Dreamlander

by Samantha Liddell

  “No comment,” Scott replied.

  “Oh, Scott, give me something, anything, please.” I laughed.

  “I will give you a nice, hot buttered piece of toast,” Scott replied.

  Not what I was intending, but I was ravenous so accepted his offer and left it at that.

  The rest of the day was filled up with organising our trip away. We were only going to be away for two nights, but I would be sleeping in the same tent as Scott as he only owned a two-man tent for when he and Brysen went camping. This should be interesting, I thought. I promised him I would do my very best not to have any more sexy dreams that involved him, but I couldn't really guarantee it, it was out of my hands somehow.

  Later that morning we meet up with Brysen for coffee. Yes, this seventeen-year-old son of Scott’s was indeed very mature and civilised for a teenage boy. I felt like I was talking to a mature adult while in conversations with him. The topics he was most interested in were not your usual teenage boys’ interests. Of course, he loved to talk about his music and anything to do with bagpipes, but he also had a vast knowledge of Scottish history and politics and a bit of an obsession with aeroplanes. He could name and describe to you over twenty different types of planes and the history in their manufacturing.

  Not only did Brysen have a good head on his shoulders, he was also a very handsome young man. He took after his father in the looks department, so it wasn’t surprising to hear him speak of his new girlfriend. A young lassie around the same age as he was, who also played the bagpipes. Scott had yet to meet her as they had only started dating a few months ago while Scott was in Australia working as a nurse at the Brisbane City Hospital - where he just happened to be caring for a patient who was funnily enough me. And that was how we were now both here, having a coffee with his son who had just announced he was about to introduce us to his new girlfriend, Bonnie.

  The name struck a chord with me for some reason but for the life of me, I was unable to work out why. I would just let it drift off to the back of my mind for now I thought, I was too busy listening to Brysen and Scott who were having a lovely father and son talk about his music.

  “You know what son, it’s been a while since I played the bagpipes, I must give them a go again and see if your old man still has it,” Scott said.

  “Hold up,” I blurted out, “You, Scott King, can play the bagpipes? Why am I only learning of this now?” I asked in shock.

  “You might have thought you knew all there was to know about me Letticia Little, in your unique ways of pursuing me,” he laughed. “But there is still a lot about me you don’t know,” Scott warned.

  “Well, time will tell, I will find out everything there is to know about you Scott, I will get every little dirty secret out of you if you like it or not,” I teased.

  “Oh, will you now, and how will you do that?” Scott flirted back.

  “Oh, you know, I have my ways, and I know you like my ways.” I replied.

  “Yes, I’m starting to rather like your ways indeed, Letticia,” Scott said cheekily.

  We had somehow forgotten that Brysen was still sitting right there at the table with us while Scott and I went off track flirting with one another. When we both realised what we were doing, we quickly stopped and gave a little guilty cough and cleared our throats to somehow try and cover up what had just happened, but it was all too late. Brysen was sitting right there with a confused but smug look on his face. He was an intelligent young man, he knew something was up. Scott had introduced me as a patient with a brain injury that he was caring for; not a great way to be described during an introduction but nonetheless that was how Scott wanted Brysen to see me and know me, and in all fairness I guess it was true.

  Brysen was about to confront us on our relationship status when luckily we were saved by Bonnie turning up, deferring the attention that had just been on us straight back onto her. There was no question as to why Brysen was well smitten by her. She was tall, but so was Brysen, she stood just below Brysen’s eye level, the perfect match in height. She had golden brown hair that was about shoulder length, but today she wore it in a side ponytail. Her skin was flawless, pale, and pure, not a single blemish to be seen, which made her golden-brown hair and bright brown eyes stand out in contrast.

  She was wearing blue jeans, ankle boots with a slight heel, and a white singlet with a red tartan shirt that was half unbuttoned and tied up in a knot at the front. I’m sure she would have lots of men who would watch her walk pass on the sidewalk with their mouths wide open in shock with her extreme beauty, just as my mouth was as I looked on at her. But my mouth was wide open for a completely different reason. Yes, I was in shock, but my shock was because this was Bonnie! The Bonnie that was in my dream.

