Dawn of the Dreamer (Dreamer Trilogy Book 1)

by L. J. Higgins

  ‘Yeah.’ It was all I could manage to say with so many questions and thoughts pouring through my mind.

  ‘Are you okay?’

  ‘Sorry, in my own world today.’ Coming back to reality, my head began to ache from how much it had endured in the past twenty-four hours.

  ‘That’s okay. Just know I’m here if you want to talk.’ His warm hand on my shoulder put me at ease.

  Although, I may not have trusted the psychiatrist, I did trust Nurse Cameron. I’d always had a school girl crush on him. His rusty blond hair was always groomed to perfection, and his ocean blue eyes made a girl blush. His confident smile made my heart flutter, and I enjoyed our endless conversations about our alternate lifestyles. Although I enjoyed them, they always reminded me how different we were. He was the wealthy handsome guy who owned a nice unit in the city and was a nurse for the MMC, one of the biggest corporations in the world. I rented a unit in an outskirting town because Sarah and I couldn’t afford the rent in the city. The reason being, I worked as a checkout girl which didn’t earn me much money at all. Sometimes I imagined what it would be like to live in his world. But even if I could overcome our differences, Nurse Cameron knew I was a Dreamer. There was no doubt in my mind that was the reason he spoke to me every time I visited. He felt sorry for me.

  After turning off the main lights, he proceeded to prepare the other three patients for sleep, turning their bed lights off one by one as he finished with each one. He came back to the right-hand side of my bed, pressed buttons on the monitor above me, and put a strap on my wrist over my implant. The strap wasn’t as trendy or comfortable as the Wristcuff, but it was necessary to assess why I was still having my nightmares. That’s what Nurse Cameron had told me. Once he’d set me up for the night, he sat at my bedside, and we whispered quiet conversations, stories of our friends and families.

  My parents lived two hours out of Sandhaven on the outskirts of Montville on a property. It was great growing up on the farm. As an only child, I loved playing in the paddock immersed in my imagination. Once I got to high school and started hanging out with Sarah, I craved more than a simple life. She helped me realise life wasn’t roaming around a dusty old farm, and I wanted to be able to go shopping when I wanted, meet new people, and get a decent job.

  Once the Wristochip came in, employers started asking if the Wristcuff worked on their employees. I’d told the truth and was relieved from my position as an administration clerk. Employers believed you were smarter and more switched-on if the Wristcuff worked for you, so the only job I was able to get was at the grocery store. It wasn’t that hard because I was the only person who had applied for the job.

  Sarah and I realised we couldn’t afford to live in the city. Instead we chose to move thirty minutes away near the beach. I’d always enjoyed the sun and sand on our biannual family holidays when I was younger, so I was happy with the move. That was how we ended up in Sandhaven – a small beach town with cheap rent but close enough to take a bus ride into the city. I did miss my parents. That was why Sarah tried to keep me busy in case I decided to move back home. I made an effort to see Mum and Dad every few months and for birthdays and Christmas. Apart from that and a few phone calls here and there, we didn’t spend much time together anymore.

  Realising it had gotten late, Nurse Cameron rose from my bed and ensured the monitor above my head was working correctly. It scanned my brain for activity throughout the night.

  He patted my hand. ‘Sweet dreams, Amelia.’

  ‘Let’s hope.’ I smiled doubtfully and crossed my fingers as he switched off my light.

  My dreams were confusing and muddled, haunted with flashes of the bear’s dark beady eyes and the girl crying curled up in her cage, soaked and scared. Next I sat at the beach, Joe next to me, and then at home, Sarah had her back turned towards me. And so it continued, a dizzying slideshow of images fighting for my attention.

  ***

  ‘Amelia ... Ameeeeliaaaa,’ soft and masculine a voice called me from my restless slumber.

  Waking, the irritation was written across my face.

  ‘Sorry, but it’s time to wake up.’

  Nurse Cameron looked tired himself after such a long shift. Still dazed, I sat up, and he offered me a glass of water.

  ‘Everyone else has gone. You had a restless night, so I let you have a longer sleep.’

  He took the now-empty glass from me.

  ‘Thanks, I appreciate it.’

