Dawn of the Dreamer (Dreamer Trilogy Book 1)

by L. J. Higgins

  Joe whispered something into Rose’s ear to which she responded, ‘I’d like that.’

  I gave her a cuddle goodnight before they left. She barely put her arms around me in response. Although hurt, I put it down to the fact she was missing Ethan and had just learnt what she’d been dragged into. That was the truth. I hadn’t actually asked her if she would like to join us. She’d been hauled from her ward bedroom and brought to the farm from which she had no way to leave and nowhere to go. It was the first time it had occurred to me that she might feel trapped. In the process of trying to be more in control of my own life, I had taken away the control Rose had over her own.

  Would I ever be good at being an independent, free-thinking Amelia? Or was I just going to keep dragging people into my problems?

  Watching her walk towards the farmhouse, Joe’s arm around her, a pang of hurt stung my heart. I tried to ignore it, knowing she needed him right now and I had Cameron.

  ‘You okay?’ Cameron’s concern made my heart flutter as always.

  ‘Yeah, I think so. Do you want to come see my caravan? I share it with Rose, but she’s preoccupied with Joe at the moment.’

  I took his large but soft hand and led him inside the caravan throwing a black bra into the cupboard before he could notice. Offering for him to sit on the little bench opposite the bed, I sat on the edge of the mattress.

  ‘You know, I was worried about him.’ He wore an amused smile.

  ‘Who? Joe?’

  ‘Yeah Joe. He’s a top guy, you know. But the way he spoke about you, I thought he must have had an interest in you. It was a relief to see him so close to Rose tonight.’

  ‘To be honest ...’ I didn’t want to lie to him and make a bigger mess than I already had, but I didn’t want him to be upset either, ‘Joe and I were close. Nothing has ever happened. We’re so distant from each other now, I’m not even sure if we’re friends anymore. We both want the same thing. To bring down the MMC.’

  ‘So you still do? After everything I told you, you still want to do this?’ His look was quizzical.

  ‘What have I got to lose?’

  He reached out and took both of my hands. ‘You’re something else, Amelia Bailey. Not only honest, beautiful, and resilient, but courageous too.’

  My cheeks flushed hot, and I smiled uncomfortably. I’d been called many things, even beautiful by my parents and Sarah, but never resilient or courageous. Could I really be those things?

  We spoke of our days since my escape and how crazy life had been since the night I told him of my suspicions. It was nice to fall so easily back into our flirty friendship. Close to midnight, Rose knocked at the door, and as she entered, Cameron and I stepped outside to say our goodbyes.

  ‘I don’t want to rush you or take things any faster than you want me to, but can I please give you just one kiss goodnight?’

  He stepped towards me, hands resting on my waist. His eyes appeared to sparkle as he came closer to press his lips against mine. My body tingled from head to toe. My chest pressed firm against his as his hands slid across my back to pull me closer, and my hands found themselves on his muscular torso. Then as quickly as it had begun, it was over, and my lips were left wanting more.

  ‘Wow that was something.’ He let his hands fall from my sides. Dazed, I nodded. ‘When you’re ready, call me, and maybe we can go on a real date.’ He strode towards his car with an extra spring in his step.

  ‘That sounds good.’ I watched as he climbed into his car and drove along the driveway, his lights disappearing into the night.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  I’m not sure what woke me, the distant terrified scream or the extreme heat that had me choking for air the second I sat up in my sweat-soaked bed. Feeling to my left, my hand found sheets and a pillow. Rose was gone. My eyes tried to focus, heavy with thick black smoke that fouled the surrounding air. Muffled screams and calls came from outside of the caravan, but I couldn’t inhale deep enough to cry out to them. I choked on a deep cough that tore at my throat. Alive the monster, a swirl of orange and yellows, licked at the cupboard at the end of my bed. Rapidly, it climbed up the downer towards my feet, my knees curled up to my chest.

  Think, Amelia, think! You have to get out!

  Behind me, the cool touch of breeze on the back of my sweaty neck caught my attention, and I barked a deep painful cough that made my lungs ache as they filled with more hot dense air. As the flames crackled closer, I turned to climb out the small window. I wasn’t sure if I would fit, but it was my only chance of escape. Smack!

