Short Story / The Dreaming

They say in the beginning that man and woman were as one creature. A creature with two heads, four arms and four legs; in attempts to steal the knowledge of the heavens they were subsequently separated and placed at the opposite ends of the earth for ever to be doomed to search for their other half……

Candance lay restless in her bed, her sheets and comforter twisted. She flipped over hard on her right side and stared at the red numbers on the alarm clock, 3:45 a.m. Frustrated she rolled on to her back and looked intently at the ceiling fan as it slowly spun. After a short spell of watching the fan she dozed back off. Her dreams were filled with the same man that she had dreamed about since her earliest memory, though then he was a young boy. She slept only an hour then she awoke again. Aggravated as usual, unable to put a name to the person in her dreams she arose and walked down stairs; her chocolate Lab, Koko, followed close behind her. She seated herself at the kitchen table; Koko rested his head in her lap and looked up at her with soulful eyes. “Oh, Koko it’s too early boy.”, Candance said in desperation as Koko whined and paced his feet. “Okay! Fine! Go get your leash.”, Candance said loudly. Koko dashed off down to the basement, while Candance dragged herself back up stairs putting on clothes and sneakers. Koko waited at the bottom with his leash in his mouth. After their brisk walk, Candance returned to her house and showered then headed out for work. Her day proceeded as usual, she sat sluggishly in her cubical her eyes heavy from being sleep deprived. The hours drug unhurriedly passed, unable to shake the thought from her head about the man in her dreams unlike before. Every detail about him was fresh as if she had rose from the dream on moments before. Lost in thought, Amber startled Candance when she spoke. “hey, Amber. What’s up?” Candance said unnerved. “Are you okay?”, Amber questioned with her eyebrow raised. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just being having sleep issues.”, Candance responded with a chuckle. “Well, the reason I have stopped by is Mrs. Pedimont called in complaining that you have had loan documentation that hasn’t been processed.”, Amber said as she propped herself up against the cubical wall. “Mrs. Pedimont?”, Candance questioned as she searched her mental index. “Yes, Mrs. Pedimont….File number 02-009834578…..She was trying to take out a second mortgage and she is saying you have had the paper work for nearly a month and a half.”, Amber continued. “Amber, I don’t have any files- and I don’t remember talking with any Pedimont.”, Candance retorted in her defense. “Well can you check your file cabinet….and let me know?”, Amber questioned with a heavy sigh as she walked away from the cubical.

Enraged Candance began to go through her filing cabinet, much to her horror she found the Pedimont file. Frustrated and anxious she called her supervisor ; then left for the day. Her mind was cloudy, unable to focus she went home and stretched out on her sofa. Koko wagged over in all his lab-like goofiness, his body almost smiling. Candance’s face was buried in the throw pillow when Koko licked her cheek. “What is his name Koko?”, Candance asked through the pillow; Koko whined as if to say, ‘I don’t know’. “I have got to figure out who this person is….”, Candance said aloud. “I have to figure out why they are in my dreams every night….”, She continued. After a few moments of lying on the sofa she stood up and walked down to the basement. From a shelf she pulled down a box marked school annuals, she pulled them out one by one going through photographs in an attempt to put a name with the face in her dreams. After she exhausted five hours to the project she came up empty handed. Even more perturbed she slammed the box back atop the shelf and went back up stairs. She paced in front of the telephone, her mind twisted with contemplation on whether or not she should discuss the dreams. After she squabbled with herself for a few moments she picked up the phone and dialed a close friend’s number. The phone rang a few times before it was answered, “Hello?”, Katy said almost out of breath. “hey, Katy….Do you have a minute?”, Candance asked. “Sure. What’s on your mind?”, Katy responded. “More like who…..”, Candance replied as she began to explain her dreams to Katy. After a thirty minute conversation Katy was unable to help figure out the mystery man. “Okay describe him again….”, Katy said. “he has dark brown hair, slightly feathered on top. Grayish green eyes, a goatee; he is tall slightly built….”, Candance replied. “And what are your dreams about?”, Candance asked. “Usually we are trying to stay together…. And there is always something that is hell bent on keeping us apart.”, Candance retorted. “Wow, okay. I don’t have any answers for you hon….I don’t know what to tell you….and you have this dream every night?”, Katy inquired. “Yes. Every night now for as long as I remember, and when I wake up and happen to fall back asleep it picks up where I left it off?!”, Candance exclaimed. “That is really weird.”, Katy replied. “Well, I guess I will let you go….I hear Morgan screaming in the back ground.”, Candance responded. “yeah. Nap is over already!”, Katy replied then ended the call.
Desperate to find answers to the dreams she opened her laptop and began searching through websites that discussed meanings of dreams.

