Extraordinary: Chapter Six

In this chapter, a kind stranger gives Elisa reason to think her dreams may not be as imaginary as she thought...but what happens next will change everything. Comments and feedback are always very much appreciated!

Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series and all associated characters and storylines do not belong to me.

It was not an easy night. The seconds ticked by, slowly became minutes, and then grew into hours as I sat on my desk, staring out my window. I tried to think of nothing else but the moon that had me so transfixed but it was so hard...so much harder than I'd ever imagined. There had never been a time, at least that I could recall, where I couldn't retreat into the place that existed between reality and beyond, the netherworld where dreams existed. Now I didn't have that refuge anymore and I felt like I had lost a part of me, like I'd been hollowed out.

I don't know how long I sat there before my eyelids started to close on their own and it sunk in just how exhausted I was. Everything that had happened over the past few days had seeped every last bit of energy from me and I wanted nothing more then to crawl into my warm bed and sleep. I couldn't allow myself to do that. Things happened when I closed my eyes, events that were completely out of my control, that changed everything. Obviously, I couldn't go without sleep forever, but tonight I had to rough it out. Hopefully, tomorrow I could come up with a better plan. Deep down, I doubted that immensely, but for this one night I lived in the comforting land of denial.

By the time the sun started to lighten the sky, I felt thoroughly sick. Looking for a sugar and caffeine rush to help me stay awake, I'd consumed a frappucino, two sodas, large handfuls of toffee covered peanuts, and half a pint of ice cream. My stomach was screaming in protest. Plus I was more tired than ever, and nearly bored out of my mind as well. I'd been reading to pass the time, but since I wanted to avoid anything that might really engage me and cause me to stray into the dangeous world of fantasy, I stuck to the generic teen romance novels that I'd liked back when I was middle school. I felt completely unsatisfied.

Still, I'd stayed awake. I'd barely allowed myself one Twilight related thought. For a moment I felt almost proud, but then I remembered that I was supposed to come up with a plan to stop my dreams from ever coming back, one that didn't involve me consuming thousands of calories between one and six in the morning every day. Despair washed over me. I had absolutely no idea what to do.

Once it was completely light I went quietly back downstairs and into the den, where I spent the next few hours watching informercials and some dull movie on Lifetime about a woman who killed her husband. It was hours more before I heard my family stir. It was such a relief when my parents came downstairs and started breakfast, followed by my brother. Company at last-I wasn't supposed to meet Michelle and Rae until noon and I needed some mindless conversation to keep me awake until then.

Unfortunately my mother left right after breakfast. There was some kind of crisis with a client of her public relations firm and she had to go smooth things over before it got out of hand. I was so disappointed-she'd been my best hope for companionship. I did my best not to make her feel too guilty though-she looked stressed enough as it was.

As I washed the breakfast dishes, I heard Dad and Colby's riotous laughter coming from the den. That sounded promising-seemed like Dad was in a good mood. I put the last pan in the dishwasher then wandered over to the den to see what was so funny. I walked in the room to see them on the couch nearly collapsed with laughter.

"Hey, what's so funny?" I smiled tentatively and Dad looked up, seeming surprised to see me there.

"Football bloopers." He gestured towards the tv.

"Yeah, Dad ordered a whole set of dvds full of them." Colby grinned at me. "We're going to watch them all!"

"Sounds good." I inched over to the couch. "Mind if I join you?"

Dad and Colby exchanged looks and then Dad looked at back at me. "It's football, Elisa." He said, as if I hadn't already gotten that. "You wouldn't understand it."

I frowned. "You could explain it to me." I hinted.

Dad looked impatient. "Don't you have something better to do? Like with your friends? Maybe you can go shopping or something."

Colby snickered. If Dad hadn't been there, he probably would have been perfectly happy for me to join him, but he always followed our father's lead. "Yeah, Elisa or you can practice your cheerleading moves, since we all know how much skill jumping around in short skirts takes."

