by D. H. Quinn
I decide quickly. “Fine. I want you to be a genuine friend to me, someone I can trust completely,” I picture it then and all it entails. Arden’s face grows serious as he looks up at me.
“I feel it. I feel the loyalty,” he says with genuine happiness. He then grabs me into a tight hug. “Thank you, Kamari.”
“You are welcome although I should be thanking myself.” He releases me and pops some more cotton candy in his mouth.
“Don’t tell anyone about this, especially no one close to Jack or Jack herself. She may use it for her own benefit.”
“I won’t tell her anything,” he says. The last thing I see is Arden’s eyes floating away from me as I awake in my bedroom. It is about two hours earlier than I am supposed to awaken. Too much of my energy was spent in my dream.
Chapter Five
I lay in bed, squeezing my eyes shut, the sun peeks through my sheer curtains and I no longer feel tired. Each day I am more enthralled with the dreamworld, caring more about the people and relationships I have in there than in real life.
I turn off the alarm on my phone before it can ring and quickly complete my morning routine. At work, everything is easy going with not much work to be had. Still, I resist the urge to research more about my dreamworld. I do check my email though for a response from the blog but have not received a reply.
One of my coworkers who I am friendly with and who I happened to be talking to at lunch invites me to a bar/ pool hall that some of the coworkers are going to later tonight. I usually say no, honestly I always say no but this time I say yes. I want to take back my answer after her surprised reaction. What if it is a pity invite, one that she never expected me to accept?
“Good, I am glad you can make it,” she smiles genuinely and the tensions in my body relax.
I rush home to find an outfit after work. I am not a social person, I don’t do things outside of work or small family gatherings. I call my brother instantly. “Robert,” I say in a panic.
“Yeah.”
“I’m going to a bar with a pool hall, what should I wear?”
Robert laughs deeply, “why are you asking me? I just turned eighteen and have no experience with that whatsoever.”
“Ugh, I know I am pathetic, I just don’t have anyone else to ask.” I sigh.
“Jeans and your nice sparkly shirt should be fine. Why are you going? That’s really out of character for you.”
“I just want to engage in my life more.”
“You sound like mom.” He laughs again this time with a hint of teasing.
“Don’t say that,” I say with a laugh of my own.
After a few seconds the line goes silent. “Hey I texted you earlier this week but you didn’t respond.” It is unusual for Robert to ignore me. We have always been truthful with one another and never afraid to talk about our problems.
“Yeah I am sorry. It has been a busy week,” he sounds strained.
“It’s alright. I just wanted to see if you were doing okay.” I clench the phone close to my ear, awaiting a response.
“I am fine Kamari.”
“Good and just know that I am here to talk to you if you need me.”
“Thank you and I know,” he pauses. “Now get off the phone and get ready!”
“This is a bad idea, I mean what if,” I start but Robert interrupts.
“Just go, it will be fun and besides you are really good at pool. You can at least win some money.”
“Thank you, Rob. Bye.”
“Bye! Have a fun night!” He hangs-up on me before I can complain more about my doubts. I go with his advice. I have some dark skinny jeans and a silver sparkly top. I put some product in my hair which tames some of the frizziness of my curls. I retouch my makeup from my work day and add some eyeliner and eye shadow.
I say goodbye to my dog and head out through the garage. Luckily the place was only a ten-minute drive from my house or else my nerves would have built up quite a bit more and I may have turned around to go home. It is 7:15pm now and my coworker had said they were meeting at 7pm. Perfect, I did not want to be the first one here.
I recognize my coworker’s red car with a small star decal on the back window. I see her start to walk in. “Kristina,” I call out and she turns around. She wears a tight fitting dress and I worry about my own clothing choice.
“Hey Kamari, you look great.”
“Thanks! So do you!” I smile shyly.
We talk about food and drink choices and head inside. A group of familiar faces waves us over once inside. It is mostly women from the office but two men I recognize sit in solidarity together.