With her energy levels already depleted from the restless nights, Candance began to doze as she read. She lethargically closed the laptop and went to the sofa, too weak to climb the stairs. She collapsed in a heap on the sofa, once asleep she began to dream again. In her dream she was standing on a grassless knoll beside a bare tree with twisted limbs. In the far distance she could see the figure of a man running in her direction. A few miles back there are four men on horses perusing him. Her heart races and she begins to jog towards the man running. At the base of the Knoll they embrace, he wildly and passionately kisses her until the four on horseback arrive and drag him away. She awoke sobbing; Koko sat with his head rested on her shoulder, his cold wet nose buried in her neck. She rose quickly, as she swiped the tears away. “It’s past time for you to go out isn’t Ko.”, Candance said with her nose reddened he hastened down to where his leash was hung. His thunderous paws thud echoed through the house. She sighed heavily, as she fastened the leash to his collar. With a deep breath she clambered to her feet and took Koko for his nightly walk. After the walk, Candance retired to her room where she spent another night with her sleep agitated.
Subsequent weeks of insomnia-like restlessness Candance went to the doctor, who recommended a vacation; he claimed that it was stress related. She also received a prescription of sleeping aids, advised to take them only when necessary. With a doctor’s note in hand, she requested her vacation leave earlier than originally planned. She packed up Koko’s leash and a few of his things to take with them. Her thoughts still nebulous, most consumed by the dreams; it was inevitable that she would forget some necessity item as she packed.

After an eight hour drive to the coast line she discovered she had forgotten her luggage all together. In a frantic moment she called up Katy, who rushed over to make sure that it wasn’t left outside. Instead she found the luggage situated in the garage as she had left it. It was a little after five o’clock when she arrived at the little bed and breakfast cozily arranged between two sand dunes that were capped by pampas grass. The salty fish breeze blew up over the dunes and flooded her senses. It had been over ten years since she had seen the ocean, needless to say felt its caress. From the opposite side of the dunes she could hear the gentle roar of the sea as it turned over sand, and exposed its hidden shells.
The room itself was about a thousand square feet complete with a kitchen, dining area and the bed was on the second level loft. The floors were pine wood, and had slight indentions from high-heeled shoes. Settled in the room, Candance sat and stared at the bottle of pills on the kitchen table. “Some vacation huh, Koko?”, Candance mumbled then found her feet. Koko bounced about in hopes that he would get to chase the seagulls and killdeer that ran along the surf. “alright!”, Candace said. “I get the hint.”, she continued as she walked over to the door Koko bounded behind her, he whined in anticipation. No sooner than the door cracked Koko darted from the room; moments later barks erupted from over the dunes accompanied by squawking and flapping feathers. The sun gradually sank into the cerulean blue sea, and the tide progressively rose. The tepid breeze became nippy, Candance called Koko and the two returned to the room. Without her things, she was forced to go to the local supermarket to buy a few items. Her purchase included a couple cans of soup, dog food and a new leash for Koko.

Upon her return, she popped a sleeping aid reluctantly and climbed into bed. The pillow was weird, she didn’t like the way it felt. It was a down pillow and the quills from the feathers pierced through the casing against her cheek. Unable to lay in her usual position which on her stomach with her face in the pillow, she was forced to stare up at the bare rafters. Koko lay at her feet as usual, with a paw across her ankle and his head rested on her foot. Eventually sleep found her, yet as with any other night she was tormented by the dreams of the man. In her dreams she knew him well. The dreams were always blissful then violently the two were always separated. At 3:45 a.m. she sat straight up in the bed, her face poured sweat and she scanned the darkened room; with a deep breath she laid back down for a moment or two then threw back the comforter. Koko moaned as she got out of bed, unlike at home Koko didn’t follow her when she went and sat at the table. Out of desperation she took the pen and note pad from the bedroom nightstand, then wrote down the dream it took only a matter of seconds to fill up the 4 by 8 piece of paper, she flipped it over and continued. She wrote until her hand cramped, when she was finally finished she had used over ten pieces front and back. Consumed in the moment, the time had flown by and the sun was cresting on the horizon. Still restless, she dressed and called Koko; the two exited the room and went for a brisk jog. She returned to the room, showered then lay down for a nap. No sooner than she entered REM sleep she heard a voice that spoke her name. Terrified she jumped from the bed and examined the entire room. She came up empty-handed, “I am losing my mind Koko.”, Candance said in desperation. The three weeks passed by like only a few hours, her days ran together as if they never ended. She returned to work more exhausted than when she left, and the dreams continued to haunt her daily thoughts unable to focus; afraid to discuss the dreams with friends or colleagues from fears that they would recommend her visit a psychologist.

