Chapter 5

Nicole finds out that Katie had the same frightening dream and that it's real. She's forced into telling Aunt Christine about it, which leads to more concern..

Chapter 5

     Nicole opens her mouth to speak to Aunt Christine, but stops herself.  Not quite sure if telling her would be the right thing to do.  What will happen if I tell her about the dream?  Will it make her concerned?  Will she think that I’m going insane?  

     She wanders around just outside the room, beginning to have second thoughts about telling her aunt.  She watches as she zips up her suit case and leans it against the wall, readying it for her next travel experience.  Wondering just how her aunt would react if she found out about these dreams that her and Katie shared.

     She sees Aunt Christine nod approvingly at her suit case, before she begins to make her way towards the door where she stood.  Having no real time to spend deciding, feeling the twists of alarm in her stomach, she makes the decision on the spot.  She would tell her aunt.  And hope for the best.  

     Aunt Christine opens the door, seeming so preoccupied that she almost crashes into Nicole.  Taking a moment to step back and return to her awareness, before nodding, “Hello honeydew, how are you?”

     Nicole pauses to consider the question, planning out how she would mention the dream.  She feels the panic swirling inside of her, needing to be released.  The panic that she couldn’t stand to keep in any longer.

     She begins to twirl her hair, wanting to appear like she wasn’t overly concerned.  “Alright, I guess.”  Nicole finally answers.

     Her aunt tilts her head to the side, her eyes gazing over her as if deciding whether or not to belief her.  She hesitates before nodding at her gently.  “Alright, you just looked a little bit startled there that’s all.”  She says as she slides past Nicole and steps down the hallway.  

     Not knowing what to say, Nicole just shrugs.  Still feeling unsure of how to begin.  

     She casually follows her aunt down the stairs and straight into the kitchen.  As she pretends to grab something from the fridge, an idea begins to form in her head; an idea that will allow her to easily lead into telling her aunt about the corrupt dream.

          As Nicole takes a step back from the fridge, she grins, feeling a bit lighter now that she knew a plan that might just work.  Although it might not have been the best one she ever came up with, but hopefully it will help.  She spins around and faces her aunt, an amused look on her face.  “Aunt Christine, come sit down, I have a game for us to play!”  

     Her aunt smiles as she puts away a container, and raises an eyebrow. “What game is it?”  

     “You’ll see.”

     Nicole moves over to the kitchen table, and pulls out a chair as she signals for her aunt to take a seat.  “After you, ma’dam.”  She smiles as she motions towards her aunt.  

     She puts away some more dishes, cringing as she bumps two of them together.  “Alright.”  She says in a sweet gentle voice, the same voice she used to use when Nicole was younger.  

     Aunt Christine strolls over and sits across from Nicole, crossing her legs as their gazes lock.  Two blue eyes looking into two equally blue eyes.  “Okay… what’s the game?”  She grins as she places her palms on the table.  

     Nicole smiles back, happy that her little pathetic idea is working so far.  “Well, the game is that we each need to say a secret about ourselves.”  She stops, and realizes how dumb she sounds, like she was 5 years old.  

     She sees her aunt raise her eye brow.  “I never thought you were into those kinds of games anymore.”  She hesitates before letting out a laugh, “but if it’s what you’d like to do…”  She pushes her palms down harder on the table, “I’m ready.”

     Nicole says a quick prayer that this will work out alright.  For the first time someone other than Katie will know about the dream.  How will Aunt Christine react?  Will she be as alarmed as I was?  

     “Okay,” she faces her aunt, “you begin.”  

     She glances up the ceiling, her face going blank for a couple of moments as she thinks.  Her lips forming into a smile as she returns her gaze back to Nicole.  

     “Well, between you and me…” her aunt begins as she holds her hand up next to her mouth, as if hiding what she was about to say.  “When I was on a trip a couple of weeks ago, I was taking a break to go swimming in the pool…”  Nicole nods, as her aunt pauses, wanting to hear more, “and I didn’t pay for a drink that I ordered!  I’m such a bad influence!”  She tilts her head back and laughs as she uncrosses her legs and stretches them out under the table.  

