**And here it is, the chapter you've all been waiting for, SPIKE makes his debut in my story! But don't get too excited, it's not what you think. Just a warning for some, if you hated Vanilla Sky don't bother reading on. Also, some of the characters are OOC, but with good reason. Other than that, read on and be nice, it'll all make sense in the end.**
Twilight fades
through blistered Avalon
the sky's cruel torch
on arching autobahn
into the uncertain divine
we scream into the last divine
You make me real
you make me real
strong as I feel
you make me real
Sheila rides on crashing nightingale
intake eyes leave passing vapor trails
with blushing brilliance alive
because it's time to arrive
You make me real
you make me real
strong as I feel
you make me real
Lately I just can't seem to believe
discard my friends to change the scenery
it meant the world to hold a bruising faith
but now it's just a matter of grace
A summer storm graces all of me
highway warm sing silent poetry
I could bring you the light
and take you home into the night
You make me real
lately I just can't seem to believe
you make me real
discard my friends to change the scenery
strong as I feel
it meant the world to hold a bruising faith
you make me real
but now it's just a matter of grace
--Smashing Pumpkins
"To Shelia"
Chapter 4
The smell of bacon drifting through the air greeted him as he awoke in a warm bed, the sun's warm rays drifting across his pillow.
"He's awake." Whispered a voice beside him, which followed up with an eruption of giggles, then two small bodies leaping onto the bed and pummeling him.
"Daddy!" They both laughed, as he sat up, rubbing his eyes. When he opened them, he saw two little girls grinning up at him impishly. One, the spitting image of Julia at maybe three or four, the other older with short, fiery red hair.
"Ed?" He asked groggily.
The girl giggled. "Why does Daddy act like he doesn't know me? I'm Faye."
"Faye?" He echoed. Why did that name sound familiar? And why did this world not seem right?
"Girls." Called a voice, that sent chills up his spine. "Breakfast is read." The two small children vaulted off the bed, scampering out the doorway past their mother.
His heart literally stopped when he saw her standing there in the doorway. She looked like an angel in her regular housedress, bathed in the rosy morning light. She smiled at him gently, wiping her hands with a dishrag.
"Mornin' sunshine." She grinned, leaning against the doorframe.
He stumbled out of bed, nearly falling flat on his face when his foot caught on his sheets. But he finally reached her, gently brushing his fingers across her face. He stared at her wide blue eyes and laughed to himself.
"You're alive!" He kissed her, then held an arms length between them. "You're so beautiful." Julia gave him a weird look and laughed, placing her hand on his forehead.
"Are you okay, honey?"
He picked her up around the waist and twirled her around in the hallway.
"I've never been better!"
He put her down and touched her soft blonde hair. "I thought you were dead."
Smiling she took his hand and kissed it gently. "It was just a dream." She reached up and brushed her fingers through his hair. "It was all just a dream."
Something inside him felt odd. A strange, unsettling feeling in his heart. But before he could really think more of it, she patted him on the chest.
"Go take a shower, you're going to be late for work."
And it seemed like in moments, he was showered, dressed, fed and out the door. For some reason her was walking to work, but like so many other things, he didn't bother to question it.
Above him skyscrapers stretched into the clouds as aircraft's daftly flew between them. In awe, he watched them, open mouthed, his head in the clouds.
"Sir?" He looked down to see an old, withered woman, dressed entirely in deep red robes. Her face was so wrinkled; it was hard make out eyes and a mouth on her. And for one instant, he thought she was one of those old Indian statues they used to put out in front of cigar stores. But then she spoke again. "Would you like to see your future?"
Smiling gently, he gave her a small wave. "No thank you."
She smiled back at him and bowed her head. "You can not avoid it forever."
And again, it seemed as though time passed in warp speed. People, places and the entire day streamed by him in flashes of light and sound and before he knew it, it was the next morning and he was once again walking to work, staring up at the clouds.
"Sir?" Slowly he pulled his eyes from the spectacle above him, to once again look down upon the same old woman, dressed differently, but still in a deep, rich red. "Your future awaits you just behind the cloth." She gestured to the tent that fluttered gently in the breeze.
Once again he smiled and shook his head.
"The past may be comfortable, my son, but the future is inevitable."