  The window slammed shut, and outside, Rose held the window closed, all the muscles in her slim arms straining.

  She mouthed, ‘I’m sorry,’ over and over, and I stared at her while I banged as hard as I could with my fists on the Perspex window. My breaths drew shallower. The heat grew so intense my body was almost cooked through. The room blurred, and I couldn’t tell if it was the heavy smoke consuming me or my body running out of oxygen ...

  ***

  ‘Help.’ At first, I struggled to make it audible.

  ‘Help!’ The second attempt was loud and clear as I sat up in bed, pushing my back towards the wall behind me.

  Taking deep gulps of air, reinflating my aching lungs, my eyes studied the inside of my caravan. I was alone. The sun beat down on my legs where my face had been moments before. The caravan was in one piece, and the realisation came. I had been dreaming. Dreams had felt real and scary before, but this had been the first dream to trick me into believing I was awake, and it shook me to the core.

  Someone rapped on the door loudly. ‘Amelia, are you okay?’ It was Rose’s voice, and the sound of it had me hugging my knees closer to my chest.

  It had felt so real, looking into her eyes, pleading with her to let me out, but instead, she had trapped me inside, sealing my fate. I knew in my head it was just a dream, but my body still trembled at the crisp memory.

  ‘Amelia?’ She burst in without an invitation, finding me curled up in fear against the wall on the bed soaked with sweat. ‘Oh my god, what happened to you?’ The expression on her face reminded me of the girl in the window, and I withdrew from her as she reached out towards me.

  ‘Sarah.’ It was all I could say, peering down at my knees.

  It wasn’t long before Sarah entered the caravan that had begun to heat up.

  ‘Amelia, what’s wrong? Was it another one of your dreams? Are you okay? Please talk to me!’ She was panicked; she had never seen me in such a state.

  For a moment, I tried to put the words in order in my head. I couldn’t string them together, so instead, I told her I just wanted to get some fresh air. She watched me like a hawk with a worried expression that made her brow crease in the middle.

  The fresh air blew over my face as I opened the door, and I took a deep breath, calming myself and walking towards my spot on the hill. Sarah stayed within view but didn’t ask me anymore questions, letting me pull my head together. I desperately wanted to ask Dawn what the dream meant. But it was so fresh. I wasn’t ready to relive it just yet, so I sat staring over the hills and down into the valleys, taking deep breaths to convince my body it was fine.

  The bright blue sky was clear, with only a few wisps of clouds here and there. Another hot day on the farm lay ahead of me, and I wasn’t sure if I was in the right head-space for the heat. The hills were dry, and the grass was more of a yellowish brown than the light green it had been when I’d first arrived. That first day, sitting with Joe at that exact spot, was so relaxing and calming. As if I’d found somewhere I belonged again. Little did I know the challenges and decisions that would present themselves soon after.

  What happened to my simple life with Sarah in Apartment Five, when I knew what my life would be day in, day out?

  I could visit the beach on a hot day like this to cool down, and there were no difficult life-changing decisions to be made. Now my life comprised of hiding out on an old farm and living in a caravan with a friend that didn�
�t really know me. I was torn between the guy I’d always had a secret crush on and the guy I’d had a special connection with. My life was forcing me to make decisions I wasn’t sure I was educated enough or ready to make. My record of deciding things for myself wasn’t good. One decision had landed me in a Psychiatric Ward and the second caused me to hurt a good friend. The third decision I’d made had trapped Rose out on a farm with me, sentenced to a life of living in hiding, possibly worse.

  My next decision would be the hardest.

  Should I live out my life on this farm and make the best of a bad situation? Or was I ready to take on the world’s biggest corporations in a takedown where the odds were stacked against me? How were seven people going to take on such a big corporation?

  I knew a decision had to be made, and it had to be made sooner rather than later, and it scared the hell out of me.

  Sarah advised me breakfast was ready. I realised it wasn’t as late in the morning as I’d thought. It was only about six-thirty, and everyone who had jobs was going to head in to work for the day. Eating our pieces of toast, which I was grateful for as I didn’t think I could stomach much more, Joe began a quick family meeting.

