Chapter Six: Regression

Safe in the light that surrounds me

Free of the fear and the pain

My subconscious mind is spinning through time

To rejoin the past once again.

Regression-Dream Theater

"Well we can't complain that our weekend boring…"

Emily laughed at Nicholas's attempt to permeate the awkward silence surrounding them since they left the cemetery. They were both a little shy since the little "crying-hugging-weep-a-thon" in the cemetery though Emily didn't seem to mind. She wasn't so much amused by the comment but by Nicholas's trying to make everything normal again. It was, well, sweet.

Emily blushed and turned away. Stupid Will, she thought. Because of him, she had experienced every extreme emotion in the last twenty-four hours whether directly (Will expressing his love for Lyra) or indirectly (Felling like she had lost a friend in the cemetery). This had to end soon or she felt like she was going to go mad.

"I feel like we're getting close. It can't be much longer now…" Nicholas said.

"Whoa, whoa whoa! Time out Nick!" Emily said stopping. "What's the rush? I mean, it's not like we've got a time limit or something, right?"

"No, but…Lyra's getting a stronger pull over me. I think… I think I'm starting to get these…you know…feelings…about…well…you." Nicholas managed to spit out.

"I see…"

"But it's just Lyra messing with me again! You know how they can get!" Nicholas said hurriedly

"Right! I'm sure that's what it is!" Emily responded just as quickly

The two walked on, silence being the language of choice, until they reached roughly the center of town.

"Well, I'm this way," Nicholas said, gesturing down the street to his left. "So…call you tomorrow?" Nicholas asked.

"Sure." Emily said, smiling as she did so. Hmm, she's cute when she smiles, Nicholas noticed. Nicholas gulped and hastily bade Emily farewell. Stupid Lyra, Nicholas thought as he tore off down the street. This had to stop; he was starting to fancy a girl he had known for only a few short days.

Nicholas opened the door to his house and headed into the TV room. He flopped down on the couch and was about to reach for the remote when he was suddenly overcome with a powerful drowsiness.

Here we go again…Nicholas thought as he closed his eyes.


Nicholas once again "woke up" in the garden. Lyra was sitting on the bench, reading a dusty old book and occasionally looking back at something in her lap. Nicholas jumped up and made a B-line for the bench.

"You…" he breathed lividly in a dangerous semi-whisper.

Lyra looked up from the small golden compass in her lap at Nicholas. "Nice to see you Nicholas." She said pleasantly.

"Don't you "Nice to see you, Nicholas," me! This…this has to stop!" he snapped.

"What has to stop?"

"Don't you "What has to stop?" me! I'm talking about this thing with Emily!"

"If you're referring to that little smile incident then I had nothing to do with that." Lyra said innocently.

"HOW CAN I BELIEVE THAT?" Nicholas said, pointing a finger at Lyra. "You…Lie! I got my lying prowess from YOU! Your name has LIE in it! Lyra! This is all a lie!" Nicholas said jumping up and gesturing around the dream-garden. "Your shirt is a lie, your hair is a lie, and your ferr…pine marten is a lie! See that bush over there?"

"Yes," Lyra said, humoring Nicholas's delusional tirade.

"That bush is a lie! You sit on a park bench made of LIES!!!!!!!" Nicholas screamed red in his dream-face. Lyra giggled slightly.

"WHAT'S SO DAMN FUNNY??!?!?!?!"

"It sounds to me like someone's got a little crush on somebody…" Lyra said in a sing-song voice.

"Oh, no! Stop right there, missy! None of that psycho-head-games-mumbo-jumbo! You are both setting Emily and me up and it's not fair!"

"Well if you don't like it I would suggest getting on that little favor I asked you."

"We're TRYING!!! We've been all over Oxford looking for answers!"

"Well try harder!" Lyra said. "You should get up now; you have a phone call…"


Nicholas woke up to the sound of his cell phone buzzing on the table.

"Hello?" he asked as he flipped the phone open.

"I've got it!" an excited voice came over the phone.

"Emily?" he asked groggily

"Of course it's me! Listen, I was looking through my dad's books and I think I found something that may be able to help us! Meet me at my place in ten minutes!"

