These Dreams – Chapter 2
Eris blinked slowly. Her head was pounding and her thoughts were a whirl of confusion. It took a moment for her eyes to focus, and she came to the dawning realization that she was lying in sand, though she didn't know why. And then she noticed the screams. People were screaming. She pushed herself up and looked around in shell shock as her memories slowly returned.
Survivors were running around, bleeding, panicking.
As she knew it would be, everything was in chaos.
She looked down at her hands, and gave herself a quick look over. She was fine, her dream had not dictated otherwise, but out of concern she checked anyways. Her neck was sore, her arms were bruised and scratched, she had bit her bottom lip pretty hard, and there was a cut beneath her left eye, yet, nothing was serious.
Nothing would slow her down.
She took a moment to take in her surroundings. As much as she hated to admit it, the forested mountains further inland were memorable from her dreams. She was here.
As much as she wanted to deny it, there was no mistake; this Island was the one that had called her.
Eris stood up shakily, and watched a woman take two children towards the tree line of the jungle for shelter.
Her green eyes panned over to the section of trees that was closest to her.
She started to run.
~*~*~
At first it was a mindless escape. A fight or flight response that her adrenaline aided gratuitously.
Her muscles in her leg pumped each bound across the jungle floor as she discarded all thought processes for what most athlete's would call 'the zone.'
Eris breathed and focused as each muscle tightened, then released.
Though Eris was not what she herself would call an athlete, she had previously possessed a gym membership that she had canceled the day before her flight. Running was the easiest, and she had gotten into it by taking a kick boxing for fitness class at her college last semester.
She was a good three miles away before she started to slow her pace. The adrenaline rush that the plane crash had given her had started to wane after the first mile and now she needed to pace herself.
The greenery around her was no longer a blur. In the foliage she was starting to notice that not all the trees were clustered together. Every now and then a small clearing would reveal a bush with brightly colored flowers, or she would pass fallen fruit. Since she didn't recognize the fruit, she wagered it would be better not to try and eat it. Besides, running was better done on an empty stomach.
In the clearings she was able to see the small mountains of the island, and idly wondered if she would have to climb them. Running through lovely curtains of hanging vines was getting to be quite enjoyable. Mountains might make things too much fun.
I can't believe this is really happening.
Due to previous experiences Eris had come to terms with the following about her dreams:
They were always focused on her. The only future she had ever seen in her dreams was a future that was confined to whatever happened either directly to her, or directly around her.
On average, they happened once a month, or more if something eventful was going to happen to her.
Her dreams always varied, some were lucid, some played out like a movie, and sometimes they happened without sound, and even rarer still, they happened with just audio in blackness.
On some occasions, she could change how the events played out in reality.
And sometimes, the severity of a dream would only hit her after it happened. Sometimes she wouldn't be able to remember what had happened in her sleep after she woke. What didn't make sense in her waking moments abruptly came together like the last page in a mystery novel as the event happened, usually in a way that was too late to change.
The only exceptions to this rule had been the dreams concerning the Island, and the man she had come to dotingly endear as 'Loverboy.'
Eris had never considered the dreams concerning him to be prophetic, just simply repetitive. The hows and whys of who he was she had passed off as her subconscious picking out a man she had just glimpsed long enough to notice his features and deem them handsome enough to remember. Just a stranger in a crowd that surfaced in her dreams whenever she was feeling a little randy before bedtime.
Eris had thought it was a simple enough explanation.
Waking up on the beach had been a rude awakening to just how wrong she had been.
And her dreams of the Island...
...they had always been a mystery to her.
Haunting, and exotic. Soothing, and frightening. Beautiful, and mysterious.
After randomly picking up a dream dictionary one day she had come to the conclusion (according to the dream dictionary) that the 'Island' was just her subconscious' way of finding an escape. Eris remembered that she had looked at the cover of the dream dictionary that had led her to that conclusion for a quiet moment before tossing it back into the bargain books cart at the bookstore and slightly grumbling, "Some people get to fly and I get to meander about on a mysterious Island. Goody."
Eris continued her trek at a steady jog.
And is he really, well, real?
Eris felt her face blush furiously as she remembered the erotic dreams that were now not as frivolous as she had previously thought.
How is that- Who is he? Why have I-
If he's real, has he had the same dreams? Have, we been, sharing the same dreams?
Out of fear of mortal embarrassment Eris hoped not.
As a matter of fact, her first sex dream had been of the man with the dark 'come hither' eyes.
The memory of it caused her to stumble in her jog for a moment. She regained her balance quickly and clenched her teeth.
Is this a good idea? Should I really be running into a jungle that I could get lost and die in? None of this makes any sense. This Island is freaking talking to me! I don't even know if that's a good thing!
She stopped.
For all I know it could have just been a normal person crazy dream. What if I'm acting incredibly foolish? What if rescue boats come and everyone gets rescued except for me, the crazy girl who ran into the jungle without a word?