And so time passed as it usually did, he found himself always wondering where it hard gone. He couldn't get enough of his two beautiful daughters and to hold Julia every night was a feeling that he struggled words to describe. But everyday the old crone stopped him, and after a while, curiosity got the best him. What did lie behind the soft, silk sheets of that tent? Why was that woman so adamant to get him inside? And what would happen if he actually did give into temptation and go inside?"
He rolled over in bed and looked at Julia, his sleeping angel. He blonde hair trailed out behind her as chest gently rose and fell during her slumber. His fingers followed the waves that flowed through her hair, as her eyelashes fluttered slightly.
"Are you okay?" She murmured to him sleepily.
He smiled gently, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Yeah, just can't sleep." Softly, he placed a kiss on her forehead.
Seemingly being enough for her, she sighed, placing her hands on his chest. Time began to slip away again, but before it could get too far, he asked her:
"Where is our future, Julia?"
A soft, sleepy chuckle answered him. "In the stars, just like everyone else's."
And then it was morning, and he was on his way to work.
"Sir?"
He was brought out of his gaze from the heaven's expecting to see the old woman again, but instead saw a large, burly man. The man was so tall and wide, he blocked out the sun, but he smiled gently, and gestured towards the tent.
"Your future is just beyond this doorway." The man opened the tent flap with his prosthetic arm, and gestured inside with the other.
Feeling cocky, he smirked, finally having a come back. "My future is in the stars."
The big man smirked back. "Our Lady is from the stars."
Not wanting to tell this guy no, he carefully entered. It was fairly dark, yet the air felt surprisingly light, free flowing. He pushed through another set of fabric and was taken back by the sight he saw.
Misty blue moutons stretched out for hundreds of miles in the clear distance. He feet stood in a deep cheery lacquered porch, beautifully decorated with fine, elegant curves in the wood. Past that stretched a garden. It seemed to go on for miles and miles, but truly, the most amazing part was the two large statues that greeted you at the entrance. Both stark marble, and both, he thought, looked like Greek Goddesses. He explored the deck in awe, before he was grounded by a soft voice.
"Your future is here."
Whipping around, he nearly fell over from shock. Before him stood a beautiful apparition, dressed in flowing blue robes, her black shining hair nearly brushing the floor as she approached him. Her green eyes seemed to be ripping right down to his soul, as she stood before him. A smile tipped her lips as she reached forward and placed a small blue flower behind his ear. The back of her hand gently drifted down his cheek, and he found himself catching it with his own to hold it in place.
"What is your name?" He asked her breathlessly. Never before had he been so entranced by a human being. She looked like a gypsy Goddess to him, dressed in her white linens that hung from her hips and swayed gracefully with the rhythm of her body. Tiny bells and small medallions, all of silver, jingled quietly with her every breath.
"February." Her voice was low enough to send a chill up his spine. Gently, she took his hand and led him back inside, to a room he hadn't seen before, blanked with pillows. He sat and she seemed to float to sit down before him. "And you have finally given in, ready to face the truth, haven't you, Morris?"
"That isn't my name." He told her, although it was what he was called all the time, at work and at home. Before it never seemed questionable, but now it seemed utterly impossible.
That smile, the one she always seemed to have on, that led him to believe she knew much more that he came to her mouth once again. "I know." She said simply, lighting an inscent and peering up at him through her think, sooty lashes.
Inside him he felt a warmth that nearly melted her heart. There was something about her that brought him comfort. It seemed all of his life (well that he could remember anyway) he had a strange, unsettling feeling inside him, an emptiness that suddenly seemed to fill to the brim while in her presence.
So distracted by his thoughts, he hadn't noticed she had stood again, and was now at the lip of the porch, glancing over her shoulder at him.
"Would you like to go for a walk?"
He stumbled up clumsily over the several pillows, knocking over the inscent in the process. Cursing, he frantically tried to put it out before the entire place went up in flames.
"It'll be fine." She told him, suddenly standing before him.
He stared up at her in awe, then glanced down at the cold inscent, before he looked back up at her. "How did you move so fast?" Breathlessly, he stood, his eyes betraying the wonderment that was racing through his mind.
There was no answer from her as she gently linked her arm with his and led him down the steps and into the Old French styled garden. Above him, from rod iron archways, hung vines of every beautiful, sweet smelling flower he could have ever imagined. Tall walls of flowers encased them as the occasional fountain or statue broke up the floral hedges.
