Someone Else's Dream

by Colin Griffiths

  “Relax,” she assured her, “If he gives you any hassle, tell me,”

  “But what can you do?” she probed Hayleigh,

  Hayleigh’s face grew quizzical, “I don’t know, but two heads are better than one,” she drank the rest of her wine and stood up to leave, holding Marcia’s hand in hers before she left,

  “You enjoy that new fella of yours and see you soon,” she supposed, she left the pub at the same time as Marcia’s first real customers came in and ordered two pints of lager, she poured them with her usual smile, wondering what it was that was making her feel so fearful. Her thoughts rescinded during the next hour as she shared the usual banter with the customers, that tingling feeling of being with her knew found lover growing stronger and stronger as the minutes passed.

  Her heart missed several beats when the television lookalike star walked into the bar of the bluebell pub at precisely 3pm. Marcia was serving along with the landlady, Helen the pub had become quite busy during the lunch hour and had thinned out now to about a dozen. Carrying his holdall and not sure what to do, Smithy just stood there looking at his love behind the bar. Marcia immediately stopped what she was doing and lifted the latch to greet Smithy. Helen finished serving the customer Marcia was attending to, her face breaking out into a broad smile as the two lovers hugged in the centre of the pub; amid the cheers of some customers who just loved to tease their favourite barmaid.

  “Take a fifteen minute break,” Helen told Marcia, she asked smithy what he liked to drink, he replied “bitter.” And Helen brought both a bitter and fruit juice over to them as they took a seat against the back window. They both sat, nervous as to what to expect whilst embarking on this new relationship. There was a determination and a mutual attraction between the both of them to want to see it through. Marcia got Smithy another pint and left him to sit there as Helen went back up the stairs to her home. In between serving customers Marcia would sit down next to Smithy, where they would chat, falling in love more and more with each word that was spoken. It was whilst serving a customer, her heart went into her mouth as she saw who walked through the door.

  Matt Conner had arrived home from Porthcawl only 24 hours earlier after having experienced an amazing couple of days at the holiday resort, with his future wife and co-author. The evening before he had got home and immediately settled down to read the second book in the charlotte series. He sat on his sofa as he read the last page on his kindle, throwing the piece of apparatus against the wall after he did so.

  “That slut has killed her off.” He had said out loud, he had grown angry as he was reading the pages and the probable demise of Charlotte in the novel, he felt there was no way she would have survived the ferocity of the car crash. She had killed her off, Carla Reid had killed off his and hers future. It was never meant to end like this.

  That evening he went to bed, where the nightmares resurfaced. First he was chasing someone in an alley, it wasn’t a long alley but it seemed to go on forever as his feet were taking him nowhere, the person he was chasing was also feeling the same motions, her feet taking her nowhere. There was never a catch in that dream, never an ending, just screams. Then he dreamt that he was in a beach house, it was dark and the moonlight shone through the windows, he was looking down at a beautiful woman lying there naked, she seemed to be experiencing her own nightmare as she tossed and turned before sitting bolt upright and screaming. That dream had ended there and awoken him. There were no further dreams, but he did dream of a little girl called Aimee, she was telling him something, she was saying to him.

  “Let it go Daddy.”

  He awoke in the morning and immediately showered, he stripped the dampened sheets from perspiration from the bed and replaced them with clean ones. He put the dirty sheets in the washer and cooked himself a hearty breakfast of bacon and eggs with lashings of black coffee. He exchanged texts with Carla throughout the day, saying how much they enjoyed each other’s company, Matt always trying to persuade her to visit on the Saturday, Carla was indeed warming to the idea. His mind was in no real place at all as he sat down and wrote a further chapter of his novel ‘The Stalker.’ It was only when he finished his chapter and satisfied with his work did he decide on popping over the road to the pub for a well-deserved beer. His thought were not of Marcia, or Carla, neither were they of his ex-wife or daughter. The only thing he could think of was Charlotte’s demise.