He stood up, wielding an imaginary pair of pom-poms. "Oh, my milkshake brings out the boys to the yard!" He sang out in a high pitched voice, swinging his hips exaggeratedly and flailing his arms. "And they're like-it's better than yours!" He and Dad burst into even louder laughter.

I felt the familiar lump in my throat and tears began to fill my eyes as they made fun of me. I started to back towards the door, intending to run up the stairs to my room, throw myself on my bed, and sob my heart out like I so often did, but when I looked back, their amused faces made something inside me snap. I would not cry. I would not run away. This crazy week had driven me to my breaking point, and I was sick and tired of being pushed around. Suddenly I was furious.

I turned back, blinking away the traitorous moisture, and glared at them. "Nice. Real nice. Why don't you just be honest and say you don't want me around?" I looked at Dad as I spoke, my eyes challenging.

Dad stopped laughing and looked annoyed. "Oh, here we go again with the dramatics. You know that's not true, Elisa. Sit down and watch the damn show then if you want." He sat back, glowering.

"No." I clenched my jaw. "Just say it, Dad. Admit that the only time you can stand to talk to me at all is if you're yelling. I already know it's true-I just want to hear it from you for once."

Dad stood up, his face beginning to redden from anger. " Whatever, Elisa. That's crap and you know it. We talk plenty!" He stared down at me fiercely. Colby watched us both with wide eyes.

I refused to be intimidated. "Oh yeah? Tell me one real conversation we've had in the past month, Dad. Just one, and I'll apologize. Go on, tell me." I waited.

He stared at me, opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again.

I took a deep breath. "That's what I thought." I turned to walk to the doorway, then looked back. I knew I had made my point but more words bubbled to my lips and then spilled over before I could stop them.

"You're going to regret it someday, you know. Maybe not until ten years from now, when you start wondering why I never call or visit. Or twenty years from now, when you see me once a year at Christmas and you still can't think of a single thing to say to me. Whenever it is, I swear that the day will come when you'll be sorry that you never took the time to get to know me. I'll be sorry too, but at least I'll have the comfort of knowing I tried." I was pleased that my voice didn't tremble.

With that, I turned and headed into the living room, willing myself not to shake with emotion. Dad followed me, his tall frame rigid with anger as I walked over to the coffee table and picked up my purse. His eyes were blazing.

"Just where do you think you're going?" He stormed as I turned towards the front door.

I scowled back. "Shopping." I hissed and with that I went outside, slamming the door behind me. I half expected him to throw it back open again and come roaring down the walk after me but he didn't.

As I rode the transit bus downtown, I half expected the burst of adrenaline I'd gotten from the argument with my father to wear off, but it didn't happen. I stared out the window, not seeing the passing scenery as I thought about it. I knew I was going to be in for it when I got home. I couldn't remember the last time I'd raised my voice to my father-he was probably having an apocalyptic meltdown right now. And yet...I didn't care. I didn't regret a single word I said to him. It was all true. He could bluster and yell all he wanted, but he knew it, and now he knew that he hadn't fooled me either.

When I finally got to Horton Plaza, I decided to put it out of my mind. Knowing my father, this was going to be the last day of freedom I had for a long, long time and I wanted to enjoy it. I was far too early...it was barely ten and my friends wouldn't be here until noon so I had some time to kill. I wandered from shop to shop, mostly just looking at window displays and not going in. I had limited funds and I needed to be conservative.

I'd gone about two blocks when I saw it. The shop I was standing in front of was new-last time I'd been here this had been an empty storefront with a for sale sign in the window. Now golden letters on the large glass window spelled out 'Azalea's Spiritual Emporium' and the inside display was full of crystals, witch and fairy statuettes, and various books with titles like 'Embracing Your Inner Goddess'. I giggled a bit and was about to move on when another book inside the window caught my eye. I read the black printed title on the simple blue cover: 'Your Dreams and You: A Metaphysical Journey Through Your Subconscious'.