"What is your favorite season?" She asked him, letting him leave her side to investigate one of the garden's statues.
"Winter." He answered, idly looking at the small, naked cherub, wondering why they never put fig leaves over their privates like they did adult sculptures. From the corner of his eye, he watched a flower shrivel up and wither away. He glanced over as the entire stretch of flowers before him, suddenly turned black and gradually disappeared. Something cold prickled his nose, as tiny snowflakes began to fall on the ground. Below his feet, what was once lush green grass, was now beautiful sparkling snow.
He whirled back around towards her. She stood in the same spot she was before, only this time dressed in a heavy cloak, lined with white fur.
"How..." But the question died on his tongue, for he didn't know what to ask.
"Do you like my cape?" She asked, twisting a bit to allow it to flutter out across the snow.
He admired the fine garment made of red velvet, but in the back of his mind, he wished it were green, to match her eyes.
And with in that instant the cloak shifted from red to green. She looked down at it admirably.
"Anything but blue."
But his mind was reeling. How could this all be happening? Why was it that here, his every whim could be answered, his very thoughts turned into reality? What kind of place was this and what the hell did it have to do with his future? His eyes glanced down at the cherub to see a fig leaf covering it's private.
"Jesus Christ!" He jumped back, nearly falling in the snow, placing his hand on his forehead.
A soft chuckle was heard from her, then the crunching of her boots in the snow as she approached him.
Her warm hands removed his own from his forehead. He looked down at her solemnly and she simply smiled at him.
"You haven't figured it out yet, have you?" She asked, pushing back her hood.
And all of a sudden the questions evaporated from his mind and he was left entranced by her beauty.
"You look so familiar to me." He searched his brain, struggling to find a place for her, but failing. "But… but I'm sure I've never met you before."
"Maybe in a past life." She offered.
"Maybe…" He murmured, observing her features carefully. His fingers drifted over the softness of her jet-black hair. "But your hair," He began, his mind slowly telling him how it should be. "It was shorter then, am I right?" He asked, second-guessing himself.
"Perhaps it was." Was all she offered.
His finger dragged along where he thought the length should be. "It was to about here." The excess hair dropped to the ground in a dark heap of curls, before it turned into a pile of snow. "And…" His finger traced the other side, that did the same, becoming another pile of snow. He surveyed her once again. "You had something… a head band of sort, to keep your hair from your eyes." A green band of fabrics appeared around her neck. Gently he pulled it onto her forehead and pushed it back. Her sleek strands of black parted more, exposing her entire porcelain face. He found himself breathless, his hands hovering at her hairline as he finally saw the woman he was longing for, yet still didn't remember. His fingers trailed down her cheeks to rest below her chin.
"Who are you?" He asked her, his voice barely able to rise above a whisper. Her hands reached up to cover his.
"You're trembling." She told him.
"I know."
"Why?"
"Because, this is the first time I've ever been scared."
That smile again. She was asking him questions she already knew the answers to. "Are you afraid of me?"
"Of everything here."
"We always fear that which we can not comprehend, but there is no reason to fear this place," Her eyes softened. "Or me."
"Why did you want me to come here? What does this place have to do with my future? And how come I haven't see it yet?"
"Maybe you're looking too hard." Her hands lifted from his, though he kept his in place. "Or not hard enough."
"Why can't you give me a strait answer?"
"Why can't you ask the right questions?" She countered quietly.
His eyes drifted over her face, which had become the slightest bit flushed from their conversation. A wanton thought appeared in him mind, causing a tickle in his stomach. His hands flew from her face and he took a step back.
She remained in place, and although her smile was no longer there, she didn't look upset. A slight wind blew by, gently rustling a few strands of ebony before her eyes. "This is a place where everything is possible. Anything can happen here, your greatest wishes, your deepest desires…"
His throat felt like it was suddenly made out of the driest of cotton, parched beyond belief. Inside his chest, his heart was beating at alarming rates. His skin felt hot against the cold air, as he took another step back, as if distancing himself would take the yearning away.
"I'm married." He managed to say hoarsely, taking yet another step back.
"Are you?" Her voice was even, in a tone that seemed like she was asking because she knew he was lying.
But he wasn't. Julia was at home. With his children. He needed to leave this place and get back to her. To reality.
