The Land of Dreams

by Kira Moericke

  The Land of Dreams

  Kira Moericke

  Contents

  Also by Kira Moericke

  Part I

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Part II

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Part III

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Copyright © 2017 Kira Moericke

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any matter whatsoever without written permission from the author except in brief quotations used in articles and reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual person, living or dead, business establishment, events or locales is entirely coincident.

  Produced in the United States of America.

  Cover design by SelfPubBookCovers.com/SFcovers

  Cover text by Alicia Rades.

  All rights reserved.

  Print ISBN-13: 978-1977675408

  To the Dreamers.

  Also by Kira Moericke

  The Storybook Series:

  Through the Glass

  According to Passage

  End of Story

  When I reached the edge where Reve was waiting for me, I looked down and saw the ground far, far beneath me. My head started getting dizzy from the sight of it. I was really, really far up.

  “Soon it will all be over,” Reve said, his voice caring a smile that sent an unnatural chill to rush down my spine. “And you’ll be able to stay here forever. Just think about it; no more parents, no Lindsay Fischer, no mixed feelings with that Alec guy…”

  I wanted to open my mouth and tell Reve that I had settled my feelings for Alec, but instead, I held back. He was right about the parents and Lindsay thing, though. If I did this, I’d never have to worry about them again.

  Sucking in a deep breath to try to calm my racing nerves, I closed my eyes, and lifted a foot, ready to jump.

  Part I

  “You may say I’m a dreamer,

  but I’m not the only one. I hope

  someday you’ll join us.

  And the world will live as one.”

  John Lennon, “Imagine”

  Chapter 1

  The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was a pair of beautiful amethyst eyes watching me in the dark. I gasped out of fear and stumbled back, expecting to ram into my solid, wooden, oak desk that sat next to my bed, but instead, I passed right through it as if I were a ghost. A shrill shriek escaped my lips as my eyes darted around my bedroom and saw my body lying on my bed, curled up into a tight ball. My long, ebony black hair was sprawled on my pillow and a little bit of drool slid down the side of my jaw. My shriek turned into a full-on scream. Was I dead?!

  “Jaqueline, calm down.”

  I whipped my head in the direction of the amethyst-colored eyes and from the faint glow of my little nightlight (not that I’m scared of the dark, or anything) I could see a shadow shift.

  “How do you know my name?! What’s happened to me?! Am I dead?!” My breath was coming out so fast and ragged that I felt my head getting dizzy. I had to get a grip of myself before I hyperventilated. Sucking in a deep breath in an attempt to calm my racing heart, I asked, “Who are you and what are you doing in my room?”

  The shadowed shifted slightly, coming closer.

  I instantly took a step back, ghosting deeper into my desk.

  “Calm down, Jacqueline. You’re not dead. You’re only dreaming,” the shadow assured, his voice soft as if trying to calm a hysteric child.

  “Dreaming?” What was happening? Was I really just dreaming? Turning to look at my body beside me, lying on my bed, I studied my chest and almost melted into a puddle when I saw it softly rise and fall. Relief washed through me. I was only dreaming.

  “Are you okay now?” the voice asked.

  Starting to relax, I focused back on the amethyst eyes that stared back at me. In the dim lighting that filled my bedroom, I saw that the owner with the purple eyes had no body, just a shadow of a body. A man’s body. I could tell by the broad shoulders and the tall frame. And then I realized that the person–thing–didn’t really speak out loud, but spoke through my thoughts telepathically.

  “Who are you?” I asked, my voice coming out low and shaky. I didn’t know what was going on. And it frightened me.

  “I am here to take you to a land only a few chosen people are allowed to go. A land where all your troubles and worries dissipate.” The amethyst-colored eyes blinked at me. “Come with me.” He offered me his hand as the door to my bedroom burst open, throwing bright, golden light into my room. I had to squint and raise a hand above my eyes just to see. But even with all the light, the shadow remained a shadow. There was no body to it.

  I shook my head, sending some strands of hair to fall into my face. I quickly shoved them away. “No.”

  “Come with me, Jaqueline,” the shadow urged. “Everything will be okay.”

  I shook my head again, more vigorously this time. “I said no!”

  As if my voice held some kind of power, the shadow flew backwards out of the room, the door slamming shut right after.

  Chapter 2

  I bolted awake with a gasp and shot up into a sitting position. My eyes dashed wildly around my room for any sign of purple eyes, and was relieved when I didn’t see any. I turned to my desk and touched it lightly with my hand, and almost let out a little laugh when my hand didn’t ghost through it.

  It had only been a dream.

  Just a crazy little dream.

  But why did it feel so real then?

