| General Fiction posted March 10, 2014 | Chapters: |
...13 14 -15- 16... 
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Christine and Johnny are caught spying and taken to camp.
A chapter in the book Yosemite
Hospitality & Dreams
by michaelcahill
NOTE DREAM REVISION IN STORY
| Background Campers are stuck in Yosemite trying to survive a catastrophe. |
In the previous installment Christine finished telling the details of her dream about the Security Council. Johnny and Christine discussed the fact that they had been having the same dream about things they knew nothing about. They decided to venture out of camp and came upon a couple of hunters that they decided to follow. They were surprised to find that they had been followed as well and were soon caught and frozen in their tracks. We carry on with their reaction to being caught in the act of spying.
"Where you folks a headin' all quiet like? If'n ya's lookin' for somethin' to eat, we's got plenty. Y'all don't have to sneak it out."
We froze. I had my hand on the Glock and I know that Christine had her hand on her hunting knife, ready to strike.
"I wouldn't be a doin' whatcha yer thinkin' bout'. Y'all think yer fallerin' us see, but we's a falerrin' you."
"We're just curious to see who are neighbors are. You scared us sneaking up in the dark. There's some scary people out there. We don't mean any harm." Christine sounded like a sweet little girl with that pretty voice of hers.
"Well then, why don't y'all come with me then. It's turnin' cold at night. We's got a fire goin' and you can see watch ya were fixin to see in the first place."
It didn't sound like an invitation that would be wise to refuse, so we followed him down to his campsite. I followed along a bit in a daze and then I caught Christine's eye. She was still in stealth mode. Pure predatory cat-like tension in every limb accented her every step. Her posture put me back at alert. I had to be ready I realized. I had to be ready for…anything. We arrived at their campsite to very little notice. The lady that had dressed down the two hunters stood to greet us.
"I'm Dora Lee; they all call me Ma here. I spect they call me other things behind my back." She extended her hand.
Christine extended hers, gave her a firm shake, and announced, "I'm Christine."
"I'm Johnny." I gave her a firm handshake making sure not to let up too much and appear weak.
"Johnny, huh?" She looked me over. "Lester, get out the big pot, he's ready to boil right now." She looked deadpan right in my eyes.
If death had left the world of concepts and become human then it was standing right in front of me. My hand nervously patted the pocket that contained my Glock. I could feel the mane on Christine's back go up even though she didn't have one.
Dora Lee went from looking like the taker of souls to the silliest looking hillbilly gal in an instant and burst out laughing. "Jesus Lord in a hot tub, I wish I had a camera. The look on your face." She started losing her balance she was laughing so hard. "You done seen too many movies Johnny. Besides, you ain't been cured yet!" More laughter with the rest of the clan joining in.
I must to say I wasn't surprised that Christine was laughing as loud as any of them.
"Cured? Who says I'm sick? I feel fine!" God, I was truly hoping this was all a joke. Either way it was too funny to stop myself from laughing right along.
When the laughter died down, we were invited to sit by the campfire and handed a bowl of some kind of stew. It was good too. There was meat in it. I didn't ask what kind of meat. It was good whatever it was. I tried not to speculate. Ma addressed us again.
"I suggest you spend the night. Y'all are safe here. Iff'n we don't get hungry." She smiled and this time it had a motherly sweetness to it that put me at ease. "It's dangerous out there. We can see all over from up here. You don't want to be wanderin' at night."
With that, everyone started heading off to bed. They didn't pay us any mind at all. I noticed Lester sitting up with a rifle by the fire. I was guessing he was part of the guard duty. Christine and I took our blankets near the cave. We didn't go in. We needed to talk.
"This looks safe, Christine. I can't leave the others there just like that though. We'll see what they have to say. I've been having those dreams again. They are getting more and more real. I can't shake the feeling of them."
"I've been having them too, Johnny. There's officials in them and details that sound so real. Those stories you told at the campfire. Those weren't made up were they? Those were your dreams. Johnny, I'm having the same dreams that you're having with the same people. I don't know a damn thing about our government. I've never given a damn about it. I have no idea who the Secretary of State is. Is Joanne Montalvo the Secretary of State?"
"I don't know either. But, she is in my dream. What's the capital in your dream?"
"Salem, Oregon."
"Damn it, Christine. I don't usually remember my dreams at all. I'm remembering every detail of these. I am remembering facts that I don't know about places that I've never heard of. People that I've never heard of. You remember your dreams. I know that you remember yours in amazing detail. Is this the same thing?"
"No, it isn't the same. I'm in my dreams. I'm not in these dreams. I'm watching them. It's like a movie or a news program on T.V. It isn't the same. It isn't normal at all. It doesn't stop either. It goes all the way to the end every time. I never wake up in the middle. It never changes."
None of the others said they had dreams anything like ours. I had asked them all even Rhonda and the other former clients. It was only Christine and me. One of us having strange vivid dreams was one thing. But, both of us having the same vivid dreams was another.
"All I can say is we get some sleep and sort it out in the morning. We can't do anything about our dreams. Even if they are visions or whatever, so what. It doesn't do us any good at the moment. Here and now is what matters. Tomorrow we make a plan. I know that this is a better situation than we left. I don't know how they would feel about a dozen new members though."
We pulled the blanket over us. Christine put her arms around me and snuggled up close. I couldn't believe it. She was my girlfriend. I felt a little bit insane, but this may have been the happiest day of my life.
