Julie Kirs woke up with a start. Her bed sheets were all twisted and soaked with sweat. Her pillow lay in a crumpled heap on the floor. It was that dream again! she thought. This was the fourth time in a row that she had had that same exact dream.
What could it mean? Why did she keep on having this dream? She looked at her clock; she was late again. The professor said that one more tardy would result in an extra paper. Great, just great. As if she didn't have enough work already, now she had to do another paper. College was a lot harder then she had imagined.
Julie got up, dressed, grabbed an apple to eat for breakfast, and ran across the street to the college. Her classroom was on the third floor of the main building. Since she had nice, long legs, she dashed up the stairs two at a time. She rounded the corner at the top of the stairs in record time and ran smack into a professor she had never seen before. Books and papers went flying all over. "I'm sooooooo sorry," Julie began to say as she reached down to pick up some papers. "Never mind," said the man in an irritable voice as he grabbed the papers out of her hand. "Get onto class, little missy...or are you trying to skip your class? Is that it? Hmmm?" The man's small squinty eyes stared at her.
Julie was speechless for a moment. "I..I.." she mumbled.
"So you are skipping, aren't you?" the man said amused. "Well, we'll just see about that. Come along with me, little missy." The man led her off to the office.
Suddenly there was a beeping sound, it was the professors pager. He looked at it and then looked at Julie. He finally said "I'm late. This is a warning Miss, the next time I wont be so lenient." As soon as he turned around Julie dashed off to her class.
Just as she was entering she heard a voice "Well well, what do we have here Miss Kirs? Another tardy, that would make it the fifth one in two weeks. I want a ten page essay on any author from the twentieth century. Thank you, now as I was saying..." Julie then slid into her seat and began the beginning of the end of her life.
She was in a forest. It was much colder than the last time she remembered it. Last time the sun had been shining through the trees, now it was cold and foggy. She could see her breath in the air. Suddenly there was a rustling in the bushes. What was that? she wondered as she turned around and saw a set of eyes peering at her through the leaves of the bush. She walked closer. It looked like a young, lost boy sitting behind the bush. No. Wait. It wasn't a young boy but a college boy. He was just sitting there, watching her. He then started calling her name. "Julie...Julie..." She woke with a start. The professor was staring down at her. "Julie! I can't believe you! First you show up late, then you sleep in my class! What will I ever do with you?"
She looked up and gave him an apologetic smile just as the bell rang. Before he could stop her she left. As she was walking down the hall her boyfriend stopped her. "So are we still on for tonight?" he asked.
She didn't have time for this, so she told him that she had to do a paper because she had been late. "Again? What's wrong, are you sick or something?" She told him no and went to leave.
As she was walking out the door she overheard someone say "Wow, that's a weird dream. And you've been having it over and over again?"
The person's companion replied "Yeah, it's in the forest and I am looking for someone." After hearing this Julie quickly left and returned home to work on her essay.
When Julie got home she immediately noticed something was different. At first she couldn't tell what it was. Everything looked the way it normally did.
Then she noticed it. The smell. It didn't smell like her house normally smelt, it was different. It smelled like...like... the forest. She could smell pine trees and the fresh scent of dirt that you smell after it rains. She then noticed splotches of dirt on her new, tan carpet. She peered closer. They were large, smudged footprints, like a man's, leading out into the hall and towards her bedroom. The horror set in as she realized what was happening. Someone was in her house!
What should she do? She had seen the talk shows, heard it on the news. But she had never thought that she would walk in on someone breaking into her house. Should she just leave? Call the police? Confront the person? No, no that would be stupid she thought. Call the police, yes that would be best. Just as she picked up the phone she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Then suddenly the footsteps were gone. She noticed that the footprints were gone too, as well as the smell. What was happening to her?
Julie looked around the whole house but couldn't find anyone. Whoever it was, if there was anybody there at all, was gone now. She suddenly felt very tired and her head ached. She went up to her room and picked up her phone. She dialed the first number that came to her mind. "Hey Diane! This is me, Julie. Can you come over here for awhile?" she asked her best friend.