After another 3 months of torment from sleep deprivation, on a Saturday afternoon she reluctantly phoned her mother seeking advice. The conversation went as it did with Katy, her mother couldn’t give a rational reason as to why she was having her dreams. As feared her mother recommended a visit to a psychiatrist, which Candance quickly dismissed as an option. She ended the call and retreated to the basement to thumb through old journals she kept as a child. Writing and journalism had been a passion for her even as a young girl. “Surely I wrote about him”, Candance said to herself as she opened the musky old box. The journals were hard bound; some pages were yellowed and tore from the years. As a way to catalog them she had written the dates on the backs and the age she was when she wrote them.
The oldest Journal opened was dated April 1993. It was two months before her 11th birthday, puzzled as she distinctly remembered writing well before then. She shook her head and opened the journal.

‘April 18th, 1993 –

I had a dream about the boy again. I tried to talk to mom about it, she told me that if I didn’t quit talking about him she was going to send me to an all girls school; that boys were bad. She didn’t even listen about the dream. Dad says that perhaps the boy is in some trouble so we went down to all the grocery stores and looked at the missing children posters to see if I could recognize the boy, I didn’t. The dreams make me sad, I know the boy or at least in the dreams I do. I wonder if the boy dreams about me too. If he is a real person, that is. I talked to Sam about the boy, she says maybe he is my true love and that we’ll be married one day. He is cute; his hair is dark brown with gray eyes. Funny thing is he looks kind of like my English teacher Mr. Freemond, without bushy eyebrows.

Well, its late and mom just called me for dinner. I will write more tonight if I wake up again.

Candance ‘

Candance smiled as she reminisced about being in 4th grade. She remembered Samantha Hightower after reading the entry. “Wonder what ever happened to her.”, Candance said to the attentive Koko who turned his head side to side. His expression made Candance laugh, “what a joke, Koko. True love only exists in the fairy tales just like happily ever after…”, Candance continued as she flipped through the journal. One page corner was folded over which caught her attention, she had always be very attentive not to bend the edges of pages; bit of a pet-peeve.

‘May 3rd 1993 –
The dreams are becoming scary. I am afraid to go to sleep now, when I do I dream of the boy being hurt. I tried to talk with mom about it she didn’t listen. She took me to talk with Pastor Galloway down at the church. He and my mother discussed some things behind closed doors. I don’t know what they were talking about, but I don’t think I should say anything else about the dreams. It’ll just be my secret.

Candance’

Candance closed the journal and rapidly placed all the journals back into the box. Her body on edge, she hastily flung the box back on to the shelf and went back upstairs. Candance dialed the number to her doctor’s office and discussed her issues with his nurse. She was advised to come in and have a complete lab done, out of options and needing resolution she took an appointment. The first available appointment was on a Tuesday two weeks away.

Candance tried to keep her mind occupied by doing various things yet her thoughts would land back on the dreams. The dreams became more torturous, more vivid. Unable to sleep at all at night she found herself in stupors while at work and while driving. The two weeks was unbearable, yet she managed to get through them. The blood work came back that she had nothing physically wrong with her. Much to Candance’s surprise, she was referred to a sleep specialist who would analyze her brain’s activity both on the sleep aid and on a placebo. The results were normal, she entered normal REM sleep and the best the sleep specialist could advise was cut back on caffeinated beverages. Unsatisfied with the answers she returned to her doctor, who suggested her diet could be a likely culprit in her situation. She tried every solution proposed, all solutions failed to bring her relief.

