“What movie are we going to see?” He finally breaks the silence as he drifts into the parking lot.
“You know I can never make a decision on my own.”
He laughs. “Which is why you should make this decision. You need to work on being more decisive.”
“Why do I need to be decisive when I can have someone else do it for me?”
“Because you won’t always have someone there to make decisions for you.”
“Ok, my decision is for you to decide.” He scowls. “Fine, how about we go with a random one like usual?” Most of the time when we go to the movies, we tell the ticket attendant to give us whatever movie starts next. With thirteen screens in this theater, we usually don’t have to wait longer than an hour for a movie to start.
“There, was that so hard?”
“I’m okay, but I also could have died.”
“But the important thing is you didn’t.” His laughter follows mine.
“I’ll grab the tickets if you want to go ahead and wait in line for snacks.” He offers, releasing me of my decision-making responsibility.
“Sounds like a good plan.” We once tried to make it through a whole movie without snacks. It didn’t end well. “Just make sure the movie isn’t in 3d. It’s basically impossible to get those glasses to fit over these.” I give my purple frames a quick tap.
Will and I separate and the smell of freshly buttered popcorn lifts my soul as I queue up in what appears to be the shortest line and wait. It never fails, I always choose the wrong line. The family at the counter takes forever to decide what candy they want. Not that I have any room to complain. It takes an act of congress to force me to make decisions. Plus, it gives Will time to join me.
“What are we seeing?” I ask when he steps in line with me.
The woman behind us stares daggers at him, but he just smiles sweetly at her. “And ruin the surprise? No way. You’ll find out when it starts.”
“Ok then. Why don’t you go save our seats, and you can be surprised by the snacks?”
He slouches. “You know I take my food very seriously.”
“I guess we’ll see how well I know you then.” He opens his mouth to say something, but I shush him.
“No hints. Now go.”
“Fine, it’s theater nine,” He says and leaves as I reach the counter. I order five different types of candy, a mix of chocolates and fruit snacks, a medium popcorn, and two sodas. Stuffing the candy into my purse, I carefully carry the popcorn and drinks to theater nine. Will was able to find us good seats in the middle of the top aisle. Our favorite. No one behind us to kick the backs of our chairs.
He helps me into my seat with the mountain of snacks. “Great choices Clarke.” He grabs the popcorn and dumps some of the chocolate candies into it.
“Did you just ruin the popcorn?”
“Silly girl, that’s not how you pronounce enhance.”
I shake my head at him and grab a handful of popcorn and chocolate. We’re lucky this time, the previews begin playing shortly after I get comfortable. We are not so fortunate with the choice of movie, however. It’s a war drama with way too much blood for my taste. I have to keep looking away from the screen and closing my eyes. Will was kind enough to cover my eyes with his hand while I dig a few chocolate candies out of the popcorn bag. The only redeeming quality of the night is the lady sitting next to Will who scoffs every time he chews too loudly. When the movie finally ends, I grab his hand and rush out of the theater.
“Did I miss the fire back there?”
“No, I just couldn’t bear to sit one more minute. I think that was the worst movie we’ve ever been to see.” I dump our empty boxes into the trash cans.
“It wasn’t that bad, and that one with the singing bears was definitely worse.”
I forgot about that one. “The singing bears didn’t have their heads blown off.”
“That would have made for an interesting ending though.”
“I wonder how that song would have gone.”
“It definitely would have been my favorite.”
“Before this conversation takes an even more disturbing turn, can you rush me home? That movie bored me to exhaustion, and my shoulder is still throbbing.” Lie, my shoulder is throbbing, but that isn’t why I want to rush home.
“Of course, and I’m sorry about the shoulder.” He moves his arm to rub it but decides against it.
“Don’t be, it’s not your fault.”
“How about you wait here at the entrance, and I’ll bring the truck around?” It doesn’t take him long to drive his truck around to pick me up. I fight to stay awake on the drive home. Will helps by gently shaking me when he notices me dozing off. When we finally make it to my house, I immediately sink into the sofa without changing into pajamas or brushing my teeth. My eyes grow heavier and heavier until finally, sleep takes me.
