Chapter 7

Before falling asleep, I spend an hour purging Collin from my mind for fear I may conjure him into a dangerous dream. Hopefully, he’s distracted enough by something other than me to keep him from materializing through his own cognitive desires. When all thoughts of him are erased, I’m finally able to sleep. My eyes won’t stay open anyway and I’m soon wandering a darkened path in the mountains above my home. My favorite trail is tonight’s hunting ground. Gold Camp Road. I know this area as if I was born here. Spent many days biking into the backside of Seven Falls. In the day, it’s a beautiful and serene place to clear your mind of demons. Tonight, I’ll be searching for them instead. The venue for the battle is not by my choice. I’m led to where the demon’s mind dwells until our dreams meld into one.

Looking up at the moonlit trees on the side of the steep incline causes me to chill. Several years have passed since I’ve had any desire to visit the mountains at night. This is the first time since I was fifteen. Lingering memories of that devastating night still find a path to the frightened girl deep within my soul. My preferred way to fight back is to drown those memories in neglect, pretend they don’t exist, although I know my efforts are temporary. Tomorrow, there’ll be another unsuspected stimulus to bring it all back again. To take my mind off tortured bodies and scarred souls, I think about the history of this area instead.

Gold Camp Road was once a short line railroad. They delivered packages to miners and their families who lived in the side of the mountains. They’d toss their provisions onto a dock beside the tracks as it slowly passed. At times, the sacks of sugar or flour would burst open from the impact.

There are several railroad tunnels along the track. Eventually, the railway was shut down and the tracks covered in dirt and gravel to make way for a road. Cars traveled Gold Camp Road for a time before aging tunnels made it unsafe. The passage was blocked off and years later, opened to hikers and mountain bikers. Unsafe tunnels are completely blocked to traffic.

Reaching the first railroad tunnel, I notice the entrance and exit are blocked off. The one way through is to take the path to the right over the mound once you’ve crossed a small creek. On the other side, the trail soon widens, making it easier to travel if you’re on a bike.

Within moments I’m on the back side, searching the shadows for anything unusual. I’ve grown more cautious after my previous experiences, leaving nothing to chance.

As I reach the mouth of the tunnel, a rock falls at my feet. To think it fell on its own would be irresponsible. I know better. My instincts tell me to hide in the shadows near the opening of the tunnel. Someone will show soon enough.

Before long, I hear huffing and puffing, coughing and moaning as someone stumbles down the side of the mound. For God’s sake. Am I tracking some buffoon in a bad comedy? Obviously, they’re strangers to hiking or climbing, maybe even exercise. And they have taken that physical trait with them into this dream. Odd.

Chuckling to myself, I can just shake my head. Maybe it’s some overweight city punk, preying too far from his turf. Perhaps I won’t need to hide after all. This should be an easy night.

In the dim light, I see a tall, lanky figure fumbling down the face of the tunnel. This demon seems so out of place and I can’t help but wonder if he realizes what he’s doing. When he reaches the ground, I can see him more clearly in the glare of a full, ethereal moon.

A man in his middle to late thirties is searching the trail, looking for something, but not in a threatening way. This scenario doesn’t seem right. He should be searching the dark for his prey, stalking by the scent of fear, but that doesn’t appear to be his intent.

As he turns in the filtered light, something about him feels familiar. He isn’t dressed like a punk in his well-tailored suit. Another serial killer? When he faces me, I recognize his hair and the thin scar on his chin.

Crap. Dr. Stanton. This is a bad comedy. Oh, my hell.

“Dr… Rick? What’re you doing here?” As I move closer, he appears stunned.

“I don’t know, I—Jaime? Are you all right?”

“I’m fine, but you’re not safe here. What happened?”

He shakes his head and runs his hands through his hair. “I don’t know, I was thinking about all you told me and the next thing I know I’m here. Am I dreaming?”

Realizing he made himself the demon’s prey, I heave a deep sigh to show my frustration. “Yes! You’re dreaming and you’re in one of my nightmares. I told you to clear your mind of me. How could you let this happen?”

“I didn’t believe you.” He takes a deep breath. “I thought—I don’t know what I thought. I guess I thought there was no way I could end up in any of your dreams.”

“I repeat: you’re not safe here. You know the subconscious mind can be more dangerous than a conscious one. You’ve seen the video. These are not cub scouts I’m fighting. They’re killers. And there’s no telling when we’ll meet up with—”

Something moving in the brush several yards away interrupts my rant and captures my attention. “Shh.”

I hope it’s only a harmless animal Rick conjured in fear, but there’s a greater possibility it’s Homo-sapien. Realizing the implications, I grab Rick’s arm and speak in a hushed tone. “You’re in danger now, do you understand that?”

“I’m such a fool…”

“Shh.” I shoot a frustrated glance at him and whisper back. “Yes, you are.” I can’t be too mad at him, though. I knew he wouldn’t believe me. He hasn’t changed a bit since the pre-life.

He whispers, “I should have listened.”

“Yeah. You should’ve. Now, you either do as I say or you won’t wake up tomorrow.” Then, I hear the sound again but closer. “We have to move. Now. Run!”

