****Disclaimer in Chapter 1. I reference one of Bruce Springsteen's songs
here, but for fun only and because the Boss rules. This is the last chapter
and I'm thinking of continuing a series, but I need any advice I can get;
critiques are welcome. So please, read and review. ENJOY!
CHAPTER 14: HOMECOMING...
Erin's eyes slowly opened as Jerry practically licked her face right off. She was laying down facing the sky, and rays of sunlight broke through the leaves of the trees.
The green trees.
Erin closed her eyes again and slowly started to sit up. She propped herself up on her left elbow and looked around. She saw lots of green trees, and green grass, and a clearing..
And her jeep.
She sighed and lay back down. "Talk to me Jer," she said aloud hopefully.
The dog just whimpered and pawed at her leg.
She sighed and put her arms over her head. "It wasn't real," she thought to herself. "It was just a dream."
She hated that thought. I had all felt so real to her, everything, the sights, the sounds, the smells..
The touches.
Adam felt real.
"He doesn't even exist," she mumbled to herself. The one thing that had ever made sense to her wasn't real.
She sat up, slowly. She looked at herself. She was wearing her forest service uniform and her backpack was next to her. She wondered how she came to pass out in the woods. She sighed again as she pulled a couple of leaves out of her hair. How long had she been out here?
She stood up and grabbed her backpack. Thoughts of Eternia raced through her mind. Thoughts of the Royal Palace and Snake Mountain. Thoughts of Marlena and Skeletor and the Sorceress.
"It was all a dream," she mumbled to herself as she walked down to the clearing. "None of it was real."
Jerry kept whining as he trotted behind her. She wished he would say something witty or tell her she was wrong. Then she scolded herself for actually believing her dog could talk.
She reached the jeep and threw her backpack in the back. She held the door open for Jerry to jump in and then she climbed in herself. She had left the keys in the ignition.
"Smart," she said to herself. "Someone could have come along and stolen the jeep and I was flat on my back in the woods."
Jerry cocked his head and snorted. She looked at her pet.
"I was dreaming wasn't I?" she asked him, almost expecting an answer.
The dog just sighed and put his head down.
"Guess that answers my question," she thought as she turned the key as heard the jeep start up.
She sat there for a moment and looked at the clearing. She then closed her eyes and tried to picture what happened. It was no use, the only thing she saw was Adam's face. Her throat tightened up as she thought about their time together. Then she opened her eyes and shook her head, quietly scolding herself again for getting so caught up in a dream.
She put the jeep into drive and took off for the office.
A week later..
Erin sat in her cabin listening to the radio. Out here in the woods she didn't get very good television reception so she rarely watched it. She decided after the events of the week, she was going to put in a CD and let the week roll off of her.
That day she woke up in the woods, she arrived back at the office just as the search party was getting ready to leave. She had only been missing for 24 hours, but when she couldn't explain to Bill what had happened, he told her to take a vacation, and to lay off the drugs.
"That's rich," she thought. "Him accusing me of drugs." The man had pictures of his protest days at Berkeley sitting on his desk, and a couple of them actually showed him taking a hit off of a joint.
She took him up on his vacation offer, though, in fact she welcomed it. It gave her a chance to sort things out.
She still had no idea how she ended up passed out in the woods, and eventually decided it was fatigue.
She finally came to some kind of peace that she had dreamt the whole thing about Eternia and swore never, ever to tell anyone, not even the shrink that Bill suggested she get. It was cold outside that night, so she threw another log into her burning fireplace, sat down in her recliner, and sipped a cup of hot tea. She picked up the remote to her stereo and changed the CD over. She was in the mood for one of "The Boss's" tunes.
She leaned her head back and closed her eyes as the song "Human Touch," started up. She quietly hummed along to the song and started to drift off. Her rest was soon interrupted by Jerry's barking.
She opened her eyes and looked at him.
"You need to go out, boy?" she asked him. The rottweiler ran to the door and started scratching at it. Erin got up and let the impatient dog out. A cold gust of air blew in through the door as she started to close it. There was a familiar scent in the air, but she chalked it up to the fall air.
She sat back down and looked at the fire place as Springsteen wailed on in the background. A few moments later, Jerry started barking again. She heard him scratch the door from the outside.
"Gee, that was quick," she said mildly irritated that the dog was cutting into her relaxation. She got up and pulled her sweater around her. Jerry kept his tantrum going strong.
"Okay, okay I'm coming already," she said, as if the dog could hear her. She started to open the door. "Do you want in or do you want out?"
A gust of wind jerked the door from Erin's hand. She turned her head and watched Jerry come in. She started to turn to close the door when she heard him.
"Well actually, it's kind of cold out here, so I was wondering if I could come in?" a familiar voice said.
Erin slowly turned around to the open door. Her gaze followed the man's feet from the floor to his waist, to his chest, past his broad shoulders, up to his beautiful gray eyes.
Adam.
Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. She thought she was dreaming again.
He walked into the cabin and closed the door. He was wearing blue jeans and a thick, brown leather coat, not in the clothes she dreamt about him wearing on Eternia, but it was him. His blonde wavy hair had been tousled by the wind but his wonderful, brilliant smile was the same.
