Sign of the Sandman by Tom Turner

Author:Tom Turner [Turner, Tom]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Dream, Dreamspawn, New York, Dreamscape, Nightmare
ISBN: 9781938155123
Publisher: The Magic Factory
Published: 2014-10-01T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

PICTURE PERFECT

“We did it!” said Charlie as he and Remi helped a soaking wet Plug out of a lake and to his feet. “We actually moved through the dreams.”

Charlie’s senses were still buzzing from the trip. It had been a feeling of instantaneous movement, like falling through a cloud of colors, images, and sounds, all mixing to complete a picture, this time of a peaceful lake in the foothills of a magnificent mountain range. It seemed to be early autumn, because the trees popped with color, and the smell of cinnamon and cedar filled Charlie’s nose. There was a slight nip in the air, intensified by the fact that he was drenched to the bone. They had entered the dream by way of the lake, shooting up through its surface at least fifteen feet into the air. On the way back down, Charlie had watched the portal snap shut, gone as quickly as Maryanne DePalma’s daydream had ended.

“The dreams must all be connected,” he said.

“It’s how the Sandman moves across the Dreamscape,” replied Remi, excitedly. “He moves between dreams. Like you just did.”

“My boy got skills!” boasted Plug.

He went to wring out his shirt, but it was completely dry. So were his pants, shoes, and hair for that matter. Everything.

“That’s weird,” he said. “I’m not wet anymore.”

“Me either,” said Charlie. “I guess being in a dream has some advantages.”

Charlie gazed through the trees, spotting the sun for the first time in what felt like days. It hung high in a crisp blue sky, warming his face. Rolling hills of dense forest swayed in the distance, and the babble of a gentle brook whispered past his feet.

“Is this what your world is like?” Remi asked.

“Part of it,” replied Charlie.

“It’s so beautiful.”

So was she, he thought. The wind moved through her hair, and the bright sun seemed to intensify the gold in her eyes. Charlie even lost himself in the line of her upper lip, which curved to form a perfect Cupid’s bow.

“I think I just burped up some lake water,” said Plug, killing the moment. “And I keep waiting for the trees to disappear. You don’t think this is another daydream, do you?”

“I don’t think so,” answered Charlie. “This one feels different. It feels… safer.”

“Feels? You can feel it?” asked Plug, studying Charlie as if he had just grown a third eye.

Charlie nodded. “Doesn’t it feel different to you?”

“Dude, I just jumped through a mirror and belly-flopped into a lake. This all feels different to me.”

“It’s peaceful. Like a vacation spot.”

“Yeah,” snorted Plug, raising a skeptical brow. “Until the person wakes up to take a leak. Then it’s off to the races again.” Plug shouted into the heavens. “Hey! If you can hear me! Don’t wake up!” Then he put his arm around Charlie and pulled him close. “Now that we have a minute, I just want to clear up that whole me-not-kissing-a-girl thing.”

Charlie laughed.

“Seriously. I was kidding,” Plug continued. “You know I make stuff up when I’m hungry.” His stomach growled, and he checked his watch.

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