Dreamers Awake ~ Book Two

nine.

That evening Quinn had something else he needed to do and so he didn't get off the bus with her. Liza fit the key in the door to find that it was already unlocked. Cautiously, she opened the door.
"Mom?"
"In here."
Relieved, Liza met her mother in the kitchen. Her face was drawn and tired looking.
"What's wrong?"
"It's your dad."
Alarmed, Liza sat down across from her mother.
"What?"
"I don't know all the details. General Advan wants us to meet with him."
"When?"
"As soon as we can get there."
After a lot of security clearance and several hallways, Liza, her mother and General Advan were seated around a small table.
"I'm glad you could come," the General began.
Leslie nodded.
"Of course. What's going on with my husband?"
"Your husband has given us many years of service. Years we can't give back; and he's more appreciated around here than you might know."
Tears glistened in Leslie's eyes. Liza sat on the edge of her chair, preparing for the worst.
"The problem is that, although we can keep him physically healthy and strong, we have no way of reinforcing his mental power. That ability comes from...something else. And as of yet, we haven't been able to figure out where it comes from so that we may disable the prisoner, or reinforce your husband."
"What does this mean?"
The General sighed heavily.
"This means your husband is losing this battle. He fights every day to keep this man prisoner in a way we can't even fathom, but all the prisoner has to do is out wait him. Every so often he tests the perimeters that your husband has set up, but other than that, while your husband works so hard to keep a tight lock down, the prisoner rests; waiting. We're uncertain how much longer he can hold out, and we need a solution. As it is, there are holes in his defenses. We fear that the prisoner has found them and has been able to enlist an outsider for help."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Not you. We were hoping..." He trailed off and looked at Liza. Liza looked at her mother.
"No! I won't allow it. That man took my husband; he won't take my daughter too."
"Mom, if I can help dad. Somehow, I'd like to try."
"Mrs. Aberdeen, I cannot stress to you enough just how dangerous this man is."
Leslie opened her mouth to react, but realized it was futile. Something had to be done. Looking at her daughter, she knew there was a possibility she'd be losing her soon. Her life would be completely wasted to this man. And there was no telling what he would subject her to. She could come out insane. Tears brimmed over in her eyes.
"Mom, just let me talk to dad. I won't stay, I promise."
Tears coursing down her face, Leslie nodded, her heart sinking beyond reach. Grimly, the General motioned to the man behind him and he left to prepare.
"You need to be debriefed before I allow you to enter your father's mind."
"But I've been there before; I know what it's like."
"Things have changed. It may not be what you remember."
Liza nodded and he opened a folder. He read off to her test results she didn't understand, but he was willing to explain them. It basically let her know that she'd be entering a possible battle ground that was more dangerous than the first time. The criminal had had years to gather strength. Her father was tired, and might not be able to protect her.
When they were all satisfied that she was as informed as she could be, they made their way to the chamber with the two beds in it. One of the beds held the criminal, the other, her father. Her heart tugged when she saw him again. He had told her not to come back, and she was about to disobey him. She hated that their meeting would be colored with that. She could only hope he'd forgive her.
The monitors beeped around her as she approached the bed with her father's body in it. She knew he wasn't there, but his body was her opening to the mind of the other man that her father held at bay. Another bed had been brought in for her. She laid down as the doctors hooked her up to her own beeping monitors. They promised her that they would bring her back if she showed distress. She knew that was an empty promise, you can't bring a dreamwalker back when they are being held by another dreamwalker. But she smiled at them anyway and nodded her head.
Taking one last look at her father, she closed her eyes and relaxed. Before long, her spirit shot out of her body, causing several monitors to beep wildly. She looked around a moment before approaching her father's body. Placing a hand on his cheek, she entered his mind with the usual tug.
Like before, there was only darkness with a purple tether attached to a nonexistent floor. She knew when she touched it, it would take her speeding to her father. This time though, she didn't plan on slamming into the wall her father had erected to keep the criminal out of his mind.
Timidly, she put her finger tips on the tether and immediately it picked her up, sending her into a black void. She didn't need to hang onto the tether, it held onto her. As the gray wall came into view, she prepared to let go. Just before slamming into the wall, she let the tether go and glided to a stop. The wall wasn't as she remembered it. There were thin spots where she could almost see through it. She ran her hands along the wall and felt tiny holes the size of a needle.
She wasn't certain why, but she didn't call out to her father to pull her in. Instead, she looked for a hole she could take advantage of. She knew if she could get in, the criminal could get out. It frightened her to see so many weaknesses. Suddenly, she began to panic. Was her father ok? She sped up her search and before long she came across a hole the size of an orange.
Pushing her hand through, she was able to compress herself enough to fit through the hole. Before long, she was standing in the area where she had seen her father before. Except this time, he wasn't there. It was dark, the only light coming from the glowing gray wall. Looking around, she saw an open door. Everything inside of her said not to go through it, but her father might be there, on the other side. Her love for her father overwhelmed any fear she felt and she pushed forward.
When she reached the door, she was stopped by an invisible barrier. It was soft to the touch, but didn't easily give. Finally able to push her hand through, she was startled to find that she couldn't see it on the other side. What looked to be a see-through substance, turned out to be something solid. It was one thing to go into the dark, but into nothingness? From her past experience with D.J., she knew things could be very strange and mind boggling. But her father might be there.