  Matt Conner smiled wickedly when he saw the shocked look on Marcia’s face,

  “Can I have some dinner please?” he mocked as he walked up to the bar. Marcia could feel her whole body shaking, she glanced over at Smithy hoping to catch his eyes, but his eyes were fixed on the tele, he wasn’t really watching it, his heads were in the clouds and the throes of passion

  “Please don’t,” she pleaded, “Just take a drink and sit down.”

  “Wrong answer,” he mocked, “The correct answer should be ‘dessert’,” he leant forward, his face inches from hers. She let out an involuntary yelp. Smithy heard this and immediately woke from his trance to see a man leaning over the bar and the look of terror on Marcia’s face. He went straight over to where they were.

  “Everything okay?” he asked, Matt turned straight around to see the chubby man next to him, he recognised his face immediately and for a moment was quite taken aback, “You okay love?” he added referring to Marcia. It was then Matt suddenly realised what was happening and put two and two together, he recalled Marcia saying she had met someone when they were together in Porthcawl. His shocked face changed into a wicked grin.

  “You and her, ah I see now,” Matt proclaimed with a chuckle. Smithy recognised the man now as the man who was with Carla in his store. “It’s the manager boy.” Added Matt, Smithy’s eyes went from Matt’s to Marcia, he could see the scared look on her face and the fear in her eyes, and he looked again at Matt.

  “There a problem here?” asked Smithy to both people, Matt gave out a laugh, and looked at Marcia who was stone cold with fear,

  “There’s no problem here is there Marcia?” he said staring her straight in her face, amid her fear she replied,

  “No, not at all,” Smithy could see how nervous Marcia had become and wanted to protect her.

  “So it’s dinner in the week then?” Matt asked her, Marcia nodded, Matt just stood staring, then she realised he was waiting for a reply. Smithy just kept looking between the two,

  “Dessert,” she reluctantly replied.

  “I’ll have a bitter please.” He mocked She poured Matt his beer and he went and sat down, staring at the couple stood by the bar. Smithy had no idea what had just gone on, one thing he did know something was not right. The loved up feeling was showing an air of disappointment. He remained stood at the bar until Marcia finished serving customers, mindful of the eyes that were always upon him.

  “What was all that about?” he asked Marcia. Marcia looked at the clock on the wall, her heart thumping and her head in turmoil.

  “I finish in 20 minutes, I’ll take you to my place and explain,” she tried to give a reassuring smile but it came out as a grimace, for some reason Smithy felt his dream being slowly taken away from him.

  They both walked sombrely back to Marcia’s small apartment. Marcia trying to run through her mind the words she was going to choose. She had decided that if she was going to have a relationship with Smithy then she had to be totally honest even if it meant losing that opportunity. Smithy wasn’t sure what was happening but it felt as if something so special was about to be spoilt.

  They sat on her sofa with a Budweiser each when Marcia opened up to him. She told Smithy everything she could about Matt, from the first time she slept with him to the more recent occasions, the death of his daughter, how she felt that he now had her trapped. She told him about Dale being beaten up and how she feels it was him that attacked her in an alley. She even told him about Hayleigh and the termination of the baby. She just let it all out and finished with tears on her cheek, saying “I understand if y
ou’re not interested now.” Smithy drew himself close to him and put his arm around Marcia, kissing away a tear on her cheek. What she had told him was not what he expected, somehow it made her feel closer. Their lips met and they kissed passionately.

  “I think I’m falling in love,” he told her,

  “Beat you to it she replied,” they made love on her sofa and then in the bedroom, passionately and deeply, lost in each other’s bodies, they shared a shower and both got changed to go into Doncaster for a meal.

  “Smithy then told her that he had met Matt before in Porthcawl, with his friends ex, he didn’t think too much of it at the time as Marcia explained that he went there to visit another author and it was business, though Smithy did think they were a little bit close for business partners.

