by D. H. Quinn
Auggie jumps up and greets me and I scratch behind his ears. “At least one of us had good dreams,” I say to him and he perks up his ears and wags his tail. My day consists of my usual work day with no weird interruptions and I am relieved. My dreams are enough for me to handle.
My brother calls me after work. “Hey Robert, how’s it going?”
“Me and Jessica broke up,” he says numbly.
“Was it your dinner because I thought that went great?”
“No, that was fine. She just keeps saying that I am acting differently towards her,” He sighs. His voice sounds strange but I attribute that to his current sadness about his breakup.
“Well, are you?” I ask, unsure of what else I could say.
“Am I what?” I hear the irritation in his tone.
“Are you acting different?” I ask.
“Of course not!” He snaps then silence fills the line. I stay silent as well. I have never dealt with him being angry at me.
“Well, I am sorry she broke up with you,” I say as gently as I can.
“Thanks, I need to go,” he says and hangs up rather quickly. I have a pit in my stomach after the call but I need to give him time. He loved Jessica.
I cuddle into to bed rather early, falling asleep quickly.
Chapter Four
I walk swiftly with my head down. Where should I go? Aleksander flashes in my mind. He tried to warn me about Jack hadn’t he?
I wander down the streets and side streets feeling more and more lost. It is hopeless for me to progress in this city. I glance around to ensure no one is watching me. I have the power to create. I close my eyes picturing a phone with special GPS capabilities and I suddenly feel the weight of the item in my hand. I open the GPS app and silently pray that this would work. I type in Aleksander and a pin with his face pops up.
“Yes!”
I press the pin and it shows me a route to him, only a ten-minute walk thankfully. I follow the map closely. The shadows move. Mahrts are around these streets but not nearly as many as there are in that hole. I shiver at the thought of their claws on my skin, of their mouths ripping me apart. I awoke without any bandages and in a new set of clothes as if that whole debacle never happened but mentally they still cling to me.
The map might lead me into a void, the thing that Arden fearfully described. If the voids are worse than Mahrts, I could only imagine. The thought of Arden causes rage to boil within me. Maybe his naivety had all been an act. I am such a fool. I started to believe that I could help him but with what Gavin had told me, I should have known. I should have known how he felt around humans, he must have been repulsed by me the entire time.
My map stops and I arrive at Aleksander’s location. Jack may be around so I check for her on the map and her location seems far enough for comfort. I switch back to Aleksander and look up at the house he is in. A typical suburban neighborhood surrounds me. Houses cut from the same pattern, gray roofs, green grass, and four large windows stand in a perfect row.
Is this where Aleksander lived? Not where I would have imagined him. I turn off the app and head to the front door. I knock lightly, awaiting a response. Aleksander opens the door. He is dressed casually once again, his hair looks freshly washed. His face is slack until he sees me. He looks down the street and then gently grabs me by the arm and pulls me in the front door.
Once the door is closed and secured he speaks, “how did you find me?”
I show him the device in my hands. “I can create things,” I say simply as if he and the whole dream world did not already know this. “Did you know about what Jack was going to do to me?” I ask. I watch his expression closely.
He gives no hint of guilt only curiosity as he speaks, “wait, what happened?”
“Arden set me up with a bunch of Mahrts.” I wince at the memory.
“What?!” Aleksander shows what I perceive as genuine concern.
“Yes, they tore at me, I thought I would die in there, the pain was unbearable.” I grip myself into a self comforting hug.
“Let’s sit down,” Aleksander tells me. We head to the right from the main entrance into a simply decorated living room. Gray couches sit on top of a blue rug. Aleksander has a large TV mounted on the wall and a painting of a sunset but hardly anything else that decorates his walls. A coffee table sits in the center of the room with a stack of books on top. An end table with a small lamp stands in the corner.
I sit on the smaller couch and he sits on the larger one. He leans forward, studying me closely. “First off, are you alright?”
“I am, once I escaped and woke up I felt much better.”
“And you think Jack set you up?” he asks. His eyes narrow as he tilts his head slightly.
“Well, Arden pushed me and I know you tried to warn me about her. Arden works for her, doesn’t he?”
“It’s not that simple,” Aleksander shakes his head. “And none of what you are saying makes sense. Tell me exactly what happened.” I tell him slowly, piece by piece, from Arden taking me to fix the bridge, to seeing the Mahrts, to being pushed in, to fighting to stay alive.
“And the Mahrts were distracted and I finally climbed up the ladder.” Aleksander puts his hand up to stop me.
“What were they distracted by?” He asks.
I hesitate to respond. Could I really trust him? He waits patiently for my answer. I swallow the small lump in my throat that formed during the retelling of my story. “There was a figure, a human, another one in the city, they saved me.”
“Did you see what they looked like?”
“No.”
Aleksander momentarily processes my response then speaks. “Another one got in, it is impossible,” he says.
“Jack didn’t tell you?” I ask. He shakes his head in confusion.
“Well, if what she said is true then the barrier in this city is breaking down. It won’t be a safe haven for much longer.”
