Chapter Thirty-Two
Frederick Whitaker jerked awake that evening. He sat upright, staring at the wall for a minute listening to his weakening heart, and then he reached up and wiped the sweat from his face with the palm of his left hand. The dreams had started again and he knew that the children were in danger once again, but he was not sure whether he would be able to help them at his age and ailing health.
He cursed himself daily for not doing the right thing so many years ago when he was only seventeen years of age. There was no way that James Whitaker was of any relation to him. Frederick was more horrified by James’ hideous appearance than he was grateful to meet an old relative.
He had thus chosen to study dreams with the hopes of learning how to travel the way Orion does and once learned would teach others, who would then form an army and launch an attack. It might have worked, except several things happened in his life that disabled his visions: His studies took a lot longer than he had expected and then when he did graduate, it took a lot longer for a respectful hospital to hire him. And when Lungland hired him two years after graduation, he met another young doctor by the name of Charles Bolan who was more infatuated with the dream realm than he was and was thus put in charge of the Disrupted Dream Ward.
When he finally published several thesis articles for the Journal of Medicine, this pushed him ahead of that ass Bolan. But, when he stepped ahead of Bolan, this put him away from the patients and pretty much sealed any doors he needed between him and them.
And then comes Tracy Kingston. He found her file and from then on paid more visits to her during unawares. She was the one he needed – she, this young naïve girl, would be the leader of his army of dreamers. She would be the one to lead her army up against a timeless hell-beast and either live or die in an attempt to destroy him.
And then all hell breaks loose. The army is being slaughtered before they are even recruited and Orion is gaining the upper hand.
Oh, too much to think about. After he made sure that his heart had slowed to its normal rate, Frederick swung his legs over the side of the bed and lowered his head and let the tears flow from his eyes as he had done countless times in the past. Except, now, he made the decision to search out Tracy and Rick and beg them to let him be in their army; he knew that they could never escape the onslaught which was coming their way.
He would have to buy a passport and plane ticket, but other than that, he believed his meeting with the children would be quite pleasing when they all reached England – to where the hell began, the keep once ruled by King Darvon himself.
* * *
“Rick!”
Rick’s eyes sprang open and he turned his head and looked into the concerned face of Doctor Livesy. Rick had forgotten, in the first moment, that this was his time slot and day for his visit with his doctor. He had been seeing Doctor Livesy ever since he lost his hand in what he told the doctor “a bloody battle.”
“Oh, God, I’m sorry,” Rick replied and quickly sat up and noticed that he had fallen asleep in the doctors’ waiting room. He glanced over and saw that the two assistant’s, Julia and Barbara, were watching him with concern as well.
“It’s quite alright, Rick, but please, we need to get you some water,” said his doctor as he helped Rick to his feet while taking his hand. Sad case, really. Loses his hand somehow as a kid, won’t tell me how, though.
Rick nodded and followed his doctor into his office where he took his usual chair in front of the desk.
When he was younger, Rick took one of the two chairs closest to the door, he didn’t trust doctors anymore at that time, and had only recently changed to a chair closer to the doctor after gaining trust in the older man.
Once Doctor Livesy had given Rick a glass of water and Rick had finished it, “Thank you,” Rick said and handed the glass back to the doctor. “And, I am very sorry – and embarrassed to have fallen asleep in your waiting room.”
Livesy smiled and shook it off. “There’s been no harm done,” he said and placed the glass on his desk and he sat down in his own chair. “Just two shaken women, I should say,” he brought up and Rick threw him a confused expression.
“Why? What happened?” asked Rick. He had some idea; he just wanted to hear it said from an outsider’s point of view.
“Miss Julia ran to my office and said that it looked as if you were having a seizure or something – your arm,” he glanced down at the arm with the hand made in Taiwan, and then continued. “It was twitching violently and when I tried to awaken you, you began screaming profanity.”
Rick felt his forehead and cheeks turning hot with embarrassment and he shook his head. “I am so totally sorry – I didn’t know what I was doing,” he explained and Livesy shook it off as well.
“Once again, no harm was done,” he said and then placed his hands on his desk and folded them. “However, I would like to talk about what you were dreaming about then.” He looked into Rick’s eyes and saw them shift slightly and he knew then that it was his dreams once again.
His nightmares were what brought Rick to see him in the first place. And now, whatever dreams he had back then, they are now resurfacing. Soon after Rick lost his hand, he had been coming to see Livesy, claiming that he was having trouble sleeping because all he dreamt about was a sword fight which cost him his hand.