They greet us happily and we give our orders to the waitress. The food is greasy but satisfying. The drinks are strong but tasty. We end up in the pool hall section of the bar. I win two rounds and the others are impressed.
“Hey Kamari,” Kristina calls me over at one point. “Do you know that girl?” She points over in the corner of the hall. I recognize her immediately as the girl I had met in the burger place and had given a ride to.
“Yeah I do. How long has she been there?”
“I don’t know but she has been staring at you for at least ten minutes.”
“Okay, thanks,” I walk over to the girl.
“Hey,” I say louder than I intend to.
“Hello,” she says politely.
“What are you doing here?”
“Hanging out.” She seems more relaxed than the last time I saw her. “You?”
“Same, hey are you alright after all that happened?” I cross my arms across my chest.
“Fine.” She glances around the bar.
“And the thing that was chasing you?”
She raises her eyebrows at me. “The man, he left me alone.”
“No you said it,” I say too loudly. I can’t stop myself now. I had to know. “You said it was after you and I saw it in the window, it wasn’t a man.”
The girl looks annoyed now, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“And I don’t know why you are following me and staring at me for ten minutes straight.” Frustration seeps into my tone. She knows something.
“I wasn’t staring at you.” She stands up and slings her bag around her shoulder.
“My friend saw you. She was creeped out.”
“I’m just going to go okay?”
“Good.” She storms out of the building quickly. I want answers but that may not have been effective. It had to be a coincidence that we were both here. Then why is my intuition screaming at me that she is important?
“Everything okay?” Kristina comes over to check on me.
“Fine she was on her way out, hey you think we can hustle some of the guys in here?” I glance around the bar and smile mischievously. I need a distraction.
She grins back. “I think you could, and I will give it my best shot.” We find two guys at the bar. Both are a bit older than us. One is tall and muscularly built wearing blue jeans, a tank top and a backwards hat. The other is smaller in frame but his eyes catch mine immediately. He has short light brown hair and wears a t-shirt and jeans. His friend introduces him as Liam.
“No wager though for real money, just drinks,” the friend who introduced himself as Tom says
“What are you afraid?” Kristina teases.
“No but we already saw her play, so, smart is the word we prefer,” Liam says with a charming smile that melts my heart. His eyes though are the most noteworthy, a sparkling pale blue.
Our game progresses until Liam and I are left playing. Kristina and Tom went to the bar a while back and did not return and honestly I did not mind. Liam and I‘s conversation flows well and we laugh loudly together. Feeling so comfortable with someone is refreshing.
I shoot the last shot and sink the winning ball. Liam smiles at me. “Nice job. What would you like to drink?”
“I think I am good, I’d like to take a walk though,” I say feeling the stuffiness of the room hit me.
&nb
sp; “Yeah me too.” He seems to be silently considering something then adds, “mind if I join you?”
“Of course, let me just say goodbye to Kristina,” I say and do so promptly. Kristina gives me a hug and thanks me for coming out tonight.
The air is fresh when we step out but also somewhat nippy. I shiver noticeably and Liam laughs. “Maybe it isn’t the best time for a walk.” He rubs his own bare arms.
“It wasn’t this cold when I came in.”
“It wasn’t this late either.” He glances at his phone and shakes his head disapprovingly. The time in bold states 2:10am.
A strong wind blows hard and we both shiver. I could say goodnight, I should, but instead I invite him into my car. I turn on the heat and we both warm our hands. I contemplate my ability to drive. “How long have we been talking?” I ask.
Liam looks at his phone ago. “Woah must have been three hours ago.”
“That was the time of my last drink,” I say and realize I am now sober.
“Good, so we can go for a drive then. I don’t have my car here but if you want to drop me off I live about ten minutes out.”
“Whereabout?” I ask. He says my cross streets and I can’t help but grin. This feels like fate.
“You are my neighbor.”