"Adam?" she whispered as he walked closer to her. "Are you real? I thought it was all a dream."
Adam laughed and reached over to grab her hand. She let him take it as he held up her hand to his face.
"Do I feel real?" he asked her, a mischievous sparkle lit up his eyes.
She was still astounded. He looked real, he sounded real, and so help her he felt real..and wonderful. A thought finally clicked in her head: it hadn't been a dream.
"How did you get here?" she blurt out. She didn't know what to say.
He inched a little closer to her, putting his strong arms around her waist, pulling her towards him.
"I got a little reprieve from work back on Eternia," he said while examining all of her face. "Since old bone head isn't around, it seems that I'm not needed as much. So I thought I'd take a little vacation, with the help of one of the Sorceress's portals."
Erin just looked at him. She wanted to pinch herself; she didn't want to suffer the heartbreak of another dream involving Adam.
But he was real.
And he was in her cabin.
Pulling her face towards his..
Closer and closer..
She kept her eyes open as he gently brushed her lips with his.
"Oh yeah, he's real," she thought to herself as she closed her eyes and gave into what was quickly becoming a very passionate kiss, even more consuming than the first one they shared.
After several minutes, they finally broke. He leaned his forehead against hers. The both smiled broadly.
"Well, my week just got a heck of a lot better," she said with tears forming in her eyes.
Adam laughed and hugged her.
"Yeah, well mine did too," he started. "The Sorceress told me she had to send you home, something about the healing process." He played with a stray strand of her hair.
"So I had to wait a few days before I could come see you," he continued. "Plus, some stuff had to be cleared up at home."
She looked at him, studying all of his handsome features. She thought her heart was going to jump out of her chest.
"So, you came to see me?" she teased him playfully.
Adam, pulled her close again and started to lean in for part two of the kiss they just shared.
"Actually, I was hoping I could convince you to come back to Eternia with me," he leaned in for a short kiss. "I kind of miss you and want you around, always."
She kissed him back and then pulled back to meet his gaze. Her left eyebrow cocked up.
"Leave all this for a new life on another planet where I almost died once," she said with fake sarcasm before looking at Jerry. "What do you think, Jer?"
The dog looked at her and snorted as if he was saying "Are you kidding, like you have to ask?" He walked up and nuzzled Adam's free hand.
They both laughed and placed their heads together again.
"I think that's a yes," she laughed vivaciously. "Yes, I will go back with you...I love you, Adam."
She leaned in to kiss him again. He smiled as he leaned closer.
"I love you too," he breathed and kissed her.
When they broke apart again he grinned.
"Besides, I promised mother some grandchildren soon, and I can't do that by myself.."
THE END...?
CHAPTER 14: HOMECOMING...
Erin's eyes slowly opened as Jerry practically licked her face right off. She was laying down facing the sky, and rays of sunlight broke through the leaves of the trees.
The green trees.
Erin closed her eyes again and slowly started to sit up. She propped herself up on her left elbow and looked around. She saw lots of green trees, and green grass, and a clearing..
And her jeep.
She sighed and lay back down. "Talk to me Jer," she said aloud hopefully.
The dog just whimpered and pawed at her leg.
She sighed and put her arms over her head. "It wasn't real," she thought to herself. "It was just a dream."
She hated that thought. I had all felt so real to her, everything, the sights, the sounds, the smells..
The touches.
Adam felt real.
"He doesn't even exist," she mumbled to herself. The one thing that had ever made sense to her wasn't real.
She sat up, slowly. She looked at herself. She was wearing her forest service uniform and her backpack was next to her. She wondered how she came to pass out in the woods. She sighed again as she pulled a couple of leaves out of her hair. How long had she been out here?
She stood up and grabbed her backpack. Thoughts of Eternia raced through her mind. Thoughts of the Royal Palace and Snake Mountain. Thoughts of Marlena and Skeletor and the Sorceress.
"It was all a dream," she mumbled to herself as she walked down to the clearing. "None of it was real."
Jerry kept whining as he trotted behind her. She wished he would say something witty or tell her she was wrong. Then she scolded herself for actually believing her dog could talk.
She reached the jeep and threw her backpack in the back. She held the door open for Jerry to jump in and then she climbed in herself. She had left the keys in the ignition.
"Smart," she said to herself. "Someone could have come along and stolen the jeep and I was flat on my back in the woods."
Jerry cocked his head and snorted. She looked at her pet.
"I was dreaming wasn't I?" she asked him, almost expecting an answer.
The dog just sighed and put his head down.
"Guess that answers my question," she thought as she turned the key as heard the jeep start up.
She sat there for a moment and looked at the clearing. She then closed her eyes and tried to picture what happened. It was no use, the only thing she saw was Adam's face. Her throat tightened up as she thought about their time together. Then she opened her eyes and shook her head, quietly scolding herself again for getting so caught up in a dream.
She put the jeep into drive and took off for the office.
A week later..
Erin sat in her cabin listening to the radio. Out here in the woods she didn't get very good television reception so she rarely watched it. She decided after the events of the week, she was going to put in a CD and let the week roll off of her.