I’m back in the alley, peering over the box. He’s there, looking back at me just like he always is. I run towards him, my shoulder still sore from earlier. Why is my shoulder hurting in a dream? “Who are you? Why are you always in my dreams?” I barely reach him when the words fly out of my mouth. I’m not going to miss another chance. He smiles at me but doesn’t say a word. “What am I almost ready for?” His smile grows bigger, but still, he remains silent. “Talk to me! Why were you following me today if you’re not going to talk to me?” My voice is raised, but I don’t think that’s what causes the look of worry on his face.
He opens his mouth but the footsteps echo down the alley, and he closes it without a word. “How do I stop this?” More silence. The footsteps become louder. “I need you to help me.” The monster rounds the corner. Black smoke taking the shape of a giant bear. “I don’t know what to do.” I’m pleading with him now. I need him to tell me how to stop it, but he won’t say a word. Anger and frustration rise in me. I’m trying to save his life, but he isn’t helping. I grunt against his weight as I push his shoulders knocking him down. With him successfully hidden in the shadows, I take a deep breath and run towards the monster.
Footsteps rattle in my head, my heart pounding to make an exit, I have no idea what I’m going to do. I don’t stop to think, I’m relying on whatever instinct I may have. I pump my legs faster and faster, my arms swinging by my sides, picking up as much speed as I can and turn my already sore shoulder towards the monster, plowing through. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but there’s no resistance when I make contact. I breeze through the monster but stumble. Bracing myself for the fall, I land on the soft grass. Wait, why is there grass?
The soft blades flatten under my hands as I push myself off of the ground. Looking around, I’m no longer in that dark alleyway. I’m in an open field with bright green grass, flourishing elm trees, and a clear blue sky. Hummingbirds fly around the flowers, and bluebirds chirp a melody. It’s beautiful.
Earthy and floral scents pervade the air, as the sun’s rays warm my skin. This is the beautiful dream my mom used to speak of. I spin to get a full view of my surroundings when something crunches under my foot. My purple glasses lay broken in the grass. I feel around my face on instinct searching for the glasses I know aren’t there. “How am I able to see without them?”
“The faulty eyesight is an issue with your shell. A side effect of over usage most likely.”
My heart leaps to my throat. Behind me stands the man from my dreams. He followed me out of the alley. I stare at him for a moment, unable to form a single word, wondering if he will disappear or ignore me like before.
“Who. Are. You?” I enunciate each word, forcing them off my tongue.
“My name is Aeryn.” His voice is deep and calming. Just how I imagined it would be all these years.
“Aeryn.” It feels weird to finally have a name for him. “Your name is Aeryn.” Words are coming easier now. “Where are we, Aeryn?”
The same half smile I watched for 15 years, creeps across the left side of his face. “Welcome to the other side of Dreams. We l
ike to call it Dream Haven.”
“Dream Haven? What is Dream Haven?”
“I know you have a lot of questions, and I promise we will answer them, but right now I need you to follow me.”
“We?”
“Yes, the other Dreamcatchers.”
“Dreamcatchers?”
“I know this is all so confusing, but everything will be explained if you just follow me.”
I know I should hesitate, I shouldn’t be so willing to follow a stranger just because he asked, but I always follow my gut feelings, and my gut feels safe with Aeryn. And even if I’m wrong, this is only a dream.
CHAPTER 6
I FOLLOW AERYN ACROSS THE lush field until a small hut appears in the distance. It doesn’t fit with the landscape. Moss and ivy cling to the busted windows and rotting wood. The space is barely big enough to fit either of us separately, but that’s obviously where he’s leading me. “It’s just up here.” He says pointing in the direction of the shabby little lean-to.
“That tiny shack?” I ask even though I already know the answer. The closer we get, the more decrepit the thing looks. I can now see broken crates with rusted tools piled outside, and one of the hinges on the door is broken.
