Sarina blushed.
Nathan cleared his throat and looked up at the Professor brightly, “Ah, did you have word sent to you about my considerable talents too?”
Sarina elbowed him.
“Ow! What was that for?” he said glaring at Sarina, rubbing his arm.
The Professor smiled. “Not directly. But Agent Blanchard tells me you have a famous great-great grandfather?”
Nathan drew himself up tall. “Well I don’t like to talk about it much actually, mmmmmm—”
“Please don’t start him off,” Sarina said, holding her hand over Nathan’s mouth.
The Professor laughed. “You’ll have your chance to prove yourself, Nathan. By the way—have you come across the term dark energy in your travels?”
“Mmmmpphh. Phhhh. Mmmmmst.” Nathan’s eyes were wide as he struggled to free himself, but Sarina held her hand firm.
“Fair enough,” the Professor continued, “we can talk about all that later. At length. Now, let me show you the private lab room you two will be working in, just as soon as you’ve both freshened up and had something to eat. That will give me some time to check back with both of your parents and make sure they are happy and that they know where to get hold of you. How does that sound?”
“It sounds great, Professor. I’m sure my mum will be telling you how important it is that I pass the tests,” Sarina said swallowing hard. “Although I’m a bit nervous about ever being able to do that dratted maths stuff.”
“Lucky you’re partnered with a genius then isn’t it,” Nathan said, flexing his arm to see if it still worked, “though my genius is on strike until I get some food. And don’t even talk to me about sleep.”
Sarina poked her tongue out at him.
~~~
Sarina sighed. She’d had a particularly gruelling day at the lab working with Nathan and juggling mental pictures of formulae, numbers and concepts. Over the last few days, the Professor had poked his head in from time to time to ask her how she was progressing. “How are those projections of yours today, Sarina?” he said, always with that encouraging smile.
Today, though gruelling, had been different. She’d been able to answer more positively. “Really well thank you, Professor Harrison.”
“Please, call me Kingsley,” he said, with twinkling eyes, “so do you think you are close now?”
Sarina saw that he was genuinely curious, so she stopped her work and reflected. “I think so, Profe—um—Kingsley. I’m getting the hang of most things. There’s a couple of frustrating mistakes I keep making with my conversions of fractions to decimals. But Nathan’s been great. He says a few more days should do it.” She looked over at Nathan and raised her eyes. “What do you think?”
“Professor, she’s really nailed it I think, she’s just being humble. But she’s right. Two or three more days and we’ll be there.”
“That’s great,” the Professor said, smiling. “You deserve a win, both of you. I’ll check in with you again tomorrow. Maybe we’ll have some lunch together?” He nodded and closed the door behind him.
Nathan looked at her and said, “I mean it. You are being humble. You’ve learned in a few days what it took me months and months to work out.” He shook his head. “I think the Prof is onto something here. But that’s enough for today. What do you think?”
She yawned. He’d had no argument from her, she’d been exhausted.
She still was actually. And now, sitting on her bed and ready to climb in, she was grateful that since Makthryg had been banished, the dreams had stopped, and at last, sleep had been restful.
She yawned again and slipped into the sheets. It wasn’t too much longer before she was fast asleep.
“Sarina. Sarina.” A soft voice was calling her. A familiar voice. Paolo! “Sarina.”
“Paolo? Is that you?”
“Yes, it’s me. Open your eyes. Nathan is here too.”
She opened her eyes and gasped. They were hovering together above the township, holding hands. She looked at Paolo to ask him what was going on, but he smiled in anticipation of her question.
“Yes. It is a dream, and it was me that summoned you. I owe it to you two to show you a very different township. Look.” He pointed down past Main Street towards the Square. She could see a crowd had gathered, there were gaily-coloured flags everywhere and what looked like bunting.
“Come, let me show you.”
They floated over the beautifully repaired buildings that showed no signs of any previous destruction, and they hovered over the Square.
Paolo pointed down. “It’s a new thing; twice a week now there is a market. People come from all around. This week we even have some musicians performing. It’s all thanks to you …” he hesitated, “and I wanted to share it with you, so you have better memories of my world. Especially in your dreams.”
Nathan pointed at several busy stalls. “What’s going on there?”
“Ah. We’re really proud of the fresh produce section. Come down. It’s alright, they won’t see us.”
They floated down to the busy stalls and saw a mother and her young daughter making a purchase from a smiling stallholder.
Floating closer, Sarina saw the stallholder was Eva, and next to her was Lucio, who squinted up at them and waved.
“I thought you said they can’t see us?” Nathan said.
“They can’t. Only Lucio can,” Sarina said. “He saw me in the enclosure too. It must run in the family.”
They all laughed and watched Eva hand the girl a paper bag.