"Goodnight, Recon Johnny."
"Where you folks a headin' all quiet like? If'n ya's lookin' for somethin' to eat, we's got plenty. Y'all don't have to sneak it out."
We froze. I had my hand on the Glock and I know that Christine had her hand on her hunting knife, ready to strike.
"I wouldn't be a doin' whatcha yer thinkin' bout'. Y'all think yer fallerin' us see, but we's a falerrin' you."
"We're just curious to see who are neighbors are. You scared us sneaking up in the dark. There's some scary people out there. We don't mean any harm." Christine sounded like a sweet little girl with that pretty voice of hers.
"Well then, why don't y'all come with me then. It's turnin' cold at night. We's got a fire goin' and you can see watch ya were fixin to see in the first place."
It didn't sound like an invitation that would be wise to refuse, so we followed him down to his campsite. I followed along a bit in a daze and then I caught Christine's eye. She was still in stealth mode. Pure predatory cat-like tension in every limb accented her every step. Her posture put me back at alert. I had to be ready I realized. I had to be ready for…anything. We arrived at their campsite to very little notice. The lady that had dressed down the two hunters stood to greet us.
"I'm Dora Lee; they all call me Ma here. I spect they call me other things behind my back." She extended her hand.
Christine extended hers, gave her a firm shake, and announced, "I'm Christine."
"I'm Johnny." I gave her a firm handshake making sure not to let up too much and appear weak.
"Johnny, huh?" She looked me over. "Lester, get out the big pot, he's ready to boil right now." She looked deadpan right in my eyes.
If death had left the world of concepts and become human then it was standing right in front of me. My hand nervously patted the pocket that contained my Glock. I could feel the mane on Christine's back go up even though she didn't have one.
Dora Lee went from looking like the taker of souls to the silliest looking hillbilly gal in an instant and burst out laughing. "Jesus Lord in a hot tub, I wish I had a camera. The look on your face." She started losing her balance she was laughing so hard. "You done seen too many movies Johnny. Besides, you ain't been cured yet!" More laughter with the rest of the clan joining in.
I must to say I wasn't surprised that Christine was laughing as loud as any of them.
"Cured? Who says I'm sick? I feel fine!" God, I was truly hoping this was all a joke. Either way it was too funny to stop myself from laughing right along.
When the laughter died down, we were invited to sit by the campfire and handed a bowl of some kind of stew. It was good too. There was meat in it. I didn't ask what kind of meat. It was good whatever it was. I tried not to speculate. Ma addressed us again.
"I suggest you spend the night. Y'all are safe here. Iff'n we don't get hungry." She smiled and this time it had a motherly sweetness to it that put me at ease. "It's dangerous out there. We can see all over from up here. You don't want to be wanderin' at night."
With that, everyone started heading off to bed. They didn't pay us any mind at all. I noticed Lester sitting up with a rifle by the fire. I was guessing he was part of the guard duty. Christine and I took our blankets near the cave. We didn't go in. We needed to talk.
"This looks safe, Christine. I can't leave the others there just like that though. We'll see what they have to say. I've been having those dreams again. They are getting more and more real. I can't shake the feeling of them."
"I've been having them too, Johnny. There's officials in them and details that sound so real. Those stories you told at the campfire. Those weren't made up were they? Those were your dreams. Johnny, I'm having the same dreams that you're having with the same people. I don't know a damn thing about our government. I've never given a damn about it. I have no idea who the Secretary of State is. Is Joanne Montalvo the Secretary of State?"
"I don't know either. But, she is in my dream. What's the capital in your dream?"
"Salem, Oregon."
"Damn it, Christine. I don't usually remember my dreams at all. I'm remembering every detail of these. I am remembering facts that I don't know about places that I've never heard of. People that I've never heard of. You remember your dreams. I know that you remember yours in amazing detail. Is this the same thing?"
"No, it isn't the same. I'm in my dreams. I'm not in these dreams. I'm watching them. It's like a movie or a news program on T.V. It isn't the same. It isn't normal at all. It doesn't stop either. It goes all the way to the end every time. I never wake up in the middle. It never changes."
None of the others said they had dreams anything like ours. I had asked them all even Rhonda and the other former clients. It was only Christine and me. One of us having strange vivid dreams was one thing. But, both of us having the same vivid dreams was another.
"All I can say is we get some sleep and sort it out in the morning. We can't do anything about our dreams. Even if they are visions or whatever, so what. It doesn't do us any good at the moment. Here and now is what matters. Tomorrow we make a plan. I know that this is a better situation than we left. I don't know how they would feel about a dozen new members though."
We pulled the blanket over us. Christine put her arms around me and snuggled up close. I couldn't believe it. She was my girlfriend. I felt a little bit insane, but this may have been the happiest day of my life.
"Goodnight, Recon Johnny."
 Recognized |
I made an error in a previous installment that I am trying to correct. Since this story is written from Johnny's point of view, there would be no way for him to know what is happening in the government or anywhere else that he can't see for himself. The information about causes and rememdies by the government turn out to be vivid dreams that Johnny and Christine are having. They are both having the same dreams and are unaware why. Okay, I ran out of the original story. Hahaha. This is nowhere near complete so I am winging it as usual. Input and suggestions are needed more than ever. Please don't be shy. Your ideas have been wonderful. In fact, that is why the story is so much longer than it started out to be. Thank you. mikey
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