I've Had This Dream...

The New Dream

"There's a.. WHAT?!" I stated, quickly getting up to see what was going on.

I moved Josh aside and bolted out the door. 

The girl on the floor.. It wasn't just any girl. 

"Oh my god! Annie!"

I shook her vigorously as I frantically checked her pulse. 

"She's alive, just unconscious."

Josh helped me get her inside as I got her water and an ice pack. We laid her on the couch with a blanket and waited for her to wake up.

.....

The wait was the scariest ten minutes of my life. I thought she would never get back up.

The moment I saw her eyes flutter open was so relieving. It felt like I could breathe again. 

"Wh.. Where.. Where am.."

"Shhh, Annie,  it's okay. Just relax. It's Jess, and this is Josh. You're in a safe place. "

She looked shocked for a second, but quickly relaxed once she realized where she was. 

"Do you remember what happened?"

"N-No.. I just.. collapsed.. I was coming here to tell you that I found something out. But I can't remember it now.."

She sat up and took a long sip of water.

"Josh, right? I'm Annie, as I'm sure you've heard."

"Yeah, I've uh, heard lots about you." Said Josh nervously. 

"Oh have you?" Annie said proudly. 

"Yeah, I got pretty excited when I first met you. I thought I wouldn't see you again."  

Annie's eyes went wide with excitement. I guess me talking about her makes her happy.

Annie put down her water cup and stood up. She stood in front of my fireplace and began to tell us what she came here for.

"I remember what I needed to tell you now. I found the man, or.. at least I think I did. He lives in California. I forgot his address.. but I know he lives on the far side of Cali. We should go there."

Josh looked at me with fear in his eyes.

"Jess.. No. Don't do this. Don't go searching for something you don't wanna find." He whispered in my left ear.

Annie turned around and looked at us.

"Jess?"

I looked at Josh, then I looked at Annie.

I hated to do this..

"Yeah, I'm in. When do you wanna go?"

Josh looked at me with disappointment. I knew what he was thinking. I'm sorry Josh...

"W-Well if you guys are going, then I am too. You aren't in this alone." Josh said, reluctantly looking at me.

"I have no idea when, but let's just play it by ear." Annie said.

I nodded as she took a seat again. For some reason, I had a weird gut feeling. Maybe I shouldn't do this... I thought.

......

I had another dream.

This time it was completely different. So vivid and real.

For the first time in a while, I wasn't dreaming the same dream.

In the dream, we had gone to Cali. Annie, Josh, and I. We all went to look for the man.

We found him in his apartment. He was being taken care of by a nurse, and we told her we were family visiting from far away. She let us in, and to our surprise he was in a wheelchair.

It looked as though he was paralyzed from the waist down. His hands shook, his eyes laid blank, and the only thing he could do was write. The nurse told us he couldn't speak, but he could hear and communicated through pen and paper.

Throughout the dream, we asked him many questions. I don't remember what we specifically asked, but I know we asked if he had adopted two sisters a long time ago.

I woke up as he began to answer. 

The dream was so... real. Like we had actually gone to California.

I woke up and immediately called Josh.

"Josh?"

"Yes?"  He said in a groggy tone.

"I had another dream.."

"Okay? Jess.. you've been having this dream for a while now. Go back to sleep. It's almost four in the morning... " 

"No, Josh this one was different."

Josh paused for a moment.

"Different how?"

"Well, we went to Cali to look for the man."

"Oh? What happened?"

"Well.. We found him and asked him questions... I don't remember what we asked, but I know  we asked if he had adopted two girls in the past. But there's something else.."

"What is it, Jess?"

"He was old and in a wheelchair. I think he was paralyzed from the waist down, cause he had a nurse taking care of him. We told the nurse we were distant family visiting from far away. She told us he couldn't speak, but he could hear and write."

Josh was silent for a few moments. I could almost see his face go wide through the phone.

"Wow, Jess, uh.. I really don't know what to say.. I mean, does that mean it's a bad idea to go? Or do you think it means that'll happen when we do go?"

"No idea honestly.."

"Did you have the.. other.. dream at all?"

"Nope, just the Cali one.. It's the first time in a long time this has happened."

"Weird..."

"Yeah.. so weird.."

"Yeah.. well honestly Jess, I'm really tired. We'll talk more in the morning okay? I'll come over later."

"Okay Josh. You get some sleep."

"Okay, bye Jess!"

"Bye Josh."

I spent the rest of the night thinking. Thoughts swirling in my head.. too many to count.

I kept thinking about the dream. What could it mean?

Josh ended up coming at ten a.m, guess he slept late. Understandable.. I did call him at four in the morning..

He brought me coffee, (as always) and we talked about the dream and if it's a good idea to go.

Josh thinks it isn't.

"So, you're telling me, miss adventurer, that you want to go ALL THE WAY TO CALIFORNIA, to meet A RANDOM MAN, just to know your past? What if he isn't even there? What if he lies to you?"

Josh's eyes were glistening with annoyance, I knew he was right, but.. something was telling me that I had to go. It was a yearning in my gut, not a bad feeling, but a feeling of curiosity. I needed to know my past. I had to.

"Josh, listen, I hear you, I really really do. But I need to do this. For me. Not for Annie, not for you, for me. For Jessica. This is probably the only time I can do this. This is my opportunity to really understand my dreams. My life would be complete!"

Josh's eyes faltered.

"O-Okay. Fine. But if you get murdered, don't blame me and haunt me for eternity."

"I would totally haunt you for eternity."

Josh rolled his eyes, then he said,

"But seriously Jess, please think this through."

"Alright, alright... I will..."

I wasn't. I had a plan, and that plan was California.