"Is something the matter Julie?" Diane asked.
"Yes. I'll tell you all about it when you get here." She glanced at her watch. It was 4:30 in the afternoon now. She said, "Can you be here by 5:00?"
"Sure," Diane replied and hung up.
Julie hung up her phone and sat on her bed, thinking. What was she going to say to Diane? I keep having these weird dreams and I think there was a burglar in my house earlier. That sounded so stupid. She shouldn't have bothered Diane. She laid down and closed her eyes. Her alarm went off. Julie sat up groggily and wiped the sleep out of her eyes. The alarm said 5:30. A.M. Did she sleep that whole time? Was it tomorrow? What day was it? And where was Diane?
She got out of bed and brushed her teeth. Shoot, she had forgotten to write the essay. Maybe she should just stay home today, she could then write the paper and think about what was happening to her. And hour later she was sitting at her desk with a biography on Ann Rice. Julie just couldn't concentrate. She walked over to the couch and turned on the TV, the morning news was on. "Hi, I'm Teena Spender and this is the morning news for Monday, August ninth," said the news anchor. August ninth? thought Julie. But that was yesterday. No, no, she was just imagining it, it couldn't have been the ninth yesterday and today. Maybe she should just go to sleep, she was hallucinating. She decided instead to get her essay out of the way and then she could figure out her problems. Just then the phone rang, it was Diane. "Why didn't you come over at 5:00 yesterday like I had asked you?" asked Julie.
"What are you talking about Julie? You didn't call me yesterday. And anyways you know I was celebrating my aunt's birthday. I called to ask why you aren't in class today?" Diane inquired.
"Oh, Diane!" Julie wailed. "Something really strange is happening to me. I keep having these really weird dreams about the forest and someone was in my house yesterday and I keep sleeping for long periods of time and I called you yesterday and asked you to-"
"Wait a minute. Slow down," Diane said in a soothing voice. "Why don't I come over to your house and you can tell me all about it."
"NO!!!" Julie screamed. "I called you and asked you to come over yesterday but I fell asleep and I woke up and it was today, whatever today is, and you never came over!"
"Well, just try to calm down. I'll come over. I'll bring my cell phone and talk to you the whole way over to your house so you'll know that I'm really coming."
"OK," Julie agreed. "Let me just switch to my other phone. Julie picked up her other phone and then hung up the first phone."OK, I'm back, Diane," she said into the phone. But there was only silence. "Diane?" Julie started to panic. "Diane?" Julie looked at her feet and noticed the phone cord, cut into two neat pieces.
Oh no, Julie thought. She stood stiff and still, her eyes shut tight, straining her ears for a sound. Any sound. And then it came. First the sound of crickets, and then an owl. Julie opened her eyes and noticed that her bedroom was changing, changing into a forest. She blinked and then there was nothing left to distinguish that there had once been a bedroom where she now stood. What was happening to her? Julie thought. It didn't make sense. She then felt a hand touch her arm and a man's voice said "Julie? Why did you leave me? What's happening?"
Julie turned around and saw a tall, young man with blonde hair and blue eyes that stared out at her. She was speechless. Who was this guy? What was happening to her? "Leave me alone," she managed to stutter out.
"But Julie, why did you leave me?" the man replied in the same voice, still staring at her with his ice blue eyes. Julie turned away from him. What was happening? This was all too crazy to be true. "Julie..." He put his hand on her shoulder. "Julie..." he repeated again.
"You're the boy I saw at school," Julie stammered. But how could it be? This is just a dream Julie thought.
"Now that I think about it, I remember you at school too," the boy answered.
"But why are you in my dream?" she asked.
"What do you mean I'm in your dream? You're in MY dream!" he all but yelled.
"Well maybe we are having a collective dream. You know, a dream that we BOTH are having. But why are we having it?" she asked.
