Outsider - On Hold

Chapter 2: Psychological spaceships can only reach heaven on Weekends

Chapter 2 - Psychological spaceships can only reach heaven on Weekends

The next couple of days were a bit uncanny. I couldn't talk to my mum about what I saw in my dream without telling her the whole deal with my strange mind. It wasn't the same in the dream now I knew Uncle Bailey was a resident. He died and now he was a resident in my dream. Maybe it wasn't such a good thing to wish to be a resident after all because maybe that meant dying, and I couldn't leave my mum. My dream world seemed dangerous now and every night I visited I was weary of all the residents. If they were dead, then why couldn't they tell any outsiders? Why did they keep to themselves and only engage in conversation with other dead people? So many questions, and so many days I had to spend dwelling on them by myself.

"What's the matter? Why aren't you talking?" Ed whispered as we sat on the ledge by the waterfall. My mind was elsewhere. All this Uncle Bailey business was ruining my time with him. It was ruining the beautiful place I spent every night. I needed to speak to him. I needed to get answers from him.

"Bailey's dead"

"Maybe he faked his death, to become a resident?" Ed came closer and put his arm around me. I know he was only trying to settle my mind, but Bailey faking his own death? That's definitely not the answer.

"Or, when people die, they automatically become residents" I said. I brushed my fringe out of my eyes and gazed at the dark blue lagoon underneath us. I would lift the mood by jumping in, but I couldn't get over how eccentric this situation was. Ed didn't say anything, but he looked at me with his beautiful blue eyes.

He smiled and rubbed my shoulder.

"So what if they are dead?" He said finally "Don't you think it's nice that people go somewhere when they die?  I know I do. It's better knowing that you have a place like this to go to after you pass away because when it is your time to go, you'll be less afraid" he looked out to the waterfall again, smiling to himself. He was right. I loved the idea that this place was heaven. His words lifted the mood, and I felt the energy to jump into the pool beneath us. As I emerged, still recovering from the coldness, Ed was gone. I waited for a second in case he had jumped in and not come up yet.

"Ed" I shouted after about 30 seconds. I plunged my head into the water and looked for him, but my eyes stung after about 5 seconds and so I had to come back up. "Ed!!" I shouted again.

Before I could do anything else, something grabbed hold of my leg and pulled me under the water's surface. I kicked at it frantically and struggled to hold my breath in. A hand pulled me round and when I opened my eyes I saw Ed's face. He was smiling, but I was too out of breath to smile back. I broke the surface of the water and took in a huge gulp of air.

"Hey, hey, chill out" Ed said, as he emerged.

"You nearly just drowned me"

"You can't drown in a dream, Lori" He said and swam back into the water. I paused for a second and then dipped my head below the water's surface. I felt my heart racing in my chest and I held my breath for about 10 seconds before opening my mouth and breathing.

It was like nothing I'd ever felt before. I was underwater, but yet I was breathing. I saw Ed in the distance swimming in circles over a cave entrance. He eyed me and beckoned for me to swim over. A school of brightly coloured fish circled my floating body and brushed against my skin. They felt smooth and I stroked their scales as they swum past and through the lovely sea flowers on the lagoon bed. I swam to Ed who was waiting for me.

He smiled as I approached and pulled my hands into the cave. It wasn't dark like I thought it would be, and it was very warm and peaceful. There was nowhere on earth I would rather be. Ed pulled me towards him, so close my heart starting to beat hard in my chest. He mouthed something to me that I couldn't quite understand. I gave him a confused look so he pulled me out of the cave and pointed up to the surface. We floated to the top.