Nightmare's Daughter

by Aurora Smith

  Although I felt like Justin was acting unjust this last week and I needed to try and communicate that to him.

  “Seriously, I think that this all started spiraling out of control once Dracula found us after the forest exploded,” I said, pushing the subject.

  “I don’t understand why there was an explosion in the first place. I understand the ones before, where you were trying to make your hand invisible but couldn’t you have waited till Maya was out of the way? What is it you’re doing and why would you put me and Maya in danger like that?”

  “Maya was in danger when she came snooping around and I saved her. But you? You were never in danger. I knew what I was doing.”

  “What were you doing?” he asked again.

  “If I tell you then you will laugh at me,” I said but started laughing at myself before I could even give my brother a chance. Justin was my best friend in the world. I knew I was going to tell him.

  “Dude, what did you do?”

  “I was jealous, okay. Maya freaked out when she saw you coming, I mean she started tearing her clothes off and started doing this flip thing with her hair and I was jealous.”

  “So you what? Made something explode so that you could separate us?” Justin sat up on his elbows with big eyes that looked overly entertained.

  “I may have. I didn’t expect it to work that fast though. I must have used too much glycerol.”

  “You should have known I wasn’t interested in her.” He said, shaking his head at me like the idiot I was.

  “She was interested in you. And why not? She’s cute.” I said.

  “She’s adorable, but she’s not my type. She’s not even your type,” he said and I faltered. Was that true?

  “Oh yeah? And what’s my type?” I sat down on the bed and gave him my full attention.

  “Well, tall, blond, beautiful, fuller…” He had his hands out in front of his chest and I threw a pillow at him.

  “Is that all you think of me?” What was it with boys and boobs? Is it all we really ever thought about? That would be an easy enough thing to not become too obsessed with if I ever dated Maya. Her little body wasn’t anything special, but she did move in a way that made me want to keep looking. Perhaps it was her personality that I was most attracted to. The phenomenon of seeing a person before their body had never happened to me before so I didn’t recognize it when it happened, but it had. She was beautiful to me. The moment I saw her threatening Vanessa with hand gestures for flirting with Justin I found her insanely sweet.

  “She had me in a dream last night and she changed her body and it was weird. She is a strange girl,” I said.

  “She had you in a dream, like she visited you?” He snapped his head in my direction and I wished that that time machine I had worked on had actually worked.

  “Yeah. It was quick. She then decided to mess with me all night with nightmares.”

  “Well she kissed you in front of everyone, so she must like you.”

  “I think she does. I don’t know why, but she does.”

  “Because you’re awesome when you’re not being a jerk,” he said to me and I beamed.

  “Thanks.” I patted his leg. “You are turning into a bit of a jerk though; you need to watch that temper. You look like a big, over-gown French baby with all the fits you’re throwing.”

  “Yeah. I know. I just feel like I can’t control myself when I get upset. Usually it’s when I think of the thing with Carl.” He didn’t look at me and I felt again like a terrible human being.

  “Would you like to come into a dream with me and Maya and see what really happened?” I asked him and his eyes got wide but continued to look at the ceiling.

  “I don’t know if I could relive that,” he said honestly and I respected that.

  “There are some things that you might see that you didn’t see the first time. Whatever you want to do, but the invitation is open to you.”

  “When are you doing it?” he asked.

  “Tonight. I think.”

  “Let me think about it,” he said, his lip quivering with emotion.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Maya, Justin and I stood in the forest where I had first really met Maya. That had been in real life though, and pre-blown up, but the smells were unnatural. The usual woods and dirt aroma was sweet and flowery; it smelled like Maya. I supposed we were all inside her head right now and her senses must be our senses. Fascinating. I wanted inside her head so bad. I pictured her on my operating table, an extracting helmet on her head and me, able to see clearly into her mind.

  I couldn’t do that though. I mean…unless she let me.

  Justin was to my right and he looked like he was about to have a panic attack, he was jittery and constantly calming himself so that he wouldn’t hyperventilate. I didn’t know that people could sweat in their dreams.

  Maya was to my left and she had long, baggy pants on, a turtle neck and scarf, the mischievous smile rounded off the outfit. This girl was positively hilarious, doing the exact opposite of last night, her hair was even a brighter purple to exaggerate how undesirable I should be finding her. It wasn’t working.

  I looked like the old me. The hair on my head felt invigorating and I kept rubbing my hands over the smooth skin on my arms and face.

  “I’m not doing this. Je ne veux pas vous voir brûler à nouveau.” I put my hand on Justin’s head and brought him to me, putting my forehead against his forehead.

  “It’s going to be okay,” I said, not letting on how afraid I was as well. I never, in a million years dreamed that I would actually be in a position like this. The idea revolted me as much as it piqued my curiosity. The scientist in me wanted to see how this worked, the man in me wanted to run.

  “Alright, this is how it’s going to work,” Maya said, her clothes back to normal so we were getting serious now. “Both of you are asleep; I’m going to suggest to your subconscious that you show me what really happened that night.” She pointed to me. “You’re probably going to fight me but I will keep it on track the best I can. All three of us are going to be watching it like it’s a movie.”