A few years passed by, Candance dealt with her puzzling dreams the best she knew how; she wrote them down. Composition after composition she wrote, she even drew sketches of the man. Her social life became non-existent, friends attempted to coax her out of her house on the weekends. Their attempts were always fouled by various excuses, until finally Katy managed to get her out for a walk through the park.

“Why don’t you just call up Joseph?”, Katy finally asked. “Why would I call Joseph?!”, Candance retorted. “Because you need human interaction…. And you know what type of interaction I am referring to so don’t play dumb.”, Katy scolded. “I don’t need this.”, Candance said then walked off. Katy followed close behind her continuing to talk. “Katy enough!”, Candance screamed. Her voice echoed through the entire park, the low end chatter ended in awkward silence. “I don’t need any help okay. If you want to help me the best thing you can do is leave me alone.”, Candance said then sauntered back to her car and drove home.
She toyed with the idea of calling Katy’s older brother Joseph, but for only a moment or two.
Given that Joseph was a very attractive individual, tall with a muscular physique who back a few years ago at a Christmas get together, while extremely inebriated had made advances towards her. She still couldn’t let go of the man in her dreams.

Days became weeks that promptly became months and years, the dreams remained with her. One crisp autumn day, before the leaves began to fall she took a stroll around the block on a whim with Koko. Out of character, Koko jerked the leash from Candance’s loose grip and bolted down the side walk. He vanished around the corner, Candance briskly walked in search of him, he was gone. She called and asked around if anyone had seen the chocolate lab with a bright blue collar. Her search came up empty-handed, even more distressed she returned home. Everything felt out of place, as if some stranger had came in and re-arranged her life. She called the local human society to see if they had come across a Koko, she was advised no. She spent the entire night on the sofa, with the phone in her hand in hopes that someone would call.

After a few weeks of Koko being absent, Candance received a call on a Saturday morning saying that Koko had been found. She quickly wrote down the directions to where he was and drove over. The traffic was horrid and it felt like eternity had passed before she was at the apartment complex. With a deep breath, she knocked at the door. A man opened the door, “You must be Candance?”, He said. “Yes.”, Candance replied anxiously. He invited her in; she stood at the door while the man walked back into the apartment. A second later Koko rushed from the back. Candance was elated to see him. “Do I know you from somewhere?”, The man questioned. “I don’t think so.”, Candance responded. “I know I have seen your face before….”, He replied and fell silent. “well, I am gonna go now. Thank you for calling me…”, Candance said as she gripped his collar. “I know now….I have a friend in England who has portraits of you everywhere…they are all hand painted or drawn.”, he stated. “What?”, Candance questioned. “Yeah, his name is Grant O’ Flynn. He is a very gifted artist. Do you know him?”, he continued. “And what was your name again?”, Candance asked. “Matt…. Matt Chaucer.”, He replied. “Well, Matt thanks for taking care of Koko for me…”, Candance replied. “So you really don’t know Grant?”, mat inquired. “I really have to be going, thanks again. ”, Candance said then left. She hurried down the stairs and sped away. Koko sat in the front seat of the coupe, his head partially hung out the window.

They arrived home, and Candance immediately went back to the box of journals from her youth. She poured the box out on to the floor, hundreds of journals spread across the concrete floor. She walked around and flipped all over on to their fronts showing the dates. She searched until she found July 1998, Age 16. She sat down on the floor with her legs crossed and opened the journal. This particular journal was bound with lace to keep it closed.

July 1st 1998-

‘I heard his name finally, but I am not sure if I remembered it right. So, I am not gonna bother writing it down, he’s only in my imagination anyway. He likes to draw, whoever he is. I wish I could figure out why I keep dreaming about this guy! He is looks amazing. Just wish he was a real person and not a figment of my imagination.

Duncan passed me a note today in study hall, wanting to know if I had a boy friend. I don’t know, would the boy in my dreams be considered a boy friend?! I told him no, so he asked for my number. He is supposed to call me tonight some time. My show is coming on , so I will write more later.