  ‘Before I get home from work today, I will pick up three prepaid phones as Cam suggested. Even if some of us don’t go ahead with this, it’s best to have a plan in place in case something goes wrong. We need to stay in contact with each other. As for groups, Aunty Dawn, Rose, and I felt, they were a given. Rose, Amelia, and Sarah will be in one group, Yvette and Andrew in another, and Aunty Dawn and I in the last group. That’s three phones, three trailers, and three cars, which means we’d all have means of communications, somewhere to sleep and transport.’ We appreciated not having to decide anything for ourselves at that moment. I knew I did.

  ‘As for evacuation in case something was to happen, or we thought they were coming to raid the farm, the caravans should all be turned to stand in a line, with a car parked and ready to be hitched at all times. In the case that one of us isn’t home, Aunty Dawn, Rose, and Amelia can use the farm Ute and take their caravan. Other than that, we’ll be on stand-by as much as we can without being too over the top. Obviously, we couldn’t use the front entry road, so this afternoon, Andrew and I will mark out an alternate route towards the neighbouring properties’ road. Does that sound good to everyone?’

  We all nodded and mumbled our yes, including Andrew and Yvette. Everyone set off to get ready and leave for work. Rose and Dawn tidied the table and took the dishes to Dawn’s house. Although I felt rude, my memory of the fire kept me seated at the table, still not at ease with Rose and not willing to enter our caravan just yet. Before she left, Sarah suggested that if I wanted, she could have a day off sick from work. I assured her I was fine and that I would talk to her when she got home. Reluctantly, she left.

  The camp was quiet without the bustle of bodies around the caravans. The comfort I’d found in being on my own changed to being uncomfortable with the guilt of being impolite creeping in. I didn’t contribute financially to the farm, but still ate three meals a day, thanks to Dawn’s kindness. She’d also given me a home with no mention of paying rent. It was easy for Sarah to be angry at Andrew and call him a hippy, but I was the freeloader; at least he paid his way. Did Rose feel the same? She was such a kind person, I imagined the thought had occurred to her sooner than it had to me. There I was, sitting by myself in the heat, avoiding her because my subconscious had cast her as a villain in a dream that frightened me. She didn’t ask to be in it. I couldn’t imagine her being able to commit such a horrible act. Pulling myself together, I stood up and walked towards the farmhouse.

  Dawn and Rose were talking in the kitchen when I sheepishly stepped through the screen door. Dawn was washing while Rose dried with a tea towel that had a pink floral print on it.

  ‘Sorry I didn’t help. I had a crazy dream last night and struggled to shake it off. I’m okay now though. What can I do?’

  ‘How about you put on the kettle and make us a cup of tea. It seems as though both of you could use a vent this morning and I’m all ears.’

  Dawn pulled the plug from the bottom of the sink. The water gurgled and gulped as it spun around the drain but was drowned out by the water boiling in the kettle I’d turned on. Concentrating on the task at hand, I found three cups in her mismatched collection and sat them on the bench. Then I found the little wooden box of tea bags and placed one in each cup.

  I was gazing out of the window above the sink where Dawn was wiping down benches and Rose was finishing up her drying. I imagined the scene through the window was an oil painting, a rich blue sky hanging brightly over a hatching of brown and yellow that yearned for the rain. It had been so hot. We must’ve been due for rain to quench the land’s thirst. The little dam hadn’t had water in it since I’d arrived, and kangaroo sightings had become scarcer. That was one thing I’d never enjoyed about living on Mum and Dad’s farm. The dry heat that sucked the life out of the earth. Animals would die of thirst, and the only wind that came through was so stuffy and hot you did your best to avoid it. No wonder I was dreaming about fires.

  The kettle clicked and I poured each of us a cup, carrying first Dawn’s and Rose’s to the table and then mine.

  I slid into the wooden chair. ‘I miss Sandhaven.’ The statement leapt out before I could hold it in, surprising even myself.

  ‘What do you miss about it?’ Dawn took a loud sip of her hot tea.

