Rise of the Dreamer

by L. J. Higgins

  His eyes widened in fright, and I looked down to find blood seeping through my white dress.

  “You can’t die.”

  “I’m so sorry, Joe.”

  “You don’t get it. You can’t die because I’m in love with you. You’re my soulmate.”

  His words broke my serenity and pain ripped through my chest before the world became awash with black.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The room I woke up in was dark, with a dull glow radiating from the equipment around me. My body was numb as I assessed where I was. Was I in an MMC ward? Why would they save me? To find out how I’d been cured from the virus? Attempting to sit up, pain gripped in my chest and as I reached for it and relaxed back onto my pillow, I noticed the tubes trailing from my arms and chest. Some reached up to bags of liquid hanging above my bed, while others were attached to the machine beside me. The monitor above the machine showed my heart rate, and a line waved up and down the screen. There was no way I could escape in the state I was in.

  The door to the room swung open, making me jump, sending another stab of pain through my chest. A lady in a white coat strode in and approached my bedside.

  “You’re awake, Miss Bailey.”

  Her greeting made me shudder. I’d hoped I’d never be called that again.

  “Let me check your vitals.” She clipped a device over my finger and began checking my eyes with a bright torch. “You had everyone scared for a while, but it looks like you’re going to be fine once your wound heals.”

  She unclipped the device from my finger and took a computer tablet from the end of my bed, typing something into it.

  “How are you feeling?” she asked.

  “Good.” My voice crackled as it came out, my throat dry and hoarse.

  “Why don’t I get you a drink of water?” She walked to the bench at the side of the room and poured a glass, bringing it back to me with a straw in it. She held it out, and I took a long sip. The coolness was refreshing and soothed my dry throat. “When you’re ready, I can go and get your friends for you if you like. They’ve been waiting very patiently for you to wake up.”

  My friends? Why did the MMC have my friends? And why would they let them visit me?

  “Yes, I want to see them,” I managed to say and she smiled before leaving the room.

  My friends were there. Maybe I wasn’t in the MMC? Maybe they’d found me and got Janine and me out.

  “Thank goodness, Amelia.” Sarah burst through the door, running to my side. She stopped suddenly when she reached me and scooped up my hand. “You’re alive. You scared the crap out of us.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said, squeezing her hand.

  “Don’t be sorry. You were so brave.”

  “How?”

  “I was ready to run away, but you stayed behind to make sure everyone was safe. You sacrificed yourself to save complete strangers.”

  “How did you find me?”

  “Tech snuck up a stairwell and asked a staff member to find out where you were being held. He couldn’t get into the room, and when the guards came out, he smacked them both over the head with the gun and dragged them into another room. Before he tried to bust into the room, he heard two gunshots. Then a guy walked out holding a gun and, without thinking, he shot him.”

  “He shot him?” I gasped.

  “Yes, then he ran in and found you on the floor.”

  “Me and Janine?”

  Sarah’s expression dropped. “He found both of you. But you were the only one still breathing. Janine was already gone.”

  “Gone? What do you mean?” My mind clung to any hope I’d misunderstood.

  Tears filled her eyes. “She’s dead, Amelia. I’m so sorry.”

  My body shuddered as tears began to fall. Janine was gone, after everything she’d done for us. She’d become my friend, almost like family. And now I was never going to get to know her outside the influence of the MMC.

  “Her sister…” I sobbed. “She needs to know the truth.”

  “I’ve called her sister. Her name’s Elizabeth. I told her how brave she was. How she was the main reason the MMC can’t control people anymore. She’s going to wait to have the funeral until you’re well enough to go.”

  “Why?”

  “Apparently Janine had called her the night we stayed in the old people’s house. She told her what you were doing and how important you were to her. That you helped her find both who she was, and also her purpose. You gave her freedom she thought she’d never have.”

  A lump formed in my throat. Had I meant that much to Janine? I hoped so, because without her, I wouldn’t have made it through my days in the MMC’s cell. The thought of her dying in their facility clenched my throat.