-Candance’

“Duncan Stewart.”, Candance said to herself; Koko put his paw on her arm. She closed the journal, stood up and walked up stairs leaving the journals scattered. She turned on her laptop and typed in paintings by Grant O’ Flynn in the search engine. The first page had standard oil paintings of landscapes, flora and fauna all eloquently detailed with luminous color. The next page was mostly hand drawings, one particular one sent a cold chill racing down her spine. The drawing was of a woman standing on a grassless knoll beneath a skeleton tree. Unnerved she clicked on the next page, and she saw a mirror portrait painting of herself. “This is crazy. Absolute insanity.”, Candance said aloud. The name of the painting was ‘the dreaming’. Curiously terrified she continued to scroll through the pictures most of them emulated significant details of dream, Candance’s heart raced. Picture after picture was eerily familiar to parts of the dreams that she had dreamed though out the years. After browsing the pictures, she typed in Grant O’ Flynn which brought up various publishing’s of poetry and other various artsy related things. She kept searching for a snapshot of the man himself but her search was fruitless. Her eyes grew heavy as the night had progressed well into the early morning hours, with troubled thoughts she went to bed. Another restless night to add to the collection she had experienced. The buzz of the alarm clock woke her from her twilight sleep. Her hand flailed about until it struck the snooze button. She lazily rubbed her right eye and peered at the clock’s red glow. With a heavy sigh she arose and began her daily routine. Her face showed the distress of the years of having un-rested nights; she splashed it with cool water from the sink. Her elbows were placed on the edges of the vanity, with her back arched she hung her head with her eyes closed. She stood up straight and dried her face, instead of dressing for work she went down stairs and called Matt. The conversation was short, and they agreed to meet at a café on the corner halfway between one another’s homes.
The mid-autumn air was biting as Candance walked the mile to the café. It was fifteen til nine when she arrived, Matt was already inside seated. Candance entered and made her way over to where he was sitting. “I wanted to thank you for meeting me on such a short notice.”, Candance said as she seated herself. “No problem.”, Matt replied as he took a slip of paper out of his jacket and slid it over to Candance. “What’s this?”, She asked. “His number.”, Matt replied. “Who says I wanted his number?”, She questioned. “I just figured you did.”, Matt answered back. “I mean if that is not the reason why bother calling?”, Matt continued. Candance sat back to collect her thoughts for a moment. “Are you always a blazing asshole?”, She finally questioned. “It’s a personality flaw.”, Matt retorted quickly. “So, why did you call me exactly?”, He asked. “Honestly I don’t know, but I need to talk to someone.”, Candance replied. “Why not pick a friend?”, He said. “I don’t have many friends….”, Candance replied coldly. “Fire away.”, Matt replied.

The conversation slowly started out, but before Candance realized it was lunch time. Matt was enthralled with the story of the man in her dreams. How happy she was for the few moments she would be embraced by him, and the devastation that was presented when he was cruelly torn from her grasp. Candance explained in depth of how she, as a child attempted to discuss the dreams with her mother and family; how the results were disastrous. So disastrous that she was forced to keep separate journals, most of which are long destroyed now from the years of being buried beneath the willow tree behind her parents property. Matt laughed to himself as he noticed she talked with her hands; and her body language spoke much louder than her words. “Why are you laughing?”, Candance asked. “Nothing, please continue.”, Matt said with a smile. “For the past year now I haven’t be able to sleep. I have had a sleep test and taken meds, nothing helps.”, Candance explained. “Well, I don’t have any answers for you I am afraid.”, Matt responded. “What do you think the dreams mean?”, Candance questioned. “I think maybe you are reading too far into them…..I mean to be honest and that was what you were wanting right, an honest opinion? “, Matt said. “I have had constant dreams before too, I am sure if you ask anybody they have as well. “, Matt continued. “and I am not meaning to sound mean or harsh; but it is just a dream. And No, I can’t explain why Grant has painted all of those portraits of you. To me, that is extremely disturbing and I wouldn’t even think of contacting him.”, Matt said with great animation. “That’s just me though.”, He added. “Are you trying to keep me from calling Grant?”, Candance inquired. “No, I am just trying to help you be more subjective… open your field of thought a little.”, he said. Candance looked down at her watch, “Its already twelve?”, She said aloud. “Yeah. . . “, Matt replied. “I forgot to call in.”, Candance exclaimed as she stood up. “No since stressing now…..you just sat here and told a complete stranger your entire life’s story.”, Matt said as he grabbed her hand as if to say ‘wait don’t go yet.’ “I really gotta go.”, Candance said as Matt loosened his grasp. “Well, can I see you again some time?”, He asked. “Sure….I mean, I guess….. Unless you think I am completely insane.”, Candance replied as he stood up. “I don’t think your insane, just a hopeless romantic.”, He replied .“So, I’ll talk with you later?”, He added. “That’d be nice.”, Candance said and turned to leave. Matt grabbed her elbow and took her hand; he put the piece of paper in her hand. The two left the café, Candance rushed home, she secured the paper beneath a coaster in the living room to walk Koko and call into work.