Taking his arm, I start full kick, down the dirt road. Steep mountainsides rise like skyscrapers up one side of the trail and down the other, causing him to be disoriented on the dimly lit path. My escape plan is to make the intersecting trail five miles ahead. I can only hope this dream still has that feature, and that this doctor is in good enough shape for his mind to allow him to make it. Somehow, I doubt he is.

The sound of him panting is disconcerting since we’ve barely gone a quarter mile. “You a runner?”

“No. Why?”

“I can tell. You need to start if you’re planning to jump into my dreams.”

“I doubt I’ll let this happen again.”

The look on his face indicates he wants to slow down. He keeps turning to see what’s behind. The demon in the shadow is still chasing after us, but we’re well ahead of him so far. It won’t remain so if Doc slows his pace.

“You have to keep going! Don’t stop! Don’t look back!”

“I’m trying! How do we get out of here?”

“We can’t. There are two ways to remove you from the dream. The best way is to throw you in a body of water.” I’m looking over my shoulder to him as we run, hoping he can keep up.

“What did you say?”

“Throw you in water! It’s the easiest and most effective way when you’re dream takes you to the wilderness.”

“What does that do?”

“Wakes you immediately.”

“And the second way out?”

“Someone dies. Hurry up. I know a stream. Might be big enough this time of year. Let’s go.”

He’s trying to keep up with me, but I can tell he’s having trouble. If he isn’t used to exercising, forcing him to go all out the full five miles without a rest could kill him as quickly as any demon. Fear is difficult enough, but to throw in an extraneous workout he’s not accustomed to which his mind is reacting, as well as the added elevation that any doctor would consider detrimental. In his mind, all these factors could be fatal. I’m taking a chance pushing him so hard. He may go into heart failure. Last thing I need is to kill my doctor and sole ally with a heart attack in his sleep.

By the time that thought enters my mind, we’ve nearly made it to the second tunnel. Three miles left to go and Rick is breathing heavily. I’ll have to do something soon before he collapses. I’m sincerely worried about him.

“You all right?” I shout over my shoulder.

He nods but doesn’t answer. His bronchial tubes are constricting. I can hear it in his wheezing. Suddenly, I see him lurch forward and stumble to the ground. I’m almost positive he tripped over a rut in the road. Did the demon put that damned thing there, or did Rick conjure it unwittingly? Sliding to a stop in the gravel, I turn and rush back to protect him from whoever is chasing us down. My body between him and the monster that pursues us, I’m anxious to confront.

Doc gasps for air and waves me on. “Go! Leave me here!” He shakes as he struggles to rise.

“No! Get up and start running!” The press of the encroaching demon’s power is growing stronger, meaning it’s gaining on us. “Take the first side path you see! It’s off to your right! If I’m not with you, throw yourself in the river! Make sure your whole body’s submerged. Do it now! Go!”

I send him on and hope to hell that trail is there as it is in real life. No sense in letting Rick know it might not be. If he believes in it strongly enough, he might take control of the dream and make it so himself.

An impressive silhouette of a man in his thirties lumbers toward me as I rush him, head down. Firmly connecting with his torso, I throw him over my back. With a loud grunt, he lands flat on the ground behind me. After turning toward him and preparing for another attack, I see he’s taking his time rising to his feet. This fight’s been pretty easy so far and I hope I’m not foolish in thinking I’ll be awake before I know it. As I rush him again, he kicks my feet out from beneath me and I crash into the gravel. Road rash. I hate road rash. Hardest cut to heal. At least I can’t feel my broken ribs and slashed abdomen in the dream state. Only the new wounds I receive will affect me, and this scrape is stinging like hell as I brush the grit from my forearm. When I turn to get my bearings, picking gravel from the gash, I notice Rick is still watching in astonishment. What is he waiting for?

“Get out of here! Now!”

The predator notices my interest in protecting my companion and it doesn’t take a genius to realize Rick is easier prey.

“Go! Run!” I scream while scrambling to my feet.

This one may be fast, but he’s no match for me. The main reason I train nearly every day is to ensure there’s no one faster, stronger or more agile. No doubt, this one won’t be brilliant enough to outsmart me either.

As he closes in on Rick, I leap forward and take him to the ground again.

“Leave him alone! It’s me you want!”

With my arms locked around his throat, he elbows me in the chin. My jaw aches, but I easily shake it off. Luckily, this one has long hair and I’ll pull every strand out of his head to stop him if I have to. With a thick handful of locks tangled in my fist, I throw his face into the ground. Rick should be nearing the two-mile mark if he’s still running as fast as he can. One mile left.

After rushing to my feet, I kick my opponent hard in the face. A quick check tells me I’ve knocked him unconscious, but he’s not dead. If he was, Rick and I would be safe in our beds by now. I don’t have time to finish him off yet, can’t snap his humungous neck and I don’t have a weapon to effectively kill him. His death will take more than a quick resolution. My first priority has to be getting Rick to safety. If we’re lucky, I’ll catch up with him and we’ll make it to the stream before the demon wakes.

