Chapter 15

I awoke to the gentle sound of flowing water. I moved my head ever so slightly to view the therapeutic rock fountain I had bought Guinness a few weeks back. My head spun, and I couldn't get the scent of roses from my nose.

“That was... interesting,” Guinness said next to where I lay on the mattress. He handed me a bag of pretzels, to which I gladly accepted and promptly wolfed down.

I was silent for a long while before I decided to excuse myself for a smoke.

Outside, the air was chilled and I sighed experimentally, watching as the tendrils of my breath rose and vanished into the night sky. I lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply. It felt better outside. Not too cramped. Able to fill my lungs with the fresh, crisp air. I felt alive again, and my thoughts were sharpened by cold.

How could this Asteria travel between dreams like me? And without being in close proximity to the person who is dreaming? Was she just a random chick who could dream travel like me, but just more powerful? My mind reeled at the possibility that there could be someone out there like me.

“A penny for your thoughts?”

I nearly choked on a lungful of smoke as I swallowed in surprise. Julianna sidled up beside me, a frown on her face.

“Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you.”

“Hey, no problem. Just have a lot on my mind.”

“Did you want to talk about it?”

I considered telling her for a moment. How nice it would be for someone to know all my concerns on this mysterious messenger. But no... I felt I'd just come off as crazy telling Julianna about my dream problems.

“Nothing important,” I said with a sad smile. “Just work stuff.”

Julianna nodded and didn't press the issue.

“I saw you from inside the apartment and I wanted to come out and give you this.”

She handed me a thick comic book. Wandergirl was depicted on the front, her teeth gritted as she kicked in the teeth of an evil-doer. She was dressed in a form-fitting white pair of shorts and a red tee shirt, the collar of which was cut so that her bare shoulder showed. I squinted at her face.

“She's asian,” I noted.

“Yup. I was always intrigued by asian culture, so I decided to make her asian. Japanese, specifically. Her parents upkeep Yamadera Temple, in the mountains north of Yamagata City. Feeling too cooped up, she left them and the temple for a life of adventure and heroism.”

I smiled.

“Sounds like a must-read to me.”

“I hope you enjoy it. She's supposed to be lawful good, but in my dream...”

Julianna frowned and ran her fingers through her hair. Her eyes were downcast.

“In my dream, she'll save the day, but... for instance, she'll shake down the victims for money afterward, or she'll kill any enemies outright instead of capturing them and sending them to jail.”

I nodded distractedly. I wanted to focus on Julianna's dream, but so much hinged on what would happen when I slept tonight. I couldn't see even as far as our date the next evening.

“Just tell me when you want me to take a look.”

“How about the day after our date? Is that too soon?”

I thought about the fourteen messages that had cropped up on my machine and winced.

“Sure, that's fine.”

It was going to be a busy week, but I was looking forward to Julianna's nightmare. It would allow us to spend some time together, after all, and it would paint me as the hero when I was done.

I gave one last puff on the cigarette before stomping it out at my foot and grabbing the butt. Hey, I may be a messy person, but I'm not a litterbug. Besides, my house was mostly a mess because of Guinness, who didn't know the concept of putting things away or throwing them in the garbage. It was infuriating. Like having a kid full-time.

Julianna wrapped her arms around her and shivered.

“I'd better go. I hope you enjoy the comic, Noah.”

I loved hearing her voice say my name. I smiled at her in the dusk.

“I'm sure I will. Have a good night, Jules.”

She paused at the name, then returned my smile, looking for all the world like a little girl who was told they were going to Disneyland in the morning.

Back inside, Guinness was pacing the floor. He jumped as the door closed, and hurried to my side.

“Are you ready to sleep?”

I nodded firmly, “Let's do this.”

Three hours, a glass of warm milk, two sleeping pills, and a gulp of cold medication later and I was wide awake on my bed, staring upward into the dark.

“You're too strung up,” a gruff voice noted from the gloom. I jumped.

“Guinness, get out of my room,” I growled, in one of the worst moods I could remember in a long while. The clock had been counting up, and it was now midnight and I still hadn't captured any sleep.

“You know what will help ya sleep,” Guinness continued, unafraid of my mood, “An old gnome secret my mother's mother's mother taught to me.”

He paused, waiting for me question him further. A headache formed at the base of my nose.

“Just god-damn tell me,” I hissed.

Guinness was unfazed, continuing in the same tone as before, as if I had been good-natured about the entire ordeal.

“Mushroom and wild moss tea, with a touch of dried bat wing.”

I threw my pillow at him, willing to forgo my own comfort for a chance to hear his muffled cry.

“Alright, alright. Not easy ingredients to get, I understand. How about a story?”

“No.”

“One upon a time...”

The story was another tale of Fidley the Mad, this one about the time he challenged a hare to a sword duel. I followed until Fidley had bested the Pirate King in a grog drinking contest before releasing myself into the gentle waves of sleep.