DREAM-CATCHER

Prologue

I could hear the ocean in the distance, the mighty waves crushing on the shore. It was dark outside and the only lights I could see were coming from across the sea. The music faintly heard over the loud sound of the waves. The mansion was silent, everyone was over there, attending the last party of the season.

My phone rang for the tenth time. I pulled the phone from my pocket, my cousin Lillian was calling this time. Alex and Jake, her brothers, must have told her to try and call me when I did not pick up the phone.

I rolled the cigarette between my fingers, a habit I grew out of stress. I looked again at my phone contemplating if I picked it up this time or just ignored it as did the last ten calls. Then, I decided to pick up the phone. The loud music echoed through the mansion as I put Lillian on the speaker.

"William!" She screamed "Alex is waiting for you."

And, in the background I could hear Alex shouting over the music, "Damn it Lillian! I just told you to tell him that you were waiting for him and not me. He already said he wouldn't be joining us."

"Right, right!" Lillian mumbled, "William, I am waiting for you cousin. The party has already started."

I put the cigarette between my lips as I looked for the lighter in my pocket. I put the phone on the center table, as I lit the cigarette and dragged the smock into my lungs, letting the nicotine run through my bloodstream and bring some clarity to my foggy mind.

"I am not in the mood, Lillian!" I told her, "I have already explained this to Alex and Jake."

"But, it's the last party of the season." Lillian countered

Suddenly, I heard a loud thud coming from the backyard, then I could hear steps in the kitchen. I trained my eyes to look through the darkness, as I picked the phone from the table and put down the cigarette.

"Have fun, Lillian!" I whispered before I hung up and put the phone on silent mode, at least that way I knew my phone would not ring again and compromise my location to the intruder.

The steps are getting closer to the open space, where I was. I took a few small steps closer to the huge french doors leading to the pool area. Then I saw a figure entering the hall. I could not see her face, but her signature orange blossom scent filled the open space and brought my steps to a halt.

"Dream!" I called her name in the darkness.

"William!" she whispered my name as she moved towards me

I walked towards her, my eyes following her as she was getting closer to me. We met halfway, in the middle of the vast hall. The high windows were wide open as the summer breeze sneaked inside, moving the sheer white curtains. Dream's blond thick hair moved with the breeze, the orange blossom scent reaching me before she stopped before me.

"I was looking for you." Dream whispered, as she cupped my face with both hands. There was a hint of tears in her eyes.

"I am here." I whispered, touching her face and putting wild strands from her hair behind her ear.

"I am sorry. I didn't mean to burden your soul. I didn't want to drag you into this." She confessed, crying. Tears were falling down her face.

"Shhh! It's okay." I whispered as I planted a small kiss on her lips, "I can handle whatever you bring my way."

She shook her head, as I tried to pull into my embrace. She started heavily crying, she was struggling to breathe properly as she tried to fight the tears and sadness, she was carrying on her own for far too long.

"Please, Dream! Don't worry about me." I tried to convince her, "I am not going anywhere, I am here with you and I will always support you."

The moment I finished my sentence, she threw her arms around my neck and pulled me into her. She started kissing me, her tears now falling on my skin, as her lips wrapped around mine in a feverish kiss.

My breath hitched in my throat, as I pulled her closer to me. My arms are wrapped around her waist. My fingers danced on her back, moving back and forth, in an attempt to map the way to her heart and commit it to memory.

Dream stopped crying, when we finally pulled away. I rested my head over hers, as my eyes watched her in the darkness. I could faintly see her face, but her eyes were a bright blue. The reflection from the patio light illuminated her eyes.

"When are you going to London with your father?" She asked me

"Next week!" I whispered, having mixed feelings about this move to London. Feelings I did not have three months ago when I came visiting my aunt in the Hamptons. "I don't want to leave you." I added in a small voice, planting a small kiss on the tip of her nose.

Dream did not say anything, she just averted her eyes from mine and focused her eyes on the scenery behind me. The crashing waves were still loud in the distance. The raging ocean brought a sense of finality and sadness to the night.

"I have a gift for you," Dream whispered with a smile on her face.

"Oh, really!" I whispered back, my eyes were watching her. I was happy to see a smile on her face for the first time in the last few days.

"Voilà!" She said as she pulled a feathery craft from her bag.

"Is this a dream catcher?"

Dream nodded with a nostalgic smile on her face. Her eyes glistened with tears once again, as she handed me the dream-catcher.

"I love it." I told her with a smile. I inspected the gift, watching the feathers raffle in the summer breeze. The colors were different shades of blue and brown.

"I am happy that you love it!" Dream whispered into the silent hall, "Keep it closer to you and it will chase away your nightmares."

"And, it will help me keep a certain dream close." I said with a huge grin on my face.

Dream laughed for the first time in several days. The blue in her eyes was a happier shade. Her hair danced around her face as she tried to tame it.

"Well, keep it close to your heart and you might have your wish granted." She whispered as she stood on the tip of her toes and kissed me hard.

Then, she stepped away from me, looking far behind me into the world outside the hall. The expressions on her face changed, as if the darkness of the ocean fell into her and all that was left was rage and morbid sadness.

"I need to go." was all she said before she walked past me onto the patio.

I called after her but she did not respond. She walked faster towards the beach. The sound of the waves was getting louder, as I followed behind her.

"Dream!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, "WHERE ARE YOU GOING?" I screamed even louder as the summer breeze turned into a raging wind by the ocean.

Dream started running, her back to me. It was as if she did not hear me. Suddenly, the darkness thickened around us and I could not see her. I panicked as fear crippled me and I could not move. It was as if I were chained to the sand and nothing could free me.

"DREAM!" I screamed louder and harder, my throat was hoarse, "WHERE ARE YOU? DREAM, PLEASE COME BACK HERE."

But, nothing happened. Dream did not respond to my pleading prayers. Then, I heard a voice calling me.

"William! HELP ME."

Then I woke up. It's always the same bloody nightmare.