  “You come back with me tomorrow to Porthcawl. You can stay with me and Darren, until we sort this out,” he almost instructed Marcia, she liked the fact that he was taking control, she immediately said “Yes.” Not caring what work would have to say, or of any other responsibilities she had. She just wanted to be with the man that made her feel safe.

  * * *

  Matt Conner’s head wasn’t in any particular world, it was in a world of many voids. He sat alone in the pub for a further hour after Marcia and Smithy had left, he drank a further two pints of bitter and had every intention of staying there until closing times and drink his demons away. He was shocked that a girl who belonged to him could so openly flaunt herself with another man. He regarded Marcia and himself as an item, it was as if she was cheating on him right in front of his eyes. He couldn’t allow that to happen, it shouldn’t have happened, he had let himself down by allowing it to do so. We will have dinner again, and it will be her last meal. He told himself. His thought were only interrupted by his phone beeping. He recognised the text tone that he had assigned to the sender and his whole mood changed as he fumbled to read the text,

  ‘Have you told Aimee about me? And is she okay about it? Xxx’

  Shit, he said to himself, he had forgot all about telling Aimee about Carla, he gave it some thought, he knew his daughter would want to see him happy, and he was sure she would love Carla. Who wouldn’t love Carla? He texted back.

  ‘She can’t wait to meet you, hopefully very soon.’ He pressed send. It wasn’t long before he had a reply from the besotted Carla.

  ‘I’ve booked myself into a b&b in Hatfield, for tomorrow night, don’t want Aimee to see us sleep together just yet, though it will be tempting lol, leaving in the morning, hope to be there by midday, can’t wait to see you xxx’

  Some of those demons went from his head as his thoughts filled with lust and passion, the girl of his dreams would be here in the morning. The smile on his face detracted as he realised he had not yet told his daughter. He sent a further text.

  ‘We are both so excited can’t wait to see you xxx’

  The situation was not lost, all he had to do was collect Aimee and tell his daughter all about her, and she was going to be so excited. He finished his beer and took the walk to collect his daughter.

  * * *

  Hayleigh felt in a good place, despite what had recently happened in her life. It had recently been turned upside down and now she was intent on turning it back round. She knew it was all her own fault, but she had begun to think that she was really a victim of circumstances that Matt Conner had put her in. She had an opportunity to change her life once more and she was going to seize it. She was cleaning the house in case of any potential viewers when she saw Matt Conner walking down the drive from the front of her lavish home. Her heart went into her mouth as she watched him approach. His face looked a picture of happiness and showed no menace, for a moment she thought that the Matt Conner approaching her home at that moment looked exactly like the one she fell in love with. With her heart still ponding, she heard the doorbell go. She slowly made her way to the front door, growing hesitant as she put her hand on the latch to open it. If I don’t open it I will never know what it was he wanted, she thought. The doorbell went once more in just a short burst. She took a deep breath and opened the door. Matt Conner just stood there with that handsome smile on his face, the same smile she fell in love with years ago.

  “I’ve come to pick up Aimee.” He told her.

  Hayleigh stood there stunned and a chill went through her body as she looked at the man stood wontedly on her doorstep, with an expectant smile on his face. A million memories flashed through her brain as she thought about her daughter who had died three years ago, aged three.

  “Aimee!!” she cried putting her hand over her mouth, her face resembling someone who had seen a ghost. Matt noticed her shivering and his own thoughts went through his mind regarding his daughter. He looked straight into Hayleigh’s eyes who was now stood shivering with a single tear falling down her cheek. Hayleigh met his eyes, which now looked deep and vacant as if they were lost in their own world.

  “Shh, she’s n, n, not here is she?” Matt stuttered.

  Carla looked at the lost figure that was stood in front of him, feeling some empathy but at the same time fear was growing through her body at the man who was now scaring her to death.