The two called each other frequently during the proceeding weeks, at first the dreams had subsided, until one night the dreams became more treacherous than before. In the dream she was able to see one of the faces of a horseman, and the horseman looked like Matt. She sat up with her face covered in sweat, her hands jerked and tremor as an elderly person’s hands might. She sat on the edge of her bed and struggled to catch her breath. With racing thoughts she ran down the stairs to the living room. Frantic she unfolded the piece of paper, there were two numbers penciled in.

Grant's Mother Beibhinn
00-353-034-8487-2849
Grant's Brother Evan:
00-44-020-0240-0404

She flopped herself down on the sofa, and covered her face with her arm. She sat for a while, and finally dialed up Matt’s number. It rang eight times before he sleepily answered. Candance agitated immediately engaged him with questions about how he knew Grant. “Candance, its Five A.M.”, Matt replied. “And I have questions.”, She retorted “Fine… He was an exchange student at my school, my family took him in and I went to live with his mother. His father lives in New York, and his mother in Glasgow area in Scotland. His older half-brother Evan lives in Ireland. “, Matt rattled off. “And those numbers are about 15 years old, I haven’t talked to Grant since then.”, He continued. “So what the hell?”, Candance asked. “Look can I come by your house tomorrow?”, he questioned. “No, I don’t think so.”, Candance responded. “What is your problem?”, Matt demanded as he raised his voice. “Other than you lied to me….nothing.”, Candance replied then ended the call. She turned the ringer off as she went down into her basement that still had journals scattered across the floor. The cold concrete made her shiver as she walked across the floor. She sat in the floor reading the entries well passed time for her to go to work.

After reading her fill, Candance ambled back up stairs and opened her laptop. She again typed in meanings of dreams. As she sat staring at the computer screen she remembered a shop that sat on the edge of town with a sign that hang in the window advertising fortunetelling. She closed the laptop and dressed herself; she hurriedly went down to the shop. The odor of patchouli and sandalwood incents leaked out from around the door. She gingerly touched the door knob and the door flew open wildly. A elderly woman, bent and dressed in a long dress with purple scarf covered her thinning gray hair. The skin on her face was leathery with deep creases around her mouth and beneath her eyes; her irises were cloudy and her pupil looked to have a bluish hue. “I’ve been expecting you.”, her tired voice cracked. “Come in… Come in.”, she continued as she turned and vanished in to the dark room hesitant, Candance followed. Inside the dark, smoke filled room there candles lit of various shapes and sizes. The walls were covered in dust and cobs webs; the room in general was cluttered. The old woman seated herself behind a small table, and waved her hand towards a wobbly chair. “How were you expecting me?”, Candance asked as she sat down. “Your soul is distressed, yes?”, The woman replied. “No, I don’t think so.”, Candance said. “You think too much, not listen close enough.”, The woman snapped. “My name is Nadia. I tell fortune for you today?”, She added. “I am not here for a fortune telling.”, Candance remarked. “Give me left hand.”, Nadia said, her accent more obvious; Candance did as instructed. Nadia took hold of her pinky finger and thumb as she stretched it flat. “Very interesting….your life line is parallel to fate line…and splits three times.”, Nadia mumbled as she continued to inspect her hand. She flipped it from palm to back and reversed several times, Candance could tell through the lines that she was concerned. “Is there a problem?”, Candance asked. “Your heart line is so deep, so long…I have not see a line such as that in a long time.”, Nadia remarked. “Give me right hand.”, She added as she released Candance’s left hand. She continued to mumble, often words in Romanian. She twisted the right hand even more than the left she then suddenly released it; the old woman didn’t speak for a few tense moments. “Is there something wrong?”, Candance finally questioned. “Your spirit is an old one. In its past lives it experienced great tragedy. “, Nadia responded. “Take heart child, for what which you secretly seek , searches for you.”, She added. “Be weary of the one with fire up on his brow, his surreptitious nature will be revealed.”, Nadia continued in a oracle like state.

