LUCID

LUCID Part 9

"Take me down by the river..." The woman sang. "Just like we did last year..."

Yup. I thought. She's definitely singing to me.

Finishing her song, the woman smiled and left the stage as every man in the room stood and applauded.

Myself included.

Turning my attention back to my drink, the waiter brought me a folded piece of paper, placed it on the table and left. Opening the note, I read it to myself.

I'm waiting for you backstage. XOXOXO

Finishing my drink in a single gulp, I stood and made my way through the tables toward the backstage door.

Opening the unlocked door, I entered and closed it behind me. After entering the lone dressing room with a large star on it, I began smiling as I found the singer standing in the center of the room, obviously waiting for me.

I ceased smiling as she slapped me hard across the face.

"Ouch!"

"Nash! You're in my dream again!" The woman shouted. "Snap out of it. I know I look different again, but it's me! Your damn drugs didn't work! We're both in the Dreamlands!"

I instantly came to my senses. "Kenzie? You pulled me into your dreams again! Damnit! I thought we couldn't dream with those drugs!"

"Well, you thought wrong." Kenzie angrily retorted. "Now what?"

"Let's wake up." I said, proud of myself.

"Oh." Kenzie retorted sarcastically. "Why didn't I think of that?"

"You've tried that before?" I asked.

This time, I caught Kenzie's hand before she slapped me a second time. "Nash! You promised me this wouldn't happen!"

I never promised. I thought.

Before I could reply, a mountain of a man entered through the dressing room door. "Look, doll face.... Mister Big says he don't want no private dicks snooping around his place. Especially this one."

"Vanish." Kenzie stated angrily an instant before the enormous thug-for-hire disappeared.

"Why did we show up back in this old noir private detective dream again?" I asked. "Is this still my dream?"

"No." Kenzie said, still angry at me. "I thought this was as good a place as any to hide from the Great. Once you dozed off, I pulled you in with me. I couldn't contact you out there, in the audience, because some of those customers might be real people, lucid dreaming or worse, spies for the Great."

"And the Great hasn't found you yet." I stated. "That's a good sign. You've been asleep for over an hour in the real world already. Have you ever lasted this long before? I mean, before the Great found you? Maybe that Randy fool is the Great and we woke him when we broke into his house tonight? I mean, over an hour is a long time, right?"

Kenzie's emotions immediately turned from angry to upset as tears welled up in her eyes. "Oh, Nash. I'm so scared. You have no idea what he does to me here."

I took Kenzie into my arms as she cried and shivered, vowing silently to stop this Great, whether he be the real-life Randolph Carter or not.

As Kenzie wept, I thought about the "rules", for lack of a better term, in the Dreamlands. First, both Kenzie and the Great could manipulate the environment, and I couldn't. Maybe I didn't sign the book so I can't control the dreams? Second, the Great could manipulate Kenzie's body, like tying her up, but neither Kenzie nor the Great ever tried to do that to me. Maybe they couldn't. I mean, if the Great could control me, he would have already. I'm a threat. All the Great's ever done is talk to me and affect the environment around me to include taking my guns.

I had to ask Kenzie to try something, despite her emotional state. "Kenzie, I'm sorry this is so upsetting, but can you force me to do things, physically do things against my will, like touching my toes in your dream?"

"Why?" Kenzie asked.

"Can you?"

"I don't know." Kenzie answered. "Why would I even try?"

"Try now. I don't think the Great can control you or me and I can use that to our advantage." I explained.

Kenzie stared at me for several seconds before speaking. "Touch your toes." When I didn't move, Kenzie continued. "Slap yourself for being an inconsiderate jerk who obtains worthless drugs." Again, I didn't move.

"Well?" I asked.

"But the Great has more power than I do." Kenzie countered.

"No." I explained. "I don't think so. I think he has power over your environment because you voluntarily agreed to be in his dreams, even though he tricked you, by signing that damn book."

"Then what's the answer?" Kenzie asked, wiping the last tears out of her eyes.

"Can you bring us back to the University?" I asked. "Looks like the Great isn't here in the Dreamlands, at least for now. And I really want to finish reading that spellbook for a clue or for a way out of this mess. Like last time, there shouldn't be anyone there this time of night."

"Library." In the way of an answer, Kenzie instantly transported us to the Miskatonic Library. She also changed her clothes from her singing dress back to the evening gown she wore last time we visited the Dreamlands and her dream mansion. Checking, I also realized she let me keep my private eye costume, complete with the .45 pistol under my left arm.

"Good girl." I praised Kenzie, smiling and kissing her on the forehead.

In response, Kenzie grabbed my head and kissed me hard on the lips. "Hey." I mildly protested after kissing her back.

"Hey, nothing." The smiling woman replied. "This is my dream, after all."

Standing in the middle of the University library, I instantly came up with a witty response. However, I never said it as dozens of hideous creatures, straight out of the worst nightmares ever dreamed by man, surrounded us!

"What the hell!" I shouted, drawing the pistol from my shoulder holster and shoving Kenzie behind me.

"Nash!" Kenzie screamed. "The Great must've left this place guarded!"

As the monsters advanced on us, I couldn't help but angrily think Kenzie could've told me this was a possibility before bringing us here.