Taylor awoke from the dream, a cold sweat covering his body. He didn’t open his eyes, he just wanted to lay there and gather his thoughts.
‘WAS that a dream? Or was I really on Ilth? Where is Ilth? What the heck!?’
He put his hands over his face and massaged his eyes. ‘What if that purple thing was right? What if... what if....I did leave my body?’ He answered his own question. ‘Then I wouldn’t be here, alive, that’s what.’ He shook his head in confusion and uncovered his face. He still didn’t open his eyes.
He rolled over, thinking he was still on the beach, still on the sand. The sharp crack of his hipbone and the hard-wood floor connecting proved that wrong. His eyes flew open.
“Ow!” He yelled. He looked down at the floor. “Were there wood floors at the beachhouse?” He asked himself. He thought, then answered himself again. “No, there aren’t....” He paused, thinking, remembering, frowning. “And didn’t I fall asleep on the beach?” He paused again. “Yes, I did..... what’s going on here?”
Taylor sat cross-legged, not even noticing the silver rings on his fingers, or the tight jeans and the baby t-shirt he had on. He sat facing the wall, looking at the wallpaper, a pattern that he’d never seen before. He glanced up at the bookshelves directly above him, leaning back to look at the contents. Romance novels, mysteries. Nancy Drew mysteries. ‘This looks like Avery’s room..but...it’s not. Am I still dreaming?....’
He didn’t notice when his short dark blonde hair fell around his face, he just brushed it behind his ears in a swift motion. But he did notice when somebody was calling for him. And they weren’t calling him Taylor.
“Courtney? What are you doing?” A sweet, sensuous voice asked.
‘Huh? Who’s Courtney?’ He thought.
Someone tapped him on the shoulder. “Courtney?”
He spun around quickly, not even realizing he was standing up at the same time. His head made direct contact with the bookshelf above him. He screamed as the bookshelves, all 5 of them, filled with books, came crashing down on him.
There was a muffled cry coming from above him, the sound muffled by the heavy cover of about a hundred thick novels.
“Geezus!” He half-shouted.
A muffled cry was suddenly not so muffled as the speaker put their face almost right on top of his. “Courtney!? Are you okay!?” The frantic voice called.
“Who’s Courtney!?” He yelled back, struggling to break free of his book prison.
He didn’t get an answer, so he decided to face whoever was there and ask them again. He finally managed to sit up with the myriad of books surrounding him. And he was face to face with............ a girl!
He screamed, first in fear and then delight, for all this girl had on was her underwear. ‘Whoa! I MUST be dreaming! This is GREAT!’ He thought.
He eyed the girl up and down with a critical eye. She was perfect. Finally he muttered, “Wow.”
“Geez, Court,” The girl said, standing up and walking to an overnight bag. “didn’t know I looked that bad in underwear.”
“No!” He said sharply. The girl turned to face him.
“What?” She asked angrily.
“You...you look....” He paused. “terrific.” He breathed.
The girl looked at him quizzically. “Thanks, I think...” She stood up and moved to the mirror, still in her underwear. Black lace underwear. As she brushed through it, her wet hair was forming droplets of water at the end, then dropping off, hitting her back and trickling down to the back strap on her bra. Taylor sucked in a quick, excited breath.
Taylor stood up. The girl was talking.
“So, anyway, Jessica’s in the shower, I think Amanda’s brushing her teeth, and.... everyone else is downstairs in the kitchen.”
Taylor nodded. “That’s great.” Then, with a sly grin on his face, he sauntered over to where she was standing. Slowly, daringly, he raised his hand to her shoulder. He softly touched his fingertip to her shoulder, close to her neck. He stroked her neck, gently caressing it, massaging it, enjoying every sensuous second, until she whirled around and smacked him straight across the face.
“What was that for!?” He screamed.
“What in the hell do you mean, ‘what was that for?’ If I did that to you, wouldn’t you smack me?” She demanded shrilly.
Taylor’s expression softened. “No,” she told her softly as he slid his hands around her waist. “I wouldn’t. If you did that, I’d kiss you. Like this.” He parted his lips and went in for the kill. His lips touched hers, lingered there for about a second. He began to lick her bottom lip, attempting to get the kiss going, as she jerked away in horror.
“Courtney Nicole Shepard! What has gotten into you!?” She stood across the room from him, covering herself up, scared out of her mind.
“Who’s Courtney!?” He screamed. She cringed. Taylor took a step towards her. She took a step back. “Look, I’m... I’m sorry... I thought you wouldn’t mind.....” He trailed off, staring at his feet.
“Why do you keep asking me that?” She said softly.
Taylor looked up from the floor. Her eyes connected with his. “Ask you what?”
“You... you keep asking me who Courtney is...”
“Well, yeah, who is she? And who are you, for that matter. And where am I?”
The girl had tears in her eyes. “You.... you mean you don’t know?”
Taylor spoke softly. “Should I?”
She walked over to where he stood, and looked hard and deep in his eyes. He looked back in her eyes, suddenly turned on. She noticed, and took a step back. “Did you hurt your head when the books fell on you?” She asked. Taylor shook his head.
“No, I.. I don’t think so....”
“Well then why don’t you know your own name?” She blurted out.
Taylor stood there, dumbfounded. “Wh.. what? M..m..my name!? You mean.... I’m Courtney!?”
‘The being in the dream! It was telling the truth!’
“Yeah, you have been as long as I’ve known you.” She studied him for a second, then put her hands on his shoulders. “See?” She moved him around so he was facing the mirror.
He looked at the image in the mirror. He saw two girls: one with long brown, almost black hair, blue eyes, in black lace underwear, standing behind a girl with shoulder length honey blonde hair, brown eyes, with tight jeans and a baby t-shirt on.
That girl was him. He fainted, falling back into to the girl’s arms. He blacked out.