“How come you don’t think I had a seizure? Why do you think it was something I was dreaming about?” Rick asked and looked over to the window and watched the cars moving about in the parking lot.
Livesy never removed his eyes from Rick’s face. “Well, for beginners, because you’re avoiding me. And, second, I can give you the name and number for a great neurosurgeon if you want a second opinion,” he explained and saw that Rick did not remove his eyes from the parking lot.
If it weren’t for the dreams, he could easily have diagnosed Rick’s condition as just having a nervous breakdown which, ultimately, still looked like, but Livesy was cautious about what to talk about and what not to talk about. And, so, he chose to prescribe his favorite medicine. “You need to get away for a while,” he said at last.
This brought Rick back into the office. “What?” he asked and saw that his doctor was smiling. “Get away?” he repeated sarcastically. “I’ll be lucky to get away for an afternoon.” Rick shook his head and sighed as he rubbed his brown beard. “Besides, I’ve got a shit load of work to do; all those articles aren’t going to write themselves, you know.”
For the past five years Rick had been a freelance journalist writing stories and articles in almost any field. But here of late, he had been writing in the pop culture area centering on the lives of celebrities and television shows.
Livesy nodded and thought of something. “Doesn’t Oscar have some story overseas that he could send you on? I hear England is a hot spot when it comes to gossipy articles,” he suggested.
This time Rick shrugged and pulled out a phone from his jacket pocket. “Maybe,” he said, dialed a number and waited. “Hey, Oscar – it’s Rick. I was thinking about taking some time off. I was wondering if you had anything to report somewhere in England – maybe I could do work and a little sightseeing at the same time.” He waited for what felt like an eternity before he got his response. “Thanks, I owe you big,” he said and then turned off his phone.
Livesy smiled. “I guess he’s letting you go then?” he said and Rick nodded.
“Do you know any places that are supposed to be haunted?” Rick responded with a grin and placed the phone back into his pocket.
* * *
When Tracy snapped awake, she found herself lying on the floor in front of her couch. She stood up; she could not stop shaking. Her hands, arms and even her head were shaking so ferociously that she thought she might vomit if it had not been for the clock on the mantel saying that it was quarter ‘till three that same afternoon.
“Damn!” she exclaimed and sprinted over to the door and grabbed her purse hanging on the coat rack, pulling out her keys, and leaving the house to pick up Alex from school.
At the same time she closed the door, she reached over and pulled the stack of mail from the box next to the door and when she sat down in her car, tossed the mail in the passenger seat.
It wasn’t until she stopped at a stop light, that Tracy glanced down and took a once-over at what she had tossed in the seat next to her. There she saw a vacation pamphlet lying on top of the stack of bills and other junk mail. If it were any other day, Tracy may have just thrown this pamphlet away with the rest of the other mail that was of no significance. But, today proved to be a day full of surprises.
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Tracy reached over and picked up the literature detailing the beautiful landscapes of Ireland. Under normal circumstances, she would be a fool to even consider going; wars breaking out amongst the rebels and religious groups; however it seemed almost too ironic that she should go. It felt like she would find her past once she went there. It was only two weeks worth of memory loss, but she knew that something had happened during that time and Ireland would provide her with the answers.
Now, should I take Alex with me or leave her with Jack, she pondered and then the light turned green and she continued on her way to her daughters’ school. She had decided on leaving Alex with Jack so she could clear her mind and thoughts. That way, the two of them could receive the much needed father-daughter time alone. It made her sick to know how much she would miss Alex, but she knew that this was the right thing to do. She was, after all, beginning to understand things about her past and those are things that no one can know about. Not now, anyway.
And what about Rick? I’ll just have to contact him when I get back, she reflected, and then thought about the length of her vacation. She wasn’t even sure just how long she would take.
These thoughts brought her back to Jack. Deep down she knew that she loved him, but she was beginning to feel a loss somewhere in their love. Perhaps she had felt it long ago but just ignored it. They talked openly, but it felt as if their conversations were shallow with no meaning. There was an empty space in Tracy’s chest as she thought about this; surprisingly, she was not upset about it.
Dear God, how long have I had these thoughts? Maybe some separation would be good for us – absence makes the heart grow fonder, or so the saying goes.
And then she pulled her car into the loading zone of the school and saw that Mrs. Elks had waited with Alex until she arrived.
Tracy wound the passenger window down and leaned over in her seat. “Thanks a million, Patty. I owe you big for this,” she called out and Patty waved her hand and opened the back door for Alex.
