Dream Of Me

Chapter Nine

"Micah?" I called out, no longer feeling his presence next to me. I was beginning to panic.

"Micah, this isn't funny! I'm scared of the dark, please!" I was almost embarassed to admit my fear. I know that it's juvenille, but after going through what I've gone through simple things become terrifying.

All of a sudden there was light. Not much light, but a subtle glow coming from the ceiling. I looked up and gasped in amazement.

Above me was a beautiful night sky, sprinkled in stars. Not the kind of stars you see in the city, sparsly scattered and faded. The kind of stars you see in pictures. In the middle of nowhere.

I looked over to see Micah grinning from ear to ear at my reaction about 20 ft in front of me.

"I didn't mean to scare you. I just didn't want you to freak out and leave before I could show you this." he said apologetically.

"What is this place?" I asked as he walked back to me.

"I'm not entirely sure. I was wondering the hallways when I first got here, trying to find a way out I guess. A lot of the doors I came across wouldn't let me in. I stumbled across this one, and it had no room number so I thought that maybe it was a way out. So I went in. I thought I had found a way out, because when I entered the ceiling was lit up like this. I think it only looked like this because I was hoping so desperately for an exit." he explained.

" So does it just show you what you want to see?" I wondered.

"I think so, think of something. Something that you would like to see."

My thoughts immediately went to Oli. I wanted to see him more than anything.

Suddenly he appeared in front of my eyes! I ran over to him to embrace him, but when I reached him my arms went straight through, as if he wasn't there at all.

I was so disappointed that I fell to my knees. I looked at him, or this apparition of him. He looked so real, but he wasn't. His eyes were vacant. He wasn't breathing. Just standing there. My eyes welled up with tears. I missed him so badly.

Micah knelt down next to me, and put an arm around my shoulders. His face was so close that I could feel his breath on my cheek.

"I'm sorry." he said softly. "I should have warned you not to think of people. The same thing happened to me when I first found this place. I thought of my parents, and felt the same disappointment. I know that it hurts. You must miss him a lot."

I looked at him and nodded my head. He put a hand to my head and guided it softly to his shoulder.

"I meant to cheer you up, not make things worse." he sounded defeated.

I slowly pulled away from him and gave him a half smile. "It's ok. It's not your fault." I reassured him.

I stood up. "So what else can this place do?" I asked, trying to give him a chance to show me what he had originally wanted to.

He stood up also, and a smile returned to his face.

"You probably want to see the outside as much as I do. This isn't it, but it's as close as I've found. Watch this."

He waved his hand slowly, and trees began to appear. Beautiful tall pine trees. I could almost smell them. He moved his arms across the ground, and a field full of tall grass and wildflowers grew up beneath us. I couldn't help but giggle at the sight.

"You try it!" he encouraged. It almost felt a little silly, and I was kind of worried that I wasn't going to be able to. I waved my hand across the ground as I thought of the creek that was near my parents house that I used to play in when I was younger. I imagined the smell of it. The calming sound of the water gently running over the rocks. The refreshing feel of dipping my bare feet in on a hot summer day.

I opened my eyes, and there it was! I wanted so badly to feel the water again, but it wasn't real. I would have to settle for the sight of it, and the sound.

"That's beautiful." Micah commented softly.

I looked at him, and sat down in the field next to the creek. He came to sit next to me. Our legs touched. I didn't move away.

" So why do you think that no one else has come here?"

He appeared to be thinking for a second, and then answered.

" Well, they don't necessarily advertise the place. No one tells you about it, and very few people go looking around. They're afraid. I've seen a few other people here, but I think that when they find this place they keep it to themselves. I guess they don't want there one place of peace to be crowded by people. Honestly, I feel the same way. You are the first person I've shown it to." he looked at me and wrested his hand on my thigh.

I instantly turned pink, and my leg tingled under his hand. He leaned towards me slowly, eyes asking for permission. The butterflies raged at full force. I closed my eyes, ready to let the kiss happen. I felt his forhead on mine..

"9003, and 9002. Please report to the dreaming immediately."

I jumped at the sudden voice. I looked at Micah briefly then looked away in embarassment.

He grabbed my hand, and stood up.

"Time to go." he said sounding dissatisfied.

"Ok.."

He kept hold of my hand, and the stars faded as we left the room.