DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
---------------------------------------------------------
Gary Leonard Oldman
HTML https://garyleonardoldman.createaforum.com
---------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************
DIR Return to: Tips & Rants
*****************************************************
#Post#: 3579--------------------------------------------------
In Dreams
DIR By: Maggie Flannery
Date: June 1, 2020, 4:22 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
A/N: I honestly have no idea where I was going with this. I
started it while sick and have just now finished it, than again
perhaps I haven't. It's weird and disjointed but I had to post
it. Enjoy! Wholeheartedly recommend putting on Heart's These
Dreams for this one. ;-)
The soft pelting of rain as it hit the glass of the cafe window
brought her out of her thoughts. She day dreamed in sepia tones
as thoughts of honeysuckle and jasmine filled her senses.
“God all it ever does here is rain.”
She muttered to herself as she cleared the second table of the
day, brushing crumbs into a pile and sweeping them off with a
bleach soaked cloth.
She had left sweet familiar warmth and the sun for sharp clean
notes of bleach and salt kissed winds as the bitter sweetness of
a dark roast wrapped itself a deep lush note of cherry and
apricot. A pounding noise dripping with musky angst and tanging
with metal and a primal musk of heavy drum beats and pounding
bass lines.
“Are you going back home then? Just to see if it’s changed?”
The concerned voice of her best friend pulled at her heart.
Surveying the clothes she had the maid set out of her to pack
and heaving a sigh. She had reached a cross roads. Stay and bury
her head in the sand until the ancient danger she had left
behind was right up to her face or go and confront it once nd
for all and kill it at it’s source.
“Yeah, I’m actually packing. I’ll call you when I land.”
“There’s no way I’m letting you go alone! I’m meeting you at the
airport.”
“You don’t have to, Hel. Dave’s going to.”
“Three are stronger than one, eh? Love you and see you there.”
That was an hour ago before Colleen found herself sandwiched
between a a rapidly panicking Helene as they hit pockets of
turbulence and a husband that was determined to dig up any sort
of missed clue in how to defeat the ancient evil Colleen thought
she had left behind her so many years ago.
“It sounds like this might be what it is. A Dream walker, feeds
on your deepest darkest fears and bad memories. Yours must have
been fed daily.”
“Thanks Dave. Way to make a girl feel special.”
But it was true. Her monstrous black void in her life had been
fed endlessly most days. Then When Minnie had gotten sick and
then Dad and the day her mother died. She had long ago been
convinced that the house had been constructed on soured ground.
The dreams she remembered being plagued with as a child and
feeling the things out in the front yard there was no way
something wasn’t attached.
A few years ago she thought that maybe her time in therapy had
helped her until she dredged up something from the very depths
of her mind. The musky smell of summer’s meadow soap. It had
been incredibly cheap soap but it was on sale and they were
stuck grocery shopping. Colleen remembered liking the smell as
first until red itchy welts came. It felt like her skin was on
fire. Then the bruises and the yelling. There wasn’t anything
else to bathe with so she’d just have to make due.
“Hey, Colly. It’s okay. It’s okay.”
In an instant she blinked and she was back on the plane headed
towards the childhood home she had left so long ago.
“You were a million miles away, babe. It’s okay.”
Settling into his shoulder and reaching out for her best
friend’s hand she sighed. She felt safe. A tiny wave of dread
hit her for a moment. What if this was the last time she felt
like this?
“Thank you. Thank you both for this, for always being here.”
In the time it had taken her to blink once more she had fallen
under the calm of sleep once more. Down the rabbit hole Colleen
ventured one again.
Somewhere over Chicago the music shifted. Pop had taken over and
the waving undercurrent of darkness was lifting. It was easily
forgotten in a town flooded with Laura Ashley florals and Jos. A
Banks suits and tweed sweater vests. Ivy League fever was at
it’s highest point yet. This was where she wanted to get lost.
Live the perfect lie. For a moment she caught a glimpse of a
wedding to a chiseled jawed bespectacled day trader who was
writing a novel. A cute little starter home and then the urge to
have a baby.
The quiet bliss of a family of my own.
Raised differently in comfort and love. Then she caught a
glimpse of another woman; a blonde she could never truly
compete with. Then she saw his best friend over her,, the man
who had lived next door to them for years and whose wife was
sleeping with her husband. It had started off innocently one
day, he had spotted her in the store picking up the weekly
shopping when her little bundle of joy now two months old has
screamed her head off. He had seen her struggling and often
wondered why Jim hadn’t stepped in to help, it took two after
all. Not that he would ever truly know because Evelyn was
convinced that their infertility as a couple came from him. It
didn’t. The reason he knew this was because he was staring at
the end result of a coupling that had taken place in the throws
of summer. The child was happily babbling to herself and playing
with the necklace that hung from her moth’s slender tanned neck.
“Look like you’re out and about today with company.”