The boy came closer to her. "I think I know why, Julie," he said in a strange and soothing voice.
Julie backed away. "Who are you anyway? You seem to know that my name is Julie, but I don't know your name."
The boy smiled. "That's not important now, Julie," he said in that same strange and soothing voice. "What's important now is your safety."
"My safety? What are you talking about? I'm really, really confused and I'd like to get out of this dream right now," Julie said in an annoyed voice. A second later she added, "And would you stop staring at me like that?"
"Staring at you like what?" the boy asked her as he smiled. "I am only staring at you because I like you, Julie. Would you take a walk with me through these woods? I would be greatly hurt if you refused." He smiled again, showing her those perfect, straight, white teeth.
Julie backed up. "I don't want to go on a walk with you. I don't even know you and you are acting really strange. I don't think you are even human!"
The boy looked at her. "You are right, Julie. You are absolutely right."
Just then Julie woke up. She was covered in sweat and her bed was a mess. So she got up out of bed and took a shower. After she was done she came out and turned on the TV. To her relief the news anchor said that it was Tuesday, August tenth. She must have just dreamed it all. Julie then left for class. She didn't want to be late again and she wasn't going to let this bother her anymore. Or at least that's what she thought. Her last class was finally over. The day seemed like it had gone on forever. Throughout it, while she was walking through the halls, she could swear that she saw him. But she couldn't be sure. Every time it was just the back of a head or a glance at a face. She was just hallucinating she figured. As she was walking out the door she turned and saw him. He gave her that smile and looked at her the same way again. He was creepy, not a good person. There was just something about him that wasn't right. No, Julie thought to herself. He wasn't an alien, they didn't exist. Suddenly he stood up and started walking towards her. She dropped her books as he came up to stare her in the face.
The boy reached down and picked up her books. "Hi! I'm Nathaniel," he said, handing her books to her.
"I'm Julie," she replied, awkwardly.
"Nice to meet you," Nathaniel said, extending his hand toward her. Julie reached out and shook it.
"I just wanted to tell you, um, I, uh..." he stuttered.
"You wanted to tell me what?" Julie asked.
"Well, uh, I, uh, um, I just wanted to tell you I think you are the prettiest girl in the world."
"What?" Julie managed to say.
"Well, I keep having these dreams where I am in a forest and I see a girl who looks like you. Today I saw you walking down the halls and I followed you a little bit. I just wanted to tell you that I think you are pretty, though." Suddenly, for no reason at all he came really close to her. Julie tried to back up but there was a bench in the way and she ended up sitting down on it. Nathaniel sat down next to her and put his arms around her. Then he leaned closer, closer, and still closer. Julie could see his white teeth, shining. His breath smelled like a peppermint. She started feeling really sick. Just then he leaned in and kissed her straight on the lips. Julie was shocked. What was this boy doing to her? She tried to free herself but his strong hands held her where she was. This must have been the longest kiss in the world! Julie thought. Just then she looked up and saw her boyfriend staring at them, with a scowl on his face.
This is not happening. No, it can't be. "Alex, don't walk away. Alex!" Too late, he was already down the hall. Julie looked at Nathaniel. "Why are you doing this to me? You are ruining my life!"
"But Julie. I love you, I need you. Please don't go." Just then Julie stood up. "I don't know you, I don't want to know you and most of all I don't love you and NEVER will I!" With that she ran after Alex. When she finally caught up to him he was sitting on a bench under a tree, he looked up at her.
"Why? Why Julie? Was it something I did? Do you think I don't love you? Or do you just love going around breaking peoples' hearts?" shouted Alex.
"Alex. He kissed me, I didn't kiss back. I don't even know him!" Julie sniffled.
"Am I suppose to believe that?! You were kissing him! I'm your boyfriend, not him. What is wrong? You've been acting strange for the last couple of days. Is that when it started?!" asked Alex.
