CHAPTER 3
Brian sat on the sand and looked out at the sea. A feeling of unease settled in the pit of his stomach and he twisted in the sand restlessly. His eyes roamed over the beach in front of him and to the sides finding nothing but the desolate stretch of beach he so craved at the moment. He looked up at the sky, the sun shining brightly, white puffy clouds floating above him carelessly, and it reminded him of being a child, laying down on the grass back in Kentucky and imagining the many creatures floating on by.
Without thought he lay back on the sand, his head resting on a cool but dry portion. A sports car floated by, followed by a pig standing on its hind legs just like a dog would do. He saw a lion playing with her cubs and a snowman bowing at Santa Claus. He grinned to himself at how carefree the activity felt and he could feel the stresses leave his body, almost in layers. His smile grew as he relaxed. He hadn’t felt like this in a long time.
He closed his eyes and thought, but his mind was coming up blank. All the stresses he felt from day to day were gone. He felt the gentle breeze caress his cheeks softly and he lifted his face slightly. The sun shone radiating a soothing warmth. His fingers lay on the warm sand and he began to bury them in the same bringing them up again to feel the trickle of each sand particle slide through and drop back to it’s resting place. His toes followed, burying them in to feel the coolness below the surface. Everything about lying here on the deserted beach felt soothing and relaxing, calming his body and mind as he had yearned for so long.
Brian frowned slightly as he felt the air begin to cool. His eyes still closed, he thought he must have imagined it, or the sun was hiding behind a cloud and would soon reappear, bringing back the warmth he craved. He rubbed his arms to ward against the chill he felt, still keeping his eyes closed.
Slowly his eyes popped open and Brian noticed the sky was now dark, the sun trying to peek through the small breaks here and there. It wasn’t a stormy sky, merely a lot of cloud interfering with the sunshine he had felt moments earlier. He looked along the beach again and noticed a girl walking seemingly in a world of her own. Her easy step was slow and carefree. Everything looked normal with the scene in front of him.
Without notice a gush of wind brushed past Brian and he lifted his arms to shield himself from the sand blowing about. It stung the back of his neck where his skin was exposed and he pulled his head down, flipping the collar of his shirt up. When the wind dropped he sat up again fixing his shirt as he did. The girl was still walking along, but there were three…. What?… Three images, floating around her.
Brian blinked his eyes shut tightly and shook his head only to open them to the same sight in front of him. As the girl walked closer he saw the images more clearly. They seemed to be people, only in a ghostly form. Brian frowned wondering what on earth he was seeing.
His eyes were transfixed to the sight before him. The girl was beautiful. His body stirred at her beauty and he shifted uncomfortably in the sand at the instant attraction he felt. He couldn’t see her eyes yet, he wanted to see their colour. “Turn your face,” he whispered. “I want to see your eyes.”
One of the ghostly visions turned towards him, as if turning to face him on hearing his whisper. Brian looked at the image and noticed it moving away from the girl. He should have been scared, but he wasn’t. He felt calm as the image floated slowly towards him. As it approached he saw it was an old woman with a striking resemblance to the girl she had been hovering over, only an older version of her.
She smiled kindly at Brian and Brian smiled gently back at her. She seemed to be reading his thoughts and frowned a little while she did. He was still tense and forced himself to relax again and the instant he felt calm the woman smiled again. She tilted her head to one side and regarded his features, nodding her head. He raised an eyebrow at her inspection and he knew she was here to ensure she was the right one, the one she had been searching for.
Slowly she held out a wrinkled hand and nodded at Brian to take it. He hesitated and she moved a little closer, her kind eyes telling him it would be okay. He looked over her shoulder at the girl and the other two images and Brian saw the images watching patiently as the woman ‘spoke’ to Brian. “You are the one,” a whisper floated around Brian and he looked around him to see where it came from. He looked back and the woman smiled knowingly and nodded. She had spoken those words.
The girl was now facing the other way, looking out at the ocean. He noticed a rainbow begin to appear in the distance. The other two images became clearer too. Two men, one young and one old. They both smiled at Brian, suddenly lifting their arms to beckon him over.
It seemed right, it was something he knew he should do and slowly he stood and took the woman’s hand. It was cold, ice cold, but he was able to take the hand. It was a ghostly hand yet Brian held her gently as she guided him towards the girl standing on the edge of the water. Each step became lighter as he walked, a weight lifting from him as he walked and he knew there had to be a reason, one he was yet to figure out.
As he reached the girl the ghosts rose up in the sky and watched Brian with anticipation. The girl was still unaware of his presence. Brian didn’t know what to do and looked up at the three floating above them. They each nodded their encouragement and again a voice whispered around him. “You are the one.” He didn’t need to look around to find the owner of the voice this time. He knew where it was coming from. And he knew why.
Brian reached out to touch the girl on the shoulder. She jumped at his touch and turned to look at him. Lonely eyes searched his and she shook her head confused. Brian looked past her towards the 3 images. Higher and higher they floated but he could still see their faces smiling at him. Peace washed over him as he felt their blessing, the rainbow he had seen before brightening in colour as they left.
The girl gasped and reached out, watching the three images disappear. “Be happy. Both of you,” they said to them and disappeared. She sobbed softly then looked at Brian, her honey brown eyes softening and smiling at him.