“Oh. Yes, she’s proving to be lovely company while Jim’s away
in…Japan I think?”
“Oh. China maybe.”
He volunteered as she placed her purchases up the belt and
reached for her credit card.
Alex covered for his two timing friend, the only vaguely asian
about his weekend was the apartment he was renting secretly over
in china town.
“Could be, he’s been traveling so much I just can’t keep track.
I was just making some dinner, would you like to join me? It
must get awfully lonely over there all by yourself.”
“IT does but you know how it is.”
“I do. So join me, I’ve got that wine you like.”
Two bottles of wine and one very rich dinner later and they were
sprawled out in front of the fire pit and gazing at the stars.
Ashley had been tucked up away in the nursery and was dreaming
nothing but sweet dreams.
“You know this is nice. Jim never does this anymore. It’s never
just the two of us though.”
It dawned on him that maybe she was as lonely as he was. True,
Colleen and Jim were married and they’d had a child but it was
always like they were living by some sort of contract. Jim’s
book was going nowhere while Alex had found a living breathing
muse in his next door neighbor. A well placed kiss and a touch
so gentle it left both of them wanting. Neither thought of the
repercussions of their actions as they fell back into the
expensive bedlinen.
Over the course of the next few weeks the evidence of their
night together began to make itself known. Their spouses were
facing much of the same situation and thus began the great
charade. More than a few heated arguments were to be had behind
closed doors of course ) about the children’s puaretntiy. Truths
were told and it was settled, they would officially switch. It
wasn’t unheard of this sort of thing happening especially with
early ,machine arranged marriages.
And they all lived happily ever after.
“Colleen!”
Another blink and she found herself somewhere else. The high dry
heat of California hit her.
“Oh god, I’m back in high school!”
Judging from the stack of books she was clutching the feel of
poorly chosen foundation against her skin.
“Are you going to Jason Halliday’s party tonight?”
“Uh…yeah.”
Was I? If my mother found out she’d seriously flip. Maybe I
could pay Mikey to watch Rose.
Phase one had gone off without a hitch as she had what seemed
to be an endless amount of favors from from her older brother.
Now she just had to figure out what to wear. A shower and a
close examination found the I’d have to wear a pear of jeans and
a tank top. Maybe a pair of sandals and a denim jacket.
There. Done. And out the window I go.
The one nice thing was what our house’s pretty line was directly
behind the housing estate Helene lived in so we would meet up at
her house and get ready and take her car out.
“Are you nervous?”
“What? Why would I be nervous?”
“Oooh…I dn’t know maybe because a little birdie told me that
Jason’s gonna ask you out.”
I highly doubt that. Move your bang to the right a little.”
“Thanks and you don’t know. I think he’s going to .”
“Ten bucks and you’re on.”
The drive up to the Halliday house was a long one clear across
town it seemed. Standing there for a moment the burn of pot
smoke stinging her eyes.
“Hey, Matty put that out. Colleen you came.”
“Yeah, Surprise. Thanks for the invite.”
“No problem.”
Then Jim had shown up and ruined his chance with the girl of his
dreams.
“Maybe we could start over, Jason.”
“Sorry. Just taking the paths not yet taken.”
“I hope they’re not better than I am.”
“Nothing could be as good as you are for me.”
“Do you promise me?”
Opening her eyes she felt the movement of air. She was back in
suburban affair with the next door neighbor. How many dreams
was she going to have in one flight? She wondered and then shook
off the absurdity of the thought.
“Cross my heart and hope to die I do.”
What if Jim had never been made partner so quickly or if he had
taken the offer his uncle had given him. Their life would have
been complete worlds away from where Colleen found herself these
days.
“Oh god she’s back on the relaxers.”
“No, I’m not. I’m thinking, something you should try sometimes.”
Ornate decor and no children. Ah, if they had taken Peter’s
grandfather’s offer. Living in New York and summering in the
Hamptons.
“You’re looking quite lonely.”
“Perhaps if my the man I married wasn’t off cavorting with the
local ladies of the evening I wouldn’t have to look this way.”
He said nothing to her, merely staring her down before looking
past her out the window of the tiny seaside town they were now
summering in. This had once been her hometown and she often
wondered what would have happened if she had stayed. Pulling up
the long expanse of paved driveway she sighed to herself as the
car came to a stop.
“I’ll be by the pool. Off to your travels or wherever it is that
you’re going.”
Her reward was a curt nod from the husband she barely knew. He
mentioned having to back to New York to finish something and
then it was on to Singapore. She now paid no attention to his
trip itinerary, it simply wasn’t worth it. Wandering the large
front foyer she greeted a few of the staff with a small smile.
“Mrs. Ellingham, lovely to see you again.”
“Hello, Winnie. Please, call me Colleen. I think I’ll be staying
through the holidays so you and I will be seeing quite a bit of
each other.”