"This is the closest to reality you've been in months." She told him, reading his thoughts.
He shook his head, no longer wanting to hear anything from this place. "I have to go." He told her, simply turning and running as fast as he could through the snow. The garden seemed shorter this time, now that he wanted to escape here instead of delve into the unknown as he had before.
He flew up the stairs and through the silk curtains to burst back into his world, which was now dark blue. Neither the man, nor the crone was outside when her emerged, thought he wouldn't have slowed down if they were. He ran the entire way, until he reached his porch, winded from the journey.
When he entered the house it felt warm to him, glowing with the love of his family. Faye, who was sitting on the living room floor, typing into her laptop, jumped up when she saw him, tackling him back into the door.
"He's home! He's home!" She cried happily.
From the kitchen came the sound of chairs scraping against the floor and hurried footsteps. Julia paused in the doorway, her eyes instantly filling with joy and relief when she saw him. She rushed forward and embraced them both.
"Oh we were so worried about you, honey." She pulled back, her eyes glistening slightly. "Where were you all this time? Your boss called to see why you were out and I--" He placed a finger over her lips gently and smiled.
For the first time he saw another occupant in the doorway he hadn't before. A man with silver hair and ice blue eyes, who was holding his little girl. Although he hadn't noticed it before, they bared a strong resemblance to each other.
"Thanks for helping out, Vic." He said stiffly, trying to sound like he was okay with this man staying with his wife and kids while he was gone. He didn't trust Vic, not around Julia anyway.
Later that night, while Julia was asleep, he lay awake, staring up at the ceiling, his mind working hard for him to rest. What was that world he stepped into? Who was that woman and why did he desire her so when the entire universe laid beside him in his bed? Was she right when she said he hadn't been close to reality in months? Why did she intrigue him so? And most of all, why did he long to return to her?
** So there we go. This chapter will continue soon. I still might not make sense to some, but all in time, I promise. It might have been confusing with all the name changes and such, but it took a long time to write because it's all relevant to dreams. Pretty much every thing you look up in this chapter in a dream book, makes sense with my story, even down to him just knowing Julia's name, and having all the others being wrong. Mind blowing? Not really, but I thought it might be interesting. Anyway, it'll continue in another chapter or so. I'll try to post more chapters before I go back to school.**
Twilight fades
through blistered Avalon
the sky's cruel torch
on arching autobahn
into the uncertain divine
we scream into the last divine
You make me real
you make me real
strong as I feel
you make me real
Sheila rides on crashing nightingale
intake eyes leave passing vapor trails
with blushing brilliance alive
because it's time to arrive
You make me real
you make me real
strong as I feel
you make me real
Lately I just can't seem to believe
discard my friends to change the scenery
it meant the world to hold a bruising faith
but now it's just a matter of grace
A summer storm graces all of me
highway warm sing silent poetry
I could bring you the light
and take you home into the night
You make me real
lately I just can't seem to believe
you make me real
discard my friends to change the scenery
strong as I feel
it meant the world to hold a bruising faith
you make me real
but now it's just a matter of grace
--Smashing Pumpkins
"To Shelia"
Chapter 4
The smell of bacon drifting through the air greeted him as he awoke in a warm bed, the sun's warm rays drifting across his pillow.
"He's awake." Whispered a voice beside him, which followed up with an eruption of giggles, then two small bodies leaping onto the bed and pummeling him.
"Daddy!" They both laughed, as he sat up, rubbing his eyes. When he opened them, he saw two little girls grinning up at him impishly. One, the spitting image of Julia at maybe three or four, the other older with short, fiery red hair.
"Ed?" He asked groggily.
The girl giggled. "Why does Daddy act like he doesn't know me? I'm Faye."
"Faye?" He echoed. Why did that name sound familiar? And why did this world not seem right?
"Girls." Called a voice, that sent chills up his spine. "Breakfast is read." The two small children vaulted off the bed, scampering out the doorway past their mother.
His heart literally stopped when he saw her standing there in the doorway. She looked like an angel in her regular housedress, bathed in the rosy morning light. She smiled at him gently, wiping her hands with a dishrag.
"Mornin' sunshine." She grinned, leaning against the doorframe.