  Both Justin and I nodded like mirror images with wide eyes and lumps in our throats. Maya closed her eyes and when she opened them we were in my kitchen at my home in France; Justin, Sheila and I were all leaning against the counter, drinking sodas and laughing. Justin was leaning towards Sheila; her full, perfect face was enjoying the attention. I looked over to real Justin to see how he was doing seeing Sheila alive and vibrant. His face was like stone, he just stared at his dream self and the object of his former affection. I remembered knowing that he liked her, and that I rubbed it in his face that she was mine, but I didn’t see how much she had really enjoyed being around him. Did the two of them have a relationship behind my back? I took a deep breath, not wanting to get upset and bring up the ‘could have happened’ right now; it was hardly the time for that and in the end, did it really matter?

  “Have you already suggested it?” I asked Maya whose face I realized looked slightly unsure. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes. I’m fine.” She stood up straighter and gave me a fake smile. I looked from the scene in front of us and back to Maya then put my arm around her back and hugged her.

  “Have I mentioned yet that I find you extremely beautiful?” I asked her.

  “You haven’t actually,” she said and I was happy that she returned my hug.

  “I haven’t?” I was shocked; perhaps I had just said it to my brother and thought it about one hundred times.

  “You did mention something about how awesome my body was, pretty sure those were your exact words.”

  “Yes, well, there’s that too.” I squeezed her and she answered my previous question.

  “No, I haven’t suggested anything yet. You have taken us here, but I feel Justin a lot, I didn’t think about his dream being mingling with yours.”

  “So you’re going to be seeing both?” I whispered, although it didn’t seem to matter.
I could be screaming right now and Justin wouldn’t hear anything but Sheila.

  “I don’t know what’s going to happen. I’m bringing him into your mind, so I’m assuming I’m just going to be feeling what he’s feeling.

  “What are you feeling?” I was afraid to ask.

  “My heart is aching and scared, and….a little bit, I don’t know, maybe torn.”

  I looked over to my brother again.

  “Stop whispering about me,” Justin said and tore his eyes away from the people in front of him and noticed our mingled bodies. “You two are pretty cute together.”

  I remembered that I had my old face on and I smiled, wanting so much more to find a solution that would cause me to go back to my former self. It was turning into an obsession now, my mind constantly buzzing with different equations. Maya’s face was turned to me and she looked longingly at me. Her cheeks were glowing.

  “You better stop looking at me like that or this dream is going to turn into something completely different and I might get slapped this time.” Thankfully Maya laughed. I was keeping my hands in my pockets like a good boy; this was a different kind of torture though.

  “Are you two ready?” she asked us and all joy left the room. Justin was sharing similar sentiments; I could see it in his big, apprehensive eyes.

  “We don’t have to do this, you invited me after all,” Maya said as she looked from my brother to me.

  “No, I want to do this and it’s not really for you anymore,” I looked at her apologetically. “I really need Justin to see this with me.”

  “Alright, then close your eyes,” she said and I obeyed. “Tell me what happened to Sheila,” she said.

  It was something she had asked before and my mind could easily refuse the information, but right now I felt the memories being dragged out of my cognizance. Reflexes caused me to pull them back but Maya’s hand on my chest made me relax. A smell I recognized filled me; formaldehyde, forgotten blood that hid in the cement below us and the stench of sweat. I greedily clutched to it, we were in my lab at home in France. I opened my eyes, inviting the scene in; I could feel my physical body in bed at camp longing for this place. I walked toward a table but Maya caught my arm and brought me back to her.

  “Stay with me. Don’t interfere,” she said and I clutched to her small hand for comfort.

  Coming down the stairs I could hear Sheila’s laugh and my response to her; Maya was kind enough not to mention anything but watched as Sheila and I found the bottom of the stairs, our hair messier than before when we were in the kitchen, our escape in the stairwell’s hallway ignored by my brother. My stomach tightened at the locked fingers we shared and the desirable face I carried. I reached my hand up to my dream face and it was wrinkled and burnt again.

  “Stop trying so hard and just show Justin what happened, your face can wait,” Maya whispered.

  “Is Justin okay up there?” Sheila asked me, bringing my attention back to my memories. I watched as I shrugged, not caring about my brother standing guard at the top of the stairs. I didn’t look at the Justin besides me; the shame was too deep to face him at that moment.

  “Come here.” I grabbed Sheila’s hand and lead her through the lab to one of the long hallways that stemmed out from the main, circular room that my father and I spent most of our time in. We passed a small room that occupied a very special purpose.

  “That’s where Justin was grown.” The words echoed off of the tightly spaced hallway, the family secret spilled from my lips like it was nothing.

  “How old were you?” Sheila asked.

  “When he was finished I was four years old, I remember it like it was yesterday. My mother was so excited.” A moment of real emotion came out and I watched in awe as I sucked the words back in and then feigned complaisance.

