Shattered - By Sophia Sharp Page 0,18
of the dirt road.”
“K.”
Laura looked out her window at the evergreens around her as they drove down the small road. She always found them beautiful. Clean, and pristine.
Sure enough, after a minute or so, the road up ahead ended in a small dirt lot right on the shore of the lake. They drove up to it, and Laura saw they were the only ones there. Logan parked the car, and looked over to her.
“Do you dream, Laura,” he asked suddenly.
“Do I dream? Of course I do. Everybody does.”
“No, no.” He shook his head. “I don’t mean dreams like dreams and hopes. I mean the journey that you go on when you’re asleep.”
“Of course I do.”
“And do you ever believe in your dreams? Do you ever feel like they have something to reveal to you, perhaps a truth about the world?”
“Hmm… maybe. When I was younger. Not much, anymore, really.”
“Well,” he said coyly, “how would you like to experience that feeling again?”
“What, dreaming?”
“No, not just dreaming. Knowing your dreams. Knowing they signify more.”
“How?” Laura asked suspiciously.
“I can take you there.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s another… ability… I have. It’s what I wanted to show you.”
“Umm, ok.” She couldn’t back off now.
“Ok.” He looked ahead, at the lake, and when he moved his lips, the words were barely distinguishable. “Look outside, Laura. Look at the calm of the lake. Feel at the serenity of the water.” He rolled down his window a bit. “Breathe in the air, feel the freshness, the vibrancy of it all. Actually,” he looked to her, “this would work better outside.” And he stepped out of the car. Laura didn’t have any choice but to follow.
Logan jumped up onto the hood of the Volvo, and motioned for Laura to do the same. She climbed on, sitting beside him, hands wrapped around her knees.
“Breathe the air in, Laura. Take in the silence, the nature. Hear the sounds of the lapping water, the rustle of wind through the trees. Embrace it all, Laura.”
“Ok…” she said uncertainly.
“Now, I want you to focus on this very moment. The very spot you’re in right now. Feel the cool metal of the car beneath you, the breeze tugging at your clothes. Inhale the pristine smells of the trees all around you, the rhythmic lapping of the lake.
“Ok,” Laura said. She listened to what he said, and made her mind focus on only what he pointed out.
“Now, I want you to give me your hand. But before you do, know that this is going to be different from last time.”
“Different, how?”
“I will show you what I know.”
“Ok.” She reached over to take his hand, not knowing what to expect. When their fingers touched… there was nothing. No barrage of unwanted thoughts flooding into her mind. For some reason, she started to feel drowsy. Her eyes began to droop shut. Her focus was wavering, and she had a hard time keeping her head up. She held his hand, though, and noticed it was icy cold, stealing her warmth.
“This… will go the other way,” he told her gently. “You’re going to want to take a nap.”
“I will?” Laura said drowsily.
“Yes, you will.” He tightened his grip on her hand. “Do not be afraid, Laura. Relax your mind, and let go.”
“...o…k…” she drawled the words. She felt her eyes close, and just before she fell asleep, she slumped heavily into Logan.
Chapter Nine
~Into the Dream~
Laura opened her eyes. She was in exactly the same spot she remembered, sitting on top of the hood of the car. Nothing had changed. She looked up, realizing that Logan was holding her, looking down at her. His face looked a little… different. It was clearer than before. Or maybe everything else was a bit fuzzy.
“Ah, there you are,” he said. “You took a while.”
“What do you mean?”
He smiled. “Welcome to my world.” And he leapt up off the car. But instead of landing on the ground, as Laura would have expected, he just floated horizontally in the air. He twisted back, hands behind his head, as if reclining on a couch. Laura gaped.
“How are you doing that?” she asked. “Is this another trick?”
“No, no trick,” he promised. “You’re now in the dream world.”
“The dream world? What do you mean? Am I asleep?”
“That’s right. In fact, we’re both asleep, and you’re holding my hand.”
Laura looked around her. Nothing looked different. She put a hand down to feel the metal of the car. It was cool to the touch, as before. And the small, lapping waves