  Bonnie had been one of the cooks at Scottlanders catering. Scott was her boss. I had thought she was older in my dream, I placed her as being the same age as Sophie but looking at her today in the flesh I would say she was younger than Sophie. Maybe the same age as Brysen, or maybe just a little older than Brysen, maybe eighteen at the most. I looked over at Scott to see if he recognised her and his eyes were hard set on me, waiting for me to show him we were thinking the same thing.

  Brysen had to break us out of the trance we were both in. He rather embarrassedly said, “Um yeah, so this is my father Scott and his so-called friend Letticia.”

  Air quotes were used as he said this, to add further speculation on Scott and mine’s relationship status.

  “They are a bit weird today,” he whispered in Bonnie's ear. “They are not always like this. Well my father isnt anyway, I still don’t really know Letticia to make such a claim on her yet.”

  Bonnie laughed. “It’s all good Brysen. I have been looking forward to meeting your father and I’m sure his so-called friend,” air quotes used here again, “is just as lovely,” Bonnie said.

  After Brysen and Bonnie had finished up their top-secret whispering conversation, their eyes moved back on to Scott and I who had yet to recover and shut our mouths. I leaned over and touched the bottom on Scott's chin and pushed it up with my finger to help support him in closing his mouth at the same time I closed mine.

  Scott asked Bonnie, “What would you like to drink? I will get you a coffee.”

  “Oh thanks, just a skinny flat white. Thanks, Scott.”

  Scott proceeded to get up. He pushed the seat back in, still not taking his eyes off poor Bonnie until he turned his attention on to me.

  “Letticia, would you mind coming with me?”

  I had only half heard him; I was still fixated on Bonnie.

  Scott said again, “Letticia, do you mind?”

  I came out of my fixated state and cleared my throat. “Oh yes, of course.” I got up and walked alongside Scott to the counter that was all the way down the other end of the shop. Scott and I had a very intense and animated conversation the whole way there, all the while with Brysen and Bonnie watching us in utter confusion.

  “They look more like an old married couple than just friends,” Bonnie said with a laugh. Bonnie found the whole thing amusing while Brysen was just a tad embarrassed.

  “Like I said, please don't form your opinion of them on your first meeting. There is something strange going on,” he said, “and I’m going to get to the bottom of it. How do you fancy a two-day camping trip? We leave tomorrow?” Brysen said.

  “Oh, you know me, I’m always up for an adventure,” Bonnie replied.

  “Just one of the many reasons I love you Bonnie,” he replied, and gave her a kiss upon the lips.

  Chapter Thirteen

  On the road

  “Right, that about does it,” Scott said as he put the last of the bags into the boot of his Range Rover. I was already in the passenger seat ready to get going. We didn’t pack much as it was about a 6.4 km walk to get from the car park to the campsite where the convention was being held. We had two big packs, one each containing clothes, toiletries, a sleeping bag, roll out mattress and two days’ worth of food. S
cott had the extra joy of carrying the tent along with his pack. I, on the other hand, being Scott’s patient and having a brain injury and all, as Scott so politely liked to tell people, got out of carrying too much else apart from my backpack.

  Scott climbed up into the driver’s seat. “Right, ready for a real adventure this time?” he said.

  “Oh, Scott you know me I’m always up for an adventure.” I said.

  Scott looked over at me with a smile and replied “Just one of the many reasons I…” Then he stopped. He realised what he was about to say. He was about to say, “Just one of the many reasons I love you Letticia.” Just like his son had said to Bonnie the day before. Like father like son, they have the same taste in woman obviously. Not that I’m saying I resemble any likeness in the physical department of Bonnie. But we both like adventures.

