Rise of the Dreamer

by L. J. Higgins

  “It’s your fault.”

  Springing upright in my bed, a mixture of sweat and tears ran from my forehead and cheeks. I wiped at them with my blanket before tossing it beside me. The sun was up, and the tent was heating fast. My clothes clung to my body, sticky and hot. Looking to my left, I was relieved to find I was alone. I wouldn’t have to explain my abrupt awakening. Crawling out of the tent, I went to find Sarah and Joe.

  Outside, everyone was busy packing tents, bags and eskies onto the back of a ute I hadn’t seen before. It was metallic black and looked too new to belong to any of my friends.

  “Morning,” said Joe as he approached me.

  I nodded at him, still trying to make sense of the commotion around me.

  “We’re packing up today, remember?” he said. “We’re heading to our new home. Sarah has a bag of your clothes and stuff from Sandhaven. If there’s anything else you want, let me know and we’ll try to get it for you.”

  I nodded again, watching Janine pass a heavy bag up to Sarah and Harper, who were in the tray of the ute. My thin arms ached in protest as though warning me against any hard labour.

  “You’ll love it, I promise.”

  “Love what?” I asked.

  “Our new home. Everyone there wants exactly the same thing we do. To take down the MMC.” He gave me one of his crooked smiles and walked past me to begin packing up my tent.

  I hated how he kept calling this place our ‘new home.’ As though it could replace the life we’d had in Sandhaven, in Joe’s blue beach house. But I understood why we couldn’t go back there. I was a fugitive once again, in hiding from the MMC. In an attempt to ignore the nightmare still lingering in the back of my mind from the night before, I decided to keep busy, even if my muscles didn’t want to work.

  “I’ll give you a hand,” I said to Joe and began helping take down my tent.

  With everyone helping out, it didn’t take long for our camp to be packed away into the tray of the ute. After a half hour rest, a snack and a drink, we were ready to hit the road.

  “Kaelee, Janine, and Sarah, you three can ride in the ute with me until we get to the off-road track. Amelia, you jump in with Jonah. You can both ride in the tray when we get there,” suggested Harper.

  Sarah rolled her eyes in my direction and climbed into the ute next to Kaelee. Janine gave me a wave before climbing in after her.

  “Well, I guess I’m riding with you,” I groaned, disappointed Harper had once again chosen Kaelee after everything she’d done.

  “Don’t sound so excited,” replied Joe. “It’s been a long time since we went on a road trip together. Might be fun.”

  He climbed into the driver seat and I watched the ute as Harper started it up and began reversing out.

  “It’s a long walk. You’d be better off getting in the car,” said Joe.

  Inhaling a deep breath, I reminded myself to keep busy, stop dwelling on everything happening around me. I climbed into the passenger side of Joe’s car.

  The first hour was quiet. Joe couldn’t find a radio station and didn’t have a device to play music, so we sat in silence, staring out of the window. The scenery was beautiful: lush green rainforest, tall palms, delicate ferns and other exotic looking plants. The cool air radiating from them lulled me into a relaxed state until I drifted off.

  Cameron’s body flashed before my eyes, my arms covered in his blood. I woke with a jolt, giving Joe a fright.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, looking at me before turning his eyes back to the road.

  I nodded and blinked my eyes a few times to fight away the image burned into them.

  “I know this is hard for you. Cameron meant so much to you, and I can only weigh up what you might be feeling with what I felt when they took Dawn from me. I know you’re angry, and you don’t want to face that he’s gone, and you don’t want to talk to anyone.”

  Tears welled in my eyes and I rubbed my tongue along the roof of my mouth, staring out the window to stop them from flowing.

  “But when you’re ready, even if you want someone to yell at or lash out at, I’m here for you, and so is Sarah.” He placed his hand on my knee and I flinched in response. “Sorry,” he said, quickly taking his hand back.

  Chapter Five

  After spending the next few hours drifting in and out of sleep, Joe pulled off the road down a rough dirt track, still following Harper. We bounced and flopped around in our seats, and I reached up to grab the handle above the window to hold myself steady. Joe gave me an amused grin as though enjoying seeing me out of my comfort zone. The ute pulled over in a clearing just big enough for the two cars to fit in, and Joe pulled up behind them.