  Pain shot through my chest and I clutched at it. It reminded me of my dream before I’d started bleeding and passed out. Seeing Joe lying next to me on the beach.

  “Joe?” I asked, changing the subject.

  “He’s outside. We’ve been hanging out in the waiting room since you came in. The nurse said no more than one person at a time could come in so we don’t overwhelm you. Do you want me to grab him for you?”

  “Yes, please,” I sniffed, wiping my face with my sleeve.

  She smiled squeezing my hand. “I love you. And I’m so proud of you.”

  “I love you too.”

  She left the room and once again I was alone. I tried to comprehend what had happened. Janine was gone. But the memories were too painful to relive. Moments later, Joe poked his head around the doorway.

  “You up for one more visitor today?” he asked.

  His presence spread a smile across my face, and my body relaxed, relieved. I nodded and he came towards my bed.

  “You’re looking much better than the last time I saw you. How are you feeling?”

  “Pretty sore.”

  “Well, I guess that’ll happen when you get shot. What on Earth were you thinking?”

  “I wanted to kill him.” My voice was getting smoother already.

  “He almost killed you.”

  Silence surrounded us.

  “If you need to talk, I’m here for you, okay?” he offered.

  “Not now. I’m not ready.”

  He nodded, then after a moment, he spoke again. “Do you remember our dream on the beach? Before you… disappeared?” He looked at his hands resting on the bed.

  I nodded, also staring at his hands, unsure what to say.

  “It was so strange. I was kneeling on the ground with the rest of the group in the foyer. Guards were pointing guns at us, and I was going over ideas of what I could do in my mind, when it felt like I’d stepped into a sort of daydream. It came and went a few times until I found myself laying on the beach with you next to me.”

  “Daydream?”

  “Yes, you pulled me into it even though I was wide awake. I was so happy to find you. Then I saw you were bleeding…” he trailed off looking back at his hands.

  “I thought I was dead. I thought I’d gone to some type of heaven.”

  “I thought you were dead too. You kept saying sorry and I just had to tell you everything.” His eyes seemed to plead for me to remember his words.

  “Did you mean what you said? That you… love me? It’s okay if you were scared because I was dying,” I said.

  “I was scared, but I meant every word of it. I’ve been trying to find the right time to tell you since you said you were over Cameron. But I decided it would be best to mention it after everything was over. Then I saw you bleeding out on the beach and I knew I had to tell you. In case I never got the chance. It’s okay if you don’t feel the same. I just needed you to know.”

  I’d fought how I’d felt for Joe for so long, always scared of our connection and what it might mean. But the fact I’d pulled him into my dream when I was dying, he was the person I wanted to see before I died. Maybe we both needed to grow, go through these challenges before we realised how we truly felt, but I did love him. I couldn’t imag
ine my life without him in it.

  “I do feel the same. I love you too, Joe.” I smiled at him.

  “You do?”

  “I think I always have. It scared me so much, I’ve been fighting it this entire time. I don’t want to fight it anymore.”

  He leant forward and pressed his lips to mine, sending a tingling sensation down my limbs. When he pulled away he rested his forehead on mine, his nose nuzzling mine.

  “I love you, Amelia.”

  Maybe we’d both get our happy ending after all.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Sitting on the edge of my bed, I looked towards my tall mirror, framed in dark wood. It felt so good to be back in my home at Sandhaven Beach. Peering at my reflection, I still looked frail, but the doctors assured me once I was up and walking again, my appetite would come back, and I’d soon be back to a healthier weight.

  “Ready?” asked Joe as he pushed my wheelchair through the door.

  Only two more weeks and I would be out of it, walking by myself again. And then I could move back upstairs into my old bedroom.

  “I think so. Do I look okay?” I asked, unsure.

  “You look beautiful. Sarah did a great job on your hair and makeup.” He wheeled the chair in front of me.