Nadia babbled on in her own language, Candance sat and watched as she had a convulsion like episode before she returned to her normal state. “How much do I owe you?”, Candance asked. “No money, you go now..”, Nadia replied as she rose to her feet. She showed Candance to the door and shut it promptly behind her; she switched her sign in the window to show closed. A strong gust of wind pressed hard against Candance’s body, it shook the skeleton trees and their bare branches clanged together. There was no denying it was mid-winter and the clouds appeared cumbersome with frozen precipitation. Candance caught a cab back to her house, not to chance the possibility of being drenched.

She arrived home to find her front door kicked in, and Koko was absent. The cab driver being an older gentleman and of a kinder heart he stayed on with her so she would have a warm place to wait for the police to arrive. The wait felt like an eternity, Candance sat impatiently in the back seat. Her eyes scanned for any signs of her beloved dog. The hypnotic rhythm of the blue lights lit up the dusky evening. It was a solitary patrol car, with two officers. Candance bounced out of the back of the cab as she threw a twenty dollar bill towards the driver. “Are you Ms. Toole?”, one of the officers questioned as the second walked up to the house. “I have a chocolate lab....He's not vicious, so please don't shoot him.”, Candance called out. “ Yes, I am.”, She responded. “ My name is officer Reiter, and my partner is officer Byrne, So you came home and found your door open?”, He asked. “Yes, I had went down town and when I came back my door was standing wide open.”, She retorted then folded her arms as a chill raced across her body. Officer Reiter directed Candance into the front seat of the patrol car, then proceeded to enter the house. After several minutes the two returned, their faces troubled. “Miss Toole, do you have another place to stay for the night?”, Officer Byrne questioned. “Why?”, Candance asked. The two were silent for a moment as if they were mentally arguing with each other. “We found the dog inside. Dismembered, we are concerned for your safety....”, He finally admitted. “Dismembered?!”, Candance shouted with a hysterical voice. “Do you have a relative you could call?”, Officer Reiter asked. “ My mom.”, Candance replied as she sobbed as she pulled out her cell phone. The conversation with her mother was brief, and as any mother she was at Candance's side in a matter of seconds. Secured in her mother's sub-compact car, the officers radioed in someone to investigate, and obtained her mother's contact information.

The drive back to her mother's house was silent, nothing but the hypnotic hum of the car tires against the icy pavement. They arrived shortly after 8 at the large colonial styled house. The landscaping lights showed off it's eerie details. The house was white, with enormous columns that held up the balcony above; the front door was solid, ruby red. At the center , an extravagant brass knocker hung; slightly tarnished from the years of exposure. Candance's face was still red from the wind and was sticky from the tears. “Come on, Candy. Let's get you fed.”, Her mother said callously. Her mother exited the car, and started into the house. Candance timidly exited the vehicle and followed her mother inside.
It had been at least three years since she had been inside her mother's house. Nothing had changed except the fact that her father was absent. “Where's Dad?”, Candance questioned. “He's gone to the grocer.”, Her mother coldly replied as Candance seated herself in the living room. Her mother joined her momentarily with a cup of soup. “Mom, I'm not hungry.”, Candance said gingerly. “Your just in shock that's all.”, Her mother responded as she forced the cup into her hand. “ Now, tell me what happened?”, she asked. “I went downtown, just a walk, and when I came home the front door was open.”, Candance explained. “Down town? What were you doing?”, Her mother interrogated. “ I just told you, I went for a walk.”, Candance retorted, her voice tensed. “ A walk? Down town? And you expect me, your mother, to believe you just 'took a walk' downtown?”, she demanded. “ What more do you want me to say?!”, Candance shouted as she slammed the cup down on the coffee table. At the same moment, her father walked in. He shook his head as he entered the room, the tension so heavy between the two of them it was almost suffocating. “Candy, Baby!”, He exclaimed as he tried to defuse the situation that brewed heavily. “Hey dad.”, Candance replied as she stood to her feet to give him a hug. “Feels like ages since I have seen you.”, He said as he wrapped his arms around her, his coat was still cold from the evening air. The two walked back into the kitchen and struck up a conversation.