“No way you live in Villa Vista?”
“I do.”
“Well then we can see each other again.” There is hopefulness in his tone that makes me grin.
“I’d like that.”
I pull out of the parking lot and take my time navigating the streets just for the extra time with him. I finally feel the tiredness hit me. This was not even close to my regular bedtime. He directs me to his house which is just a few streets down from mine.
We exchange phone numbers. He gets out of my car and we finally say goodbye. He walks down his driveway and then he pauses and turns around. He comes up to my driver’s side window, his hands neatly tucked in his pockets.
I roll the window down and feel my heart beat enthusiastically. He leans down, a smile on his face. “Hey Kamari, I had a great night with you.”
“So did I.” We pause as we gaze into each other's eyes and then he leans in and kisses me gently and so sweetly.
He rests his forehead against mine, “I’ll call you.” He walks away from the car.
“Goodnight!” I call out and he turns around and waves before entering his garage. I head home and it only takes me two minutes. Once I let my dog out, who is fast asleep when I get home, I flop down on my bed and fall fast asleep.
I appear in front of the candy store and sigh deeply. I now want to be in the real world. I have something there. The lights I pictured to decorate the streets glow beautifully against the night’s sky. Half of the apartments are lit from within, must be new residents already.
“Kamari!” Aleksander waves. He stands near the entrance of the department store. Clear panic is present in his eyes. He jogs over to me. He is dressed in a pair of shorts and a white t-shirt. My heart still regrettably thumps at the sight of him.
“Hey are you alright?” he asks me once he stands only a few inches in front of me. He studies my face.
“Seriously how are you always where I am?” I cross my arms in front of my chest.
He takes a small step back and his face grows cold. “I was actually looking for you. Arden was freaking out saying that you were extremely late. He was worried that something happened to you after what you created last night.”
“I am sorry, I actually just went to bed. I was out late. I met somebody.”
Aleksander’s face shifts to disappointment. I want to tell him he has no right to look that way especially when he cut it off before it even had a chance to start. “Oh.” He glances down at the ground.
“Where’s Arden now?” Aleksander and I could still be friends after all or at the least allies.
“He’s home. I sent him there and promised to find you.”
“I should call him.” I know how worked up Arden could get. Now that I made him a loyal friend, he must have wanted to report to Jack but also he would want to protect me. His fear may have conflicted with his loyalty.
“I will,” Aleksander says, phone already in hand. “Hey Arden, yeah I found her, I guess she woke up late.” He listens and I can barely make out Arden’s voice. “Okay, let’s meet halfway then.” Arden speaks for a moment and then goes silent. Aleksander places the phone in his pocket.
“You have done the impossible, you have made Arden a bit crazier. What exactly happened in your last visit?”
I make a quick thoughtless decision. I picture Aleksander having loyalty for me as well and I figure it works because it worked on Arden but Aleksander’s expression does not change. “I made Arden loyal to me.”
Shock crosses Aleksander’s face. I explain the situation with the new dream walkers and he says everyone was aware of their creation. I explain how I changed them and how I changed Arden. I explain how he begged me to.
Aleksander’s face grows serious. “We need to go.” He glances back at the candy store. I follow his brisk pace. He tilts his head forward. Something is weighing heavy on his mind. “It wasn’t a good idea,” he finally says. “Arden is fragile, no wonder he is so riled up and for you to make him into something he is not feels wrong.”
“It was not the best idea, I agree but it was what he wanted.”
“Arden is a victim. He hardly knows what he wants. It is unfair to listen to him,” Aleksander shakes his head disapprovingly.
“Everyone is a victim here and I am just trying to avoid making myself weaker. If Arden reports everything I do to Jack, it could be so much worse for me.” I stop walking and feel the fear and powerlessness Jack has created within me. “I don’t want to be afraid,” I say in a near whisper.