“Don’t worry, it’s bigger than it looks.” The size isn’t the only thing I’m worried about.
When we reach the hut, he opens the rickety wood door and holds it, motioning for me to enter first. His face remains calm and fixed, offering no sign of jest or deception. I peer inside the battered shed before blindly walking in, but all I can see is shadows. A silent alarm goes off in my mind, but I ignore it.
“I promise it won’t bite.”
“That’s the second promise you’ve made me in less than an hour. You make a lot of promises, don’t you?” He smiles at me as I walk through the door without an answer. I duck to fit my head through, but after a short walk through a dark tunnel, my mouth hits the floor as I take in the sight before me. A large spiraling staircase stands grand in the middle of the room with hallways reaching around on both sides. White columns line the walls and sparkling gold chandeliers hang from the ceiling. Large oval windows, almost as tall as the ceilings, fill the room with natural light. My eyes blink incessantly as I gaze upon my sparkling white and gold surroundings.
“I told you it was bigger than it looked.”
“But, how?”
“I can’t give away all of our secrets just yet.” He leads me over to the staircase where a small group is gathered in hushed whispers. When we approach, they immediately end their conversation and gawk at Aeryn and I the same way I gawked at the grand staircase.
“Are those the Dreamcatchers you mentioned?” I whisper to him trying to keep them from eavesdropping.
“Yes, those are some of them. A rather nosey bunch of them I might say.” They look so normal, like a group of office workers gathered around the water cooler. “Come on guys, back to work.” Aeryn waves his hand at the gaping onlookers, and they return to what they were doing with a few stealing quick glances as we push through the group to the staircase.
“Sorry about that, there’s not many like you.” He pauses and glances up with his brows pinched. I follow his gaze, but there’s nothing there. “Honestly, there aren’t any like you.”
“What do you mean like me?”
“All in due time.” Another evasive response.
“Seriously? All in due time” I say mocking his deep voice.
“Is that really how I sound?” He asks with a closed smile.
With a huff, I stop ascending the stairs. His smile fades when he notices I’m not behind him anymore, and he quickly jogs down the steps between us. “I’m sorry, but the Elder’s requested they be the ones to explain.”
“Elders?” Nothing is making any sense. He gives me a sympathetic look and continues back up the stairs without giving me any answers. The Elders must be the ones who run this place. Maybe they know the reason I’ve been having this dream for so long. Either way, standing here in the middle of this staircase with people sizing me up isn’t going to answer any of my questions. I quickly catch up to Aeryn who stops in front of two large golden doors. Just like the windows, they reach almost as high as the ceiling.
“Are you ready?”
“It’s kind of hard to be ready for something when you don’t know what it is and haven’t been given even the tiniest of details.”
“Fair enough.” He agrees. “And just so you know, even though I make a lot of promises—”
“Hand them out like candy.” I interrupt, and a smile flashes in his eyes before it reaches his lips.
“Even though I hand promises out like candy, I keep them. The Elders will explain everything, and it will make sense. Eventually. Oh, and they don’t bite either.” I trust Aeryn, not that I have any other choice at this point. He opens the door but doesn’t follow.
“Aren’t you coming?”
“No, the Elders need to speak to you alone.” He offers me a reassuring smile and gently shuts the door behind me.
I don’t like that he isn’t with me, but I take a deep breath and move on. In the middle of the large room, a globe towers several feet above me. Look don’t touch. My father’s voice enters my mind as my hand trails across what should be North America. This isn’t any ordinary globe. I don’t recognize any of the continents or bodies of water. My eyes travel to the walls lined with bookshelves. I mindlessly count them as I come across a desk on the left side. Papers scatter over the entire area while some litter the floor. The desk is messy and appears unorganized, but something else catches my eye, a small glass ball sitting on the corner. Something dark moves inside. As I walk closer, I can see it better. Black smoke coils inside, the same kind of smoke the monster from the alley was made of. The closer I am to the ball, the more uneasy I feel, but I can’t look away. Almost like a car crash, I’m horrified yet mesmerized by it. I feel compelled to reach my hand out. I need to touch it, to see it up close.
