“I’ve been having some bad dreams lately, and I’m not sure what they mean,” he confided.
My shoulders relaxed and I inhaled a deep breath, a relieved smile spreading across my face. “You should drop by the shop today and talk to Harper. She’ll be able to help you.”
“Yeah, I guess I can do that.” He turned back towards the kitchen, sadness in his eyes. “I’ll see how I go. I have some things to do today.”
“See you later then.” As always, I didn’t know what to say. The awkwardness forced me through the back door.
Joe had nothing to do, since he didn’t work. He’d probably spend the day down at the beach or go hiking in the nearby bushland. The money he’d inherited from his Aunty Dawn’s farm had not only bought him the house we all lived in, but also the freedom to do as he pleased. The cost of his new lifestyle was definitely not worth the price he’d paid, though. And I knew Joe was still mourning the loss of his aunty in the house fire at her property the year before. Sometimes Sarah and I worried that he was feeling lost and needed something to focus on, a purpose. I’d tried many times to get him to talk to Harper, but he always found an excuse. Although he’d let his anger and hatred go after losing Dawn, he still wasn’t ready to have someone else interpret his dreams. That was something special he’d had with Dawn.
When I’d started working for Harper at her small store, ‘Dreamers Intuition,’ I’d taken some time to let her interpret my dreams too. It felt as though, by letting her into my thoughts, I was admitting Dawn was truly gone. It felt like a betrayal to have someone else interpret my dreams. One day I grew the courage to relay a dream in which I’d been on the beach. I’d begged a random guy I’d never even met to marry me. Harper told me the stranger was a part of me I didn’t know yet, and that the proposal revealed I was ready to merge my old and new self together. Although my nightmares had tapered off since the MMC had disappeared, just as Dawn had predicted, it was nice to have someone telling me what my dreams meant again. It reminded me of what we had fought for. The right for our subconscious to create our own dreams and desires. The right to be a Dreamer.
Walking towards the small cluster of shops that stood just past the Sandhaven Park and beach, I breathed in the salty coolness of the breeze that made the heat of the sun bearable. It quickened my pace with a new wave of energy, and taking one last look at the clear blue sky above me, I stepped through the door of ‘Dreamers Intuition,’ followed by a round of jangling to announce my arrival.
Stocking shelves on the left hand side of the small shop was Harper, her long dreadlocks woven with strands of blues, pinks and greens. Some of them were adorned with beads and various charms. She kept them from her face with an earthy orange headband, and her warm smile filled me with happiness as she turned to welcome me.
“Amelia! How are you this morning?”
“Good, thanks.” I never felt I could match the joy she radiated, but I was happy to bask in what she exuded.
“Just good? It’s your birthday tomorrow! You should be excited!” She stood and held my shoulders, staring into my eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I tried to sound as though I meant it.
“Have you had a bad dream? You look as though something has ruffled you.”
“Just a strange dream, but I’m really not in the mood to talk about it today. Like you said, tomorrow’s my birthday. I should be excited. Cameron will be here, and you, Sarah and Joe will be too. It’ll be great!”
“That’s more like it. Now can you please finish stocking these shelves so I can get ready for my first appointment? Mr Nolan is coming in for an interpretation and a crystal healing.”
I breathed in her joy once more before she left through the door behind the counter that led out the back. The ‘Dreamers Intuition’ was a small shop with grey carpeting and off-white walls. What made it special were the bright flags that hung from the ceiling, the wall hangings with inspiring and spiritual quotes, the smells of incense and herbs, and the collection of crystals. There was also a small wooden bookshelf filled with various books on dreaming, crystals and natural remedies. Other knickknacks lined the wall along the back of the shop, and a small Buddha sat on the tall counter that served as my desk when customers arrived. One of my favourite items was a large woven dreamcatcher that hung against the front window. It was the only shop in Sandhaven of its kind. Harper insisted it was important not to lose old-fashioned customer service, and to be able to touch and see a product before you bought it. She hated the concept of online shopping, and didn’t accept payment by Wristochip.
I hadn’t turned into a free spirited hippie like Harper. I’d never been interested in those sorts of things. Merely curious. But after working for Harper for almost three months and listening to her talk about peace, love and spirituality, I had become addicted to the positivity of it all. After all I had experienced with dreams, it was hard to shrug off other possibilities.
The doorbell chimed to announce Mr. Nolan’s arrival, and after greeting him I told him Harper wouldn’t be but a moment. I entered through the doorway to Harper’s small room out the back where she conducted her readings. When I’d first seen it, I’d almost laughed at how stereotypical it was. There was Harper with her baggy boho pants and white singlet, her dreadlocks tied in a mass behind her. The walls were adorned with various mandala sheets, and there was a multi-coloured wall hanging of a man with dreadlocks. Harper said his name was Bob Marley. When I’d told her I was unsure who that was, she’d laughed and told me to ask my grandmother. A small table with a purple cloth laid over it sat in the center of a handmade rug woven of all shades of colours, and the smell of patchouli hung in the air. Whereas I looked awkward in such a room, Harper was at home. She was most certainly born in the wrong era.
