Writer notes: I don't think I've mentioned how old Callie is yet. She's 21, if anyone was wondering. Thank you once again to everyone who has been reading this fic. I'm glad you like it :) I'm enjoying writing it :P
***
"Dutchy" Callie finally breathed. She reached out and touched his blonde hair, spooking her to the point of falling off the bed. She hit the concrete floor with a dull thud.
"Callie! Are you all right?" Dutchy peeked over the edge of the bed.
"Yeah" she answered, rubbing her tail bone. "I'll live." She stood up with his help then blushed realizing she was in her night clothes.
"Is this the Other Realm?" Dutchy asked in wonder, peering around her room.
Callie stepped over to her closet to retrieve a long, knit coat to cover up with. "Yep, it is. Welcome to my room." She smiled, Dutchy mirroring her.
"I'm here! You brought me back with you!"
"I did?"
Dutchy's ecstatic smile faded slightly at her surprised tone. "How else would I of gotten here? You were in the Dream World with us and you somehow brought -me- here..." he trailed off remembering his three friends although they seemed more like brothers than anything. He looked around again just to make sure the others weren't there.
"Bumlets, Pie Eater, and Specs aren't here" Callie noted the obvious. She looked Dutchy straight in the face. "You're the only one I held on to when I was transported back."
Dutchy's bright face turned gray, and his eyes averted to the floor. Callie's heart broke at his saddened look, she felt the need to give him a warm hug. She wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Maybe we can bring them here somehow."
"I don't know, Callie." He pulled away slightly to look at her. "What if I have to go back?"
Callie gaped at him with fear and sorrow covering her face. What if them meeting was all a big flook and he had to go back to his world just as she had to? They just stared at one another, cemented in their thoughts of the present future.
"Ahem..." came an old voice from the hallway. They were thrusted from their thoughts, and all attention fell on the presence at the door. "Callie, how in the cotton pickin' fields did you find a boy only a few hours after we talked???"
"Grandma, trust me, it's not that at all" Callie replied in a tone higher than she normally spoke.
"I'd say it looks that way with your arms around that boy on your -bed-."
Callie quickly dropped her arms from Dutchy, but as quickly removed his from her shoulders. Dutchy finally noticed the tension building. "Callie, are we in trouble? I shouldn't be in this world, should I?"
"It's okay, Dutchy. My grandma is misunderstanding." She stood, walking to the hallway. "That's one of the boys from my dreams."
Grandma snorted.
"It's true! I brought him back to our world somehow. I don't know if he'll have to go back to the Dream World or not. I hope not." Desperation overcame her almost to the point of tears.
Grandma glared at Callie then at Dutchy. He looked like a lost puppy outside his fence. "I can't believe I'm going to believe this radical story." Callie looked relieved.
"Now, I need to figure out how to bring the other three here."
Dutchy appeared at her side. "I think the answer lies in sleep."
Callie smiled. "I think you're right."
Even though the sun had risen high in the sky in the morning hours, Callie lay in her bed with the curtains still drawn and Dutchy at her side - watching her pass into sleep once again.
***
"Dutchy" Callie finally breathed. She reached out and touched his blonde hair, spooking her to the point of falling off the bed. She hit the concrete floor with a dull thud.
"Callie! Are you all right?" Dutchy peeked over the edge of the bed.
"Yeah" she answered, rubbing her tail bone. "I'll live." She stood up with his help then blushed realizing she was in her night clothes.
"Is this the Other Realm?" Dutchy asked in wonder, peering around her room.
Callie stepped over to her closet to retrieve a long, knit coat to cover up with. "Yep, it is. Welcome to my room." She smiled, Dutchy mirroring her.
"I'm here! You brought me back with you!"
"I did?"
Dutchy's ecstatic smile faded slightly at her surprised tone. "How else would I of gotten here? You were in the Dream World with us and you somehow brought -me- here..." he trailed off remembering his three friends although they seemed more like brothers than anything. He looked around again just to make sure the others weren't there.
"Bumlets, Pie Eater, and Specs aren't here" Callie noted the obvious. She looked Dutchy straight in the face. "You're the only one I held on to when I was transported back."
Dutchy's bright face turned gray, and his eyes averted to the floor. Callie's heart broke at his saddened look, she felt the need to give him a warm hug. She wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Maybe we can bring them here somehow."
"I don't know, Callie." He pulled away slightly to look at her. "What if I have to go back?"
Callie gaped at him with fear and sorrow covering her face. What if them meeting was all a big flook and he had to go back to his world just as she had to? They just stared at one another, cemented in their thoughts of the present future.
"Ahem..." came an old voice from the hallway. They were thrusted from their thoughts, and all attention fell on the presence at the door. "Callie, how in the cotton pickin' fields did you find a boy only a few hours after we talked???"
"Grandma, trust me, it's not that at all" Callie replied in a tone higher than she normally spoke.
"I'd say it looks that way with your arms around that boy on your -bed-."
Callie quickly dropped her arms from Dutchy, but as quickly removed his from her shoulders. Dutchy finally noticed the tension building. "Callie, are we in trouble? I shouldn't be in this world, should I?"
"It's okay, Dutchy. My grandma is misunderstanding." She stood, walking to the hallway. "That's one of the boys from my dreams."
Grandma snorted.
"It's true! I brought him back to our world somehow. I don't know if he'll have to go back to the Dream World or not. I hope not." Desperation overcame her almost to the point of tears.
Grandma glared at Callie then at Dutchy. He looked like a lost puppy outside his fence. "I can't believe I'm going to believe this radical story." Callie looked relieved.
"Now, I need to figure out how to bring the other three here."
Dutchy appeared at her side. "I think the answer lies in sleep."
Callie smiled. "I think you're right."
Even though the sun had risen high in the sky in the morning hours, Callie lay in her bed with the curtains still drawn and Dutchy at her side - watching her pass into sleep once again.