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The Dream Catcher - Chapter 2
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The Dream Catcher - Chapter 2 |
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Kethry Member Rara Avis
since 2000-07-29
Posts 9082Victoria Australia 
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Anissa threw the last of her clothing into a small suitcase while her friend Kyle stood nearby and watched with a smirk upon his face. Kyle came and went as the wind sometime arriving silently behind her as if on padded feet and sometimes clumping around as if he had too much energy to be contained in one body. Kyle was a handsome black man who constantly gave her the sense of vague recall as being someone else from her childhood. Kyle apparently, had that effect on most people he met as all her work colleagues and acquaintances screwed up their faces as if in remembrance when they first met him. Kyle was an enigma, he did not get close to anyone and did not like to be touched although he was friendly and open to all who saw him. "So we're definitely going then?" She heard him say not so much in question but more a statement of quiet desperation. "You're sure you want to do this? Cassandra has the power to eat you alive. I know you promised to go to the lodge. I know it's a work thing and I know how desperate you are to find a love but are you really sure you want to put yourself through this?" "Yes we're going. I told you before I can't back out of this and still keep my job and I've come too far to be able to start again. I've also told you that this is my one chance to make good with the in crowd, besides Cassandra would wait to kill me if I did not comply with her and her Kew cronies. However you don't have to come. I can make excuses for you. I probably won't do very well as Cassandra was insistent that you be there too, I think she fancies you but - I could give your apologies." Kyle shuddered in horror or excitement, who knew but answered straight away that he would come. "I can't leave you alone with those piranhas. I'm all packed. Don't forget to feed you frog before you go; I know it's only a weekend but still he will need your care." Anissa had not seen any bags when Kyle had come in, yet now that she looked carefully she could see his neat suitcase standing in the shadows of the room. It was a suitcase that nearly matched her own. It was funny how they were so similar she mused to herself almost as if they were mirror images of each other, it was funny too how she could not remember meeting Kyle he had always seemed to be there, hovering the background, content to be on the fringes of her life a little like the frog really. She had had the frog for a while too, he was her constant companion and she told him everything, she felt silly telling a frog all about her disappointments and dreams but the frog listened without comment and gave tacit approval of her plans, she remembered she had also begun talking to her grandma as if she was still alive and she gently fingered the dream catcher around her neck. The dream catcher, a departing and final gift from her grandmother had become a talisman for her, the fine silver chain had not become tarnished over the last year and the amulet sat comfortably on her breastbone. She often found herself handling it during times of anxiety and it seemed to bring comfort. She laughed at herself for wearing lucky charms, talking to frogs and her grandma who had been dead for eighteen months, if Cassandra could see her now she wouldn't have to do anything other than to sign the commitment papers. Finally she was all packed, she carefully selected the fattest cricket dusted it in the calcium supplement, which made it glow like a powered wig and dropped it in the tank. Realm, the frog, had been sluggish up till now but he quickly darted forward and the cricket was gone in one gulp. "Time to go" she said blithely but not quite convincingly. She climbed into her four-wheel drive, that was another difference between her and the Cassandra set, they would never have dreamt of taking a practical car to the mountains, they relished driving their designer cars that had more gloss than a magazine and were as disposable as their low fat high energy dinners. Once she had settled herself into the car and opened the door for Kyle he melted into the seat beside her. This was a pattern, a tradition almost. He refused to open a car door for himself saying he had faerie blood and could not touch cold iron, she had laughed at him and gallantly opened the door while telling him he read too much fantasy, He had simply grinned hugely, crossed his eyes and stuck out his tongue and so the tradition had begun. She had not minded either then or now catering to his whim, he was so easy going and such good company that she would have been happy to cater to much worse foibles than not opening a car door for himself. She fingered the dream catcher absently, put the car in gear and slowly took off into the deepening twilight. The lights of the town faded as day became night and she relaxed in the easy camaraderie that characterised their friendship. They drove for nearly two hours when they saw the lights of the lodge in the distance; trust Cassandra to have a lodge at the most exclusive and inaccessible ski lodge and resort town there was, no mount Donna Buang with it's national parks and caravan/camping sites for her. The worst part