  I placed my hands on the handles and he helped me turn to sit in it. Wiggling into a comfortable position, I smoothed down my black lace dress. Joe turned my chair around and kneeled down in front of me.

  He reached forward and tucked a loose hair behind my ear. “I have something for you.”

  “What do you have?” I asked curious.

  “Something to replace what was taken from you. Something not only important to me, but also to Dawn.” He pulled a small jewellery box from under my bed and held it out to me.

  I ran my hand over its shiny silver surface. It was the jewellery box he’d saved from the fire at Dawn’s house.

  “Open it up.” He smiled and handed it to me.

  I lifted the latch and opened the lid. Inside sat two necklaces, their gold chains curled up on top of each other, and the two gold shaped pendants resting neatly next to each other. They’d belonged to his mother and his Aunt Dawn.

  “Joe, I can’t.”

  “Yes, you can. Dawn told me when you were ready to accept who you were, she wanted you to have it. Long before the fire, she knew you and I were meant to be. But she told me you had to discover it for yourself, and that you weren’t ready yet. She said I had to be patient, and let you follow your heart and dreams. Then one day you’d come back to me.”

  “She told you that?” I asked, amazed.

  “Yes, but I have to admit there were times I doubted her. Seeing you and Cameron together made me question her prediction. That’s when I decided to chase Laina. But I should’ve known better. Dawn knew what she was talking about. She told me you were my soulmate.”

  He lifted one of the lockets and its chain from inside the box and walked behind me. He placed it over my neck and did the clasp up at the back. I ran my hand over it, a tear escaping over my cheek.

  “Thank you, Dawn,” I whispered. Now she would always be with me.

  Sarah pushed my wheelchair down the aisle and parked me at the end of the pew. I felt embarrassed I had to be wheeled around, but it’d be another week or so before the hospital would give me the all-clear, and I didn’t want Janine’s family and friends to have to wait any longer.

  We were inside a church with a high ceiling and exposed timber beams, and large glass windows looking over the surrounding lake and gardens. Janine’s sister, Elizabeth and her nephew, Nathan sat along the front row. Elizabeth had the same almond-shaped eyes and dark features as Janine did. The priest stepped forward and began to speak to the group who easily fitted inside the building.

  “Today we’ve come together to seek and receive comfort. We wouldn’t be honest with ourselves if we said our hearts haven’t ached for our friend Janine. And we aren’t too proud to acknowledge we are here today, trusting the support of our friends and family will help heal our hearts, and continue to give us strength as we continue our lives without her. It is human nature to want to understand why, but it is times like these we need to ask ourselves what. What will we do now our loved one is no longer with us? Janine’s family have invited Janine’s good friend Amelia Bailey to speak a few words.”

  I looked at Sarah who sat next to me with the rest of our friends as she stood and pushed my chair towards the front. First to the shiny wooden coffin adorned with beautiful purple and white flowers. I picked up a purple orchid that was resting in my lap and placed my hand on the cool timber for a moment. I rested the orchid on the ledge next to the coffin.

  “Look after her, Dawn,” I whispered, grasping the heart of my necklace in my hand.

  Sarah squeezed my shoulder before turning me to face Janine’s family and friends. There weren’t many of them, but I could tell those who were there loved her very much.

  “Janine and I were unlikely friends. We met under extraordinary circumstances, and again some time later in an even grimmer situation. When we met for the second time I was angry at her, because I’d made her the face of a corporation who’d caused much pain for me and my friends. But when I was in need, it didn’t take long for the true Janine to shine through, and I soon came to believe the sorrow and hurt she felt for what she’d been made to do. She was the only person I had on my side at that point, and we’d both resigned ourselves to the fact we may die together in a cold concrete room.