“Mr. Nolan is here to see you. He looks exceptionally happy and very well-dressed for a dream interpretation,” I teased.
“Oh, I’m sure you’re just imagining it! He’s really sweet, but not my cup of tea. Too pretty in his suit and tie. I’ve actually been seeing someone who is more my type” she smirked.
“Really? And who would this lucky man be?”
“I don’t want to jinx it, but his name is Wade. That’s all I’m telling you.”
I raised my eyebrows and gave her a wink before leaving the room.
Once at the counter, I invited Mr. Nolan to go through to the back room, and then sat myself up on the stool at the counter. Resting on the desk was a dream interpretation book. I found my last spot marked with a torn piece of Post-It note paper, and began reading.
What had attracted me to the job initially was the ‘HELP WANTED’ sign on the window. As well as promising a job, it also suggested the successful applicant would be taught how to interpret dreams. It was almost as though Dawn herself had pushed me through the doorway. The first month I’d kept to myself, doing whatever Harper asked of me. But as her positivity and caring nature seeped inside me, I grew the courage to reveal my story.
Over the next two months, she learned about how I’d met Cameron and Joe, how I’d found out about the MultiMind Corporation, the sad passing of Dawn and then our vendetta against the corporation who had caused her death. She remembered the uproar when the truth about the MMC had been brought to light, and admitted she too was a Dreamer, although the term wasn’t used as much anymore.
She was living further north before the Wristcuff was recalled, and confessed a dream had given her the urge to move further south. When she arrived at Sandhaven she had felt right at home, and purchased the little shop to perform her dream interpretations and sell merchandise. I enjoyed having someone interpret my dreams once again, although they were far and few between, and offered very broad hints at what needed to happen in my life. Dawn had said my dreams would quieten down once I started listening to them, and to my delight, she was right. I may have fought hard to keep my ability to create my own dreams, but knowing they were not warning me of any danger was very comforting.
&
nbsp; Harper had held up her end of the bargain and begun teaching me to interpret dreams. Most of it was remembering the correct meanings for different symbols that appeared in a dream. Despite how many I read and studied, only the very basic interpretations stuck in my mind. The rest seemed to pass through one ear and out the other. Interpreting dreams may not have been my calling, but I’d convinced Harper that if I were able to persuade Joe to study it with her, that he could do it instead of me. I didn’t mean to push it on him, but I had a feeling learning dream interpreting would help Joe take the last step in mourning Dawn, while still holding a piece of her close to his heart. I’d learned that interpreting wasn’t something just anyone could do; it was a gift, just like being a Dreamer.
Jingle Jangle!
The door startled me and I dropped the book, losing my place. Frustrated, I stood up with a fake grin plastered across my face, looking up at our newest customer. His piercing blue eyes and wide smile sent goose bumps racing over my skin.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to my amazing husband Tim for giving me the time to fulfil one of my lifetime dreams, write a novel. Without your support, Dawn of the Dreamer would never have been written, let alone published.
To my friends and family who let me feed off their excitement when I didn’t know if I could indeed publish a book. Thank you for reminding me why I love to write and that I always have your support.
My launch team members who read through the first copy of Dawn of the Dreamer, Mum (Jane), Margaret, Jacqui, Tash, and Tizena, with the rest of the team, Patrice, Kym, Jenna and Michaela, you answered every crazy question I sent your way and gave me your honest opinions. Dawn of the Dreamer wouldn’t be what it is without your input.
I also need to thank Derek Murphy from Creative Indie for redesigning Dawn of the Dreamers cover and giving me the push to re-release. And thank you to Ann-Maree for taking Derek’s designs and getting them ready for print and eBook.
Most of all, thank you to every reader who has purchased Dawn of the Dreamer, followed me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or left a review on Amazon or Goodreads. With your help I have been able to get Dawn of the Dreamer out into the world.
About the Author
Dawn of the Dreamer is the debut novel from author L J Higgins. It is part one of the Dreamer trilogy and is bound to hold the reader captivated. L J Higgins hails from Central Queensland and is a busy full time mum. Her love of books inspired her to return to her dream of writing a novel. The result is inspiring, showing dreams can be achieved if you have self-belief. She hopes to instil in her young children the power and wonderful world of books and dreams. If you believe in yourself others will believe in you which is evident in this exciting novel.
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www.ljhiggins.com
In Their Shoes
A Collection of Short Stories
Only $0.99 on Amazon HERE!
Throughout our lifetimes, most of us will face different hardships, and create many amazing memories. All of those blend together to make you the person you become. Each of us have a different story, taking a different path. Whether you believe someone has taken the right path or not, it is important to remember that we all want the same things in life - to be happy and to be loved for who we are.
In Their Shoes is a collection of short stories that allows you to have a glimpse into someone’s life, giving you insight on how it may feel to be them for just a moment.
Dawn of the Dreamer (Dreamer Trilogy Book 1) Page 24