  ‘I miss having my own place, my own room where I could sit and read and put my thoughts together. I miss being able to walk wherever I pleased with no time constraint or caring about who might find me. I miss relaxing on Sandhaven beach, the soft wind in my hair, and floating in the cool water. I miss my old life where I didn’t have to worry about anything or anyone. I was free to do as I pleased.’

  ‘I miss my home too,’ confessed Rose, ‘I miss tending to my little vegetable garden down the side of the house. Before I left, my tomatoes were almost ripe to eat. I miss sitting on the couch at the end of the day with Mum talking, laughing, and gossiping about our day. More than anything, I miss Ethan. His smile, his giggles, the way he says, “Love you, Mum” and holds me so tight he might crush me if he was bigger.’ A tear slid down her cheek putting my longing into perspective.

  ‘I wish I could give all of those things back to you girls, with all my heart I do. Despite my fears, I think the only way things can go back to normal is if we do what Cameron suggested. It scares me more than anything, all of you putting yourselves in danger. You feel like children to me when I was unable to have my own, and it would hurt me to have anything happen to any of you. Especially Joe.’ It was the first time I’d seen Dawn show emotion other than warmth and happiness. It broke my heart seeing her so upset.

  Rose and I both held our hands out to hold Dawn’s.

  ‘We can do this,’ Rose spoke confidently, ‘if we all work together I know we can show the world who the MMC really are.’

  She was right. We weren’t going to get our lives back sitting on a farm feeling sorry for ourselves. And we couldn’t go back, knowing all we’d learned. The only way was forward. We had to stand up and do something or we could never live with ourselves.

  Her confidence infected me, and I could tell it had crept into Dawn as well as she wiped at her tears and straightened her back. ‘If anyone can, you lot can.’

  Later, we made it out into the garden to help Dawn tend to her vegetables and herbs. The smell of rosemary as Dawn trimmed the little bush filled my senses, and I enjoyed tugging out the small weeds that grew among the tomatoes. I was helping, even if it was only in a small way.

  ‘I have a confession to make.’ It blurted out in a strange voice that didn’t sound like Rose’s. Dawn and I turned from discussing her beloved orchids, which were in bloom, an explosion of purples, pinks, and white.

  ‘Please don’t be angry with me. I promise I was going to tell you, but I just didn’t know how. That’s why I went to the house
with Joe last night. I needed to bounce it off him first to see how he thought you would react.’

  She spoke so fast it was evident she’d been repeating the lines in her head most of the morning. It had gotten to the point that if she didn’t speak them, she would implode.

  ‘We could never be angry with you, sweetheart.’ Dawn was confident in her words, but the memory of my jealousy stopped me from reassuring her.

  Why had she gone to Joe instead of me? Had I been so caught up in my own worries that I’d lost another good friend?

  ‘When Amelia met Cameron at the Tavern the other night, Sarah and I went our own way, and I went to the bathroom. When I walked out of the door, a lady walked over, smiling as though she knew who I was, but the serious look in her eyes was menacing. She told me to follow her, and she led me outside to a corner of the courtyard. She backed me into it where no one could see us and told me that the MultiMind Corporation had sent her to make me an offer.’

  Realising my mouth was hanging open in shock, I shut it, hoping no one had noticed. What had shocked me, I wasn’t sure. The fact they’d pulled her aside in front of so many people, or that they’d known where to find her in the first place? An uneasy feeling swept over me as I realised that they could be watching us at that moment.

  Rose wept, tears rolling over her flushed cheeks as she struggled to explain the deal. ‘They said that if I told them where you all were, they would leave me alone and allow me to be reunited with Ethan.’ The mention of his name forced her tears to flow faster, and she hunched over her knees to cry a deep yearning cry I was sure could only come from a mother who loved her child.

  Instinctively, I went to her side and put my arm around her, telling her everything would be okay. My mind was running rampant with the thought that they’d been so close. Had she taken their deal?

  It wasn’t long before she was standing again, pulling her emotions back into line. Her face was still flushed and shiny from tears, but her expression was stern as she fought an internal battle with her feelings.