Aleksander stops walking and turns towards me. He grabs my hands and his thumbs rub the top of them. This gesture surprises me. “The first time experiencing that is terrifying. I am sorry she did that to you. I didn’t think she would,” he says with a disheartening look on his face.
“I don’t see it getting any better,” I shiver.
“I am sorry but it doesn’t.” He grips my hands tightly and then releases them.
“But what if I could help change that, what if I could change her,” I say as the thought comes to mind. I could make Jack a more benevolent boss or maybe a dream walker who desired to leave the city and be in millions of humans’ dreams. The thought pleases me.
“Look the difference between Arden’s level and her level is astronomical, it is unlikely that something that works on him would work on her.” We begin walking again both knowing that Arden would most likely be waiting for us.
“We don’t know until we try. You seem pretty bent on keeping her in power. What would be the harm in trying, she can’t read minds can she?” I ask as an almost joke but realize the irony of my words. The first time I had met her she had been in a psychic’s tent.
“No but she can read situations. From the talks I heard today she is already aware that a shift is occurring in the city and she is not too happy about. She suspects the source is you.” A distinct chill runs through me. “I trust that you will make the right decisions but just be careful.”
We walk silently for a few minutes until Aleksander speaks. “So what did you do on your night out?” He asks. His face is guarded.
“I went out with a friend, played pool, had some drinks and made some new friends.”
“Are you any good?” He asks me, “At pool?” he clarifies.
“Decent,” I lie.
“Maybe we will have to play some time together.” A genuine smile crosses his face.
“If we make a wager I’d be willing but apparently I don’t get any days off as she ordered,” I roll my eyes.
“I can work on that,” Aleksander nods and I see giddiness in his eyes. What is happening? I want to ask. Didn’t you draw the line between us and now you just asked me on a date. Maybe it was a friend da
te because of his new loyalty. Guilt bubbles inside of me. Maybe I had changed his wishes and he hadn’t even realized. How could one smile from him make me forget entirely about the real world? How could I so quickly forget about Liam? None of this is real, right? I attempt to convince myself.
We find Arden in an alley way and he frantically waves at us when he sees me. “Stop,” Aleksander says. He is close to my side and he grips my arm. In the corner of my eye, a Mahrt is in the shadow, lying in the path between us and Arden. I try not to look at it too much but the movement it makes catches my eye.
A mass of blackened limbs with hands and nails each more grotesque than the other pulsate. The arms reach out into the alleyway. Some crawl on the ground, inching forward, others reach into the sky aimlessly. Either way they almost entirely block the tiny alley.
Aleksander signals for Arden to come over to us. Arden shakes his head vehemently. “Even if I get over there we would need to travel way farther,” Arden shouts across to us. “There wouldn’t be enough time.” The Mahrt does not react to Arden’s voice, however Arden clasps his hands over his mouth as if it did. I risk a glance and the Mahrt stirs, letting out a small cry. I don’t look long enough to see where the cry comes from.
Aleksander grips me tighter. “Close your eyes and trust me,” he whispers in my ear and I nod and obey. He pulls me forward and to the side. We are going towards this monster and I hesitate. My pulse quickens. “Kamari,” Aleksander pleads lowly and I move forward once again.
Aleksander pushes my shoulders against the brick wall so that my back is flush against it. We shuffle slowly. Something cold and dead grazes my ankle. I resist the urge to jump and scream. Nothing touched me! I scream over and over in my head. We continue shuffling, Aleksander’s grip constantly reassures me.
“Almost there,” Aleksander whispers softly and I sigh with relief. “One more,” Aleksander tells me and we suddenly stop moving. Aleksander’s grip releases me and I believe we are safe. I open my eyes and face Arden with a goofy grin then his face drops.
A soft touch on the back of my hair, almost like a caress alerts me. Aleksander reaches out to grab me but I am being tugged backwards. The coldness of the hand hits me first, like a block of ice placed directly on my skin, a slimy film covers the hand. The nails reach around and dig deeply into my throat.