Brian smiled and his hand reached out to touch her cheek. It was soft and it was wet. She’d been crying. He wiped her tears away and she smiled at him, a smile to brighten the dullest day. His heart pounded in his chest as he smiled back.
Right then Brian woke up. He was still smiling and his heart was pounding and there was a stirring in the lower half of his body. It was only a dream. How for once, he wished his dream could be true. He had felt a true peace lying on the beach as he had been doing and he promised himself he would vacation on the beach when he got a break. Maybe he would even meet this mysterious woman. He shook his head and laughed at himself as his body returned to normal. As if he would meet her. She was a figment of his imagination.
But she had been so beautiful and looked so lonely, yet her smile dazzled him, completely bewitching him. All day long he thought about the dream. The significance of the three ghosts that had hovered over her until the old lady came to him, brought him to the girl and then disappeared, telling him he was the one. By the end of the day as he readied for bed he thought he needed to be psychoanalysed. But he hoped the girl would visit his dreams again. He wanted to see her, even if only in his dreams. The way things were for him right now, it would be easier to have a ‘relationship’ in his dreams, rather than in real life. He looked at his watch. It wasn’t quite midnight and he was ready to go to bed, eager to fall asleep and head into dreamland. That was so unusual for him, usually too keyed up after a concert to sleep. As his head lay on the pillow a smile settled over Brian. He would see his Honey Eyes again.
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Skye was eager to sleep. She wanted to see her Blue Eyes again. But tonight Jay wanted to talk so she had to stay up and listen. She knew if she went to bed too late she wouldn’t remember her dreams. She never did when she was really tired. But Jay was having boy trouble and needed advise. It was ironic really, that she would ask Skye, seeing she was so inexperienced with men, Trevor having been her one and only boyfriend.
Trevor! She thought of him as she half listened to Jay talk about a guy she had met at the supermarket. His appearance in her dream the other night had been calming and unsettling at the same time. What had it meant?
She had thought about that dream for a long time after it had happened and the few times he had appeared since, though not as predominantly as that first night. It had to mean something, and if she was honest with herself, she knew what it was. Fear held her back. She had loved Trevor so completely and he had been so cruelly taken away from her. While she still had his memory to hold on to, no one else could hurt her like that again. She wasn’t willing to take that chance yet. Maybe some day, but not yet. That was one thing Skye was willing to admit. That she was using Trevor’s memory as a barrier, or a safe guard against further pain.
“Oi! Skye!” Jay said, waving her hands in front of Skye’s face to get her attention. Skye blinked and looked at Jay confused. “Have you been listening to me?” Jay asked a small smile on her face.
“Umm, yeah, but I was just thinking about something.”
“Wouldn’t happen to be a pair of blue eyes now would it?” Jay asked and was satisfied with the blush she saw creep up on Skye’s cheeks. “It was wasn’t it?”
“Actually, no it wasn’t. Not directly.” Skye admitted.
“Oh? Care to share?” Jay asked her. She could see Skye’s mood. She could read her so well. Years of knowing her, being her close friend meant they could both read each other so well. But whereas Jay was fairly open about everything and never bottled things up, Skye did and Jay was always dragging things out of her. She walked over to the kitchen counter to boil the jug for coffee while she waited for Skye to decide if she wanted to tell her. She had a feeling they might need one. She knew from experience it would take Skye a while to decide. She stirred the coffee, and carried them over to the table, silently asking Skye with a move of her hand if she wanted to go out on the deck. It was where the two of them both felt most at peace and had had many heart to heart’s.
The air outside was cool for the time of the year and Jay noticed the breeze. She wondered if she should get a couple of sweaters, but she sensed Skye was ready to talk. The murmured word she heard proved she was right.
“Trevor,” Skye said quietly, but Jay heard her. She had almost known this was coming because of how long it was taking her to answer. It was always painful for both of them. This time she sensed it was going to be a closing of a chapter for Skye. She might actually be ready to move on.
Jay ignored the breeze chilling her. “He loved you Skye. He wouldn’t want you to live your life alone.” She put her arm around Skye’s shoulder for support.
“I know. But I am scared. It hurts too much.” Skye said quietly.
“What hurts more? Being alone, or taking a chance on life again?” Jay prodded her.
Skye sucked in a breath. Jay realised she had hit the spot. For a long time Skye didn’t say anything. Her mind played over what Jay had said and she realised it was right. She could remain scared, but if she didn’t at least take a chance she would remain alone. Hanging on to Trevor in this way was not healthy, nor was it what Trevor would have wanted. He had said so in her dream. She let out a quiet ironic laugh. Now she was giving her dreams credibility. Next thing her blue-eyed man would be appearing out of nowhere. She knew she knew no one like that now.
“You’re right you know Jay. But I don’t want to hurry in to anything. It’s still going to take time, and a very special person to bring me around.”
Jay smiled to herself. She had been right. Just getting Skye to admit it was a big step. She smiled slyly at her. “Maybe that blue-eyed mystery man will show up.” She winked and the two of them laughed together. It felt good for both of them.
It was late when Skye went to bed, the two of them talking well into the night. It was soothing for Skye to talk about this problem and she felt as if a weight had been lifter. With Trevor appearing in her dream as he had, it had encouraged her to let go a little. When she woke in the morning, she knew she had dreamt again. As always though when she was in bed late she couldn’t remember. This time all she remembered were the blue eyes and a hint of a smile.
Chapter 4
Index
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