Aleksander leans back a bit and releases a deep breath. After a long pause he speaks, “It just doesn’t make sense. I mean Jack is an opportunist, having you on her side would be more beneficial to her than turning you against her.”
“Then what does make sense?” Anger arises in my voice. From my perspective it was all bad.
“Arden was afraid, made a mistake like he often does,” Aleksander shrugs. “Look I know you want to make Jack your enemy, but her purpose is always for the greater good of the city.”
I roll my eyes. “I did not choose to make her my enemy. I am not blind Aleksander, I see how you and Arden cower in her presence,” I say with more force than I intend to.
“I have to remember my place sometimes and besides Arden, he cowers at almost everything. I will do you a favor. I will bring Arden here.” He reaches for his pocket and pulls out a phone.
“No, wait,” I stand up. “I don’t think I am ready to face him and I don’t think he trusts me enough to tell me the truth.”
“Well, that will be fine because he trusts me, you can hide in the kitchen and I will hear his side of the story.”
“Fine, call him.” I bite my lip nervously. If I did not have to confront Arden directly then maybe this would go better. I am not good at standing up for myself.
I sit next to him on his couch. We sit for a few minutes in silence while we wait. I pick up one of the books from the end table, a horror book I had never heard of by Stephen King even though I had read so many. I hold it in my hands, examining the cover closely. “You like to read?” I ask him.
“Used to but the books here are kind of jumbled messes, that isn’t even a real book,” Aleksander smirks.
“I noticed,” I flip through the pages and see that many are blank, others are filled with scrambled sentences and letters. “Wait where are the legible books?” I place the book back on its stack.
Aleksander’s hand touches the back of his head and he glances around. “Outside the city, where human memories of things are stronger. The books were somewhat more coherent.”
>
“Could you just bring some back here?”
“I haven’t tried,” Aleksander’s face looks strange. He clears his throat. He opens a drawer on his coffee table and takes a remote out. “But don’t get me started on the tv,” he points a remote at it and it flickers on. A small man stands in the background of what looks like a painting of the sunset.
“This is the only channel,” he sighs and a small grin plays on his lips.
“What?” I laugh. “Does he do anything, move forward at least?”
“No, this is it,” Aleksander laughs as well.
“I could help with that,” I say. “What would you watch if you could watch anything right now. I shift closer to him, our legs comfortably touching.
“Well,” he rubs his chin, “in my days out there I remember being with a girl a few years younger than me and we were both children. We would watch an Xmen cartoon on repeat, I have to say I am sad I never saw it since.”
“Lucky for you, I think I know what you are talking about.” I close my eyes and picture what I can remember. It’s much harder than I expected. The result is a bunch of random scenes playing out in a nonsensical order.
The theme song and opening play perfectly and then Wolverine comes out. “He was not this buff!” He looks accusatory at me.
“I am pretty sure he was,” I grin cheerily.
“His jaw was never that sharp,” Aleksander teases and nudges me with his shoulder.
“I think it was.”
“Is this what your into because my God no guy could ever compete.”
I shove his shoulder back playfully. “No, hardly.”
“Are you sure because you really seem to focus on him.” I glance back at the screen just in time to see a close up of Wolverine’s lower back and butt. We burst into laughter.
“What powers would you choose if you could be an Xmen?” Aleksander asks as our fit of giggles stops.
“I think the whole psychic powers are impressive, I mean psychic energy projecting, using everything around you as a weapon, not necessarily in others’ heads.”
“You wouldn’t want to know others thoughts?” Aleksander’s eye lock onto mine and a shiver runs through me.
I shake my head surely. “Too intrusive, beside I can barely handle my own,” I laugh but it sounds hollow.
“You wouldn’t want to know what others think of you.” He leans close to me.
“Would you?”
He leans back and glances at the TV. “I would hope I know enough about myself to not have others opinions affect me,” he shrugs.
I lean towards him, taking back the distance between us, feeling a pull to be close to him. His mouth opens slightly, his eyes examining me curiously. “I think that wouldn’t be an issue for you. I think you would learn positive things about yourself that you never realized.”
“Like what?” Aleksander laughs.
My words begin before I can stop them. “You’re kind and caring. You have a way of making people feel welcome, you’re strong and brave and have a great smile,” I smile and he smiles back.
“You don't know if that's true, that may be just your impression.”
“I still think I am right, I wouldn't have came here had I not felt that from you.” I sigh.
“There wouldn't be negative about you either then.” His expression is sincere.
I laugh uncomfortably, my hand reaches up for my hair.
Two quick knocks break the moment. “Arden,” Aleksander says reluctantly. I hide in the kitchen as proposed, sitting on the floor, my back against a counter, facing away from the living room.
“What is it Aleksander?” Arden questions. Their footsteps enter into the living room.
“I wanted to know what happened to the human girl,” Aleksander says. The wording of his sentence hurts me. The term human girl is used as if I am an item and not a person.
Arden sighs loudly. “I panicked,” he says and silence falls between them, “she’s dangerous, the Mahrts were all coming at us and I just pushed her in.”
“What did you tell Jack?” Aleksander asks and I can hear the faux surprise in his voice.
“I didn’t. Just said she woke up when we finished the bridge.” His voice is shaky.