I stood there, deep in thought for a moment. I'd promised myself I'd come up with a plan to stop myself from dreaming about Twilight. So far, I'd come up with zilch. Maybe learning what exactly my dreams meant, and why what happened in them was able to affect my real life the way it had, was the key. I didn't have any better ideas, anyway. I pushed open the door, bells tied to the handle tinkling to signal my arrival, and walked inside.

The shop was a bit dim and so crowded with inventory that it was hard to walk without tripping over something. It smelled really good in there though-the employees must have been burning incense or scented oil. I breathed in deeply and cautiously made my way over to the window display and was relieved to see a rack beside it, holding multiple copies of all the books that were on display. I picked up a copy of "Your Dreams and You", opened it and began to read the first few lines, desperately hoping for something that would finally explain away everything that had happened to me this last week.

A few minutes later I snapped the book shut, completely disappointed. It was a total letdown. Of course I hadn't given it much of a chance, but the first few pages were nearly incomprehensible-I couldn't understand a single thing the author was talking about. I sighed heavily as I returned the book to its shelf. For a moment there, just a moment, I'd had hope that I was onto something, that there might be a solution to my huge problem. Of course it couldn't be that easy.

"Can I help you with anything?"

A voice behind me nearly made me jump out of my skin. I jumped and turned to see an older, slightly plump woman with short, graying brown curls smiling down at me. She nodded at the book I'd just put away. "Interested in dreams, are you? Most girls your age are all about the love spells." She chuckled and nodded towards the corner of the store, where I could see a rack holding pink liquids in bottles and books with titles like "Using the Mystical To Get the Man of Your Dreams."

I gave her a bewildered look. "That stuff doesn't really work, does it?" I blurted out.

She shrugged, looking amused. "I suppose it depends on what you expect from it." She reached out and picked up the book I'd been looking at. "I take it this isn't what you wanted. Can I help you find something better?"

"Well, I was looking for something to help me...um, understand my dreams. Actually-" I sighed. "I'm hoping for something that will STOP me from dreaming."

She frowned slightly. "Why would you want to stop dreaming?" Her voice was curious.

I sighed. "I-" Unexpectedly, my eyes filled with tears. "I-have these dreams and I..." My voice trailed off as it became harder and harder to speak. The more teary I got, the redder my face became. This was so like me, to get all blubbery in public and in front of a stranger, no less. How totally humiliating.

The woman looked at me in concern, then abruptly straightened up, looking around the empty store. She gestured at me. "Come here, sweetheart." She waved me to a small table crowded into a corner. "Have a seat and tell me why you're so upset."

I don't know why I obeyed, but I followed her over to the table and sat down. She did the same, sitting across from me and looking at me steadily. "Would you like a glass of water?" Her voice was sympathetic.

I shook my head, wiping my eyes. "I'm fine. I'm sorry-it's just been a bad week."

She nodded. "I can see that. By the way, I'm Nancy. Welcome to my store." She extended her hand across the table towards me. It took me a minute to realize what she was doing, then hesitantly I reached out and shook it.

"I'm Elisa." I mumbled. "Wait-you own this store? I thought it was Azalea's Spiritual Emporium."

She laughed. "I just thought Azalea had a nicer ring then Nancy." Then she stopped laughing and looked at me closely. "Now that we've been properly introduced, why don't you tell me about these dreams?"

I didn't speak for a moment. I knew I shouldn't tell her. I couldn't tell anyone my secret-they would think I was insane. Yet the temptation to finally be able to share my fears with someone, to not have to carry this burden all by myself any longer was overwhelming. Maybe if I chose my words carefully...

"They-they aren't like regular dreams. Not even nightmares. I've had a lot of bad dreams before but these aren't the same. They're-like real. The things that happen in them..." I trailed off. I couldn't tell her. There was no way. If I spilled my guts to her, she'd probably call the cops and have me hauled off the premises. Still, the words were coming out before I could stop them. "The things that happen in my dreams-I think they really happen. It's like I can change reality." I couldn't look at her, knowing I'd see disbelief, maybe even anger or fear on her face.