That day she woke up in the woods, she arrived back at the office just as the search party was getting ready to leave. She had only been missing for 24 hours, but when she couldn't explain to Bill what had happened, he told her to take a vacation, and to lay off the drugs.
"That's rich," she thought. "Him accusing me of drugs." The man had pictures of his protest days at Berkeley sitting on his desk, and a couple of them actually showed him taking a hit off of a joint.
She took him up on his vacation offer, though, in fact she welcomed it. It gave her a chance to sort things out.
She still had no idea how she ended up passed out in the woods, and eventually decided it was fatigue.
She finally came to some kind of peace that she had dreamt the whole thing about Eternia and swore never, ever to tell anyone, not even the shrink that Bill suggested she get. It was cold outside that night, so she threw another log into her burning fireplace, sat down in her recliner, and sipped a cup of hot tea. She picked up the remote to her stereo and changed the CD over. She was in the mood for one of "The Boss's" tunes.
She leaned her head back and closed her eyes as the song "Human Touch," started up. She quietly hummed along to the song and started to drift off. Her rest was soon interrupted by Jerry's barking.
She opened her eyes and looked at him.
"You need to go out, boy?" she asked him. The rottweiler ran to the door and started scratching at it. Erin got up and let the impatient dog out. A cold gust of air blew in through the door as she started to close it. There was a familiar scent in the air, but she chalked it up to the fall air.
She sat back down and looked at the fire place as Springsteen wailed on in the background. A few moments later, Jerry started barking again. She heard him scratch the door from the outside.
"Gee, that was quick," she said mildly irritated that the dog was cutting into her relaxation. She got up and pulled her sweater around her. Jerry kept his tantrum going strong.
"Okay, okay I'm coming already," she said, as if the dog could hear her. She started to open the door. "Do you want in or do you want out?"
A gust of wind jerked the door from Erin's hand. She turned her head and watched Jerry come in. She started to turn to close the door when she heard him.
"Well actually, it's kind of cold out here, so I was wondering if I could come in?" a familiar voice said.
Erin slowly turned around to the open door. Her gaze followed the man's feet from the floor to his waist, to his chest, past his broad shoulders, up to his beautiful gray eyes.
Adam.
Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. She thought she was dreaming again.
He walked into the cabin and closed the door. He was wearing blue jeans and a thick, brown leather coat, not in the clothes she dreamt about him wearing on Eternia, but it was him. His blonde wavy hair had been tousled by the wind but his wonderful, brilliant smile was the same.
"Adam?" she whispered as he walked closer to her. "Are you real? I thought it was all a dream."
Adam laughed and reached over to grab her hand. She let him take it as he held up her hand to his face.
"Do I feel real?" he asked her, a mischievous sparkle lit up his eyes.
She was still astounded. He looked real, he sounded real, and so help her he felt real..and wonderful. A thought finally clicked in her head: it hadn't been a dream.
"How did you get here?" she blurt out. She didn't know what to say.
He inched a little closer to her, putting his strong arms around her waist, pulling her towards him.
"I got a little reprieve from work back on Eternia," he said while examining all of her face. "Since old bone head isn't around, it seems that I'm not needed as much. So I thought I'd take a little vacation, with the help of one of the Sorceress's portals."
Erin just looked at him. She wanted to pinch herself; she didn't want to suffer the heartbreak of another dream involving Adam.
But he was real.
And he was in her cabin.
Pulling her face towards his..
Closer and closer..
She kept her eyes open as he gently brushed her lips with his.
"Oh yeah, he's real," she thought to herself as she closed her eyes and gave into what was quickly becoming a very passionate kiss, even more consuming than the first one they shared.
After several minutes, they finally broke. He leaned his forehead against hers. The both smiled broadly.
"Well, my week just got a heck of a lot better," she said with tears forming in her eyes.
Adam laughed and hugged her.
"Yeah, well mine did too," he started. "The Sorceress told me she had to send you home, something about the healing process." He played with a stray strand of her hair.
"So I had to wait a few days before I could come see you," he continued. "Plus, some stuff had to be cleared up at home."
She looked at him, studying all of his handsome features. She thought her heart was going to jump out of her chest.
"So, you came to see me?" she teased him playfully.
Adam, pulled her close again and started to lean in for part two of the kiss they just shared.
"Actually, I was hoping I could convince you to come back to Eternia with me," he leaned in for a short kiss. "I kind of miss you and want you around, always."
She kissed him back and then pulled back to meet his gaze. Her left eyebrow cocked up.
"Leave all this for a new life on another planet where I almost died once," she said with fake sarcasm before looking at Jerry. "What do you think, Jer?"
The dog looked at her and snorted as if he was saying "Are you kidding, like you have to ask?" He walked up and nuzzled Adam's free hand.
They both laughed and placed their heads together again.
"I think that's a yes," she laughed vivaciously. "Yes, I will go back with you...I love you, Adam."
She leaned in to kiss him again. He smiled as he leaned closer.
"I love you too," he breathed and kissed her.
When they broke apart again he grinned.
"Besides, I promised mother some grandchildren soon, and I can't do that by myself.."
THE END...?