  “How long did it take?”

  “He started the day I was born, Dad took my DNA and began and it took that long for the process to be complete.”

  “So, what does that make him, eleven?” She asked with a laugh.

  “I suppose it does.” I remembered this conversation just now and I wondered if that was in fact the case, and if it was, then that meant that the Justin walking beside me in this dream was mentally a fourteen-year-old. A fourteen-year-old with an eighteen-year-old’s body and expectations. The core of his tantrums were coming more into light and I wanted to weep for my brother whom I had severely abused in our childhood. The fact that he even spoke to me showed volumes to the man that he would become.

  “Okay, listen. Before we meet him I want you to know that he won’t hurt you.” I said and the words echoed off the walls, vibrating back to me.

  “I’m not worried, just come on!” she snapped and we walked the rest of the way to the lone door at the very end of the hall. I knocked on the door and an answer was immediate.

  “Hello, dear.” A woman whose skin was bluish in color who had sagging eye sockets greeted us, and Sheila stepped back in horror.

  “Who is that?” she asked, disgust gushing from her mouth as she pointed at the woman in front of us.

  “That’s Phyllis, she’s not going to hurt you.”

  “She’s disgusting,” Sheila said, still backing away.

  “Who is this?” Phyllis asked me, her clumsy hands on her boney, uneven hips.

  “This is Sheila, my girlfriend.”

  “What’s going on?” A deep voice filled the room and Carl stood in the door frame, Phyllis behind him protectively.

  “Carl, I’m sorry. I brought Sheila down to meet you and she’s being very rude,” I said sternly and Sheila scoffed.

  “You brought someone into my home?” he asked me.

  “You’re Frankenstein?” Sheila asked and walked over to Carl with a new confidence.

  “My name is Carl-it’s nice to meet you,” he said curtly, his black lips curled up under his decaying nose.

  “So he did make you a wife, even after you killed Elizabeth?” I heard the sentence for the second time in my life and I couldn’t believe she’d said it this time as much as I couldn’t the last time.

  “Be gone, insolent child. You will not speak to me in that tone!” Carl rose to his whole, impressive height and started walking towards Sheila, batting me aside like a fly with his unnatural strength. My body squished against the wall and I crumpled to the ground.

  “Get away from me, freak!”

  “How dare you-you foolish baby!” I watched as I managed to get myself off the stone floor and limp back to Sheila and put myself between them. My hand was out in surrender.

  “We’re leaving, alright. We’re leaving right now.” I had my hand on Sheila’s stomach as I side stepped, pushing her down the hallway, out of the zone that his house was in.

  “She has seen my Phyllis, she knows that I still exist. How could you do this to me? After I give your life back to you, you threaten mine?”

  “I’m sorry, Carl. Please, don’t hurt her.” My words made him stop and he looked me up and down.

  “You’re just like your grandfather. You’re full of nothing but love for yourself and no regard for others. You will do well to listen to me right now and not socialize with this girl. Her beauty is skin deep, and I hold you at complete fault for every word spoken today to me and my family.” He growled and I watched as I cowered in front of him.

  “Just let us leave,” I begged. Carl turned and walked swiftly back to his home and shut the door with a slam that shook the glass around the room and a few empty beakers fell to the floor and burst into a million pieces.

  “What’s wrong with you?” I turned around on Sheila who backed away from me like I was the new Carl pursuing her. Justin sidestepped beside me but Maya grabbed his arm so that he wouldn’t interfere.

  “You didn’t tell me that there were two of them. You didn’t tell me that he wasn’t a skinny, tall Zombie-like creature. He is big and hideous and he tried to kill me!” she screamed.

  “He wouldn’t have killed you, he was protecting Phyllis.
” I grabbed her arm and shook her. I remembered the anger that was coming in waves, the tingling sensation of horror that was going through me.

  “Let go of me, you’re hurting me!” She screamed but I put my hand over her mouth so that Carl wouldn’t come back out.

  “Shut up, do you hear me? Shut up!” I yelled and threw her to the ground, towering over her, like I was the man my grandfather had created a few hundred years ago. I let register, for the first time, the confused terror in her eyes. Her hands reached behind her body and felt around on the ground for something that might protect herself from me. She came up with a long piece of jaded glass from a broken beaker. Shaky fingers clung to the glass that was now pointed at me, the edges cut into her delicate skin, slicing her palms. Drops of blood ran down in beads and fell to the floor, the audible drips that hit the cement snapped me out of whatever anger had been consuming me.

  “Sheila.”

  She kept her makeshift knife up in front of her, pointed at me. I went to gather her into my arms, to comfort her and take her back upstairs. I faltered and she moved back away from me, and as she scooted backwards on her butt I looked down at my wrist; a warm, thick crimson liquid ran down a diagonal cut where my arteries were. It came out in spurts with my heart beat, I looked up, shocked. I swore at her and tried to move towards her but I fell, my knees going into a pool of my own blood.

  Sheila walked around me, her knife still out in front of her.