He stumbled out of bed, nearly falling flat on his face when his foot caught on his sheets. But he finally reached her, gently brushing his fingers across her face. He stared at her wide blue eyes and laughed to himself.
"You're alive!" He kissed her, then held an arms length between them. "You're so beautiful." Julia gave him a weird look and laughed, placing her hand on his forehead.
"Are you okay, honey?"
He picked her up around the waist and twirled her around in the hallway.
"I've never been better!"
He put her down and touched her soft blonde hair. "I thought you were dead."
Smiling she took his hand and kissed it gently. "It was just a dream." She reached up and brushed her fingers through his hair. "It was all just a dream."
Something inside him felt odd. A strange, unsettling feeling in his heart. But before he could really think more of it, she patted him on the chest.
"Go take a shower, you're going to be late for work."
And it seemed like in moments, he was showered, dressed, fed and out the door. For some reason her was walking to work, but like so many other things, he didn't bother to question it.
Above him skyscrapers stretched into the clouds as aircraft's daftly flew between them. In awe, he watched them, open mouthed, his head in the clouds.
"Sir?" He looked down to see an old, withered woman, dressed entirely in deep red robes. Her face was so wrinkled; it was hard make out eyes and a mouth on her. And for one instant, he thought she was one of those old Indian statues they used to put out in front of cigar stores. But then she spoke again. "Would you like to see your future?"
Smiling gently, he gave her a small wave. "No thank you."
She smiled back at him and bowed her head. "You can not avoid it forever."
And again, it seemed as though time passed in warp speed. People, places and the entire day streamed by him in flashes of light and sound and before he knew it, it was the next morning and he was once again walking to work, staring up at the clouds.
"Sir?" Slowly he pulled his eyes from the spectacle above him, to once again look down upon the same old woman, dressed differently, but still in a deep, rich red. "Your future awaits you just behind the cloth." She gestured to the tent that fluttered gently in the breeze.
Once again he smiled and shook his head.
"The past may be comfortable, my son, but the future is inevitable."
And so time passed as it usually did, he found himself always wondering where it hard gone. He couldn't get enough of his two beautiful daughters and to hold Julia every night was a feeling that he struggled words to describe. But everyday the old crone stopped him, and after a while, curiosity got the best him. What did lie behind the soft, silk sheets of that tent? Why was that woman so adamant to get him inside? And what would happen if he actually did give into temptation and go inside?"
He rolled over in bed and looked at Julia, his sleeping angel. He blonde hair trailed out behind her as chest gently rose and fell during her slumber. His fingers followed the waves that flowed through her hair, as her eyelashes fluttered slightly.
"Are you okay?" She murmured to him sleepily.
He smiled gently, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Yeah, just can't sleep." Softly, he placed a kiss on her forehead.
Seemingly being enough for her, she sighed, placing her hands on his chest. Time began to slip away again, but before it could get too far, he asked her:
"Where is our future, Julia?"
A soft, sleepy chuckle answered him. "In the stars, just like everyone else's."
And then it was morning, and he was on his way to work.
"Sir?"
He was brought out of his gaze from the heaven's expecting to see the old woman again, but instead saw a large, burly man. The man was so tall and wide, he blocked out the sun, but he smiled gently, and gestured towards the tent.
"Your future is just beyond this doorway." The man opened the tent flap with his prosthetic arm, and gestured inside with the other.
Feeling cocky, he smirked, finally having a come back. "My future is in the stars."
The big man smirked back. "Our Lady is from the stars."
Not wanting to tell this guy no, he carefully entered. It was fairly dark, yet the air felt surprisingly light, free flowing. He pushed through another set of fabric and was taken back by the sight he saw.
Misty blue moutons stretched out for hundreds of miles in the clear distance. He feet stood in a deep cheery lacquered porch, beautifully decorated with fine, elegant curves in the wood. Past that stretched a garden. It seemed to go on for miles and miles, but truly, the most amazing part was the two large statues that greeted you at the entrance. Both stark marble, and both, he thought, looked like Greek Goddesses. He explored the deck in awe, before he was grounded by a soft voice.
"Your future is here."
Whipping around, he nearly fell over from shock. Before him stood a beautiful apparition, dressed in flowing blue robes, her black shining hair nearly brushing the floor as she approached him. Her green eyes seemed to be ripping right down to his soul, as she stood before him. A smile tipped her lips as she reached forward and placed a small blue flower behind his ear. The back of her hand gently drifted down his cheek, and he found himself catching it with his own to hold it in place.
