Spirit Unbound: Into the Dreaming

Chapter Four: The Forgotten night Continued

{Eliza's P.O.V: The forgotten night}

"Hey, hun, were you wanting Jim and I to drop you off back at your place on our way home?"

"No, it's fine. I'll call for an Uber. You guys go ahead and head home."

"Are you sure? Is it no big deal? It's on our way home. I promise Jim doesn't mind."

"Heather, I'm fine. I promise I live just a few mins away. If worst comes to worst, I end up walking my butt home. You get that man home and show him a good time." I chuckle "lord knows one of us should be getting some." We both started laughing at that point because let's face it. We both knew I had been having a bit of a dry spell in the love department these past couple of years.

Heather climbs into Jim's pickup and rolls down the window. "If you change your mind, you have my number. Even if we are already home, if your uber driver doesn't show or makes you feel even a little uncomfortable, we'll come back and take you home. Promise me you will call if you need me."

"Alright, mom, I promise if I need a ride home, I will call you," I smirk, looking at heather, who is now looking at me through squinted eyes.

"Hardy-Har-Har smartass, you're hilarious... you know that," she says sarcastically.

"Good night, Heather. I love you," I say with a cheesy grin on my face. "Alright, Jim, get that woman of yours home.", and with that, they were driving off with "I... Love... You, Call me..." Heather's voice came spilling from the window, trailing off as they were driving away.

"Love you too," I yelled as heather flung a hand out the window in a wave.

Once they had gone on their way, I decided to walk home as I lived less than a mile away from plazas. On my walk back to my apartment, I stopped to look at the old abandoned Chehalis theater. Sitting dark and empty with a closed sign adorning the windows.

Memories are flashing through my head of the good times I had with my family growing up. Sitting in the theater awaiting movies like "the lord of the rings." The concession ads are playing on the big screen while I anxiously wait for the lights to dim lower and lower. Until the only light in the theater is the light emanating from the big screen, as it played the newest upcoming movie trailers, those were some of the best times of my childhood. Some of the few good memories left of my past have long passed, bringing the inevitable transition into adulthood, where there is little room for childish things.

Snapping back into reality, I continue my trek back to my apartment. Reaching the front of the towering brick building, I'm greeted by a familiar face saying, "Hey there, darlin', it's a bit late, don't you think" with a light chuckle. Standing in front of me is Ron with a smile on his face, wisps of silver hair peeking out beneath a black messengers cap that frequently sits atop his head.

"Agreed, it's wayy past my bedtime" I smile. Giving him a brief hug before I turn for the door. "Well, I'm headed to bed; you don't stay up too late, ok." "Alright, darlin', you get some sleep, and I'll see you tomorrow," he replies as the door closes behind me. Entering the door code, I head in and grab my mail while I wait on the elevator to take me up to my apartment. The elevator door dings and I step in before hitting the button to bring me to the 6th floor, where my apartment is. The doors close, and the elevator begins its shaky climb as it always does. The doors open, and I begin to step out before realizing that I was stepping out onto the wrong floor. Looking back and forth, I come to the realization that no one was there... With a shrug, I step back into the elevator and continue on my way to my apartment.

Stepping out, I turn right, heading to the place I have for years now called home. Walking into my apartment, I shut the door behind me, locking it before taking off my shoes and laying down on the couch to watch some television winding down before bed. As I sat there, I found myself drifting further and further from consciousness. In a blink of an eye, I find myself standing in the old theater. Looking around, it's empty, and I decide I must be dreaming. I could leave, that I'm sure, but I find this serine feeling being here. I sit down and look up, wondering if the paintings on the ceiling are still present. They are. I sit there looking upon the images of Peter Pan, Wendy, and the boys flying amongst the clouds, remembering all the times that I would find myself enamored with the painted characters as a child waiting for the movie to begin.

The moment was interrupted as my gaze interlocked with a pair of beautiful grey-blue eyes. Standing in front of me was a gorgeous man, I assume, approximately 6ft tall with medium-length black hair; he kept swept to one side where it touched the cheekbones on his flawlessly sculpted face. He looked at me with slight confusion before asking, "what are you doing here?".

Turning my head back towards the ceiling, I can feel my cheeks becoming a bit flushed, thoughts running through my head.

Now I know it has been a while because my head is now manufacturing beautiful men to haunt my dreams...

I shrug, responding to my manufactured dream man.

"I don't know, Dreaming, I suppose."