  “She died three years ago.” Hayleigh wept and closed the door on Matt Conner. She ran into her lounge and flung herself on the sofa, bursting into tears as she did so. Her thoughts were firstly of her daughter, which she had laid flowers on her grave that same morning as her father had come to collect her. Then her thoughts went to her ex-husband, the man she had left standing on her doorstep who had come to collect his dead daughter. She knew now he had completely lost it, and because of that she felt for him deeply, but her thought quickly went to herself and the fear she felt for her own safety. Wiping away the tears with the back of her hand, she quickly went to the kitchen and poured herself a large red, seeking solace in the only way she knew how. The fear was growing inside her at a rapid pace. She got out her mobile and looked at her contacts until she found the one she wanted. The phone rang twice before it was answered.

  “Can you come and stop with me for a while, somethings happened.” She told the man at the other end of the phone.

  “Course I will, be there soon as babe.” Answered Cavan. He killed the call and quickly made another.

  “Mallethead, get me a car straight away.” He immediately went for a shower.

  Hayleigh put the phone down, again wondering how it had all come to this. Cavan would make her feel safe, and that’s what she wanted for now. She guessed he may be expecting sex, whilst not being particularly excited, she gave it some thought. If that’s the price I got to be to feel safe, so be it! She poured another wine, she thought she may need it.

  Matt stood for a while just looking at the door that was shut in his face. The words ‘she died three years ago’ resonating with him in some way. He put his hands to his head as if suffocating a headache. He tried to picture his daughter aged 4, 5, or 6. He could not. His memories were on a 1 year old, then a 2 and a 3. But no more those memories were not there. He walked back up the drive still holding his hands in his head. He reached the street and still holding his head he started walking.

  He found himself at the grave of his daughter, whose gravestone told him that she had died three years ago at the age of three. There were fresh flowers on the grave, he picked them up to take in their aroma. The evening was turning into night as the sun dipped and darkness drew in. Soon he could no longer see the inscription on the grave. He lay down beside it putting one hand on the headstone and fell into a dreamy sleep. “Why did you die?” he uttered, before the dreams came. They were familiar dreams, of little girls and horses, of a naked woman shuffling in her bed, unable to release herself from the paralysis she found herself in. there was a dream on the inexplicable demise of a back street kid come good. There was Sun Sea and sand. Love horror and hate.

  He woke up at 5am, he shivered as his clothes were damp from the morning dew, and he stood up and stretched his dampened body. He touched the he
adstone of his daughters gravestone and mumbled out loud,

  “I need to get showered and changed, she will be here soon.” He walked the relatively short distance to his home, looking forward to the day ahead with his new love, she would be disappointed that his daughter would be unable to make it, but at least she could cancel the B&B and spend the night with him. It was only for one day and one night, but that was all he needed at the time. He couldn’t think more than one day ahead. One day at a time was the only way he could manage until those tablets that he used to take was completely out of his system and he was returned to his former self.

  He got in his house just after 5.15 am, he made and drank a quick coffee before going upstairs to shower. He let the water pour over his body, once again it felt as if the previous days sin were being washed away. He stepped out of the shower and stood naked looking at himself in the mirror, pleased to see that he as looking good and the reflection was his own. He stood there for a while with his eyes closed, trying to reflect on the past couple of weeks, trying to remember the things he had said or done, his head was completely confused as he struggled to distinguish what was real and what was not. His mind went to Carla and he thought of the time they made love, he really wanted to fill his head with good things as he relived their loved making in his mind, he felt an erection coming on and he opened his eyes once more. He stared at the reflection in the mirror, it was him, it was the naked Matt stood proud and erect. But now the reflection had changed. The eyes were deep, the nostrils were flared, stained and black teeth showed through the scowl on his face, he looked at the torso in the mirror, it looked unharmed in every way, and his own body did not hurt or ache, but the reflection in the mirror was different, it did not move with him and the naked body in the mirror was not covered in soap or water. The reflection in the mirror was dripping only blood.