     Nicole forces herself to laugh as well, and cringes when she hears how fake it sounds.  That was barely a secret at all.  Well, at least not compared to mine.  I hope she’s okay with what I’m about to tell her…

     She straightens up and notices how her aunt is looking at her expectedly.  Knowing that she’s waiting for her to tell a secret as well.  She feels panic flipping in her stomach, and tries not to let it show on her face.

     “Well, just a couple of nights ago, I had this really crazy dream.  I mean it was REALLY crazy!  Like nothing you’ve ever experienced!”  She forces out another laugh as she grips the edges of the table.  “It seemed truly real, like I was right there… right there in it!”     She pauses and glances at her aunt, who is listening intently.  

     She swallows.  “Well anyways, I think… I think that someone I know is at risk of dying soon.  Although I can’t tell you who or why because, truthfully I don’t even know myself.”  She looks up at Aunt Christine, seeing how her smile had vanished and that she appeared slightly provoked.  Nicole begins to speak quickly, stumbling with her words before her aunt can start talking.  “Before you say anything, there was this person in a dream.  Well actually not really a person but… I don’t know what it was.  Anyways, it was the one who told me.”  She takes a deep breath, “Aunt Christine, I’m worried that someone we love will die.”

     Aunt Christine looks at her, her eyes appearing soft with sympathy.  But as Nicole looks closer, she sees darkness.  Darkness rooted deeper with in her aunt’s eyes.  She merges her eye brows together, wondering why she just saw that.  But not having much time to think about it before her aunt begins to speak,

     “Oh Nicole.  We all know that you’ve been through a lot in the past…”  She pauses and places her hand on top of Nicole’s.  “If this is some way you’ve thought up to get attention.  We know that sometimes you might feel left out.  Now that you’re living here with us, and not with your parents…”

     Nicole immediately shakes her head, feeling her eyes begin to sting.  Seeing images flash through her mind of her family in tears, as they flip through photos of a totaled car that looked so familiar.

     “No it’s not that… it’s not…”  

     “It’s alright though, Nicole.  You don’t need to make up such things just because you want more attention.”  Aunt Christine’s gaze still locked on her, looking sympathetic and displeased at the same time.  

     “But it was real!  I guarantee that it was real!  And �" and, I’m not the only one who saw it!”  And the moment it’s out, Nicole regrets she ever said anything.

     “And who else is it that supports this?”  Her aunt asks with a stern voice.

     Nicole stops, and tells herself not to say.  Don’t tell her that it was Katie.  She doesn’t deserve to be brought into this mess. Don’t tell her.  Don’t tell her.  

     Her aunt straightens her back and speaks again, “The only way we’re going to get anywhere is if you tell me who else it is that knows this.”   

    She lowered her head as she whispers out her cousin’s name, feeling more ashamed then she ever has.  Knowing that now that it’s out, nothing good will come of it.  

     Aunt Christine nods as she gazes towards the corner of the room.  “I see.  Well, if you insist that this ‘dream’ you had was real, than I suppose we need to do something about it.”  

     Nicole jerks her head to look at her aunt, feeling relieved that she agrees, only to see that her expression is filled with concern.  

     She doesn’t understand.  

     Before her aunt can say anymore, Nicole senses what she’s convinced to do, and refuses to hear it.  She rushes out of her seat and sprints up the stairs, not once bothering to look back at her aunt.  Not wanting to look at the concern that swirls in her eyes, the concern that came because she doesn’t understand.  

     She whips the tears pouring down her face with her sleeve.  She grabs her phone next to her bed and curls up under the blankets, wishing to just disappear for a while.  Letting her fingers punch in those familiar numbers.  Hearing the phone ring.

     “Hey Katie.  I told her.  And I’m so, very sorry…”

Author's Note

How do you think Katie should react after knowing that Nicole told? Also, what do you think of this over all chapter and the book so far? :)