"I know what you're thinking." I kept my eyes on the smooth table surface. Fresh tears began to roll down my face. "You think I'm crazy. I kinda think so too. I must be imagining it all but it seems so real. I'm probably, like, psycho or something and I don't even know it." I sniffed.

Nancy leaned forward and put a warm hand on mine. I looked up at her, startled. "I don't think that at all, Elisa. You seem like a fairly rational young lady to me." She paused for a moment, her eyes far away like she was considering something, then she looked back at me. "You know, there's a lot about dreams we don't understand. Did you know that it was once believed that they were actually portals to different worlds, that man had the ability to leave their body and travel as they slept? Some people still believe that. Have you ever heard of astral projection?"

I shook my head blankly.

"It's basically the same thing. It's the belief that a person has the ability to leave their body for brief periods of time and travel in spirit, possibly even to other realms of existence. It's completely unproven, of course, but I have read about, and heard from others, some of the most fascinating stories." She paused for a moment, then continued. "Of course, many people think it's a ridiculous concept. I don't really know how I feel. I don't think it's something I've ever experienced for myself, but there is so much in this world that we don't know...I don't like to discount anything unless I have a good reason for doing so."

"Well, even if I believed in it, that wouldn't explain what's happened to me." I sighed heavily. "The places I go...see, the scary thing is, they don't exist."

Nancy's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

I shook my head, trying not to get upset again. "I go somewhere that's completely fictional. I talk to people I read about in books. They don't exist at all, but when I dream about them, I change their stories and when I wake up, the stories stay changed." I looked at her desperately. "I don't understand it. They're not real! How can this be happening to me?" My breath was coming in gasps and I fought to get myself under control. Now I'd done it. She would know for sure that I was absolutely nuts.

Nancy was silent for a long moment. She seemed calm as she surveyed me with large brown eyes, but I was positive she was just trying to think of a kind way to tell me that I needed to get myself to the nearest psych ward as fast as I could. I knew I should get up and leave, but I had no energy left. Let her tell me I'd lost my mind-maybe the confirmation from somebody else would even be a relief.

Finally Nancy broke the silence. "Elisa, I do not want to presume in the least that I know what you're going through or I understand what you've experienced. Perhaps there are other issues in your life that are affecting you. Perhaps you are..imagining all this. The human mind can come up with some truly bizarre ways to deal with stress. But perhaps..." She looked at me and sighed, looking hesitant. "Maybe I should just quit before you start thinking I'm crazy."

I shook my head in protest. "No." I said, intrigued. "Tell me."

Nancy exhaled lightly. "You remember what I just said about traveling to other realms of existence. Well, what if that's true? What if there really other dimensions, or perhaps, realities? Even scientists debate this, just like they debate the possibility of time travel. Some even say that the stories of ghosts or UFO's, the stories that can't be explained away, don't actually stem from supernatural beings or aliens. It is just the occasional accidental glimpse into another time or reality that is unfolding parallel to ours. And if any tiny bit of that is true, and mind you, I'm not saying it is, who isn't to say that you haven't been somehow able to cross into a whole other reality?"

I stared at her. "But it's not real." I pointed out, feeling that she'd missed a key point of my story. "It's just a book series!"

Nancy smiled as if I were the one missing something obvious. "Honey, why does that mean it can't be real? After all, where do stories come from? The same places dreams do, don't you think?" She looked at me intently.

I sat there for a moment, completely flabbergasted, trying to absorb her words. Nancy stood up and walked over to the counter and came back with a box of tissues, offering it to me. Automatically I took one, wiping the drying tears from my face.

After a moment Nancy broke the quiet. "Have I frightened you?" Her voice was regretful.

