Lamia's Dream

Final Chapter

I got the car back to Malik’s house, just as he was waking up.  I mentioned I used it to go home to pick up something.  He shrugged and said whatever. 

I fell asleep in each of my first three class periods that day.  A power nap during lunch helped me get through the rest.  When Jack and Phil asked me why I was so tired, I said I was out late with Valerie.  They asked whether we were back together again.  I answered, more or less. 

Samantha and Alexandra had received an “I’m safe now” text from Valerie during the school day.  I filled Samantha in on what happened in fourth period.  She was upset that she wasn’t able to join in the fight, but accepted my excuse about the man in the suit breaking my phone.  My aunt wasn’t so accepting and said I would have to buy another one with my allowance money. 

Eventually, the school day ended.  Once home, I headed straight for bed.

As she promised, Valerie and I met up on Saturday.  We were invited by Phil to join him and Becca for a dinner and movie night at Phil’s house.  Valerie picked me up around 6.

"And, on top of that, sometimes I imagine that I'm Icarus.  You know, the one from Greek mythology.  I fly out of my dungeon of negative feelings and my lousy life."

"Doesn’t he fly too close to the sun and die?"

"Yeah, well, I never said it was a perfect metaphor for my life.  It's better than being a Phoenix.  Then I'd have to let all the negative stuff consume me and then get born again.  Not sure how I'd pull that off."

Valerie laughed.  "Ok, Icarus.  So, you think of your life as a dungeon, hence that one dream you had. What's this dangerous sun you're supposed to avoid?"

I shrugged.  “I dunno.  I think of being with you as flying.  So, I guess the sun would be trying to make our relationship perfect.  So many people waste their time chasing after the perfect.  I won't.  Instead I'll be grateful for all the small things in our relationship.”

“I’m guilty of chasing perfection as well.  I shouldn’t have pushed you about your parents like that.  It just bothered me that you were struggling with something and you didn’t want to share it with me.  I thought if you really loved me, you’d be willing to share everything.  But part of love is trusting.”

I was 17 years old.  I didn't really know what love was.  I didn't know if it's willingness to sacrifice, purely emotional, or just trusting your partner.  Whatever it was, I knew that in my screwed up teenage life, my feelings for Valerie were the only thing that sustained me.

She was a living reverie and my sweetest fantasy.  The playful seductress I was enamored with.

I took Valerie’s free hand in mine.  “We’ll do better this time.”

Valerie flashed her generous smile.  “We will.”

After a few minutes, I brought up the other topic on my mind.  “So what are your foster parents going to do about the Hunter?”

“Not kill him, if that’s what you’re getting at.”

“Oook…” I replied, still wanting more details.

“The plan is to make him disappear.”

“And how are you going to do that?”

“We’re resourceful enough to get me all the documents I need to attend school and human foster parents.  We can make this guy disappear.” 

I frowned, still unsatisfied with the answer.  “How do we know he won’t come back?”

“We don’t.  Just like with Lynn.  The only way to know for certain would be to kill them.  Instead, we’re taking it on good faith that they will accept their defeat and stay out of our lives forever.”

My frown sunk deeper.

“And know that, if they do return, we’ll just have to beat them again.”

That would suffice.  We had to fight Lynn without Valerie and Valerie took on the Hunter by herself.  If we just stuck together, we’d make it through. 

We arrived at Phil’s.  Valerie turned her car off.

“And now it’s my turn for a full confession.”

I adjusted myself in the seat of her MINI Cooper.

“Let me tell you about an idea called Lamia’s Dream…”

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Ugh, I hate this ending. Don't worry, I'm re-writing in the new version.  There'll be several changes, including chapters with alternating perspectives (Miles for odd numbered chapters and Valerie for even numbered chapters).

Because this version tells you NOTHING about Lamia's Dream, feel free to ask any question in the comments section and I will answer it.

Thanks for reading.