  “This is our stop,” he said. “Time to ride in the tray of Harper’s ute.”

  “Of course,” I replied with a sigh. At least I was wide awake and alert from the bumpy ride.

  Joe climbed into the tray first, holding out his hand to help me up. I took hold of it and placed one foot on the ute’s tow ball using my right hand on the tailgate to pull myself up with Joe’s help. I swung my leg over the side and took a few careful steps over the gear that’d been loaded into it before sitting on a rolled-up swag near the roll bar at the back of the cab.

  “Hold on,” called Harper from the driver’s seat. “It gets bumpy.”

  “She’s not kidding. What you just felt in the car was nothing,” warned Joe, looking at my hands resting in my lap.

  With a roll of my eyes, I reached back and grabbed onto the chrome rail behind the cab. Harper took off in a hurry, my head whipping forward and then back, and we sped along the track. The ride was exhilarating, the moist wind rushing past and pushing the loose hairs that’d escaped from my ponytail in front of my face. The road disappeared behind us as we rattled and bounced along it. Holding on tight, I tried enjoying the sweet scent of recent rain and fresh earth.

  Harper swung around a sharp turn, catching me off guard as I enjoyed my surroundings and my hand slipped from the rail, throwing me towards the side. Joe’s hands grabbed onto my legs, holding me firmly in the tray. Sitting myself back up, I gripped back onto the rail with both hands, my eyes wide. I’d nearly been thrown out and onto the muddy road. Joe’s stare seemed to ask if I was okay and I nodded to reassure him, but he shuffled closer ready to grab me if I was to fall again. The momentum of the car slowed as it stopped and I hit the back of my head hard on the rail I was holding onto.

  “You aren’t good at this four-wheel driving thing are you? I thought I’d lost you again back there,” Joe teased but his eyes held a look of worry.

  “I’ve been through worse.” I glared at him, rubbing the back of my head.

  He jumped from the tray as Sarah, Harper, Janine and Kaelee climbed from the car.

  “How was the ride?” asked Sarah.

  “I think Amelia should ride up front next time,” suggested Joe with a smirk.

  Both of their eyes searched mine for some sign of amusement, but I couldn’t muster the energy to even pretend. Joe helped me climb from the tray, and we found ourselves at the mouth of a clearing where tents had been erected, tarps were strung from trees, and there were two caravans.

  “This is our campground. The pathway leads to the hut.” Harper pointed them out as she spoke.

  The first to emerge from the pathway was the petite frame of Rose. She ran as fast as she could, her long plait trailing behind her, until she threw herself into my arms. She held me so tight I thought my ribs might crack, and I had to fight hard to push away the sadness clawing at my throat.

  “You’re okay, you’re here.” She held my cheeks, staring at me in disbelief.

  “Amelia?” Ethan approached from behind her, and I was shocked to find how much he’d grown. He’d gone through a growth spurt while I’d been away, and his chestnut hair had been left to grow longer than usual.

  His arms wrapped around my torso and he buried his head into my stomach. “I’m so happy you’re okay. Mum has been freaking out. I told her you
’d be okay. She was the one who’d told me you were one tough cookie.”

  I gave him an awkward pat on the back, still determined to keep my tears at bay.

  “Everyone else is at the covered area near the hut. Do you want to come?” asked Rose.

  She’d directed her question towards me, but it was Harper who answered. “Good idea, that way these three can meet everyone at once.”

  Rose stood rigid, her eyes wide and bulging. In her excitement at my arrival, she hadn’t noticed Janine climb out of the car behind me.

  “It’s okay, Rose.” I reached out and touched her arm. “I brought her. She’s on our side now.”

  Rose shook her head in disbelief and shot me a questioning glance. “You brought her? Here?”

  “It’s not like that. She’s on our side,” I stressed.

  “But Ethan’s here, if she tells them …” Her eyes were wide with fear.