The night came and went, as any night previous she dreamed of the man. For over the past few months the dreams had became more intense, she tossed and turned. She was awoke by her mother, “Candance wake up.”, Her mother said as she seated herself at the foot of the old twin sized bed. Distraught over the dream, tears streamed down her face. “Candance what's the matter?”, Her mother questioned expressing more concern than Candance could ever recall. “ Nothing...Its nothing.”, Candance replied as she wiped the tears from her eyes. She pulled her self up off her back and into a seated position with the comforter still hugging her legs. “You can buy a new dog.”, Her mother responded coldly. “Oh my God Momma!”, Candance yelled as she kicked the covers off and clambered to her feet. “I can't buy another Koko, yea I can buy one that looks like him but I can't replace Koko.”, Candance shouted her mother remained seated on the bed silent. “Maybe not the same dog, but it can be replaced.”, She retorted. “Mother why are you such a cold hearted bitch!?”, Candance shouted. “I never in a thousand years believe that I would raise a ungrateful child such as yourself...”, her mother said as she found her feet. “Just taking after my mother of course.”, Candance sniped. “I gave you everything Candance Lee-ann Carles.... I gave you everything any child could possibly want.”, Her mother exclaimed as she flung her arms wildly. “Everything? Dad is, you would lock yourself up in your room every afternoon when I would get home....and I saw you maybe 30 minutes a day when you would come down and graze on what DAD had cooked.”, Candance retorted. “ Get out.”, her mother demanded. “What? Did I hit a nerve?”, Candance replied. “All the months you spent trying to say I was crazy and that I was demon possessed. The only demon I know is you!”, Candance continued. The commotion of the two arguing drew her father from his slumber, he entered the room at the opportune time as the two were face to face. “Peggy leave her alone!”, He shouted for the first time in Candance's memory. Her Father had always been a soft spoken fellow, and it took an act of God to infuriate him. His nostrils were flared and his face was flushed. “ You chased her off all those years ago, I hardly ever see my daughter as it is, and now you are trying to make sure that I never see her again.”, He snarled. The room was silent, and everyone was tensed. “ There is something you should know Candance.”, her mother began. “ Shut it Peggy.”, Her father shouted as he stepped up beside Candance. “James, I think she should know.”, Peggy exclaimed. “Know what?”, Candance questioned as she turned to her father. “ Go ahead James. Tell her.”, Peggy continued. James sighed heavily, from his body language it was evident he was distressed. Her mother exited the room, her shoulder brushed against his. After she had left the room, Candance sat down on the bedside with James. “What is it?”, Candance questioned. “You know I love you, right?”, James responded. “Dad, of course.”, Candance said. “ Well, remember when you were younger how you always questioned why your hair and eyes didn't match your mother's and mine?”, James began. “ yeah.”, Candance said softly. “That's because your real mother died in child birth....Peggy was her sister.”, James explained. “ what are you talking about Dad?”, Candance asked. “ Peggy isn't your mother.”, He retorted with a heavy sigh. Candance was silent for a moment, her mind grasped for the details as she attempted to put the puzzle pieces together. “Why are you telling me now? I mean you are my father aren't you? ”, Candance finally inquired as she fought back tears. “You are my daughter regardless of what any tests say.”, He said. “ So its true then. I am adopted?”, Candance asked as the wall of tears poured down her face. “Candy you will always be my little girl, you know that.”, James said as he attempted to comfort her. After a heart to heart, James left the room from down the hall Peggy and James' voices echoed as they shouted at each other angrily. Candance lay in the bed and starred at the canopy on the twin bed. Her stomach nauseated, and her mind even more clouded than before. She began counting and eventually sleep found her.

The dream had intensified, when she awoke the next morning her wrist was bruised and it had clawed marks. Unable to explain the bruising she chalked it up to the argument between Peggy and herself. She dressed and called a cab to take her back to Nadia's shop. As she waited on the front stoop of the house for the cab Peggy stepped out. “ You knew the entire time.”, Peggy responded. “What is your problem?”, Candance questioned. “James always wanted a child.”, Peggy began. “When we found out that I couldn't have a child, my sister Patience came up pregnant...she wasn't married or anything...”, Peggy continued. “

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