“You know she will find out.”
“You don’t have to tell her, please!”
“I wasn't going to tell her but there were witnesses to what happened and she was already getting suspicious with the human missing for a day. So, it might be better if you tell her yourself.”
Arden sighs. “What should I do?” He sounds like a small pleading child. I stand up then, feeling guilt for listening in on their conversation. Arden startles when he sees me and although I want to be angry at him I just cannot find that within myself. I clench and then unclench my fists.
“You should think before you act. Do you even care what it was like for me down in that pit with all of them?” I ask. Tears form in my eyes as I recall the horror. Arden just looks down with no response. “I am going to let Jack know that I do not want to be around you ever.”
“No no no please don’t do that,” Arden says shaking his head adamantly and I enjoy seeing him squirm after what he put me through. He finally looks into my eyes and I break eye contact in guilt. Don’t you remember the pain? The feeling of their claws and their teeth? “She will send me back out, she won’t have mercy on me, please.”
Arden sits on the larger couch and I join him, my resolve crumbling. I touch his hand then in an attempt to comfort him but he goes rigid at my touch. Aleksander clears his throat and leaves his seat to go to the kitchen. “I want to trust you Arden. I know what has happened to you has been traumatic but not all humans want to hurt you,” I say and then I release his hand.
“I want to believe you,” he says and his eyes mist over.
“How about this? When either of us see a potentially dangerous situation we can talk to each other first. For example, the Mahrts in the pit, they did not have a way out. They could not have physically gotten out of there and they would not have reached us, I know this as a fact,” I say slowly.
“OH,” Arden says and he looks down once again.
“So, the next time we see a threat we can work together to solve the issue.”
“Fine,” Arden nods.
“And I won’t tell Jack anything,” I say. Aleksander reenters the room; a look of relief crosses his face.
“And you won’t mention our little meeting here or anything about Kamari being in my house,” Aleksander says sternly. I like the way my name sounds on his lips, much better than being referred to as the human girl. I find myself stupidly smiling at him and he smiles back.
“What are you doing in his house?” Arden asks, his face fills with curiosity.
“I trust him,” I say simply, “and I didn’t know who was on my side but for some reason I know he is,” My gaze wanders to Aleksander and I catch his eyes. The heat in the moment is intense and I know my cheeks have gone embarrassingly red.
“Arden could you step outside for a moment?” Aleksander asks, his voice husky. He must have felt it too. Arden sits still. “You will need to call Jack and get her assignments for the day and Jack would like to know that Kamari is in fact not missing.”
Arden stands then. “Yes of course.” He bows stiffly and then exits the room and then the house.
I stand up then, taking it as my cue to leave as well but Aleksander approaches me and grabs my arm. The heat of his grip hums on my skin and I look up into his eyes. He quickly looks downwards. “I had a dream walker and human relationship before ” he confesses and I can tell it is difficult for him. “And it was a bad idea,” he drops his hand from me.
“Oh no, I understand, I am sorry if I made this uncomfortable” I break our eye contact feeling ashamed. Of course, a dream walker would not want me. What a ridiculous concept.
“No, Kamari, it's just that we could never be together realistically. You will find someone in the real world and alth
ough I could fill your dreams, I could never fill your heart, not completely.” He speaks quietly.
“I said I understand,” I say lowly and turn to leave his house. He does not stop me.
Arden stands on the street and examines the surroundings of this neighborhood. He looks back to business as usual. He walks off once he sees me and I assume I am supposed to follow him so I do.
I catch up to him and carefully match his pace. “Do you like him?” Arden asks me and a playful smile forms on his face.
“What?” I ask dumbly.
“Personally, I don’t like him too much but I trust him. Jack likes him a lot.” He says the last part with so much emphasis that it is an obvious warning.
“I realize that and the last person I want to not like me is Jack,” I say and he nods. I got his message .
“Good,” Arden replies.
We quickly arrive at our next destination. I stand in front of the group of little boys I had encountered previously. We stand on a plot of empty land with nothing but spurts of grass. “I told you she was a weird one,” one of the boys speaks up, arms across his chest. The boys all move at once, walking towards me and I step back.
“They know you?” Arden asks, his voice raises slightly.
“Yeah, they were the first ones to greet me at the gate.” I use greet loosely. I cross my arms and raise my brow at them.
“This is who you want to help us?” One of the boys asks Arden, clearly doubtful.
“Well yes, she has the powers to help you.”
“Well we all need a home,” the same boy says as he examines me closely.
“I can do that,” I reply. Tension easing out of my body. These kids were homeless?
“But we want it our way,” another boy chimes in. I almost want to ask where their parents are but I remember Arden’s comment about dream walkers not having parents.
“Ok. What were you hoping for?” I ask.
They all shout out little add ons and unnecessary items that they want including a slide instead of stairs, a pool, a game table, and a soda fountain. I raise my hand to calm them. “Let’s start with a base,” I say and they all nod. I count the amount of boys and picture that amount of bedrooms along with half the amount of bathrooms mainly upstairs. I picture a kitchen and living room downstairs with lots of space for their addable items.