  “Rose, is it?” asked Janine, stepping forward. “I know this must be a shock for you, but I promise it will make sense soon. Maybe we’ll get a chance to talk later.”

  Rose nodded at her but I could see the betrayal dancing behind her eyes. I hoped she‘d forgive me once she heard the whole story. I hadn’t even considered what memories Janine’s arrival might dredge up for Rose. She’d seen Janine as the face of the MMC just as I had, the face of the people who’d taken her away from her son.

  We followed Harper down the narrow dirt path through the rain forest. It wasn’t long before a small house, clad with slats of wood and a tin roof, came into view as well as the shelter she’d described. As we approached, I was shocked to find the people from the dream circle Harper had put together sitting underneath the shelter. Wade, Byron, and Laina stood from their seats and made their way over. We’d shared our deepest dreams and fears with each other, but it was apparent before anyone spoke a word that their bonds had grown much deeper while I’d been away.

  Wade pulled Harper into a tight hug and planted a kiss on her forehead. I smiled at the relationship they‘d built. It was obvious how much they cared about each other. To my right, I caught a glimpse of Sarah as she threw her arms around Byron and gave him a much more passionate kiss than Wade had given Harper. The type where you know you shouldn’t look, but you can’t stop. It reminded me how long I’d been away, and that a lot can happen in a bit over a month. The way they looked at each other made my heart ache for Cameron. I forced myself to look away, but turned to set my focus on Joe, who was holding Laina in his arms and kissing her lightly on the lips. While I was away being tortured and losing the person I loved, they were here finding their happy endings. The tightness in my throat was becoming too much to bear.

  Harper broke up the happy couples with an announcement. “Everyone sit under the shelter. There’s so much we need to talk about.”

  The shelter was made of pine posts with grass thatching as the roof. Underneath sat two long timber tables with bench seats either side of them. Everyone sat around the tables, but I decided to stand at the back, leaning against one of the poles which held up the shelter. Being surrounded by so many people all of a sudden felt overwhelming after spending so much time alone with Janine.

  “Okay,” started Harper. “First, I’ll go over the living arrangements so Kaelee, Janine, and Amelia can settle in and get comfortable. We’ll organise an official meeting for tonight to go over everything we’ve been up to and intend to do. Wade and I have been staying in the hut, and with the way things are, I think it would be best if Kaelee stayed in our spare room for the time being.”

  Of course she did. Anything she could do to make Kaelee more comfortable. I narrowed my eyes and pursed my lips.

  “Rose and Ethan are staying in the caravan at the moment,” she continued. “But they’re happy to let you have it, Amelia, if it’d make you more comfortable.”

  Everyone turned to look at me for my answer. I shook my head and looked towards my feet.

  “It’s the one we stayed in at Dawn’s farm. You can have it if you like,” pressed Rose.

  I shook my head again. “It’s okay, thank you.” Everyone’s expectant stares made me shift uncomfortably. She nodded and turned back to face Harper with the others.

  “So Rose and Ethan are in the caravan, and the tents are for the rest of you. I don’t care who stays with who, you can work the logistics out amongst yourselves. We each take turns cooking meals, doing laundry, and tidying up around the place. We’ve pooled our money together and have bought what we can afford, but we don’t know how long we’ll be here, so we’ll have to ration things out,” said Harper. “Wade and I will cook tonight. Why don’t the rest of you go and get your living arrangements sorted while we get it ready?”

  Everyone stood and began making their way back to the camp. Rose held out her hand and I took it, allowing her to lead me back down the path behind the others.

  Sarah waited for me at the path’s entrance.

  “Do you want to share a tent with me?” she asked, hugging my right arm.

  “That would be nice,” I said, attempting to smile.

  “I’ll let you two sort yourselves out and take Ethan down to the river. He gets so bored out here,” said Rose before calling out to Ethan, who was balancing on a large rock.

  As Rose rounded Ethan up, Sarah laid her head on my shoulder, and we continued down the path.

  “She’s so amazing. Ethan’s lucky to have her as a mum,” said Sarah.

