But A Dream

CHAPTER 40 - 43

CHAPTER 40 - Andie

I grab a new section of skin and squeeze it between my nails until my eyes water. Still nothing. Whoever came up with the "pinch yourself awake" idea clearly has never been awakened in Dream before. I've been trying to wake myself up ever since I was thrown in the back seat of the car five minutes ago. Unless I can wake up, I'm absolutely useless to Devin right now.

Oh, Devin, how could I have failed you so completely? I mean, I knew there was a pretty high likelihood that the Interpreters were going to capture me, but I at least hoped I would be able to warn you first. But now here I am, in the back of an Interpreter car, with no means to warn you, and no way to wake myself up.

How ironic is it that I spent all this time worrying about falling asleep midday, that I never even considered how I would get back to reality later on? I'd smack myself if I wasn't handcuffed. My hands must be coated in little red welts from all my failed attempts to pinch myself awake. This is hopeless.

I think back to the time my parents had to shake me awake when I didn't set an alarm and how Devin worried that without an alarm that I could potentially be trapped in Dream forever. And of course I didn't set an alarm on my phone because I was a little preoccupied with the idea of Devin's imminent death. Oh, but the irony doesn't stop there because smart me had to find a safe place to sleep, so I'm tucked hidden away between the auditorium seats. So, I think it's pretty safe to assume no one is going to happen upon my hidden, sleeping body any time soon, which means I have to rely on myself to figure out a way to wake up from this side of the veil. So, what does it take to wake up here? Maybe I should try to empty my mind like when I fall asleep.

Just as I'm about to close my eyes and let go of all my thoughts the car comes to a sudden stop. The Nightmare Interpreter who was driving the car gets out and opens my door. I only have a moment to admire the black and white building in front of me before the bodies of ten Interpreters surround me and cut off most of the view. I'm hustled up black and white marble stairs, past twisting columns, through a set of double doors and across an expansive lobby into a glass door directly opposite the main doors at a point where the black and white marble floor meets. I glimpse the name "Interpretation" on the door before it's thrown open.

On the other side of the glass door is absolute chaos. The room is a maze of some thirty cubicles and every last one of them is alive with activity. Many people quickly weave their way through narrow aisles between desks with papers fluttering in their arms. Several people are yelling instructions at others on the other side of the room. Once our group enters the office, everyone turns and falls silent when they see me. I guess I can't really blame them. Devin said the one rule he really had to follow was to not awaken a Sleeper and yet, here I am.

The group surrounding me leads me through the maze of cubicles to a back wall where an elevator is tucked away in a corner. We all squeeze into the elevator and it slowly begins to ascend. At the top of the elevator is a narrow hallway lined with doors. I'm escorted into the second door on the left. Inside, the room is small and square with barely enough room for a single circular black metal table and three white chairs. On the opposite side of the wall is an impressive window that nearly reaches from floor to ceiling. Outside the window is a view of the Hollywood Hills framed by a golden yellow sky. I would guess that I'm probably fifteen, or maybe twenty stories up. One of the adjacent walls holds a mirror, no doubt a two way one. The other wall is a blank shade of gray. The door to the room shuts and finally I am left alone.

I immediately cross the room and sit in one of the white chairs. I lay my head against the cool metal table and try to get as comfortable as possible with my hands handcuffed. Okay time to let go. I've only been asleep for a little while, so there's plenty of time to help Devin.