  Scott quickly back peddled, but it was too late. I knew what he had been about to say. It took a few seconds for Scott to come up with a believable ending too, “Just the many reasons, ummmm, we are such good friends. Yes, friends,” he repeated. I gave a little laugh and a shake of the head. Why couldn’t he just admit it? I thought to myself. But I decided to just let it be for now as we made our way to our first stop: the town of Inverness.

  We had been driving for about three hours now, making small talk and not allowing ourselves to cross the line and let it become awkward between us again. I had been put in my place earlier on by Scott when he told me we were just friends, so I knew where I stood.

  We were now only a few minutes away from Inverness. I searched around in my handbag that was tucked away on the floor beneath my feet to find my phone. I googled Inverness to get some facts on the place before we arrived. Scott had been here plenty of times but for me it was my first time and I was rather excited, being the biggest Outlander fan and all.

  I started reading out the facts aloud: “Inverness is a city on Scotland’s northeast coast, where the river Ness meets the Moray Firth; It is one of the smallest cities with some 61,000 people; Inverness is known as Scotland’s Highland City; Inverness is a Gaelic word meaning ‘mouth of the river Ness’.”

  I stopped and looked at Scott and said, “Oh, I just had a flashback of when we were driving to Biboohra from Cairns and I was being your tour guide, telling you all the facts about the little town we were heading to. Even if it didn’t actually really happen. Did it, Scott?”

  Scott looked over at me with a sympathetic expression. “Who knows why, how, or even if it happened Letticia, but this is why we are heading out to Sandwood Bay in Sutherland. To hopefully get some answers from the Celtic Goddess convention. We are never going to get any hard evidence on our situation but maybe we will get a spiritual answer at least,” Scott said.

  I never took Scott to be a spiritual person. He was all about science and medicine. It was nice to see him in this different light and see his vulnerable side, I thought.

  “Yes, at this stage I would take anything if it gave me a better understanding of what you and I have just encountered over the last six months,” I said.

  “You and I both,” Scott replied.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Inverness

  We arrived at Inverness mid-morning. I was ready for a nice hot coffee and a scone topped with jam and cream. We found a cafe called Little Birds Coffee House. There were plenty of cafes to choose from, but I chose Little Birds Coffee House because I rather liked the name, plus there was a sign out the front that read “Come Get Caffeinated”. How could I have possibly walked on past that?

  Scott did the ordering and I went and found a table outside to sit at. Before I sat down, I did a few stretches of my mussels after being in the car for a fair few hours. Scott joined me a few minutes later with coffee and scones on a tray.

  “I have been dreaming of coffee and scones since we set off this morning,” I said.

  “Oh, have you now, obviously not dreaming of me then, I haven’t been pulled into your dreams since the other night at Kings Ridge. That steamy, very satisfying dream,” Scott joked, and proceeded with that cheeky grin of his.

  “Well, you know dreams can come true.” I teased.

  Scott looked awkward and not sure what to say next, but luckily for him he was saved by the person who had now captured my attention from across the street. He was driving a minivan with a sigh saying Outlander Tours up the side of it. The person looked familiar, I was still experiencing a bit of a foggy brain and memory since leaving the hospital. It wasn’t until I heard a person who was on the tour yell out the guide’s name that it all came flashing back to me.

  “Steve, what time are we taking off to the next location?” a lady asked.

  Steve yelled back, “In five minutes. I hope you all have your sensible runners on, we have a bit of a walk once we get there.”

  It hit me right then, “Scott that’s Steve, the tour guide. Brysen knows him too. He took me on my Outlander tour in my dream and that lady that was just yelling out to him was Lisa - a friend I met while on the tour.”

  Scott believed every word I was saying. Since we’d had steamy, hot, passionate sex in my dream the other night, I noticed Scott was a bit more convinced and eager to find out all he could on the situation.

  I grabbed my journal out of my shoulder bag and started scribbling down my latest encounter. Yet another coincidence where I had found myself coming face to face with my dream, but this time it was in reality.

  By the time I lifted my head up I noticed Scott had left the table and was heading over towards Steve. “Scott!” I half yelled, “Scott what are you doing, get back here.”

