessing him. After putting my bag in my locker, I pushed open the door to the testing room. I glanced around quickly and found that its row of big comfy couches was mostly occupied. There was the general Dreamer crew minus the young girl I assumed had been cured. There was no sign of Cameron.
As I settled into the big comfortable chair, a nurse took a blood sample, and I told her I had been dreaming about the bear in the bush again. I wasn’t fast enough to create a new dream. I didn’t dare relay my dreams set in their facility. Once finished, I hurried out of the, room crossing my fingers in the hope Cameron had called in sick. As I got to the door of Sleep Room Four, I pushed it open to find it empty. No Cameron in sight, but while my head felt relieved, my heart grew heavy at his absence as did my guilt from wishing he had been sick.
‘Boo!’ A surge of shock spread through my body, and I turned to stand nose-to-nose with Cameron. ‘Sorry, I didn’t think you would get that big of a fright.’ He looked straight into my eyes distracting me for a moment. ‘Are you okay?’ he asked concerned with my lack of reply.
‘Yeah, ummm, of course.’ I tried to bring my words together, and I stepped into the room making a beeline towards my bed station.
‘Are you wearing that to bed?’ His puzzled expression encouraged me to look down. I realised in my panic, I’d forgotten to change into my pyjamas.
‘Oh crap.’ It was all I could manage in reply as I hurried back to my locker to retrieve my bag. Then I made my way, head down, towards the bathroom to shower and change.
The bathroom was a boring stark white room, but instead of vinyl for the floors, it had been tiled in the same concrete grey as the rest of the building. Three showers stood next to each other, separate little booths with doors that faced the toilets. One of the girls smiled at me with an awkward expression as she headed towards the door. I walked into the farthest booth along the row, and after sliding the lock, I undressed. I finally managed to get the water to the right temperature and stepped underneath the soft warm flow, my head running rampant with uncertainties.
Could I do this?
I was lying by omission, and I was sure Cameron could read it all over my face. Cameron couldn’t possibly be one of the bad guys. He was a great listener, compassionate, and a good friend, although I didn’t have many friends to compare him against. Maybe that was the MMC’s ploy, to send in attractive, charming nurses to dazzle us and make sure we never questioned them.
No, how could I think about Cameron that way?
He’d spent hours listening to my stories, and I’d listened to his. Despite my reservations, I had to talk to him about the conspiracy and allow him to tell me where he stood for himself. It was only fair ... right?
Dry and in my pyjamas, I was already running behind the rest of the Dreamers. Once again, I walked through the room to my locker, put my bag inside, and then made my way towards my sleep station.
At my bed, I took a deep breath to compose myself. Noticing how loud my exhale had been, I looked around but nobody had noticed, and Cameron was attending to a man a couple of beds away from me. Kicking off my shoes, I lay back onto my pillow and tried to relax and calm myself.
I needed him to tell me for himself.
But what if he was on their side, and he traps me here like he did in my dream? Cameron wouldn’t do that, would he?
I was so immersed in my own questions, thoughts, and theories, I didn’t notice him heading my way until he arrived at my bedside.
‘You’re in your own world tonight.’ He played with the equipment and ran his finger over his tablet, concentrating.
‘Sorry, lots on my mind.’ I wasn’t sure if I wanted him to leave me alone or push me for an explanation.
‘I’m more than happy to listen.’ Finally, he looked at me, his kind smile and mesmerizing eyes confirming that I needed to tell him. ‘Just let me finish with this lot, and I’ll be back.’
He left with his tablet towards the girl next to me.
Breathe, Amelia. Breathe. It’ll be fine.
He would believe everything I had to say and help me with whatever needed to be done next. What needed to be done next? Despite the information Dawn and Joe had given me, I didn’t know what their plan of attack was, or if they’d even come up with one. They couldn’t leave everyone ignorant to what the MMC had been doing. Didn’t everyone deserve the chance to know the truth and decide for themselves? I needed to start asking more questions when it came to Joe and Dawn instead of getting lost in the hominess of their company. Next time I visited the farm, I would ask what their plan was.
‘Back.’ Cameron pulled me from my thoughts; I hadn’t even noticed the main lights had been turned off. ‘Looks as though you still have a head full of thoughts.’
Nervously, I looked around to make sure everyone else was falling to sleep. The only person awake was a young man a few beds away, reading a book.
‘I’m scared you’re going to think I’m crazy.’ I looked into his eyes in anticipation of judgement.
He noticed the tone in my voice. My eyes pleaded for him not to judge me. Cameron pulled a chair next to the bed and sat to be closer to me. ‘Never.’
I hesitated.
‘Go on,’ he said, ‘you can’t leave me hanging now.’ Again his smile eased my fears.
‘I’ve heard something, something about the MMC.’ As the words came out, I began to feel more confident. ‘I heard that they’re trying to control people using their Wristochips-’
‘Enough!’ Cameron demanded, ‘Amelia, stop.’
‘But I need to know-’ Two large man dressed in security uniforms charged through the doorway towards my bed.
Cameron stood, looking at me with desperation.
‘Say nothing,’ he whispered.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Cameron tried to say something else to me but one of the men was standing between us. ‘Someone will relieve you shortly, Nurse Cameron.’
They restrained my arms with a firm grip as they marched me towards the elevator. The eyes of the other patients burnt holes in the back of my head as we exited. I was almost grateful to be leaving Sleep Room Four.
Stepping into the elevator, the man, who I just noticed was bald, pressed the button for Level Ten, and we soon arrived on the tenth floor. As they led me out of the elevator, a small sign on the wall read ‘Psychiatric Ward,’ but I didn’t have time to process this as I wa
s steered swiftly along a corridor into an office. I was instructed to take a seat at the large dark wooden desk, and the guards left the room, closing the door behind them.
The cream walls were decorated with framed certificates, and there were filing cabinets lining the back wall. The desk was bare apart from a pen holder and a manila folder that sat neatly in the middle. The room had become untidy simply by having me sit in it, but despite my mind telling me to run, my body stayed firmly planted on the vinyl chair. It dawned on me to read the certificates for a name of whose office I was occupying, just as the psychiatrist from the night with the ranting lady walked into the room.
Paying me no attention, she made her way to the other side of the desk and sat in a large black leather office chair. She straightened the manila file on the hard shiny desk in front of her and opened it. She skimmed over it, turning a few pages and peering through her black-rimmed glasses. She wore a smart navy jacket that buttoned up, and her hair was pulled back perfectly straight into a ponytail that put my mess of a hairdo to shame. As she flipped it closed, I caught my name on a label stuck to the front, and she promptly slipped it into the desk’s drawer.
‘I am Doctor Janine Muller,’ she began, finally meeting my eyes. Her stare felt so intrusive I instinctively looked down into my lap. ‘I apologise for the abruptness of your removal from the Sleep Room, but something has been brought to my attention that I feel needs to be addressed immediately, to ensure there isn’t any confusion about your testing and why you and myself are here.’
Quietly I sat as still as I could looking up now and then only to be reminded I felt safer avoiding eye contact with her. Her piercing blue eyes looked as though she could read my every thought.
‘I understand you have been given false information about this company and why you’re here. I would like to give you a better understanding of what the MultiMind Corporation has done to enhance our existence, and for you to take this opportunity to share your concerns with me ...’
Dawn of the Dreamer (Dreamer Trilogy Book 1) Page 5