Within a Dream - a Short Story Read online

  Within a Dream

  Book 1

  Ophelia Sikes

  Copyright © 2015 by Ophelia Sikes /

  Minerva Webworks LLC

  All rights reserved.

  Cover design by Ophelia Sikes.

  Book design by Ophelia Sikes

  Visit my website at OpheliaSikes.com

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  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, and events are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  First Printing: November 2015

  - v1 –

  Half of all author’s proceeds from this book benefits battered women’s shelters.

  Endure

  Within a Dream

  Book 1

  Chapter 1

  “All that we see or seem

  Is but a dream within a dream.”

  -- Edgar Allen Poe

  I raced hard through the crisp-edged night, the crunch of fall leaves sharp beneath my sneakers. Streetlights high over the quiet residential Boston streets carved edges on the shadows into the alleys, making it challenging to tease out details as I streaked past.

  Damn, where had that bastard gotten to?

  I ran on and on for what seemed like hours, crossing nearly-empty streets and searching down every staircase descending into the lower apartments of the rows of brownstones. Block by block, grid by grid, I made my canvas.

  I knew I had to find him.

  The full moon shone, a siren blared in the distance, and at last exhaustion folded me in half. I slumped onto the cool steps of a dark-windowed home and dropped my head into my hands.

  I’d failed. I’d lost him.

  The darkness spread …

  * * *

  I glanced up at the sign above the doorway as I approached along the sunlit leaf-peppered sidewalk. Fading gilt-edged letters read “Maria and Suz’s Gifts.” The bell tinkled as I pushed the door open, and Maria called out, “Hey, Suz!”

  I smiled as I stepped into the small gift shop we co-owned. It wasn’t much, just two narrow rooms in a cluster of buildings around Grafton Common, but it was ours. Sanded, painted, and stuffed to the gills with all variety of candle, soap, greeting card and local art, I finally felt as if I meant something. As if all the sacrifices I’d made in life mattered.

  Maria was in her forties, about ten years older than me, and her plump figure showed her love of pasta and wine. She winked as I came over to hang up my jacket. “Rough night, Suz? You look like you didn’t sleep well.”

  I shook my head. “It was the strangest dream. I was in Boston, at night. Chasing someone around.”

  Her eyes twinkled. “Oh? Was he handsome?”

  I laughed. “I’m married, remember?”

  She nudged me in the side. “In your dreams you can be anyone you want to be. And if you want to chase handsome men, you can!”

  I shrugged. “Well, I never caught him, whoever he was. So I don’t know if he was handsome or not. I don’t even know why I was chasing him.”

  She took a sip of her coffee. “So, nighttime in Boston. Chasing a guy. What could that mean?”

  “I always wanted to go live in Boston, when I was a kid. It sounded exciting to me. But you know how it goes. Mom was sick and needed my help. I just got that apartment down on Main. I took that bartending gig at the Milltown Tavern to pay the rent. And Hank kept coming by …”

  She gave a wry smile. “Speaking of which, he left a message for you. He’s working late tonight. Again.”

  I sighed and went over to the coffee machine. It seemed like Hank was always busy these last few weeks. Maybe that was causing these odd dreams.

  Maria’s eyes danced. “You know, you keep going on about lucid dreaming. About being able to be aware in a dream and gain insight from it. Maybe you should become aware in this dream of yours in Boston. With whoever this guy it is you’re chasing.” Her mouth grew wide. “And then you could have some … ahem … lucid encounters.”

  I laughed. “It’s not as easy as that, Maria. Lucid dreaming can be tricky. Your mind wants you to stay within the dream. It’s hard to break into awareness. To realize that you are dreaming. To pick up on those subtle clues that something’s not quite right.”

  Her teeth shone. “Or maybe that something is oh so perfectly right.”

  I shook my head at her teasing and poured my Patriots mug full. It was time to get back to reality. Maybe if I used some elbow grease on getting those front windows clear of the autumn pollen and back to sparkling clear, I’d finally get a good night’s sleep.

  Chapter 2

  Early morning. Those classic brownstones of Boston’s suburbs. Traffic was starting to pick up – Saabs and Land Rovers slid out toward the financial district or wherever people who lived around here worked. Maybe off to the Museum of Fine Arts to check out the latest exhibit.

  My sneakers barely made a sound as I worked my way up the street, peering carefully down each staircase or along the leaf-filled gutter. I rubbed at my eyes which threatened to close again. I didn’t know what I was looking for. Something he dropped? Some sort of a clue?

  My phone rang and I absently drew it out of my jacket pocket. “Yeah?”

  Maria’s voice came over the line. “Let me guess. You’re still out there looking for him.”

  “Of course I am,” I snapped. “I lost him. It’s my fault. I have to find him.”

  Maria sighed. “You know it’s not –”

  “Of course it’s my responsibility,” I growled. “He got away from me. Am I slipping up?”

  “You’re fine,” she responded. “But you need to get some rest. You’re exhausted.”