"When what started?" Julie replied quizzically.
"When what started?! You cheating on me with him!" declared Alex.
Before Julie could reply Alex got up and stomped away. Why was all this happening to her? How come Alex didn't believe her? Who was Nathaniel and why did he like her? What was the explanation for all of the dreams she had been having? There were too many questions and not enough answers. Julie sighed and slowly got up from the bench. Where should she go? If she went home, she would probably fall asleep and dream again. But where else could she go then? Alex was mad at her so she wouldn't go to his house. And she couldn't stay at school forever, especially since Nathaniel was lurking around somewhere. And she couldn't go to Diane's because she and her boyfriend were going out to dinner. Julie went to her car, got in, and started driving, not knowing where she was going.
Maybe she should just drive away. To a place where no one knew her, where she could start fresh. No, running away from her problems wouldn't help. It would just make things worse. Why, why was this happening to her? Julie thought. She wasn't a bad person, what had she done to deserve it? She decided to go home and try to call Alex. When she walked in the door Alex was sitting on her couch waiting for her. "Alex..." Julie stuttered.
"I'm sorry Julie. I shouldn't have gone off on you like that. But what did you expect me to do? I walk down the hall and see my girlfriend kissing another guy," apologized Alex.
"It's ok. I'll explain the whole thing to you. It first began when..." started Julie.
Julie went on to tell Alex about all her dreams, the burglar in her house, Nathaniel, and everything else that had happened to her.
"Julie..." Alex started to say. "I am so, incredibly sorry. I had no idea..."
"It's all right Alex. I just wish all this would stop happening to me," she admitted.
"What do you think the reason for all of this is?" Alex inquired.
"Oh, Alex," Julie moaned. "I don't know. Maybe when I bumped into that professor that
one day I was late for class, he put a curse on me and-"
"Julie, don't be ridiculous," Alex laughed. "You have such an imagination, sometimes."
"I know," Julie replied, laughing for the first time in a long while. The two
were silent for a few minutes and then Julie said, "Alex, will you stay here tonight? You can sleep on the couch. I just don't want to be here alone again. Do you understand?"
"Of course I do," Alex replied knowingly. "I'll stay here for the night and make sure no one tries to break in or anything."
"Oh, thank you sooo much!" Julie exclaimed, hugging her boyfriend. Then all of a sudden three things happened at once. The doorbell rang, a crack of thunder was heard outside, and the power went out.
Great, Julie thought, the power had gone out. It's ok, don't be frightened she told herself. "Alex, Alex?" shouted Julie. No response. Julie felt around until she came to a body, it must be Alex's. She felt her was up to the face, no, it wasn't Alex. Just then she tripped and fell onto a body laying on the floor, it was Alex this time. But he wasn't moving. Julie felt for a pulse but there was none.
The phone started ringing, who was calling her now? She crawled over to it and as she picked it up it stopped ringing.
Suddenly the lights flickered and hovering over her was Nathaniel, holding the end of the phone cord in his hand.
"Hello Julie," whispered Nathaniel.
"You!!!" screamed Julie. "You killed my boyfriend. Why??? Why???"
"I had no other choice Julie. You know that. Now come with me to the forest. We can be there alone together," he said in his soothing tone.
"No! I'm not going anywhere with you. I hate you! I don't know you! You killed my boyfriend! Stay away from me or I'll call the police!" she warned.
"Really? And how, my pretty little Julie, will you do that? Remember the phone cord?" Nathaniel said as he held up the cord.
"Stay away from me!!! Don't come near me at all! Do you hear? I'll scream and the neighbors will hear me and they'll come and save me."
Nathaniel smiled a cruel smile. "The neighbors? What neighbors? They are all gone. All gone. It's just you and me left, Julie."
"You are insane!!! You are seriously ill! You belong somewhere else. Stay away from me. You didn't kill all the neighbors. You're lying, trying to make me scared. I'm not afraid of you. I'm not, I'm not, I'm not!" she screamed, trying to convince herself more than she was him.