  He decided not to listen and continued on his way. I gathered up my belongings in a hurry and stood up while I finished the last of my coffee. I was about to rush off in the direction of Scott but decided I needed to grab my half-eaten scone and finish it off on the way. I was calling out to Scott with a mouthful of scone now.

  “Scott, wait, Scott, this isn’t a good idea.”

  It was too late though, Scott was now putting his hand out to shake Steve’s.

  “Hi, Steve, is it?” Scott asked. Steve, looked confused. Scott had actually met Steve in my dream, at my going away party before I left to go back to Australia. And now here he was meeting him in reality.

  “Ah, yes it is, and who might you be?” Steve asked, looking confused.

  “I’m Scott, I am Brysen’s father.

  “Oh yes, Brysen, that magnificent Bagpiper. I’m hoping to get him on board someday soon to be my bagpiper and welcome my guests onto my tour.”

  “That’s very kind of you, I’m sure he would love to do that,” Scott replied.

  But more importantly, what was on Scott's mind was if Steve recognised me. I had almost caught up to them and had now finished my scone. As I approached Steve and Scott, Scott introduced me.

  “And this is Letticia, a very good friend of mine,” Scott announced.

  I felt like punching some sense into him. Friend, a friend, is that all I was to him still? I wanted so badly to be his lover, not just a friend.

  As Steve put out his hand to shake mine I could see in his eyes he had no idea who I was. We hoped to get some answers at least from him but it was evident this was not going to be the case.

  “So, where are you two off to?” Steve asked.

  “We are off to Sandwood Bay in Sutherland for a convention,” I said and left it at that. We continued to chat a little longer to be polite, then decided we must make tracks also. As Scott and I said goodbye to Steve and turned away to walk off, Steve yelled out.

  “You still have a while to go, make sure you pack a cut lunch Letticia, don’t want you to go hungry on your journey do we now.”

  I stopped in my tracks and turned to Steve. I was about to demand he tell me why he would have said such a thing to me. He must have remembered me being on the Outlander tour - or was that just one more huge coincidence? We could just add that to the pile of other unanswered questions as Steve was now well on his way ba
ck to his bus to continue on with the tour.

  “Scott, do you have an explanation for that?” I asked desperately.

  “Not a single one,” he replied. “Are you sure that was the same Steve?” Scott asked.

  “Yes of course, one hundred per cent certain. He even told me not to forget my lunch today because I forgot my lunch on the tour in my dream and Steve ended up sharing half his sandwich with me,” I said, sounding very confused.

  “Well I have no idea where to even begin to try and work out what just happened,” Scott said.

  We got back to Scott's car and hopped in. We both sat in our seats and let out a sigh of confusion and frustration.

  “Let’s hope a mythical goddess can help then,” Scott laughed.

  I didn’t like the chances, but decided to keep an open and spiritual mind. Just as Scott had told me to do earlier on.

  “Right 79.4 miles to go lass,” Scott informed me.

  “If you don’t mind, I might have a bit of a nap before we get there, and before we set out on our 1.5-hour walk to the campsite and convention,” I said.

  “Aye, of course lass, don’t let me stop you. Sweet dreams. Shame I won’t be joining you, having to drive and all,” Scott teased.

  “Well, there is always tonight Scott,” I replied.

  And with that I drifted off to sleep, with the hum of the engine and the warmth of the heater that heated my feet along with my bottom thanks to the Range Rover’s surround heating. I awoke 79.4 miles later as Scott pulled up into the car park at Blairmore, the starting point for our adventure to Sandwood bay. The bumpy gravel beneath the tyres had disturbed my sleeping state and I was awake within seconds of arriving, still a bit dazed and confused.

  Scott announced, “We have arrived, lass.”

  He parked his Range Rover in line with the other vehicles that were locked up and left by their owners for the next two days. Owners that were also heading off on foot for a weekend of spiritual awakening, and on their own personal journeys.