"Emily!"

"What?"

"I kinda need your address."

"Oh…right." she laughed sheepishly and relayed the directions to her house.

Nicholas hung up the phone, wearily looking at the clock. Only seven.

"This is going to be a long night." He mumbled, grabbing a jacket.


Forty minutes later, Nicholas stood in front of a small blue flat which bore the address Emily had given him. He tucked his hair behind his ears (Damn Lyra…) and tapped on the door.

Almost at once it flung open, revealing Emily dressed in a light blue tank top and matching sweatpants, hair thrown back in a loose ponytail.

"Uh…hi." Nicholas said, suddenly at a loss for words.

"Hi" Emily simply responded. They just looked at each other for a second before Emily regained her composure. "You're late." She said in a semi-cross, semi-playful manner.

"I had to walk." Nicholas said stepping inside and shrugging his coat off. "You live halfway across town." The house was small, but homey. Various cardboard boxes and bubble wrap lay strewn across the floor and family heirlooms lay in various places around the main room.

"Sorry about the mess; we're still in the middle of the move."

"That's fine; my house is a mess and we've lived here for years." Emily laughed and Nicholas felt a smile tugging at his lips. She should really laugh more often because she's really cute when she…

Nicholas shook his head, trying to shake the thoughts from his mind. She's a friend; she's just a friend; She's just a friend with a rather cute...NO! Nicholas thought.

At the same time, Emily was having inner conflicts of her own. He's Funny…no! Friendfriendfriendfriendfriendfriendfriend; Just a friend, just a…wow, does he work out? Because he is really…NO!

They caught each other's eye, seeing their own expression on the other's face as their past lives had done so many times. Nicholas laughed nervously. "So there was something you wanted to show me?"

"Huh? Oh, right! Follow me." She led him down the hall and into a study lined haphazardly with various Psychology manuals.

"Here," Emily said handing Nicholas a dusty old book. "I think what we need is a little face to face chat with Will and Lyra."

Nicholas cocked an eyebrow. "Face to face? How? The only time we see them is in our dreams."

"That's what the book is for. Psychologists have studied this unexplained phenomenon for years now. They think that people can share dreams and even "travel" between subconsciouses. It's really rare: the only people who have reported it are twins and…"

"And? And What?"

"Lovers…" Emily said quietly, face reddening slightly.

"Oh…so you think Will and Lyra could be able to do this?" Nicholas said, loosening his collar slightly.

"Yes, but they're going to need our dream states to get them there. And I've figured out how." Emily pulled a CD out of the flap of the book. "Hypnosis."

"Hypnosis?" Nicholas asked.

Emily rolled her eyes. "Is there an echo in here? Yes, Hypnosis!"

"But…how?"

"This CD contains all the means we need to put ourselves in a hypnotic trance and get Lyra and Will together in our dreams."

"But how do we come out? I don't want to be stuck inside my head with Romeo and Juliet for the rest of my life!"

"This thing has a two hour time limit so it will draw us out after two hours. Look it's getting late and I think we should try this before it gets too late; what do you say?"

Nicholas looked hesitantly at the little disk. "Alright. Let's go."

Emily led him into the living room where two leather recliners sat facing a TV and a stereo system. She popped the CD in and joined Nicholas in one of the chairs.

The CD began rolling and they reclined their chairs back. "See you in a few." Nicholas said. Emily simply smiled and pulled an eye mask over her eyes.

"Close your eyes and begin to relax." The recording spoke in a soft soothing voice.

"Take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Concentrate on your breathing. With each breath you become more and more relaxed. Imagine a brilliant white light above you. Focus in on this light as it flows through your body. Allow yourself to drift off as you slip into a more and more relaxed state of mind. Now as I count back from ten to one you will feel more peaceful and calm.

Ten

Nine

Eight

Seven

Six

You will enter a safe place where nothing can harm you

Five

Four

Three

Two

If you need to come back, all you must do is open your eyes.

One…


AN: Next time: Will and Lyra meet, Nick and Emily get uncomfortable, Pan and Nicholas nearly come to blows, and Lyra tells Will a horrible secret…I don't own HDM or the Dream Theater song