  Fortunately, we were rescued by my amazing friends, who soon learned how helpful, kind and caring Janine could be. And it wasn’t long before she called them friends too. Our friendship was forged under extreme pressure. She always put others first, and she was always thinking of ways to help the people around her. I guess that was what the MMC had taken advantage of, her desire to help people. To help people be the best version of themselves they could be. That’s what she did for me. She brought out my confidence, gave me the guts to stand up for what I believed in, and also gave me the courage to stand up for myself.

  Janine had been the driving force behind the takedown of the MMC. She instructed a member of her staff to make the cure for the virus, which in turn led him to create the anti-virus. She used her contacts at the MMC to get us in and infiltrate them. And she put herself on the line for me when I needed it most. Ultimately, she gave her life to keep me safe, and I can’t express the gratitude I have for what she did.

  Now Non-Dreamers and Dreamers alike can rest easy. Janine has awakened the world to the truth, and it’s all she ever wanted to do: to help people find the best in themselves and who they truly are. Because of her, people have the chance to create their own dreams and desires.”

  Tears ran freely over my flushed cheeks as Sarah wheeled me back towards my seat. As she did, Elizabeth stepped forward and gave me a hug.

  “It makes it a bit easier knowing she wasn’t alone,” she began. “When she disappeared, we knew it was them, knew they’d done something to her. But they wouldn’t take our calls and the police wouldn’t answer our questions. You know what they did? They sent me a letter saying they’d fired her because she was making wild accusations, and they were worried she wasn’t stable, that her mind had gone. Janine. The sanest person I knew. I think they were trying to imply she’d committed suicide, but we knew better. We thought they’d killed her. When she called us the night before she died, I can’t tell you how relieved I was. To hear she was safe, and happy and surrounded by people who cared about her. There was something different in her voice. An excitement, and no more fear or frustration. She was looking forward to living her life again.”

  “But Geoff Michaels took it all away from her,” I finished.

  “Let’s hope he rots in jail for the rest of his miserable life, along with his corporate friends. I can’t say I was happy to hear the bullets hadn’t taken his life like his took Janine’s.”

  “At least now he has to answer for what he’s d
one. Janine would be happy to know that.”

  “Yes, I think you’re right.”

  The priest touched her arm, pulling her from our conversation. We realised the whole congregation had been listening. A tad embarrassed, I beckoned Sarah to wheel me back to my place. As she did, some of Janine’s family and friends approached me to give me hugs and heartfelt words. My heart swelled with sadness, and appreciation.

  As the service came to an end, Elizabeth stood to speak. “Janine wasn’t only my sister, she was the world’s best aunty to my son Nathan, and my best friend. Our parents passed away in a car accident when we were very young, and we were lucky to be raised by our amazing grandmother, who sadly passed two years ago. Without each other, I don’t think we would ever have gotten through it. She was my rock, and imagining a life without her is unbearable, but with the love and support those of you who are here have shown today, I know Nathan and I won’t be alone. When we were younger, Janine and I loved dancing and singing around the lounge room, but one of her favourite bands was Evermore. Today I ask each of you to remember my beautiful sister for her loving nature and her desire to help those around her as we listen to her favourite Evermore song, Light Surrounding You.”

  Everyone sat in silence as the tune played through. A slideshow of images of Janine, from infancy, through to her adult life, played on a large screen in the corner of the room. I’d known her for such a short period of time, and had known so little about her. It saddened me to know I wouldn’t get to discover who the real Janine truly was. The way her family spoke of her, it was difficult to remember the horrible woman she’d been when she’d had me locked away in the Psychiatric Ward. But even then she was convinced she was helping me. Helping me evolve with the rest of human kind.

  When the song ended, the priest thanked everyone for coming and invited everyone to attend a wake in the gardens. Sarah stood, sliding her hand into Byron’s. Joe walked towards me, planting a soft kiss on my forehead. With a sympathetic smile, he walked behind me to push me down the aisle away from Janine’s casket. As we reached the back of the room, my parents came into view and my mum stepped forward to give me a hug and a kiss. Dad shook Joe’s hand firmly before giving me a hug himself.