Within a matter of minutes, I’ve caught him. He looks over at me with wide eyes while limping along as fast as he can. “Is he dead?”

“No. Keep running.”

Obeying my command, he picks up his pace, breathing heavily. Another landmark appears ahead, the notched rock. Thank God! The dream is accurate to the waking landscape. A layer of clouds has drifted overhead, dimming the light and blurring the path.

“A half mile left. You can do it.”

He nods again, concentrating on his breathing and running. The side trail is up ahead, but I can barely make it out in the shaded moonlight. Slowing my pace to match Rick’s, I decide to run beside him for encouragement.

“We’re almost there. I can see it.”

A smile finally crosses his worried face. There’s a sense of relief as he lengthens his stride, knowing he’ll make the last fraction of a mile. When I turn back to see if we’re being followed, I don’t notice any shadows pursuing us and I’m encouraged.

As we make the smaller trail, I reach for his arm and pull him off to the side. “The stream follows the trail. The deeper water is right…here. Luckily, we’ve had a lot of spring runoff this year. Remember, make sure to allow your whole body to be submerged. I’ll call you when I wake.”

Grabbing him by the shoulders, I move him until he’s facing me, his back to the water. Then, I give him a hefty shove and he goes flying backward. Before his body hits the water, however, he calls out my name and points over my shoulder. When I turn, I don’t see whatever he’s pointing to. Still, I can feel someone there, not far away.

A sudden rush of wind and footsteps in the path behind me cause me to turn in a circle to see from where the sensation is coming. Before I can react, a cloth is pulled over my eyes and I’m taken by surprise as I’m pulled of balance and immediately yanked to the ground. For some reason, this asshole knows how to catch me off guard. I swing furiously, missing my attacker. I reach above my head to catch their arms and end their attacks once and for all. Before I can catch hold of any flesh, however, I feel a sharp pain split the upper quadrant of my abdomen and scream out in the night.

Reaching for my side, I feel a long, cylindrical shaft of metal protruding from my flesh. An aluminum pole? Unbelievable. Grasping tightly to the cool metal, I carefully twist while tugging it from me, before rolling to my side. The pain is the worst I’ve felt in a hunt.

The attacker wasn’t the demon of this dream. I would have sensed his presence before he could see me. The one who did this more than probably was the one who attacked me last night. I felt the same sense of air moving through the trees. That seems to be their calling card. What’s more disturbing is the sense that they weren’t acting alone. How could someone hold me down and impale me at the same time? Not possible.

And through the agony, I realize I’ve forgotten the demon I left on the main trail. He’s bound to be awake and searching by now. My scream will have led him right to me.

Now I have double the concern. Someone is waiting in the shadows and an enormous demon is barreling down on me. I haven’t the strength to battle both. Is this how my life will end?

As I push up from the ground and crawl on my right elbow and both knees, I search the shadows and listen for their signature sound of movement. Sweat streams down both sides of my face. I hold my side with my left arm and drag the pole beside me as I go. Breathing is difficult. Each minuscule inhalation is torture and I’m still in the dream so I have a monster yet to vanquish before I can wake. Honestly, I wonder if I can kill anything before the pain takes over my central nervous system and I end up passing out. If I lose consciousness, he’ll find me and end me without any resistance. Or, the ones who put me in this condition will kill me before he arrives. I’m surprised they haven’t already taken advantage of my weakened state. Why haven’t they finished me off?

The midriff of my shirt is soaked dark with my blood and I’m rapidly losing my strength. Thankfully, I see a shadow ahead. He looks like a monolith in the moonlight, lumbering slowly toward me. Then, he stops a few yards from me and grins.

“Heh, you don’t look so tough, now.” But I don’t say a word in reply. He doesn’t deserve to hear the pain in my voice.

Trying to control my shuddering is a tremendously difficult task. The furious firing of severed nerves feels like shards of glass tearing my abdomen. Taking a deep breath, I force myself to face him, still listening for the ones in the shadows, knowing I may lose this battle. The aluminum pole helps me straighten and remain upright despite the trembling in my body. Bent over and supported by the post in my hands, I stare down the defective man on the path. At one and a half times my size, he towers over me.

“I’m gonna break you in two for what you did to me back there.” His voice is confident as he smirks with delight. But, when he reaches for me, I swing the pole and catch his fingers.

Immediately upon the crack of aluminum against bone and flesh, the monster shrieks and I hope it won’t be the worst he’ll know from my hand before this is over. Regardless of the final outcome, I’ll show him pain.

Waiting for the right moment, I watch patiently so as not to miss an opportunity, still paying attention to the shadows surrounding me. I may only get one. Trickling blood and sweat tickle my flesh as I remain still. His nostrils flare and his fist tightens. I can see he’s almost there. Then, he lunges.

Using his forward momentum and his weight, I shove the post into his chest. As he falls on the weapon, the crack of his ribs echoes around me while the pole tears through his heart and part of a lung. He’s killed instantly and I collapse to the ground beside him, never feeling its impact as I fall deeper, deeper, back into my own bed.