  I knew she was right. I could feel it in my very bones. Every step was an effort.

  Maria continued, “Suz, you’ve been on this for weeks. You haven’t slept a wink. I’m sure we’ll figure it out. You get home to that stud of yours. I bet Hank hardly remembers what you look like. We get something, we’ll call you.”

  “But -”

  “I’m serious. That’s an order. We can go through the video footage fine without you. We’ll dump the guy’s cell. We’ll find him and figure out a next step.”

  I sighed in acceptance. I was no good to them if I collapsed in the middle of Newbury Street. I’d become more a liability than an asset. Still, utter defeat washed over me. “All right. I’ll call when I wake up again.”

  “Sleep,” she ordered, and hung up.

  I sat on someone’s front steps. It was all I could do to not simply flop over and fall asleep right there. Maybe if I just leaned against the stone railing for a moment …

  * * *

  Maria chuckled as we stood side by side near our shop’s front door, breathing in the fresh autumn breeze. A motorcyclist drove past, enjoying one last outing before winter brought down its icy grip. Maria gave me a nudge. “So, still dreaming about that guy, huh? And you haven’t even seen his face?”

  I shook my head, holding my Celtics coffee mug between my hands. “I don’t know his name. I don’t know why I’m chasing him.” I grinned at her. “But you were in my dream this time.”

  Her eyes lit up. “Really? Was I ravishing and sexy?”

  I laughed out loud at that. “Well, I’m not sure what you looked like. You just called me on the phone. You told me to
get home to my husband.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I would have told you to keep chasing down this mystery man of yours!”

  I grinned. “You told me Hank was a stud.”

  She burst out laughing. “Me? Are you sure it was me on this dream-phone of yours?”

  I nodded. “Absolutely. We’ve been friends, what, ten years now? I’d know your voice anywhere.”

  She shook her head. “Clearly there’s something going wrong with this dream of yours. Hank, a stud? He’s an insurance broker. Oh, he’s got his good traits, of course. Steady. Reliable. But a stud?” She chuckled.

  I wanted to speak up in Hank’s defense, but I just couldn’t. Back when he was dating me I would always make the excuses for him. Over the years it had worn thin.

  My eyes drifted up to the sign above our store, “Suz and Maria’s Knick-Knacks.” The gilt on the letters was faded in several spots, giving it an unkempt look. Hank had promised to touch up the paint on that months ago. But he hadn’t managed to find the time.

  He was too tired to go out. He was worn down from work. But over the years I realized he had plenty of energy when his friends wanted to play darts or when someone had tickets to a baseball game. It was just me he never quite had the energy for.

  The thought made my shoulders slump.

  Maria draped an arm around me. “Hey, don’t be like that. I tell you, you should try lucid dreaming. Get aware in that dream of yours. And find this stud-husband of yours. Or the guy you’re chasing.” Her mouth quirked up. “Or both of them!”

  I laughed out loud at that.

  Maria smiled. “That’s better. C’mon, let’s go take some more photos of the new olive oil soaps to post to our Facebook page. Maybe we’ll get some likes!”

  I drew a smile on my face and nodded. I was living my dream, after all. I should be more grateful for all I had.

  Chapter 3

  The T’s car rumbled beneath me. I didn’t remember how I’d gotten onto it. Man, I must really be exhausted. It wasn’t as packed as the morning commute, but the passengers were alert and bubbly, so it wasn’t late night, either. Down in the depths of the T it was hard to know if it was winter or summer, day or night, except by making guesses by who was around you.

  Or looking at your cell.

  I pulled it out and glanced. November 2nd. 10:30am. Guess it was daytime after all.

  The T pulled in at my stop and I wearily stepped out. I blinked against the bright sun as I came up out of the station, then turned left in the crisp air. A few more streets and I was walking up the steps to our apartment.

  I stepped through the front door and eased it shut behind me. The space was neatly furnished in blue and ivory, with windows looking out over a tree-lined street. A painting of the U.S.S. Constitution hung over the long blue sofa.

  “Hi, honey!” came a call from the bedroom. “I was getting worried. Another long night?”

  I glanced at the mirror in the hall. My shoulder-length auburn hair was disheveled; I brushed my fingers through it. The dark shadows beneath my eyes added years to my thirty. I hung my coat on the hook and walked through the living room to our bedroom.

  Hank was sitting up in bed, his cell on the oak nightstand beside him. He was a few years older than me, in good shape from his love of jogging and tennis. His dark hair was cut short and he flashed that killer smile. “So much for our Saturday trip to the Cape.”

  I groaned. “I’m sorry, It’s just –”

  He waved a hand and patted the side of the bed. “Hey, I know how it goes. Don’t worry about it.” He winked. “The suspects giving you trouble again?”

  I sighed. “Hank, you know I can’t talk about it.” I peeled off the holster and dropped it in the chair by my side of the bed, followed by my wallet and badge.