  “Yeah, he is,” I agreed.

  “I know you love Rose, but what I want to know is what your thoughts are on Byron?” A smile spread wide across her face.

  “I don’t know him.” I shrugged.

  The giddiness she felt for him radiated from her, but I couldn’t muster the strength to be happy for her.

  “You know him from the dream circle sessions we had before… well, you know. But you’ll get to know him better, and you’ll like him just as much as I do… okay, hopefully not as much. But you’ll like him. At least, I think you will. He’s unlike any of the guys I’ve dated before. He’s real, down to earth, and actually seems to like me for me.” Her eyes glistened as she rambled.

  “I’m happy for you.” Jealousy clutched at my chest.

  “Laina’s nice too. And super pretty,” Sarah added. “Joe and Laina seem good for each other. It’s good to see him happy.”

  I didn’t want to squash her happiness but every word she spoke squeezed my heart a little tighter. Did she not know how much she was tormenting me?

  Chapter Six

  The prospect of wearing my own clothes again put a little spring in my step as I left the camp. Sarah had packed me a bag before making her way up to the rainforest, which I was grateful for. With my towel, fresh clothes and a bar of soap in hand, I walked through a path of ferns. Sarah had said the path would lead to a stream where I could wash off and be on my own for a while.

  The cool earth felt moist beneath my feet as I walked between plants and trees of every shade of green. As I walked around a slight bend in the trail, the stream came into view. It was so clear you could see every pebble and log laying across its bed. Tiny silver fish swam beneath the surface in schools. I placed my stuff on a smooth rock beside me and relaxed my shoulders, stretching my neck to each side. After taking a look behind me to make sure I was indeed alone, I pulled my shirt over my head and peeled off my long pants, discarding them on a nearby rock.

  Picking up the soap, I stepped into the water, which sent a ripple of goose bumps over my skin. It was cold, but not cold enough to deter me from washing off. I waded further out towards a log sitting along the side of a deep drop-off. The water refreshed my skin, which was sticky from the humidity of the rainforest. Holding my breath, I sunk beneath the water, allowing the coolness to consume me. Rising back to the surface, I took in a calming breath and ran my fingers through my hair and over my face. Washing myself, I could feel the heaviness of my dirty skin dissolving. The only thing that felt as though it remained was the blood that’
d covered my arms and torso. Cameron’s blood. I was sure if I looked hard enough I could still see it, so I scrubbed at it with the soap until my skin turned bright pink. Holding my breath, I sunk beneath the water again, willing it to take away my anguish.

  I enjoyed the weightlessness and the quietude of being underwater. It was the first time in days my mind was completely still. That was until two hands grabbed a hold of me. They gripped my shoulders and yanked me up from underneath the water to the surface with a splutter and flailing of hands.

  “Amelia, Amelia, are you okay?” Kaelee had wrapped her arm around my chest and was pulling my naked body towards the bank.

  Realising what was happening, I pushed her arm away and swam back from her, attempting to cover my breasts and privates. “What the hell are you doing?”

  “I thought… I came around the corner and saw you…”

  “Bathing?” I couldn’t believe she was standing there. Why on earth was she standing there?

  “I’m so sorry. I noticed you weren’t around and I thought I’d come and try to talk to you and I saw you under the water. I waited, but you didn’t come back up.”

  “What did you want?”

  “Ummm…”

  My glare seemed to stop her words from forming.

  She took a deep breath and tried again. “I came to apologise.”

  “Apologise? Why don’t you apologise for interrupting me while I was trying to clean myself? Why don’t you leave me alone?”

  She stood still, staring at the water, her mouth opening and closing but nothing coming out. It was at that moment I realised she’d waded into the water fully clothed. Her shirt clung to her skin and as she climbed out onto the bank water ran down her legs from her shorts. She must’ve thought I was drowning. But I hadn’t needed rescuing. What I’d needed was some time alone.

  “Are you going to just stand there staring at me or are you going to leave so I can at least put some clothes on?”

  She apologised again before taking off at a running pace down the path.