Chapter Three "Ashley"

"Siiiiiiimon. SIIIIIIIIIMOOOOOOON. Simon!"

His eyes opened up to see Ashley sitting on the other side of his couch.

"Wakey, wakey, sleepy-head."

"W-Where am I? Am I dreaming again?"

"I don't know, Simon, the last time you had a dream you apparently were lost at the bottom of the ocean with no one but a cellphone I think?"

"It was like that but with limited functions."

"So Jesse?"

They both laughed, Jesse was a good guy and all but he didn't have the best sense of direction and memory. Despite three emails, he still forgot Simon had taken the day off once and that Ashley was out of town. They took him out to get that stress off his back, he worked the entire day with barely a break.

"Simon," Ashley asked, "Where do you want to eat tonight? It's our anniversary and all. Don't tell me you forgot."

Simon rolled off the couch, hitting the floor with a THUNK. Yep, it was definitely real. Now he'd have to clean up the blood from his forehead again, when he just got used to it being gone was it...gone. He checked his forehead and found not a single trail of blood. Just a bowl of Ruffles now everywhere. That he would have to clean up.

"Are you okay Simon? Dr. Munshi said there might be some side-effects, are you listening to me?"

He raised up his hand with a thumbs up then got himself up off the ground. His apartment was cleaner than the last time he remembered things clearly, at least now he had take-out salad instead of the junk food he had. He had cards pinned up by magnets on his fridge congratulating him on the recovery as well as one from Dr. Munshi for allowing his scan to be used as a template. Now he was a bigshot among the science community, making more scans and helping more people get through what would have killed them. What would have killed Simon.

"Let's go to High Park, like we used to when we were in high school. I still have the red blanket and everything," Simon told her, leaning against his sink, trying to act smooth. His hand slipped, making him stumble a little bit. At least he tried.

Ashley giggled. "Ok, ok, Simon, but I get to drive. You still haven't fully recovered from the scan, we can't lose you just after we saved you." She got up from the couch, before she walked past the couch she turned back and pulled something out from under it. She handed it to him, gift wrapped with a tag that said: HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, BRAIN-SCAN!

He opened it up to find a tiny little brain necklace, on both sides there were plates that read "100% Working" on one side and on the other "Chasing Dreams". He loved it, he loved her, the gift nearly brought him to complete tears. Ever since the scan, he's had a list of everything he wanted to do when he got better. Goals he never thought to accomplish ever before in his life until he knew how easily it could have been taken away. Before he thought that he would have time, then time became limited, how easy is it for someone to have so many dreams just to be killed before they ever step foot in its direction. How many have died with hopes for a tomorrow they would see? Driving back home, thinking about the events they have tomorrow or the people they'll see to only be snatched away because of life, because of someone's mistake. Wrong place, wrong time. Simply tripping over their own feet to kiss death as their head bleeds out?

Simon put those thoughts aside. His time was now and he won't waste it. He tossed Ashley the keys to his car, a gift his Mother had gotten him after his last one was wrecked in the accident. Of course they would have to stop to get some things. He didn't mind that, he didn't mind that at all. He was happy, happier than learning that his death had been averted on that fateful day he had considered taking a way out. He might have done it, might not. Maybe he would have been found and saved.

During their drive, they had talked about their plans for the year. Ashley reminding him that he promised to uphold his list as well as help her make her own. He had inspired her to do more than what she believed she could; nothing in this life is impossible to do at the moment you decide to take the plunge when you stand before it. She had wanted to climb a mountain or go rock-climbing. Simon had heard all about it from her since he did talk her ear off when he made his list.

Suddenly, she turned off the radio and asked Simon a question.

"Who's Catherine?"

He arched an eyebrow. "What?"

"Catherine. Whenever you dream, you start talking out loud. I started listening from time to time, piecing together what weird mind you got going. Overtime I noticed you said a name more and more often, telling them things you haven't told me. Talking about topics I didn't even know you thought about. Who is she?"

He thought for a moment, what way to put it that made sense, how could he explain everything he saw down there? What he knew of the future and the living nightmare that he experienced almost all on his own. But he had Catherine, who guided him through the tough times.

"She's...she's my friend. My nightmares are a living hell, I feel like I'm trapped there forever with no one out or escape in sight. Monsters around every corner, and if I tried to die something would just bring me back to life but worse. Then I met Catherine, the only person that didn't want to kill me, or was insane, or wasn't real. She was there, she was with me as we delved into the deep. She kept me going, whenever I broke down she picked me up, told me how things happened and what we can learn. We got close, how could we not? It's just us after the world has ended. Hell was bearable with her around. Hell was worth staying in with her around. Then...she was gone. It was my fault and I couldn't hear her anymore."

Ashley was quiet. "That's...deep Simon. I'm sorry you have to deal with those nightmares. I'm sure that paradise with come around the corner soon. I promise you."

Under his breath, as he looked out the window at the parking lot in the distance, he muttered, "He's living it alright."

The picnic went exactly the way he wanted it, the sun was in the right place, the weather was fair, the wind kind, and the things inside him worked just as they should. On their walk back, he stopped and looked at her with a dumb smile on his face as the fluttering inside his stomach jolted to life again. "Ashley," he started.

"Yes, Simon?"

His eyes began to look past her, at someone standing in the distance, someone familiar. A pitter-patter turned to a loud ping-panging as the words nearly became a toxin hard to breathe yet he pushed through when he saw her face. He had only seen it one way and now he saw it as real as daylight. One version of him had seen it when their mission was completed, when the paradise became real. When Humanity was saved from the death that lurked at the bottom of the ocean. He looked at the face of his dear Catherine Chun, and the words he nearly withheld came out.

"I love you."

Simon woke up. He was alone again.