"Calm down, my dear, sweet Julie. Take a hold of my hand and we will go to the forest together. Come on...come on..." Nathaniel reached out his hand towards Julie.
Julie started feeling sick again. She began to get dizzy as well. Something was wrong. No, no, nothing was wrong, she told herself. Everything was fine. Nathaniel was her friend. They were going to the forest. The forest... the forest... the forest. Yes, everything would be alright in the forest. Everything. Nothing could go wrong in the forest. By now Julie was so dizzy that she could not see and she wasn't thinking too clearly. Suddenly she fainted on the floor.
When she awoke she was in a different place. She could hear the bird chirping outside and could smell something cooking. Julie got up and looked around. This wasn't home, this was the forest. It was so lovely, the perfect place to live. She got dressed and went into the other room. There was Nathaniel,
wonderful wonderful Nathaniel. And he had made her breakfast; he was the perfect husband. "Good Morning honey," Nathaniel said.
"Good Morning sweetie," replied Julie.
"Today is the start of a beautiful life in paradise," smiled Nathaniel.
"Yes, you are right," Julie said sweetly.
"Come, my dear, and we will go for a walk in the forest."
They held each other's hands and walked out the door of the little wood cottage, hidden away in the woods.
"I want to show you the most beautiful place in the whole forest," Nathaniel told Julie.
Julie just nodded and kept walking with him, a smile on her face. She was finally happy. She was with Nathaniel so she was happy.
"Wait here a second, dearest," Nathaniel said to her, as he disappeared behind a group of trees.
Julie waited. After about five minutes she sensed that something was wrong. She didn't feel happy and warm anymore. She felt cold and suddenly shivered, even though it was quite warm outside. She wasn't with Nathaniel now. How could she be happy? Something must have happened to him.
Julie felt someone watching her. Who was it? She finally gathered the courage to turn around. When she did she saw...
He looked oddly familiar. She felt as if she had known him for a long time and
had been very close to him. But what about Nathaniel?
"Julie..." the boy called out.
"Do I know you?" Julie replied.
"Julie, what are you talking about? I'm Alex, your boyfriend? What has he done to you, brainwashed you?" said Alex coming closer to her.
"Excuse me, um, Alex. I don't know who you are and what you are trying to prove but you are not my boyfriend. Nathaniel is my boyfriend and you just better leave before he comes back," warned Julie.
"But Julie, I AM your boyfriend. Don't you remember anything? We were in the apartment, and then lightening hit and the lights went out. Then I was knocked in the head with something and now I'm here. But where is here?" pleaded Alex.
Here? Julie thought. Now that she thought about it, she didn't really know where she was. "We're in the forest," she said aloud. "And YOU are NOT my boyfriend!" she added.
"But Julie... Julie... Julie..."
Julie groggily woke up. She was in a strange room and someone was calling her name. "Julie..."
She looked up and saw Alex peering down at her. "Doctor," he called. "She's finally waking up!"
A middle aged man wearing a doctor's outfit looked at her. "She'll be okay now," the man said.
"What happened? Where am I?" she asked confused.
"You fainted and hit your head on the floor. You've been unconscious for three whole days now," Alex told her gently.
Suddenly she remembered it all. "But you're dead!!!" she shrieked. "And where's Nathaniel?!! Am I dead, too?"
"I wasn't dead, Julie. I got hit in the head with a big, thick book by Nathaniel. Don't worry about him. The police have him. Everything will be all right now." Alex assured.
"Yes," she said slowly. "Everything will be all right now."
"I need to leave now, Julie. I have to go back to my room. They are still treating my head. I got hurt pretty hard." Alex walked out of the room and down the hall.
"Yes, everything will be all right now," Julie repeated to herself.
Then all of a sudden she smelled something familiar. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. Where had she smelled that before. And that sound, it sounded almost like... almost like...an owl.
THE END
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