The little girl fished inside and pulled something out with glee. She held up a small bunch of carrots, and with wide eyes, said to her mother in an excited voice, “Mummy, is it true the Orange Witch made these?”
Sarina blushed and saw Paolo grinning at her. Nathan was laughing too … and after a while she couldn’t help but join in.
“They’re selling better than cakes,” Paolo said with a smile.
~~~
The next morning she was back in the lab with Nathan.
“Right. Focus on the large blue figure on the left and paint the formula I suggested.”
Sarina had her eyes closed and Nathan was patiently directing her thought-painting which she was projecting in the darkened lab. He glanced down at his hand holding Sarina’s. The projection was still nowhere near as bright and strong as it had been in the valley, but he hoped for both their sakes that it would get stronger. And that they wouldn’t have to hold hands.
“Yes, and then?” Sarina was talking. “Nathan, I’ve asked you twice now!”
“What? Oh sorry!” He shook himself out of his reverie. “OK now bring in the other two structures—see that green one, yes, bring that in and enlarge it. Good. Now add in the orange—yes!” He slapped his leg with his free hand. “You did it! Without my help this time too.”
Sarina opened her eyes and looked back at Nathan, grinning. “Thanks. Without your methods of visualising these things this way, I’d be lost.” Her eyes narrowed. “Is this how everyone does it?”
“Sort of,” Nathan said, “but only the geniuses do it as well as I do.”
“Bah!” Sarina whipped her hand out of his. “You are impossible!” Then more nervously, “But I think I’m ready for the test now.”
~~~
Sarina walked out of the classroom and saw Nathan and Georgia waiting for her. They looked like a pair of expectant grandparents waiting for a new grandchild to be delivered.
“Well?” Georgia said, bright-eyed and smiling, “How did it go?”
“Mmmm, let me think,” Sarina cocked her head to one side in deep mock thought. “How about swimmingly?”
But Nathan still looked worried. “So you think it’s going to be a pass?”
“Pretty sure of that.” She looked down at her braided wristband she wore for good luck and wondered if Eva had played any part in her feeling so calm. Sarina smiled at her friends and they started off down the corridor.
“Sarina? Sarina Me
tcalfe, is that you?”
She froze, forcing Nathan and Georgia to stop with her. She looked around to see the Principal running down the corridor towards them, trying to keep his hair from flying up by patting it down as he ran, arriving quite out of breath and brandishing a piece of paper.
Sarina looked up at him dreading the news.
“My,” he panted, “I couldn’t find you anywhere, no matter. Here you are.” He thrust the paper into her hand and, stuck for words, nodded and walked off.
“That man is weird,” Georgia said, watching the Principal walk away.
Nathan was more interested in the piece of paper. “What is it, Sarina?”
She blinked a few times, realising she’d been transfixed by the sudden appearance of the Principal and was still staring at him, remembering what she had been through. She looked down at the paper in her hand with trepidation.
No way, surely not!
She looked back up at her two friends, beaming. “I’ve made it through to the Quarter Finals of the National Young Artists Breakthrough Competition!” She grabbed her friends by the hand and the three of them danced a merry jig on the spot.
When they had finished their impromptu celebration, Sarina hooked them both by the arms and skipped down the corridor. “C’mon, let’s go and do something fun. Something normal, like normal kids do!”
~~~
Later, on their way home, they walked along normal streets past normal houses, and back to normality for a while, Sarina hoped.
She heard Nathan clear his throat.
“Yes?” She looked at him and raised her eyes.
“I, er … I just wanted to thank you for believing in me when you had no reason to. After all, I think I’d been acting quite superior.” He looked at her and chewed his lip. “Thanks, that’s all.”
“You’re welcome.” She smiled and looked over at the entrance to her street, thinking how good it would be to get a good night’s sleep. “Well I’d better go now then.” But it looked like Nathan still had something to say.
He fidgeted. “OK, er … see you in art classes then!” He turned around and walked away quickly, waving. “Byeee!”
Sarina’s mouth hung open. Nathan taking art classes? My how the world had changed. She shook her head slowly and started walking the rest of the way home.
A sudden shadow passing across the sun caused her to look up and squint. For a moment, she thought the dark object high above the rooftops looked exactly like Valkrog, and a shiver ran down her body. She shaded her brow with her hand and peered into the distance, but whatever it was had vanished.
She shrugged and continued walking. Just her own jumpiness. Valkrog was dead, blasted out of existence. He couldn't be here, not in her world.
Could he?
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THE DREAMER CHRONICLES II
The next adventure in the Dreamer Chronicles is called 'The Dream Killer'! Here is the blurb from the back cover:
The Dreamer Chronicles Book II: A Science Fiction and Fantasy Adventure Series across Parallel Universes - loved by kids aged 9+ and adults alike!