“I wouldn’t touch that if I were you.”
My hand wrenches back to my side as I twirl to find the source of the voice. An older couple has joined me in the room. Their white robes flow gracefully from their bodies, and the gold trim gently brushes the floor. The man’s voice is deeper but frailer than Aeryn’s. The woman smiles gently placing her hand over the small gold emblem on the chest of her robe. They must be the Elders I forgot I’m here to meet.
“What is it?” I ask still intrigued by the little glass ball.
The man takes a few cautious steps closer. “That is a night snare.”
“What does it do?”
“It contains a Nightmare.”
I lean forward to get a better view. There is no discernible difference between this Nightmare and the smoke that rose into the sky the year my father accidentally set fire to his shed. “That black smoke is a Nightmare?”
“It is not exactly smoke, but to answer your question, yes. Inside this snare lives a Nightmare.”
“Why do you have a Nightmare trapped inside a glass ball? And what would have happened if I touched it?” My hand twitches with the urge to pick it up.
“Why don’t we take a seat over here and we can explain everything.” The lady speaks from behind him and motions toward a small seating area I overlooked. The man’s eyes linger on the night snare before following us.
My eyes flutter from the sun forcing its way through the windows as I take a seat on the couch opposite the lady. Her long white hair falls graciously over her shoulder. My foot bounces up and down as we wait for the man to join us.
“I believe we should introduce ourselves first. I’m Faerah, the Elder Queen, and this is Gideon, the Elder King.” She says as he takes his seat next to her.
“King and queen of what?”
“Of Dream Haven. We know this does not make much sense right now, but it will.” Faerah’s voice is soft and gentle, a large contrast to Gideon’s.
He clears his throat. “Now let us start with what
Dream Haven is, and if you have any questions, please feel free stop me.” With the abundance of questions I already have, I want to stop him before he even begins, but I decide to give him a chance to answer some of them first. “This whole world is Dream Haven. This is where the Dreamcatchers and Nightstalkers live.”
“Dreamcatchers? Like the round webbed things, kids hang by their beds?”
A raspy chuckle escapes his lips. “Humans always seem to get everything wrong don’t they.” It’s more of a statement than a question.
“You’re not human?” The question seems obvious.
“No, we are not. Before I became Elder King, I was a Nightstalker, and Faerah was a Dreamcatcher.” Gideon raises his hand to stifle the question I was soon to raise. “I understand you must be wondering what Nightstalkers and Dreamcatchers are, please allow me to clarify.”
I lean back into the plush couch, quietly picking at the skin on my bottom lip. “Everyone here in Dream Haven is a Dreamcatcher. We have a smaller elite group that are our Nightstalkers. Our Dreamcatchers produce sweet dreams and provide them to the humans while they sleep. Our Nightstalkers are those who hunt and trap the Nightmares.” This is starting to sound like a bedtime story. “Nightmares that have not been ensnared haunt the dreams of humans. Children, with their innocence, are more susceptible, but they do not discriminate against which humans they attack. The Nightmares have always lived in their own world, disconnected from others, but over the last few hundred years, they have been trying to breach the human world.”
“And why would they want to breach into my world?”
“They are no longer satisfied with only haunting the dreams of humans. They want to take over their world and make life on Earth, for lack of a better term, a living nightmare.”
Faerah places a hand on Gideon’s knee. “That’s why our Nightstalkers are so important now, they must keep the Nightmare’s in their own world.” Her gentle voice from before now moves with urgency.
“What would happen if they do enter my world?”
Gideon’s hazel eyes lock onto mine. “It would be the end of the world you know. There would be no more beauty, only darkness.”
The Other Side of Dreams (Nighstalker Novels Book 1) Page 6
