Alysia had always thought that people woke up once they realized they were in dreams. That they startled into the real world with a "Huh. Fascinating. I've never met a flying person before, I wonder why I saw one..."
But obviously that wasn't true, because here she was, sitting right next to Ellen on the rocks, knowing that she was asleep. And yet she wasn't waking up.
But that didn't matter. What mattered was that this was the most realistic dream Alysia had ever had, and she was going to make the most of it.
"I'm twelve." Alysia said brightly as a conversation starter, because the Drowned Girl didn't seem very chatty. "But my birthday is in three days. How old are you?"
"I was thirteen when I died." Ellen said stiffly.
"So we're close in age!" Alysia grinned. "That's cool."
Ellen shot her the same kind of look her Mom gave her when she really, really wanted Alysia to just shut up.
"Sorry." Alysia subsided. "I'll stop now. What do you want to talk about?"
Ellen placed her hand on Alysia's. Her fingers were still icy. "The river." She said abruptly.
"Ooooooooooooh." Alysia's eyes widened. "Is that a ghostly rule? You can only talk about your death?"
"What? No!" Ellen looked surprised. "I just want to talk about the river, is all. Can you swim?"
"Yes." Alysia said hesitantly, recalling her disastrous lessons. "Kinda."
Ellen went silent.
"Oh, sorry!" Alysia said again. "Was that offensive? My saying yes?"
"No." Ellen didn't elaborate.
"Sorry!" Alysia chirped again just to fill the awkward silence.
Her companion sighed. Then:
"I....can we do something?" Ellen asked the last thing Alysia would have expected. "I haven't had much company, and it sounds fun."
Something stirred in those impenetrable eyes of hers, and Alysia stifled a shiver. Ellen wasn't hiding anything. Of course not. Ellen was from her own imagination, and, after all, just a dream conjured by her subconscious. So instead of showing her fear, Alysia pasted on what she hoped would be an understanding smile. "Of course. Where to?"
"We could go swimming." Ellen suggested.
"Wouldn't that be..." Alysia searched for the right word, not sure why she was making an excuse.. "Traumatizing? For you, I mean. Plus I don't have a swimsuit."
Ellen seemed to shake herself a little. "You're right," She said, and Alysia couldn't quite get a read on her. "Maybe the Ice Cream Shoppe, then?"
"Okay." Alysia agreed. "The one on Fifth?"
"Yes, that one." Ellen confirmed, standing. "So?"
Alysia grinned widely. She didn't need Kathryn any longer, not when she had dream-girl Ellen to keep her company. "I'm down with that."
YOU ARE READING
Water's Edge ✔️
Paranormal"Don't go near the water." Thirty years ago, teenager Ellen Harper fell prey to the roiling rapids of her town's only river. And yet still she roams the sight of her passing, neither dead nor alive. "Don't listen to the whispers." Played off as a t...