was Anissa knew Cassandra would write off the cost of the weekend by claiming it was business. She half suspected Cassandra had invited her so she could add that air of legitimacy to the venture - well that and the prospect of getting Kyle in her clutches. She smiled into the darkness at the thought of Kyle becoming anyone's victim, supper or sweet confection unless he chose to comply. Kyle was the wide mouthed frog that smiled equally at everyone, kept his tongue between his teeth and was savvy enough not to become an unwary dinner for any predator. At the lodge the night came down in full bloom and the cosy warmth of the lights inside drew them in as a fly was drawn into the maw of a Venus Fly trap. As they entered the lodge the stifling warmth of the banked fire led them to remove their scarves and gloves. Cassandra in an attempt to fondle Kyle or perhaps be helpful rushed to assist him to remove his scarf and outer layers of clothing and he backed away in apprehension. Kyle smiled disarmingly at Cassandra and laughed with embarrassment but she was not fooled. Cassandra gave him a puzzled glance and mouthed the word "Gay" to her best friend Deirdre. Now there would be trouble, Cassandra could not understand and therefore could not tolerate a man not wanting a woman, particularly an attractive seductive woman like she was. The hunt was on, as surely as if French horns had sounded the call to arms. The hunt was afoot and Kyle was the prey. Anissa attempted to get to Kyle's side and found David, a man she had once had a crush on and now someone who was totally and completely in Cassandra's hip pocket, had manoeuvred her into the corner. He was not averse to a surreptitious grope as long as Cassandra did not see and Anissa found herself fending off unwanted fingers in places that she would have preferred nobody touched, least of all this slime ball. Her face flushed as she struggled to free herself from his vice like grip and assist Kyle who seemed to be having his own difficulties fending off the advances of Cassandra and Deirdre who had ganged up on him and cornered him. Perhaps they had planned this, Anissa thought to herself. Perhaps this had been their intention all along when she had been invited to the weekend party. Perhaps this was revenge for some unknown slight that Anissa had perpetrated on Cassandra. She did not care about the reason but she cared very much about Kyle, gentle, fragile, Kyle who had never hurt anyone. Although he knew how to avoid being ensnared this was nothing less than an ambush, a rout that looked as if he would be taken a prisoner without mercy. Anissa struggled vainly to reach Kyle and the silver chain of dream catcher caught around her throat and threatened to choke her. That damn dream catcher she thought to herself, if it had any power it would not be trying to assist my captor instead it would be helping me. Anissa payed to her grandmother a prayer of desperation that she did not expect to be answered but prayed anyway for she had no other hope. Just then Cassandra managed to get her talons into the arm of Kyle and he hissed in pain, as blisters arose on his skin around the bare wrist where their flesh had touched. The room spun then as she remembered, she remembered the desperation of the previous party, she remembered the crash, she remembered the stars, she remembered rescuing the froglike creature and most of all she remembered the wish to turn back time, which must have somehow come true. With a strength born of desperation she broke free from David and charged towards Kyle, Cassandra and Deirdre and then without thinking she dragged him with her into the cold night air and ran towards the Cherokee Jeep. She did not open the door for him and he did not seem to notice the cold iron as he piled into the car after her. Driving frantically she was half way down the mountain before she slowed and then stopped. She could still hear the malicious sound of Cassandra's laughter ringing in her ears long after there was any possible way the wind could have borne those sounds to her. Turning to Kyle she said angrily "I think explanations are in order. Don't you?" Here in the midst of my lonely abyss, a single joy I find...your presence in my mind. Unknown [This message has been edited by Kethry (05-06-2002 10:31 AM).] |
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| © Copyright 2002 Lynne Dale - All Rights Reserved | |||
Marsha
since 2000-07-10
Posts 7423Maidstone Kent England |
Keth darling sister of heart and keeper of my souls song, As always darling heart you write brilliantly, and with such divinely perfect phrasing and language usage. You’ve painted a wonderful picture here, each line a brushstroke bringing the painting to vibrant life as only YOU can do so. As I said outstandingly good. The flow of this is superb this is a write of awesome magnitude You are an amazing writer, and yes I am just a tad biased, but not a lot…… You really are superb you know. Excellent darling heart you know I love it of course  :loveya Love and warm stuff As always Mushy  To give light to them that sit in darkness..... to guide our feet into the way of peace Luke 2:79 |
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J. K. Mitchell Member
since 2002-01-12
Posts 311GA |
I'm curious as to what she wished for. Was it a friend? Or does that come later? "The only love there is, is the love we make."--Prince |
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