Once again, I shook my head. "No. I'm just-I don't know what I think about that."

Nancy shrugged. "Me neither. It's a pretty wild concept, isn't it? I don't know if I can honestly say that I accept it either. One thing I do accept though, is that there are mysteries in this universe that we have not even come close to understanding." She sat back down at the table and looked at me with a serious expression. "One thing I do want you to understand, Elisa, is that you are not crazy. Even if this is a fantasy concocted by your mind, it probably is just a very creative coping mechanism that you've come up with. There is absolutely nothing abnormal about that. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

At her words, I felt a deep sense of relief. "Yes." I smiled at her. "Thank you. You've really helped."

"Good." She stood up again. "I hope I've given you a bit to think about. No matter what explanation is behind your dreams, however, they still belong to you. You're the one in charge. If you don't want to go somewhere, you shouldn't have to go. There are some books I can recommend to help you."

I wrinkled my nose. "Like that metaphysical one?"

Nancy laughed. "No...I tried to read that one too, and I found it to be a load of bunk. How about learning about something a little more down to earth...meditation, perhaps? A way for you to relax your mind and your emotions, center yourself a bit, get back some of the control that you've lost."

I stood up as well. "That actually sounds really good." I smiled.

I ended up buying the book she recommended, plus an oil burner and several vials of scents that could help me relax. I also bought an self-hypnosis CD that was supposed to help me clear my mind. There were some interesting books on alternate realities and astral projection that we found as well but I decided I wasn't quite ready to seriously consider that explanation just yet. Nancy understood. She gave me the shop's card with her phone number scrawled on the back, making me promise to call her if I needed anything. I left the shop with my arms full of purchases but my spirits far lighter than they had been when I'd gone in. So maybe I had invented my Twilight dreams as a way of escape-maybe I had only imagined that the books had changed when I woke up, but it really didn't mean that I was insane. That thought alone made me feel so much better.

My cell phone rang as I headed down the sidewalk towards the center square where I was supposed to meet my friends. I answered and Rae's shrill voice drilled in my ear.

"Elisa! Where are you?" She demanded.

"At Horton Plaza, where we were going to meet. Why, are you guys here already?" I asked, still distracted.

"Of course we're here! We were supposed to meet at twelve, remember?" She sounded seriously annoyed.

I gasped. "It's twelve already?"

"It's twelve thirty." Rae sounded like she was speaking through gritted teeth. "Hurry up!" The line went silent with an aggrieved click.

I sighed in frustration. Rae could be so bossy. Plus she'd kept me waiting a million times and here she was acting like I'd mortally offended her. Still, I really didn't want to fight with her. Hurrying now, I rushed down the sidewalk and to the next corner, tapping my foot impatiently as I waited with a crowd of other pedestrians for the light to change.

If I hadn't been so tired, had so much on my mind, or even had just been paying attention to my surroundings, what happened next would have been completely preventable. Maybe I would have noticed that the black Nissan coming down the street was moving way too fast. Perhaps I would have seen that the walk signal was already flashing before I even stepped into the street. Maybe I would have even realized that I was nearly hidden from view, almost impossible to see, behind the large woman in front of me. Of course, it wasn't all my fault. The driver really should have waited to make sure the road was clear before he drove into the intersection. He certainly shouldn't have been going as fast as he was through such a packed shopping area.

It didn't really matter though, what either one of us should have seen or done, because the end result was the same. The car hit me and I never even saw it coming. When I felt the impact, I thought someone had bumped into me-hard-before I realized that I was flying through the air. I don't know how badly I would have been hurt if that streetlamp hadn't have been in my way-maybe it would have been less, but no one will ever be able to say, because I did hit the streetlamp-head first. I heard the loud crack, had one second to think how odd it was that I hadn't felt any pain-and then everything was gone.

To Be Continued

In the next chapter: Elisa is back in the world of Twilight, but this time, she may never be able to get home...

Don't forget to let me know what you think!

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