LUCID

LUCID Part 9

Upstairs, Kenzie began questioning me before I even closed the door. "What did that cop say? Are we in trouble? Is Randy both the murderer and the Great?"

"The cop just told me to be careful." I lied.

"Oh." Kenzie replied.

Oh? I thought.

"What now, Nash? Try to stay awake all night?" Kenzie asked, stepping closer to me for safety.

"We need some sleep..."

"Please. No." Kenzie interrupted. "I can't."

"Listen to me." I explained. "I plan to locate and stop this 'Great' idiot in the real world, but we need to rest. We'll be fine. The drugs I picked up today allow us to have dreamless sleep. Dreamless. We need sleep. We can't stay up forever and I figured if we can't dream, the Great can't hurt you."

"Drugs, huh? What're they?" Kenzie asked.

"Not sure exactly, but I got them from a doctor I trust. She told me they're some sort of combination of Sodium Oxybate, Risperdal and some other stuff I can't even begin to pronounce." I told her. "I gave the doctor our weights, ages and everything."

"And she just gave you these drugs?" Kenzie asked suspiciously.

"Yes." I explained. "She owes me. It's a long story."

"What if they don't work?" Kenzie asked. "I mean, I agree we can't stay up forever, I've tried that before and the results weren't good. But how do we know the drugs will keep us safe?"

"They will. She told me exactly what to do." I assured the woman. "Here's my plan. I'll give the drug cocktail to you, you fall asleep, and I'll watch you for any sign of dreams at all. Eye movement, restlessness, anything. If you're sleeping, but not dreaming, I'll take my dose and sleep right next to you. I'll drag that comfy chair in here and sleep as close to you as I can. First sign of a dream, I'll wake you up."

"You can sleep in the same bed as me, Nash." Kenzie offered. "I mean, just to watch out for me..."

"I appreciate that, but not this time, Kenzie." I explained seriously. "No distractions. Plus, I want to sit and watch you. I can't do that lying down."

Kenzie pretended to pout. "Party pooper." She whispered. Although joking and teasing me, I understood how nervous and frightened the woman actually was.

After administering the drugs to Kenzie, she climbed into bed and, within minutes, fell fast asleep.

Switching between leaning over Kenzie to observe her eye movements and watching her from the chair, after an hour, I satisfied myself the drugs worked as promised.

After setting the alarm clock on Kenzie's desk as a precaution, I took the same drug concoction and sat back down in the easy chair, yawned and closed my eyes.

* * * * * * *

At first, I thought the smoky, circa nineteen-thirties nightclub might be some old black and white television, late-night movie. That thought, and all others, quickly left my mind as the exotic woman took the stage and began singing seductively. Behind her, obscured partially in the shadows, the live band played anonymously, as every eye in the joint focused on the well-dressed woman in front of the mic.

As the woman sang on, I swear she stared directly at me the entire song. After finishing another drink, my overly attentive waiter replaced my cocktail without me saying a word.

"Good service, here." I whispered to myself as I attempted to focus on the woman's words as she sang, and not on the expensive dress clinging perfectly to her figure. "This is exactly the distraction I needed tonight." I again whispered to myself. "This latest case has got me all turned upside down."