“No bother. Tell Jack I said hello,” Patty replied with a smile as Alex sat down in the seat and buckled herself in.
Patty closed the door and Tracy drove off with one final thanks. “How was your day?”
Alex tossed her book bag in the seat to her left. “I think Tommy likes me,” she announced with a grin and Tracy nodded.
Tommy Carmichael had been on all the girls’ minds this year. It was only natural that Alex began thinking about this very eligible bachelor sometime before the final end of the school year, which was in less than two days. “Has he asked you to marry him yet?” Tracy inquired behind a grin while glancing at her daughter in the mirror.
Alex turned a beautiful hue of pink and shook her head. “No, Mommy. He’s only five and a half,” she replied which caused Tracy to burst out in laughter. No matter how old you get, every now and then children will say something to make you laugh out loud no matter how silly the conversation really is.
“Okay, okay,” Tracy agreed and raised her right hand. “Let’s wait until he’s at least, say, seven or eight,” she suggested with a mocking grin and her daughter giggled from the back seat.
“That’s a good idea, Mommy,” she said and grabbed her book bag and opened it. “We had to write a list on all the things we’re going to do this summer.” Alex reached in and pulled out a slightly crumpled piece of paper and she unfolded it as she rubbed it across her legs in an attempt to unfold the paper.
“Yeah? What’s on your list?” Tracy asked as she turned a corner.
Alex pretended to read from her list, but her eyes were focused on her mothers’ as she watched them in the mirror. “Well, I’m going to learn how to ride horses, go to Disney World, and go camping with you and Daddy,” she explained and Tracy found herself deliberately looking away from her daughter.
The rest of the drive home had been silent and when they entered their house, Tracy pointed to the couch. “We have to talk – take a seat,” she said and headed to the kitchen as Alex dropped her bag next to the couch and plopped down and instantly turned on the television.
Tracy opened the refrigerator and pulled out a can of soda for her and a cup of juice for Alex and placed them on the counter next to the fridge. She stopped what she was doing and found that she was trembling with anxiety. She was finding it difficult to decide what to tell her daughter about where her Daddy was and why. Of course she would have to leave out everything pertaining to Orion and that small part of her past which she is still trying to understand.
Drawing a deep sigh, Tracy turned around and grabbed the drinks and then headed back to the living room where she found Alex lost in some program on PBS. “You want this juice?” she asked and placed it down on the coffee table when Alex nodded and she sat down next to her daughter. “Hey, can I tell you something – you might not like it?”
Alex turned and looked at her mother and saw the concerned look. Tracy took a sip from her soda and cleared her throat. “Mommy has to go somewhere for a little while. And I have to go by myself,” she began and continued before Alex could ask or protest. “Daddy can still take you wherever you want to go – you just tell him I said so,” she smiled. So far, so good.
Alex sat up and put one leg under the other as she turned to face her. “Where you going, Mommy? And why can’t I go, too?” she asked behind pitiful brown eyes.
Tracy sighed. She knew Alex would ask these questions – now if she could just convince Jack. “Ireland. I’ve got some old family members who live there and Daddy would miss you too much if I took you with me.” Tracy knew that she would have to tell Jack the truth and tell him that she just needs to cleanse her mind before journeying into her past.
It wasn’t a very good lie, but Tracy did not want to tell her six year old daughter that she was beginning to have weird dreams about some guy named Orion; she thinks he did something bad to her when she was fifteen; and Ireland might have answers to her questions. Besides, it looked as if Alex bought the story for the time being.
Emily watched as her husband tossed several T-shirts into a suitcase. “England?” she asked and Rick nodded and shoved a rain jacket on the top of his already too-large stack of clothes. “Why? Isn’t this too spontaneous – even for journalism?”
Rick stopped and turned to his wife. “Maybe,” he said and then went back to packing a second suitcase. “Oscar says that I’ll be back in a week – two at latest,” he explained and placed a pair of hiking boots into the case; he knew that the atmosphere there was damper than in Ohio.
“What kind of stories are out there, anyhow?” Emily brought up as she felt the battle was lost and began helping Rick pack.
“It’s said to be the most haunted place in the world, so naturally Oscar wanted to do a story for summertime reading,” Rick replied and when he saw that his second case was full, reached over to the dresser and tossed in a replica of the crucified Jesus onto the top of the pile.
Emily watched without a sound; she wasn’t sure if she should be frightened or not that he chose to take the crucifix with him – he never was very religious before. Did he fear the folktale haunts or did he fear something else – like the plane ride there? Either way, she didn’t question him.