  I slipped on my shoes as he took off my wrist strap and handed me my locker key.

  ‘Can I ask you a question?’ Nurse Cameron’s face flushed pink.

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘Tell me if this is inappropriate, but could I join you and your friends for drinks one Friday night?’

  His eyes searched mine for an answer. ‘Of course, I’ll let you know a time Thursday night. Okay?’

  ‘I’ll be here waiting.’ He beamed, his expression relaxed.

  With that, I waved him goodbye and retrieved my things from my locker. Once I was dressed, I scanned out and handed in my key. I took the elevator to the ground floor and stepped back into the real world. The night had created so many questions that chased each other through my head. But knowing that Cameron wanted to hang out with me on Friday night despite being a Dreamer had made me happier.

  As I stepped through the automatic glass doors, I paused for a moment to take a deep breath and looked up towards the bright blue sky.

  ‘Amelia?’

  Don’t panic, he doesn’t know why you’re here.

  As I turned around, I wore a fake grin on my face.

  ‘Hey ... Joe, what are you doing here?’

  He was dressed in grey overalls with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The emblem on his chest read MMC with a picture of two stylised brains above it.

  ‘I’m a cleaner here a few times a week,’ he answered, and for the first time, his confidence wavered.

  Had he seen where I’d come from? Would he tell everyone what I was?

  ‘That’s great.’ I decided to play it cool. ‘Are you starting or finishing?’

  ‘Finishing,’ he replied, smiling, his confidence returning. ‘You want to come grab breaky with me?’

  ‘Sure.’ He may have been the cause of Sarah’s strange behaviour towards me, but if she wasn’t going to tell me what the problem was, maybe Joe would.

  We walked to a nearby cafe in silence and both ordered.

  ‘How’s Sarah?’ His concern was genuine. ‘She wasn’t very impressed with me at the beach the other day. I tried to tell her nicely that she isn’t my type, but she took it personally.’

  ‘She’s fine,’ I lied. ‘A beautiful girl like her isn’t used to being told no. It was probably just a shock, but she hasn’t said anything.’

  It wasn’t a lie; she hadn’t said anything, but it was still obvious that her ego had taken a hit. Joe appeared to be a nice guy. I didn’t think he would intentionally lead her on or hurt her. Sarah had a habit of assuming all guys were interested in her; generally, she was right. Eventually, she’d get bored and end it. Normally, the guy was left heartbroken. It was mean, but I knew it was probably good for her to experience what she could dish out. We were interrupted by the arrival of our breakfast, which helped change the conversation. I tucked into my bacon, eggs, avocado, and toast, forgetting for a moment Joe was with me.

  ‘So what have you got planned for the rest of the day?’ He appeared interested.

  ‘I have to go to work in an hour until after lunch. Then, I’ll hang out at home probably.’ The thought of the monotonous day ahead of me was depressing.

  ‘Where do you work?’

  My mind started racing. I couldn’t tell him the truth. He’d guessed I was a Dreamer. I had to make up something quick. But I couldn’t. Sarah would have helped if she’d been there.

  Embarrassed, I admitted, ‘Sandhaven Grocery Store.’

  ‘Okay, sweet.’ Unshaken by my sad excuse for a job, he asked, ‘
How about you let me know when you’re finished and I’ll come pick you up? We can hang out for the afternoon.’

  Taken aback by his proposal, I took a second to collect my thoughts.

  ‘Sure, I finish at two, but I’ll give you my number in case something comes up and you can’t.’

  We exchanged numbers, said our goodbyes, and parted ways. Walking towards the bus stop, I wore a satisfied grin. I knew Sarah wouldn’t be happy if she knew I was spending time with Joe, but it wasn’t often a guy offered to spend an afternoon with me. The bus trip flew by with a muddle of mixed emotions, concern for the lady at the facility, happiness about the afternoon ahead, doubts and fear about the dreams I’d had, and joy that Cameron wanted to hang out with me. I also spent the time holding my breath, fighting off an unfamiliar, unpleasant odour wafting from the old man who sat in front of me. My head ached by the time I arrived at work.

  I spent my shift lost in my own thoughts, coming back to reality to inform customers how much they had spent, and scanning their wrists for payment.