She surged forward, pushing her entire body through the barrier. On the other side the light was so bright, she had to squint to see. It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust, even though they were spirit eyes. The brightness was just more than her mind could process all at once. When she could finally see, she realized she was in a white room. There was nothing to tell her how big it was; she couldn't see corners or a ceiling. Even the floor was questionable. She turned around and saw that the barrier that had been there moments ago, was now gone. Where was she? And where was her father?
"Welcome to my world. I hope you enjoy your stay."
Liza turned toward the voice and came face to face with the criminal. Her heart thudded in her chest.
"Where's my father?"
He smiled. He looked so familiar to Liza. Beyond seeing him on the bed; something about him reminded her of someone or something. Did she know this man and not realize it?
"He's around. I regret to inform you that he will not be joining us today."
"What have you done with him?"
"Nothing. Well, a little something. See, I couldn't have him stopping you when you reached his barrier. His defenses are weakening, you see, and I am able to overpower him on occasion, when I desire to do so. And I desired it, when I felt your presence again."
He paused and Liza feared that he was going to tell her he killed her father.
"Don't worry, little one, your father is fine. Tired, but fine. He's been working really hard for a long time. No, I only blocked you from being able to see him as you quietly passed him by and pushed through his barrier into my side of the world."
Liza swallowed hard.
"He was there?" she asked faintly.
The criminal smiled again and nodded slowly. He took a step closer to her.
"Forget your tether?" A purple rope snaked up out of the floor and wrapped around Liza's neck before she could move. Much too late, she realized that she had been so distracted that she forgot to create a tether, linking her to her own body. He could keep her here without her tether. She seriously began to panic.
"Daddy!! Daddy help me!"
The criminal narrowed his eyes and smiled evilly at her.
"He can't hear you, love."
The tether tightened and Liza struggled for air. Liza whimpered. Think! How has Daddy lived so long in this monster's mind? A monster that kills people in their dreams. Liza's head began to pound as the lack of air closed in on her mind. Then it struck her. She's not breathing, she doesn't have lungs. She can't die unless she thinks she can! People die in their dreams because they don't know better. She's not dreaming, she's dreamwalking, and she has the power of her conscious mind.
Liza looked at the criminal, who was looking at her with glee. Suddenly, his face changed to one of confusion as Liza stepped away from the tether as if it weren't there. It continued to hold the same position, but without her in its noose.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm learning from my father. Unlike him, I haven't been battling you for over a decade. I'm not tired at all. I'm young and strong."
"This is my world, little girl. You can't win here. I make the rules."
The white room suddenly turned brown with boulders that rained down on Liza's head. Calmly, she stood, feeling none of it. Frustrated, he turned to intimidation. Growing in size to about nine feet tall, and donning spiked armor, swords grew from his hands. He lunged at her, slicing with the swords. What would have taken her head off, had she been unaware, only bored her.
"My turn."
Liza raised her arms, and turned the room into a swamp. The criminal began to sink in the stinking bog.
"What? You can't do this! This is my world!"
Shooting up out of the muck, he flew at Liza. Clearing her mind, Liza stood as he hurtled toward her. When he reached her, rather than being able to grasp her neck like he had intended, he only went through her and landed on the white floor behind her. She waved her arm, glaring at him.
"Door."
The door that had previously disappeared, reappeared again, allowing her to go through the barrier again. This time, she saw her father and jumped into his arms.
"Oh Daddy, I had to come back. I'm sorry, but it's important."
"You were amazing. I saw everything. You figured it out."
"You saw me? Daddy, he's a very dangerous man. And there's a problem"
He sighed deeply and nodded his head.
"I know. I'm growing weaker every day. You saw the holes. I can't keep them together anymore."
"What do we do?"
He shook his head.
"I don't know. Haven't they figured out how to turn this off yet?"
Liza looked sadly at her father.
"No, I suppose not."
"They want me to take your place."
Alarmed, he grabbed her shoulders.
"What?? No! Absolutely not!"
"But then you could be with Mom again. She misses you."
"And you don't think she'd miss you? I won't allow it."
"Daddy, you may not have a choice. This man can't be allowed to be loose in the world again. Is there anything you can tell me that we don't already know? Something that will help?"
"I've been noticing a presence that comes and goes. It's faint. Somebody is helping him. I've felt it working against me, making him stronger."
He sighed and sat down heavily on a chair that appeared and put his head in his hands. Running his fingers through his dark hair, he looked so tired.
"We have to find out who it is and stop them before it's too late."
"It may already be too late. He's so strong now."
Liza knelt and laid her head on his knee.
"We'll figure something out, Daddy, I promise. Somehow, he'll be gone and you'll be allowed to be alive again."
"I hate having to depend on my little girl to save my life and the lives of so many others she'll never meet. But I'm afraid I don't have a choice. You may truly be the only hope we have. Work with the General and help him figure something out. He's a good man and won't do anything to endanger you. Not unless he has to."
He ran his fingers through her hair.
"You've grown up so beautiful. I'm so sorry I've missed all these years."
"It's ok, Daddy, I understand."
"My beautiful daughter. It's time for you to go."
Liza nodded and stood, facing the gray wall.
"Soon, Daddy. I'll find a way. I promise."
She pushed through the gray wall and took the tether. Speeding to her father's body, she exited his mind and reentered her own body. Tears wetted her pillow as monitors beeped wildly.