Online Life

Chapter 8 - Venice Beach

Claire turned toward her bed after Lisa closed the door.  Her life was turning around, she thought.  Ashton was taking her to Venice beach tomorrow, Lisa apologized and it seemed from the heart and Trojan... well Trojan was now going to be a distant past, now that he was deleted.  She was going to have a real life now, with a real guy, not just a username.  Even if it was only for the next two days.  Hell...  Claire laughed to herself, if all she got was these next two days, it beat the fifteen years she had spent alone.  Actually...make that sixteen years, considering that her birthday was now only a week away.

As Claire made her way to the side of the bed to get a pair of pyjamas from the drawer, she noticed the fallen laptop on the floor.  Bending down she reached and picked it up, setting it on the night stand.  As she straightened it into position, she noticed that the video "ON" light was displayed.  Strange.  Claire thought and tapped her monitor.  She moved the monitor around, hit some keys she thought that maybe would switch it off, but nothing.  The video was still on...  Claire flipped the monitor down and thought that the crash to the floor must have messed up her laptop.  Just what she needed now she thought.  Having to spend money on fixing her laptop or worse, replacing it.  That would have to wait though until she was home.  It didn't concern her much now though, considering that she wouldn't be talking to Trojan any longer, and she did have her tablet she could use

Slipping her pyjamas on quickly.  She wanted to get to bed.  This day was long and one that she would sooner forget and leave in the past.  Pulling the blankets back and sliding under the soft silk sheets felt like heaven.  The moonlight streamed through her window and the boat rocked gently to the rhythm of the ocean waves.  Claire curled into her pillow and her heavy eyes slowly fluttered closed as she entered a deep enveloping sleep.

The smoke was thick.  There was no beginning and no end.  It was all around and there was no escape.  A rising flame flickered through the billowing smoke that was entrapping Claire where she lay.  She couldn't move.  She tried.  She tried hard but it was no use.  She needed to get out.  The smoke was filling her lungs now and the suffocation was dooming her.  Now her eyes were closing.  She couldn't open them if she tried.  Open your eyes and get out!  Open your eyes!  Open your eyes! she was yelling at herself.  Think Claire, think!  This can't be real, it must be a dream.  But her eyes wouldn't open and her body wouldn't move and now her head was aching.  What was going on!  Open your eyes dammit!

Claire's eyes flew open and she gasped for air, as she looked around for the smoke that she needed to escape.  Nothing.  No smoke.  No fire and she was able to flex her arm under the sheets.  Sheets, she felt the soft sheets and looked around as she was greeted with morning rays filtering through the window.  Yes, she was able to bring herself out of the dream, she thought, still breathing heavily and thankful it wasn't smoke that filled her lungs.  These dreams were getting worse, Claire thought.  Recently she had been having bad dreams and the only good one was of Ashton on the island.  She didn't like having these bad dreams but was sure that they would stop, now that her life was settling down.