A small if be it slightly alarmed smile settled across the
maid’s features before she showed the woman paying her wages to
the largest bedroom in the house. A room to behold if ever there
was one. White marble and ornate silver and green decor could be
seen. A lavish sunken tub with more jets than was seemingly
possible was at the center of the room situated just below the
circular skylight and flanked by rounded marble pillars. The
powder room with it’s lush spring green colors was hidden off to
the left and to the right there were full length mirrors
refracting the view from the back garden and the pool area. The
scent of summer roses and jasmine floated in the wind. A quick
change of clothes and Colleen saw herself overseeing the grounds
before settling in on a lounger by the pool. Crystal blue water
glinted back at her as she basked in the warmth of the sun.
“Maybe this was how it was supposed to be?”
She quieted quietly to herself before the sun was blocked out by
the form of a man and the smell of Marlboro smoke.
“Who says it has to be any other way than how you yourself
imagines it?”
Opening her eyes she saw the familiar form of a man she had
known years ago and smiled.
“How open minded of you, Mr. Halliday. What are you doing
kicking around these parts?”
Given his dressed down state versus how Colleen had seen him a
few years ago a brokers luncheon Jason was on vacation.
“Well, just settled into the place down the road from here and
came by to see how the new owners of Thorncrest were doing.”
“Owner and you’re speaking to her. Lovely thanks.”
“Ooh, finally took your Ivy Leaguer to the cleaners huh?”
A small smirk played at her lips as she sat up and went about
offering a glass of chilled lemonade to her impromptu guest.
“Well, lets just say that after the summer season’s done you’re
going to be seeing quite a bit more of me around here and with
quite a bit more money than I care to know what to do with.”
“He just doesn’t know it yet?”
“He will after he’s properly served. So….does the Quincepoint
place have a lady of the house or are you still trying girls on
for size?”
A quick exhale of smoke through a grinning face answered for
him. He always smirked like that when he was nervous.
“Nobody since you.”
“Well, that’s good then because it’ll save your closet space
with my things here. If you’re good I may even give you a
dresser drawer of your very own.”
“Man a guy can dream can’t he?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve dreamt of seeing you back here in this house for years and
now here you are. It’s almost too good to be true, isn’t?”
Another plume of smoke was exhaled and Colleen found herself
startled awake once more. Totally unsure of where she was or
exactly who she was at the moment she studied her left hand. No
large gaudy wedding set dripping in gold and diamonds. Just a
simple silver band that was enveloped by a hand that from the
looks of it, was used to doing office work. Blonde floppy bangs
shielded a bespectacled fair face of the husband she shared a
name with. Reaching out to trace the fine features of the
Romanesque nose and finely crafted cheekbones a small shuddered
passed over her seat mate. The slight stubble of a five o’clock
shadow pricked her gentle touches as he moved closer. His eyes
would open in a moment but what color would his eyes be? So far
she had seen him in every single dream she had had since
starting work on that book of hers.
Blue. Like the summer sky and kind as she had ever hoped.
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
A slow soft smile spread across his face as he rose from his
slumber. It was always him that she wrote her male leads. He
held a spark of something true and endless. Love and devotion
were stamped upon him from the moment he had been thought of.
Nicholas Shelley truly was the fitting piece to the puzzle that
was her life.
“Still feeling weird?”
“No, not really. I think I was just over tired…didn’t mean to
worry you, Nick.”
“I figured that on my own when I put your carry on in the
overhead and you were out like a light. Helene sends her love
and says she’ll be meeting us at the lake house when he land.
Something with Joey’s touring schedule or manager to work out.”
“Oh, okay then.”
Something grabbed at her heart as panic started to rise.
“You do know just how much I love you…right?”
Fair brows shot towards his hairline behind the curtain of
bangs.
“Of course, I do. Do you know how much I love you?”
“Yes. I’m…I’m sorry it’s just the deadlines and the rewrites and
god I’m tired. I just didn’t think I was saying it enough or
loud enough for you to hear me. I’m sorry I’ve been off in my
own little world.”
‘It’s okay, I get the same way. It’s the nice think about being
married to another writer, we know each other’s moods better
than our own.”
Reaching a hand up he guided her head back towards his shoulder
and she settled for a moment. Clean linen and woody sea was the
comforting smell she always took from him. It righted her and
her heart slowed back into a normal rhythm. He carded his
fingers through her long dark hair once more as he always did
when she panicked and they had a moment together.
“Never doubt my love for you because it is deeper than the
ocean, stronger than steel, and even more endless than the night
sky.”
She never doubted his words were true because she felt them.
There, in her very heart his words and declarations were written
and they would forever be safe.
“I love you, too. More than you’ll ever know.”
No matter how many dreams she had or books she had written she
knew that her true love's kiss would always be the most
beautiful of all. His love for her as complete as hers was to
him. They were simply crafted for each other.
*****************************************************
Page 1 of 1