"The Dream Killer brings Sarina back in an action-packed sequel to Sarina's Nightmare. Sarina and her friend, Nathan, must once again join forces to defeat their arch enemies, Valkrog and Makthryg in a parallel world but this time the threat extends beyond that world to their own, where a puzzling loss of creative intelligence is threatening all the great minds of the world, including themselves! I loved this second installment of the Dreamer Chronicles and would thoroughly recommend it to children and adults alike. Robert Scanlon weaves a thrilling story, keeping the reader engrossed as the plot climbs from one climactic crisis to the next. Science, art and magic are woven so skilfully together as to be very believable and language is used wonderfully well. Twists and turns in the plot keep the reader guessing until the end and leaves the reader wanting more." - Fran B
Sarina is back!
And the unlikely 12-year old saviour of a parallel world is plagued by anxiety.
She cannot afford to miss what might be her only opportunity to fulfil her dream, and win a place at a prestigious art school in Paris. But when she experiences dizzy spells and starts blacking out, she becomes convinced she has inherited the same mental illness that confined her two great-aunts to an institution for most of their lives.
Her good friend, Nathan, is working with his new mentor, Professor Harrison, at the mind-power lab, when the Professor reveals his shocking discovery. A series of disastrous events exposes the entire world to a terrible fate—one that Nathan believes only Sarina can help avert.
But Sarina has the finals of the National Young Artists Breakthrough Competition on her mind. If Sarina does decide to help, will she be able to retain her sanity, save the world—and still make the competition by Saturday?
The Dream Killer, is a fast-paced science-fiction fantasy adventure suitable for kids and adults and filled with twists and turns to keep you guessing until the very end.
You can pick up your copy of The Dream Killer by following the link below!
Click here to read The Dream Killer
THE DREAMER CHRONICLES III
The third book in the Dreamer Chronicles is called 'Moon Zero'! Here is the blurb from the back cover:
Episode III of the Dreamer Chronicles finds our two young heroes hurled into a terrifying race against time!
Sarina, now 13, has a big problem, and it’s way bigger than the one she thinks she has. She’ll have to save the world. Again.
Sarina is one of Professor Harrison’s most powerful Dreamer Kids: highly creative children who can communicate in their dreams with people in other universes ... and in Sarina’s case, actually travel between them.
The Consortium wants to get its hands on the Professor’s secret invention—a REM-collider that multiplies creative dream power—and they want to turn it into a powerful weapon, for sale to the highest bidder.
Despite her young age, Sarina is focused on teaching kids to paint. But the art program’s benefactor, Sir John Drysdale, has made it clear that her art lacks emotion and something inside her is missing.
Strange, seemingly unconnected occurrences provoke unrest across two worlds: severe weather patterns threaten to destroy a township; her old enemy, Makthryg, is making plans to escape his prison; in Australia, a prominent observatory has reported an unusual and worrying aberration in the Moon’s orbit.
And Sarina is kidnapped.
When her friend, Nathan, discovers a frightening message on Professor Harrison’s computer, these events conspire to trigger a destructive domino effect. One that will catapult the young adventurers on a wild journey to do battle with the cosmos itself.
But for them to be successful, Sarina must fix whatever is missing inside her and confront her arch-enemy once again.
You can pick up your copy of Moon Zero by following the link below!
Click here to read Moon Zero
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Dear Reader,
Thank you so much for finishing the book, I hope you enjoyed it! I‘d like to point out that one doesn’t just ‘write a book’ in one go—you need the support of people who are prepared to read the first versions and tell you what bits were good; and which bits to throw away, because they were rubbish (even though YOU, the author, thought they were totally brilliant!).
Some of these wonderful people also made suggestions to help improve t
he story and how it reads. As a result this is a far better book because of the help of the following people, who fully deserve to be acknowledged here, so let’s do that.
Thank you must go to my wife, Gabrielle and daughter, Isabelle, who have read and re-read (and edited) so many drafts that their eyes must be swimming! Without you, I simply would never have been inspired to start, nor able to finish.
Thanks to Karen Law, whose suggestions added an entire dimension to the story that I absolutely loved and enjoyed writing! And I can’t thank Karen without thanking Hazel too!
Further thanks for reading and making editing suggestions also go to Raymonde, my adorable and well-read mother-in-law, who I’m sure would never normally read such a book; and also to my totally wonderful sister, Alison, who found typos when no-one else was able. I think her skills with a microscope helped. Finally, thanks to a long list of people who encourage, cajole and support anyone who attempts to write a book!
The Dreamer Chronicles Trilogy Boxed Set Vol I - III: A Sci-Fi Parallel Universe Adventure (The Dreamer Chronicles - Science Fiction For Kids And Adults) Page 25