It was then that the whispers started to float through the trees. It wasn't the first time she had heard them.
The hairs on the back of her neck rose and her breathing hitched to a faster rate. Her heartbeats accelerated and she whirled around, peering through the trees around her for answers. The whispers began to rise in their pitch and she hesitantly started to walk in the direction she had been running towards in fear guided intuition.
The whispers stopped.
She didn't need to be told again.
~*~*~
Eris continued her pace, jogging until she tired, and then walking until she could jog again.
Night had long ago fallen, but luckily the moon was full and the majority of the light filtered through the trees, illuminating the path almost as if...by design and not accident.
Eris' footsteps came to a slow stop, she was almost thoroughly exhausted. Her legs were the most sore they had ever been in her entire life. She was physically tired and needed a break.
"I'll start running again in a few minutes," she explained quietly to the trees, "I just need to rest a moment."
Whether it was because her words were heard, there was no way of telling, the Island offered no sign of hearing her.
No sign at all is better than creepy jungle whispers.
Eris waited until her heartbeat and breathing returned to normal before she started off again. It was getting harder to keep running. She wanted more than anything to sit and rest, but the Island scared her. In her dreams it could lash out just as easily as it could enchant. An invisible force that could deliver a physical presence and blow when angered.
Her breathing was starting to hurt. The night air was getting chillier and her lungs were starting to burn. Her legs were almost mechanical in their movements. If she kept this up for even thirty more minutes she was going to collapse.
Eris kept running. She had never felt so alone and lost. And the idea of collapsing into a mini coma on the jungle floor worried her. What kind of wild animals were out here? What if some jungle cat came down and maimed her? What if a snake bit her and she died from lack of medical treatment? Or even worse, what if a spider bit her and laid eggs-
She gasped aloud at how silly that was and started to walk again.
I'm just a little scared. And that's completely rational. I'm alone on an island that seems to have come to life and the darkness is just a little scary, right?
She kicked the dirt in an attempt to work out her frustration.
When am I supposed to stop? Am I just supposed to keep habitually looking down at my shoes until they-
Time slowed down for Eris Blake.
Her shoes were untied.
The right one to be precise.
Eris had never experienced trying to tie one's shoe while trying not to hyperventilate before, but she found she was doing a good job.
She stopped and stared at it for a long moment. She breathed in, then breathed out, and kneeled to the floor.
Each hand gracefully pulls the shoestrings between her fingers, and she loops them about as the most quiet rustling sound is heard behind her.
She shivers in complete apprehension, and then pulls the bow into a knot as she comes to feel his presence behind her getting closer.
Eris stands up numbly, her eyes wide and her hands shaking, and slowly turns around.
Her eyes linger from their downcast gaze to travel up from his brown boots to his black pants, up the long brown sleeves of his button up shirt that have been pushed up, to settle on his face.
His jawline has about the same amount of stubble she's used to seeing, and the same strong shape. His hair is dark, and has the same cowlick tussle.
In the scarce light his eyes hold the familiar dark color she's used to in her dreams. Though due to rare flashes of clarity in her dreams she knows they're a few shades lighter...his thick eyelashes are what makes them so memorable.
His eyebrows draw together in thoughtful curiosity and he continues to study her as she observes him.
Is she dreaming?
He takes a step towards her.
She inhales and realizes that she had stopped breathing.
"Do I know you?"
His voice breaks the spell of silence and she remembers the sound of it from her dreams.
Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit-
He smiles, and shakes his head as if to clear it though his eyes are still confused, "I have this very strange feeling that we've met before."
Oh yes, you're quite right! We've done the horizontal hello quite a few times actually! And to be honest, we didn't stop there! And I don't even know you're name!
Eris bites her lip, at a complete loss and panic for what to say. What should she say? What would be appropriate? She doesn't want him to think she's a complete psychopath.
He steps closer, still smiling, and when he gets close enough to see that she's hurt, his facial features change from amiable to concerned. His steps bring him to her quickly and he reaches one hand out to her shoulder, to steady her, while the other gently cradles the side of her head so that he can inspect the cut on her face.
"Are you all right? What happened?"
His touch electrifies her. She shudders in pure want, inexplicable curiosity, and complete awe that-
"I- I-"
She draws her bottom lip between her teeth and gently moistens them for a moment while her eyes dart around, her thoughts a torrent of images, memories, and unnamed feelings.
Eris gradually blinks the myriad of remembered dreams away and calmly lays her hand against his on her cheek before looking up into his eyes, "You. You're real."
She inhales his scent, and relief washes over her.
Eris feels her knees buckle, and she helplessly crumples against him.
She feels dizzy, but can feel the hard planes of his body against hers.
He caught me.
Hurrah! Chapter 2 accomplished! Thank you, my two lovely reviewers for all of your support!
Thank you Miss Kubelik!
And thank you Teenage Anomaly!
It means a lot to me! And I'm glad the both of you like it so far, and I appreciate the advice. I need it! And I always like to read what others say about my work ^_^