  Feeling my heart start to slow down from its crazy beating, I kicked away the blankets from around my feet and grabbed my phone from its charger, then shuffled to my door. I wrapped my hand around the cool knob, but froze, because for a fleeting moment, I feared that when I opened the door, that bright light would be on the other side again.

  J.J., it was only a dream. There’s no such thing as bright lights on the other side of bedroom doors, or amethyst eyes, or shadow men.

  Taking a deep breath, I swung open the door. I let out a breath that I hadn’t known I’d been holding when I saw the picture of Dad and I from two years ago, hanging up on the wall in the hallway. I let my eyes sweep up and down the hall, finding it empty. From somewhere within the house, I could hear the TV.

  “Dad?” I whisper-shouted as I inched through the dark hallway toward the living room.

  “J.J.?” When I got to the living room, I saw Dad lying on the couch with a blanket draped over him. When I entered the room, he got up and turned to me. “What are you doing up so late?”

  I swallowed hard and looked down at my feet, which were cold and bare. “I… I had a weird dream.”

  “Care to share?”

  I shrugged and brushed back a strand of hair that had fallen in front of my face. “Nothing really to share.”

  “Well, if you want to tell me later, you can, okay?” he said.

  I nodded before
focusing on the TV. “What are you watching?”

  “Just the news. There really isn’t much else to watch at this time of day.”

  “Oh, well, can I watch anyway?” Anything to keep me from having another weird dream like the one I just had.

  “Sure.” He moved over on the couch, making room for me.

  I hurried over to him and sat on the other end of the couch. I relaxed against the plush cushion and watched TV, taking in the man announcing the weather for tomorrow. My eyes started getting heavy just after a few minutes, even though I had come out here so that I wouldn’t fall asleep. I struggled to keep my eyes open, but before I knew it, sleep was wrapping around me, pulling me into its dark abyss.

  The last thing I saw before my eyes fell close for good was Dad turning the channel just when my mom appeared on the news.

  * * *

  Thankfully I didn’t have that creepy dream with the shadow man again. When I woke up to the beeping of my alarm that I had turned on my phone, I found myself still on the couch in the living room, covered up with the blanket Dad had been using. Turning off my alarm clock with a yawn, I stretched out on the couch, cracking my back in the process, before getting up to take a shower.

  * * *

  When Alec arrived to pick me up at a quarter to eight, I shoved the last piece of my buttered toast into my mouth before rushing out. The sun was already warm, so I was glad that I had chosen a pair of shorts and a light green T-shirt. My black ponytail swished around as I jogged over to Alec’s silver minivan.

  “Still using the Mom Van?” I teased as I crawled into the passenger seat, placing my backpack on the floor by my feet.

  “Yeah.” Alec sighed, then fixed his cap back over his head, before pulling out of my driveway. “Heather’s car is still at the garage so she’s using my car for work until it’s fixed.”

  “Hasn’t it been at the garage for two days now?” I asked as we headed for school.

  “Yeah, but they said it should be done any day now,” Alec said.

  I rolled my eyes. The grease monkeys that worked at P.J.’s garage were the slowest auto repair men in the whole tri-county.

  “So I have the Homecoming game tonight,” Alec started, changing off the topic of his sister’s car.

  “I can see that,” I stated, eying his mostly green and white football jersey.

  “Well, I was wondering if you were going to go?” He threw another glance at me. “You know, cheer me on, and maybe make me a poster?”

  I thought about if I did go to Alec’s game, how I’d be bundled up with a fleece blanket, with a hot chocolate in one hand while holding up a sign for Alec in the other. Thinking about it, I realized that it would actually be kind of fun. Especially since I didn’t get out much. I nodded. “Yeah. Sure. I’ll come.”

  “Great.” Alec beamed. When we got to school and were parked, Alec reached into the middle row of seats and pulled out his mostly white and green jersey that he wore for playing away games. “If you want, you could wear my jersey.” He shrugged nonchalantly and didn’t meet my eyes. “But like I said, only if you want to.”

  I took the jersey from his hands and ran a finger over his last name on the back. GRISWALD it read in big green block letters. I glanced at him. “You want me to wear your jersey?”

  “Yeah. Sure. Why not?” He turned to look at me. “There’s no one else to wear it.”

  “But people might think we’re dating then,” I stated, my face twisted into a yuck face. Alec was my friend. I couldn’t imagine us being… together.

  Alec was silent. He just shrugged again before crawling out of the van.

  Before I followed, I slipped Alec’s jersey on over my T-shirt, then hurried after him.