  He chuckled. “Guess I’m lucky I know you work for the FBI at all.” His eyes sparkled. “Well, while I might not know what you were up to earlier, I can see it didn’t go well. So let me help with that.”

  He rolled out of bed, dressed just in black shorts. I could see every ripple of his muscle in the golden sunlight streaming through our windows.

  He swept me easily into his arms and carried me over to the bed. He gently lay me down and his smile widened. “You just wait there one minute, gorgeous - I’ll make this a day worth remembering.”

  * * *

  Maria leaned over her salad, her dark eyes wide with wonder. She glanced around the restaurant, her thick hair swinging with the motion, before turning back to me, her fork still hanging mid-air. “Wow, hunk was right! That’s what Hank looked like?” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Good God, Suz, and then what happened?”

  I sighed. “I woke up.”

  She blinked in astonishment. “What? You’re some sort of a super-spy, guns and everything, with a god for a husband, and you woke up?”

  I shrugged, stabbing my fork into my own salad. Low-fat dressing. No cheese. “I woke up,” I repeated. “Still stuck in my hometown of Grafton. Same old gazebo on the common. Nothing ever changes. Nothing exciting ever happens.”

  Maria crossed her arms. “Hey, I took you out to dinner, didn’t I?”

  I smiled. “I appreciate it. And I love our shop. I really do. But you know what I mean. I wish Hank would take me out sometimes.”

  Maria nudged me. “Maybe you should dream more often. That dream-Hank seems quite a winner.”

  I giggled. “I should, shouldn’t I? I’d bet that rippled-muscle guy would do something in bed instead of snore.”

  My phone buzzed and I glanced down at it. “Surprise, surprise. Hank is working late again tonight. He says not to wait up.”

  Maria’s brow creased. “Isn’t that the fourth time this week? Hun, I know you love him and all, but don’t you think you should at least check up on him? He does have that hot new blonde secretary, after all.”

  I shook my head. “We’ve been together seven years. He wouldn’t do that to me.”

  An eyebrow arched. “You know what they say about the seven year itch.”

  I took down a drink of chardonnay. “But if I followed him around it would seem like I don’t trust him.”

  Her face was serious. “Hun, trust but verify. Remember that. Besides, his office is right down the street. Take a spin by on your way home.” Her mouth quirked up. “Order him that tiramisu he loves. He’s there and alone? You ply him with sweets? You might get some of what that dream lover offered.”

  My heart lifted, and I nodded. Maybe that’s what our relationship needed. A little more excitement. Maybe that’s what these dreams were telling me.

  A short while later I was driving up to the brick mill building which held his office, the neatly packaged dessert sitting on my Prius’s passenger seat. I grinned. It could be like we were teenagers again, me sneaking him into the back door of the bar, and him flashing that grin -

  The office was dark.

  I looked around the parking lot, but his car was nowhere to be seen.

  Shadows overtook my golden mood and I pulled out my phone. My finger hovered over his icon - and then I went to Google instead. I looked up the name of his secretary, adding Grafton, Massachusetts to the query. A moment later and my phone’s GPS was guiding me down the quiet streets. And five minutes later I was sitting outside her neat blue colonial house.

  His car was parked in the driveway.

  My heart hammered against my ribs and for long minutes I couldn’t move. At last I forced myself to open the door and step out. Maybe they were just working here for some reason. Maybe, if I peered in a window, I could see them hunched over files, earnestly striving to solve an issue. Maybe, if I just peered over these bushes -

  Chapter 4

  Maria blinked in surprise as she answered my secure-line video call. Her voice was low. “God, Suz, you look like hell. I told you to take the day off.”

  I shook my head. “We have to find him.”

  She pressed her lips together. “I assume Hank’s not in the apartmen
t?”

  I leaned back against the bed’s headboard and settled the laptop more securely across my legs. “He’s gone out for a run. We’ve got a full half hour. I need to know what’s going on.”

  She sighed. “Have you even gotten any sleep yet?”

  The corner of my mouth quirked up. “I had something better than sleep. It’s given me fresh energy.”

  She chuckled at that. “All right, well, I bet you won’t sleep until you at least get an update.”

  “That’s for sure.”

  “OK, here’s the situation. We don’t know why Kevin Gallo bailed on his meet with you. It doesn’t look like your cover is blown. He still thinks you’re a Boston madam looking for underage girls to add to your stables.”

  My shoulders eased. “That’s good. And he hasn’t done anything with those poor Chinese girls he took off the ship and warehoused somewhere?”

  She shook her head. “We haven’t heard a peep about them. So we’re still on with the operation. We just have to arrange a fresh meet between you and him. Set up the payment for the girls. As soon as we get them safely into our hands, we can take the whole operation down.”

  “But why did he ditch the meet we had set up?”

  “We don’t know. He was there, heading toward you, when he just kept going. And you know the rest. You went after him and he had vanished.”

  “That’s for sure,” I growled.

  “So we’re just going through the surveillance footage –”

  “Put it up.”