  Two o’clock finally came, and I rushed to grab my bag and check my phone, expecting a ‘sorry, I can’t make it’ message. To my surprise, there was a message that simply read, ‘Pick you up at two.’ Through the front doors, Joe greeted me, calm with a tinge of excitement in his eyes.

  ‘How was work?’

  ‘Don’t ask.’ I rolled my eyes like a moody teenage girl.

  We walked around the corner into the car park and got into an old brown Kingswood with slight rust patches around the joins. Climbing in, I pulled the heavy door towards me, slamming it closed. It had an old car smell, almost metallic, that reminded me of being in my dad’s farm ute. It was just missing the overlaying smells of wet hay and cow manure.

  ‘Do you like my Porsche?’ He cracked a smile at his own joke.

  ‘Love it.’ There was something about an old car you just had to respect. They had survived for such a long time and still had charm. ‘So what are we going to do?’

  ‘Do you trust me?’

  ‘I don’t even know you.’ I laughed as it occurred to me I had just gotten into the car of a stranger.

  ‘True, but do you trust me?’ He followed his question with a cheeky off-centre smile.

  ‘I might be crazy, but yes.’

  For reasons unknown, I felt at ease around Joe, as though I’d known him for years. For the first time, I noticed his muscular arms as he reached to change the gears, and with that, we took off heading west away from the coast.

  Soon we had left Sandhaven. Although there wasn’t much conversation, I was content, and for the first time that day, I had a clear mind. I enjoyed the scenery of tall, slender gum trees and various sproutings of shrubs, bare brown fields, long grass, and wire-fenced paddocks holding cows and horses. We drove past a small town with a single-building school and scattered houses. After that were more properties of trees, paddocks, and half-full dams.

  After thirty minutes or so, we turned off the bitumen and rattled up a rough gravel road. We bounced over a cattle grid that shook the old car and us vigorously, and as we drove up a steep hill, I spotted a wire chicken coop. Then a small house came into view.

  Old and worn, the baby blue paint peeling off in places showed the dark timber underneath. The tin roof had dents and rust here and there, but despite these obvious cosmetic issues, it still appeared to be sturdy. Further up from the little house stood a large shed. Half of it was worn and rusty, and the other half was a shiny extension that looked quite new. Peering out of the window at the view of the rolling hills and trees made me smile. It was the way I would smile when I’d arrived home at my parents’ farm after being away for such a long time. Joe didn’t speak, but appeared to be happy with my pleasure at being there.

  We climbed out of the car, slamming the heavy doors closed. ‘So this is where I live,’ he stretched his arms out turning from side to side, stretching.

  ‘It’s great. Reminds me of home, well, where I grew up.’

  I described my family’s property to him, and he explained that he lived with his aunty as his mum had passed away when he was just fifteen.

  ‘She loved it out here,’ he said, recalling his mother’s contentment. ‘She always said it made her much happier and freer than any other place could.’ His aunty helped him care for his mother while she was sick. He explained that this was the reason he loved living out here. He felt like she was still close by.

  We walked a small distance over the mottled green-and-brown yard and sat on a patch of soft green lawn. We looked out towards the amazing view of the hills that wove in and out of each other, lined with giant gum trees and shrubs. I was happy Joe felt he could be so open with me.

  ‘I like that about you,’ he said, turning towards me. ‘You can tell a lot about someone by the way they look at the world around them.’

  How did I look at the world? If I didn’t know, then he couldn’t possibly have any idea.

  He laughed at the confusion on my face. ‘You take it in!’

  He thought he’d made his point, but I was still confused. ‘I take in what?’

  He laughed again. ‘You stop to take in the beauty of the world around you and appreciate it. Like at the beach when you were soaking up the sun and just enjoying the beach for what it was. Like you are doing now, smiling contently at the hills and blue sky. You’re a Dreamer!’

  CHAPTER FOUR

  The word sent a jolt of fear up my spine making my muscles go rigid.

  Had he said ‘Dreamer’? How could he possibly know? Maybe he had worked it out when he’d seen me leaving the MMC’s building?

