Dream (The Waking Sleep Book 2)

by Lucy Adler

  She could almost hear the footsteps of other students passing in the hall.

  And she felt the same butterflies in her stomach that often accompanied his visits.

  Ok, so maybe I’m not entirely out of adrenaline.

  “Well, you definitely deserve some rest!” he said, reaching out and giving her one of those simple touches on the shoulder that always lifted her spirits.

  The butterflies were too much.

  Daria leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss. Well, not too quick.

  Jake didn’t say anything - not with words, anyway. His smile and the excitement that filled his eyes communicated more than enough.

  But then, a knot tightened in his chest. The same knot that he’d been carrying for far too long.

  “Daria,” he started, looking down at the floor.

  But before he could continue...

  “I know,” she replied, touching his chin and gently lifting his head.

  “You know?”

  She nodded.

  “I’m so sorry,” he said as his eyes shimmered with tears.

  “Don’t be,” she said, giving him a reassuring smile. “I know why you didn’t tell me.”

  “But I should have.”

  “And I should have listened to the voice of the gift at the hospital. It’s not going to help to focus on ‘should haves’ right now.”

  She reached out and took his hand in hers, lightly stroking the back of it.

  “I think it’s ok if we lay those burdens down,” she said.

  Jake nodded. He blinked his eyes and the tears receded. Instead of sorrowful, they left him looking refreshed, renewed.

  Then he raised her left hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it softly.

  “Thanks, Dasha,” he whispered quietly.

  They lingered in the dimly lit hall a little longer, just standing together, quiet and content. It wasn’t exactly a cosy fireside or a beautiful waterfall, but it might as well have been. And neither of them wanted the moment to end.

  But eventually, Daria let out a deep yawn.

  “Sorry!” she said, covering her mouth. “I’m not bored or anything!”

  “No, but you should probably get some sleep now.”

  “What about you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, releasing you from the Dark didn’t remove the Direx from your system, did it?”

  “No, I don’t think so,” he said with an apologetic look.

  “So, you’re just going to sit up all night? Alone?”

  “I’m getting used to it,” he laughed. “I mean, I’d love to get rid of it, of course! But I’m managing.”

  “What do you do?” she asked, her voice laced with equal parts sympathy and curiosity.

  “I mostly just stay close,” he said with a wink, pointing to his room, which was next to hers. “It probably sounds silly but knowing you’re in bed, sleeping safe and sound... it kinda makes me feel like I’m resting, too. And that’s enough. For now.”

  Daria wasn’t sure if her heart was ready to pop or melt. Either way, it was a wonderful feeling.

  But she still felt bad for him.

  “I could sit with you for a while, if you want?” she said. Unfortunately, her offer was punctuated with another yawn.

  “Yeah, I don’t think so!” Jake laughed. He placed his hand on her back and walked her the two steps to her door. Then he opened it for her.

  “Thanks, Jake.”

  “Sleep well, Dash.”

  29

  Month: 4 | Day: 17 | Year: 60

  (Earlier that same day)

  WANDERER

  The car honked its horn as it swerved into the wrong lane.

  The girl on the side of the road coughed and tried to protect her eyes from the dust cloud that followed.

  Her knees were shaking with each step. Her left arm was pressed close to her side, as if she were supporting something under her torn jacket.

  Another car was bearing down on her.

  But this time, it stopped.

  “Hey, are you alright?” the driver asked. He was a young guy, probably early twenties. “Miss? Can you hear me?”

  He waited by his car as he called out to her. But she didn’t respond.

  He approached her slowly.

  She was hunched over slightly, as if maybe her back was injured. And she seemed to be limping.

  He didn’t want to be insistent, but she really looked like she needed help.

  “Miss? Would you like a lift somewhere? I’d be happy to take you wherever you need to go.”

  Just as he came within arm’s reach of her, she suddenly collapsed to the ground.

  He was able to catch her and soften the impact.

  “Ok, ok,” he said, kneeling down beside her. “We gotta get you to a doctor or something.”

  “No!” she replied. Her voice was scratchy from the dust and dehydration.

  “But you might be hurt.”

  “Where... am I?”

  “Well, you’re not far from a little town called Ten Sleep.”

  “Sleep...”

  “I know, it’s an unusual name!”

  The girl was sitting down now, her head bobbing on her shoulders as she tried to orient herself.

  Beside her, on the ground, was a tablet.

  “Oops, don’t want to forget this!” the man said, picking it up.

  “Give me...” she said, trying to reach out for it. “Can’t... lose...”

  “Don’t worry, I’ve got it. Now, let’s try to get you up and into town. Maybe you just need some food and water.”

  With a bit of effort, the man was able to get the girl into the passenger seat of his car. He buckled the seatbelt, mostly to keep her upright, then set the tablet in her lap and shut door.

  A few minutes later, they pulled into a parking lot on the side of the road.

  “Hello, Alex! What brings you in today?”

  “Hey, Clarence,” the man replied as he entered the general store. “I’ve got a strange one today. Found this girl wandering down the road,” he said as he pointed out to his car. “I’m worried she might be hurt.”

  “Bring her in. We’ll have a look. We can call the doc if we need to.”

  The man returned a few minutes later, the girl’s arm draped over his shoulders as he helped her inside and into a chair at one of the tables.

  “She was carrying this,” he said, placing the tablet down in front of her.

  Clarence came over with a glass of water and a packet of crackers.

  “Here we are,” he said as he sat down next to her. “Let’s see if this doesn’t revive you, sweetie.”

  The girl’s head had been hanging forward, her black hair matted and sticking to the side of her face. But as she heard Clarence, she looked up.

  The old man gasped.

  “Julia!”

  Afterword

  Thank you so much for continuing the journey with Dream.

  And we’re not finished yet!

  If you want to know as soon as Book 3 is announced, you can follow me on BookBub, Goodreads, Facebook, or Instagram.

  I also send out a monthly email newsletter, where I reveal new covers in advance, and offer samples before each new book is published. If you’re interested, you can sign up on the series website. I also include a few dystopian and/or fantasy recommendations that are currently on sale or being offered free.

  Last thing - if you happened to enjoy Dream, I would be truly grateful if you considered leaving a rating, or even a review. Not only does it make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but it really does help other readers to discover the series!

  Cheers!

  ~Lucy

  PS – Now get some sleep… ;)

 

 

 
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