"What is your name?" He asked her breathlessly. Never before had he been so entranced by a human being. She looked like a gypsy Goddess to him, dressed in her white linens that hung from her hips and swayed gracefully with the rhythm of her body. Tiny bells and small medallions, all of silver, jingled quietly with her every breath.
"February." Her voice was low enough to send a chill up his spine. Gently, she took his hand and led him back inside, to a room he hadn't seen before, blanked with pillows. He sat and she seemed to float to sit down before him. "And you have finally given in, ready to face the truth, haven't you, Morris?"
"That isn't my name." He told her, although it was what he was called all the time, at work and at home. Before it never seemed questionable, but now it seemed utterly impossible.
That smile, the one she always seemed to have on, that led him to believe she knew much more that he came to her mouth once again. "I know." She said simply, lighting an inscent and peering up at him through her think, sooty lashes.
Inside him he felt a warmth that nearly melted her heart. There was something about her that brought him comfort. It seemed all of his life (well that he could remember anyway) he had a strange, unsettling feeling inside him, an emptiness that suddenly seemed to fill to the brim while in her presence.
So distracted by his thoughts, he hadn't noticed she had stood again, and was now at the lip of the porch, glancing over her shoulder at him.
"Would you like to go for a walk?"
He stumbled up clumsily over the several pillows, knocking over the inscent in the process. Cursing, he frantically tried to put it out before the entire place went up in flames.
"It'll be fine." She told him, suddenly standing before him.
He stared up at her in awe, then glanced down at the cold inscent, before he looked back up at her. "How did you move so fast?" Breathlessly, he stood, his eyes betraying the wonderment that was racing through his mind.
There was no answer from her as she gently linked her arm with his and led him down the steps and into the Old French styled garden. Above him, from rod iron archways, hung vines of every beautiful, sweet smelling flower he could have ever imagined. Tall walls of flowers encased them as the occasional fountain or statue broke up the floral hedges.
"What is your favorite season?" She asked him, letting him leave her side to investigate one of the garden's statues.
"Winter." He answered, idly looking at the small, naked cherub, wondering why they never put fig leaves over their privates like they did adult sculptures. From the corner of his eye, he watched a flower shrivel up and wither away. He glanced over as the entire stretch of flowers before him, suddenly turned black and gradually disappeared. Something cold prickled his nose, as tiny snowflakes began to fall on the ground. Below his feet, what was once lush green grass, was now beautiful sparkling snow.
He whirled back around towards her. She stood in the same spot she was before, only this time dressed in a heavy cloak, lined with white fur.
"How..." But the question died on his tongue, for he didn't know what to ask.
"Do you like my cape?" She asked, twisting a bit to allow it to flutter out across the snow.
He admired the fine garment made of red velvet, but in the back of his mind, he wished it were green, to match her eyes.
And with in that instant the cloak shifted from red to green. She looked down at it admirably.
"Anything but blue."
But his mind was reeling. How could this all be happening? Why was it that here, his every whim could be answered, his very thoughts turned into reality? What kind of place was this and what the hell did it have to do with his future? His eyes glanced down at the cherub to see a fig leaf covering it's private.
"Jesus Christ!" He jumped back, nearly falling in the snow, placing his hand on his forehead.
A soft chuckle was heard from her, then the crunching of her boots in the snow as she approached him.
Her warm hands removed his own from his forehead. He looked down at her solemnly and she simply smiled at him.
"You haven't figured it out yet, have you?" She asked, pushing back her hood.
And all of a sudden the questions evaporated from his mind and he was left entranced by her beauty.
"You look so familiar to me." He searched his brain, struggling to find a place for her, but failing. "But… but I'm sure I've never met you before."
"Maybe in a past life." She offered.
"Maybe…" He murmured, observing her features carefully. His fingers drifted over the softness of her jet-black hair. "But your hair," He began, his mind slowly telling him how it should be. "It was shorter then, am I right?" He asked, second-guessing himself.
"Perhaps it was." Was all she offered.