  Questions raced through my mind and panic erupted in my stomach bubbling and churning. Stunned, I remained silent. The reality of my situation had sunk in. I was alone, with a stranger, on a property in the middle of nowhere without any means of transport, and he knew I was a Dreamer. Imagine calling Sarah to help me after he’d upset her. The anxiety peaked, and nausea choked my stomach and throat.

  ‘Did I say something wrong?’

  I had no idea what to say.

  Yes, I was a Dreamer. Would he have brought me out there and had breakfast with me if he’d known I was a Dreamer and had a problem with that? Maybe he’d just meant I was a daydreamer, and I was blowing his words completely out of proportion.

  ‘You called me a Dreamer?’ I couldn’t look him in the eyes.

  ‘You are a Dreamer, aren’t you?’ He moved closer. ‘You say it as if I’ve offended you.’

  I fell silent once again, unsure on how to play the scenario out.

  ‘If it helps, the reason I know you’re a Dreamer is, I am too. That’s why I bought you out here, so we could talk without judgement. There’s someone I think you should meet.’ He reached out and gently pushed my chin up till my eyes met his gaze.

  The sick, alarmed feeling faded from my stomach as my muscles softened and became more relaxed. Until I was able to collect my thoughts again.

  ‘Sorry, I just try so hard to keep it a secret that I was shocked that you knew. I’m even more surprised that you are too. You’re so happy.’

  ‘You can call me a Dreamer if you want. That’s why I want you to meet my aunty. She’ll show you that you don’t need to carry around negative feelings when being a Dreamer is such an amazing gift!’ He smiled, excited.

  Being a Dreamer had been called many things, but never something as wonderful as a gift. The MMC would have a heart attack if they heard someone speak in such a way.

  Joe rose to his feet, dusting the grass off the backside of his earthy brown shorts. He held his hand out to help me get up too.

  ‘Come and meet my aunty Dawn. She’s been waiting to see you.’

  At the house, I followed Joe up the few steps that led to the screen door. Once inside, the house smelt sweet; someone had been baking. Looking around, it appeared small but cosy and warm. You could sense the many memories that had been created beneath the timeworn ceiling. Out of the tiny kitchen steppe
d an older lady. Her greyish blonde hair was roughly pulled up into a bun, pieces of it falling out over her lightly wrinkled face. She wore a baggy light blue T-shirt and a floor-length skirt that was a blend of greens and blues. It reminded me of waves as she walked towards us with her gentle smile.

  ‘Amelia, this is my aunty Dawn. Aunty Dawn—’

  ‘Yes, yes, yes, Jonah, thank you. Amelia, honey, I am so happy to meet you.’

  She reached out and held my hand between both of hers. ‘Afternoon tea is ready, and I’ve made blueberry muffins.’

  We sat around her timber dining room table topped with a lace cloth. We ate muffins and sipped tea, and I listened as Dawn and Joe, or Jonah as she called him, caught up on what each of them had been doing. Joe had been staying in the city for his job, and Dawn had filled the time tending to her garden and baking. It was so natural, sitting there listening to their stories, although they weren’t very exciting. It made me happy to see them chat so comfortably. It was easy to see how close they must have been, and my heart grew heavy as I pictured my mother.

  Mum’s hair was dark brown, much like my own, but was cropped short to frame her soft face. She always wore loose comfortable clothing and a tan Akubra for working out in the dry, dusty heat. She loved working on the farm, feeding the cows, watering her plants and gardens, retrieving eggs from the chickens, and walking down to the little creek that ran at the end of the road. During the working week, she was an office clerk at the local car yard, but she was always happiest dusty and dirty out on the farm.

  ‘Sorry, Amelia, we don’t mean to exclude you. I haven’t seen this one for days.’

  The interruption to my thoughts was appreciated. Another moment and I would have begun to cry.

  ‘That’s okay,’ I replied, pulling myself together, ‘doesn’t worry me.’

  ‘No, it doesn’t, does it?’ She was pleased with my answer. ‘Did Jonah tell you why he brought you here, or has he left the explaining up to me?’

  ‘I thought you wouldn’t sound so crazy,’ suggested Joe, relaxing back in his chair anticipating a long story.