Once the packing was complete, they exited the bedroom and he dropped the suitcases by the front door. He turned and walked over to the entertainment center and picked up his cell phone from next to a speaker on the top. Glancing down, making sure that it was fully charged, Rick then walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.
All this time, Emily watched without saying a word – this seemed too weird to her; she never knew of Oscar sending Rick out on any assignment without talking to him at least a week in advance. The fact that Rick avoided her eyes also made her worry and caution what she said.
She had to pry a little – she had married into his profession and was pretty content now for the last five years. “Can I at least call Oscar and ask him if you can have one more night at home?”
There was something odd now in her voice, but Rick shook his head nonetheless and turned toward her with an apple in his hand. “No. He’s already pissed that he had to pay for the flight,” he answered and he could have sworn that Emily turned white in the face. “You okay?” he asked and walked over to her after putting the apple on the counter.
Emily nodded, although he could see that she was tremulous, and she put her hands up on his chest as he approached her. “Yeah, I’ll be alright,” she whispered and then patted his chest and cleared her throat. “You better get going if you want to make your flight,” she suggested and he glanced down at his watch.
“Shit,” he exclaimed with wide eyes when he saw that he had thirty minutes to get to the airport. He sprinted to the door, grabbing his jacket from the couch on his way, and stopped when he reached it. “You sure you’re okay?” he asked when Emily met her husband.
Emily smiled with a single tear in her eye and she reached up to embrace him. “Just come back to me safely,” she whispered in his ear.
“Go. You’re going to be late,” she said and opened the door and almost had to shove him out of the house. “I love you – be safe.” She kissed his lips quickly and as he turned to leave, “Call me to let me know you’re there,” she concluded and watched her husband get into the car and drive off toward the airport.
“Ireland?” Jack repeated as he sat on the couch later that night. It was nine-thirty that night and so Alex was already in bed and out of hearing range. “What the hell’s in Ireland?” he asked. He almost had had enough of her this afternoon, but now it almost seems like she has totally cracked.
“Relaxation,” she answered and put a suitcase down on the floor behind the couch. “I’m beginning to remember things, Jack,” Tracy began and he nodded and told her that that was great news. “Yeah, but now that I’ve opened up the door to my past, another one’s closed and locked.”
He threw her a quizzical expression and she smiled and sat down next to him. “You told me to let you know when I can explain everything to you,” she recalled and he nodded. “I can tell you that I was in a psychiatric hospital at the same time that Rick Hopman was – who he was, I’m still fuzzy on that. How long I was there and why I was there, I’m still in the dark. But I can tell you this much,” Tracy explained as she looked her husband straight in his eyes. “Bad things happened back then – evil things – and I’m still trying to figure out why they happened. That’s why I’m going to Ireland.”
Jack’s quizzical expression never faltered. “I’m still lost,” he said and sat straight up. “Okay, I understand that a lot of bad shit happened when you were fifteen or sixteen, but this doesn’t explain to me why you have to go to Ireland – leaving Alex behind, might I remind you.” He really didn’t mean to play dirty, but if this is the only way for her to see reality; perhaps Herb had been more accurate when he told Jack that Tracy was “messed up in the head, proven by doctors,” on their wedding day.
“Something tells me deep in my gut that Ireland is where it all began – I can’t answer you any other way. And if I don’t go, without learning the horrors of my past, then I’m sure to go mad – I don’t think that’s sane to do for Alex,” she replied, taking the low blow just as easily as a minor insult. Tracy stood up before Jack could counter.
“I’ve already said good-bye to Alex,” she paused as they approached the front door. “Take her to New York with you – let her meet your publisher. I think that would be great for you two.” She didn’t want to say any more – the heart ache was already too much for her to bear – and she opened the door and left Jack alone.
* * *
The people walked back and forth without taking any notice of him. To them, Frederick was just another trapped soul waiting for his transfer flight like many other souls. He sat in a yellow chair with a cup of coffee sitting on the little table attached to the chair.
Something wasn’t right. No – everything was too right. He had the feeling that one of the children was going to Ireland and the other to England. It made perfect sense. King Darvon ruled the land known later as England and his enemy, the Royal Family Grendel, ruled the land of Ireland.
Tracy, innocent at heart, would surely have gone to Ireland. Rick, whose soul was bent on revenge, would follow Frederick to England. He smiled to himself and he leaned back in his hard chair. Does Orion wish Tracy to fight Rick? And then he shook his head. No; the bond between the children will never break.