His finger dragged along where he thought the length should be. "It was to about here." The excess hair dropped to the ground in a dark heap of curls, before it turned into a pile of snow. "And…" His finger traced the other side, that did the same, becoming another pile of snow. He surveyed her once again. "You had something… a head band of sort, to keep your hair from your eyes." A green band of fabrics appeared around her neck. Gently he pulled it onto her forehead and pushed it back. Her sleek strands of black parted more, exposing her entire porcelain face. He found himself breathless, his hands hovering at her hairline as he finally saw the woman he was longing for, yet still didn't remember. His fingers trailed down her cheeks to rest below her chin.
"Who are you?" He asked her, his voice barely able to rise above a whisper. Her hands reached up to cover his.
"You're trembling." She told him.
"I know."
"Why?"
"Because, this is the first time I've ever been scared."
That smile again. She was asking him questions she already knew the answers to. "Are you afraid of me?"
"Of everything here."
"We always fear that which we can not comprehend, but there is no reason to fear this place," Her eyes softened. "Or me."
"Why did you want me to come here? What does this place have to do with my future? And how come I haven't see it yet?"
"Maybe you're looking too hard." Her hands lifted from his, though he kept his in place. "Or not hard enough."
"Why can't you give me a strait answer?"
"Why can't you ask the right questions?" She countered quietly.
His eyes drifted over her face, which had become the slightest bit flushed from their conversation. A wanton thought appeared in him mind, causing a tickle in his stomach. His hands flew from her face and he took a step back.
She remained in place, and although her smile was no longer there, she didn't look upset. A slight wind blew by, gently rustling a few strands of ebony before her eyes. "This is a place where everything is possible. Anything can happen here, your greatest wishes, your deepest desires…"
His throat felt like it was suddenly made out of the driest of cotton, parched beyond belief. Inside his chest, his heart was beating at alarming rates. His skin felt hot against the cold air, as he took another step back, as if distancing himself would take the yearning away.
"I'm married." He managed to say hoarsely, taking yet another step back.
"Are you?" Her voice was even, in a tone that seemed like she was asking because she knew he was lying.
But he wasn't. Julia was at home. With his children. He needed to leave this place and get back to her. To reality.
"This is the closest to reality you've been in months." She told him, reading his thoughts.
He shook his head, no longer wanting to hear anything from this place. "I have to go." He told her, simply turning and running as fast as he could through the snow. The garden seemed shorter this time, now that he wanted to escape here instead of delve into the unknown as he had before.
He flew up the stairs and through the silk curtains to burst back into his world, which was now dark blue. Neither the man, nor the crone was outside when her emerged, thought he wouldn't have slowed down if they were. He ran the entire way, until he reached his porch, winded from the journey.
When he entered the house it felt warm to him, glowing with the love of his family. Faye, who was sitting on the living room floor, typing into her laptop, jumped up when she saw him, tackling him back into the door.
"He's home! He's home!" She cried happily.
From the kitchen came the sound of chairs scraping against the floor and hurried footsteps. Julia paused in the doorway, her eyes instantly filling with joy and relief when she saw him. She rushed forward and embraced them both.
"Oh we were so worried about you, honey." She pulled back, her eyes glistening slightly. "Where were you all this time? Your boss called to see why you were out and I--" He placed a finger over her lips gently and smiled.
For the first time he saw another occupant in the doorway he hadn't before. A man with silver hair and ice blue eyes, who was holding his little girl. Although he hadn't noticed it before, they bared a strong resemblance to each other.
"Thanks for helping out, Vic." He said stiffly, trying to sound like he was okay with this man staying with his wife and kids while he was gone. He didn't trust Vic, not around Julia anyway.
Later that night, while Julia was asleep, he lay awake, staring up at the ceiling, his mind working hard for him to rest. What was that world he stepped into? Who was that woman and why did he desire her so when the entire universe laid beside him in his bed? Was she right when she said he hadn't been close to reality in months? Why did she intrigue him so? And most of all, why did he long to return to her?
** So there we go. This chapter will continue soon. I still might not make sense to some, but all in time, I promise. It might have been confusing with all the name changes and such, but it took a long time to write because it's all relevant to dreams. Pretty much every thing you look up in this chapter in a dream book, makes sense with my story, even down to him just knowing Julia's name, and having all the others being wrong. Mind blowing? Not really, but I thought it might be interesting. Anyway, it'll continue in another chapter or so. I'll try to post more chapters before I go back to school.**