  Once inside the light brick school, Alec and I branched off in separate directions–Alec to the cluster of football players, who were being flaunted over by way-too-peppy cheerleaders, while I went to my locker, in the senior hallway, to put my backpack away. I was just shoving my stuff into my locker when I heard a familiar, unwelcomed voice.

  “Oh, my gosh, Alec is going to have to wash that jersey a couple of times before he wears it again,” I heard Lindsay Fischer say to her friend, Audrey Hughes, as they walked past.

  Audrey giggled in response.

  I rolled my eyes. When the two witches walked past, I looked at them. They were both wearing their cheerleading outfits. Lindsay’s blond hair was down except for some hair, which she had pulled back and tied off with a small hair band. Audrey had her dark curls pulled into a tight, high ponytail. They were making a beeline toward the football players, who were playfully tossing a football around.

  At least in my weird dream, those two witches hadn’t been in it, I thought bitterly, turning back to my locker.

  The bell rang, dismissing everyone to class. The senior football players, along with all the other seniors, made their way down the hall. I had just grabbed my book and folder for first hour when a voice shouted, “Watch out!”

  Turning toward the voice, I saw the football flying at me with full force. Before I could dodge or even let out a scream, the football smacked into my face, knocking my vision black.

  Chapter 3

  When I opened my eyes, I realized that I wasn’t actually me, but my soul–or, whatever I was. I saw my body crumpled on the floor with my book and folder sprawled around me. The hallway had gone silent as everyone gathered around my unconscious form.

  “J.J., are you okay?” Alec asked, dropping to the floor and leaning over my body.

  “I’m okay,” I replied, but of course, he couldn’t hear me. My body was still lying there, motionless.

  “She’s not dead, is she?” Patricia Freeman asked fearfully, in her squeaky-high voice.

  “Trish, you’re so stupid,” McKayla Evers said, rolling her big brown eyes. “You don’t die by getting hit with a football.”

  “Shut up you two,” Alec snapped, glaring up at them. Looking back down at my body, he said, “J.J., wake up.” He tapped my cheek softly with the tips of his fingers.

  I could feel my soul start to tingle as my body started to wake up. It was an odd feeling, like when your foot falls asleep after sitting on it for a while.

  “Jaqueline.”

  At the sound of my name, I turned my head and saw the shadow with the amethyst-colored eyes again. Even with all the light, he was still a shadow without a body.

  I could feel my bottom lip start to tremble in fear as the shadow offered me his hand. “Come.”

  “No.” I shook my head, swishing my ponytail back and forth. I took a step back, away from the shadow man.

  “Come on, J.J., wake up,” Alec urged beside me, tapping my cheek even harder than before. “Please wake up.”

  The tingling throughout my body became more intense. I was nearly to the point of screaming before everything went black.

  * * *

  When I woke up, I saw Alec this time, his face just a half a foot above mine, a look of concern in his emerald-green eyes.

  “J.J., are you okay?” he asked, his hand that he had used to tap against the side of my face, now cupping my left cheek tenderly.

  “Yeah,” I breathed, noticing how close he was. “But, um, you’re kind of close.”

  A hint of color rose on Alec’s cheeks as he leaned away from me and stood up. Sitting up on my elbows, I looked around and saw a worried-looking crowd gathered around me. And thankfully, shadow man wasn’t a part of it.

  “Here,” Alec said, offering me his hands.

  Reaching up, I wrapped my hands around his and allowed him to pull me to my feet.

  “Are you okay, J.J.?” Victor Cross asked, holding out my folder and book that had scattered on the floor. I took them from him. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to hit you.”

  “It’s okay,” I said, reaching up to my forehead to feel a small bump. I flinched ever-so-slightly.

  Victor bit the inside of his cheek before turning away. Around me, the crowd started to disperse.
Lindsay and Audrey sneered at me before walking away, flicking their hair in that we’re-too-good-for-you kind of way.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” Alec asked again when it was only the two of us.

  “Yes, Alec,” I said persistently. I didn’t like being fretted over. “Now we better get to class before we’re late.”

  “Yeah, you’re right.” Alec reached up and took off his cap, knowing it was against school policy to wear hats besides on special occasions, and tossed it in his open locker. He grabbed his stuff for his first hour class then slammed his locker close.

  “Hey, Alec?” I started as we walked together for our first hour classes.

  “Yeah?”

  “Do you ever dream about… shadow people?” I asked tentatively. I brushed aside my side-bangs and looked up at him.

  “Shadow people?” His face twisted into a frown. He shook his head. “No. Why do you ask?”

  I shrugged, feeling a little embarrassed to have brought the subject up. “I don’t know. It’s just, I’ve been having these weird dreams lately.”