“Must have been a nightmare,” she said to the sleeping canary. “That’s what I get for watching horror movies alone at night.” She went back to bed.
As the bedroom door closed behind her, a thin grey pulsing mist crept out of the apartment unnoticed. First contact established!
The dream returned at regular intervals until Sara was afraid to fall asleep. She would stay awake until she literally passed out from sheer exhaustion. Through it all, she kept on working and socializing, but nothing, it seemed, could stop the dreams. And they always seemed to occur when she was alone, when her air flight attendant roommate was away. Each time, the cool caresses would touch a different part of her body, until she felt it knew every inch of her flesh intimately.
“What am I going to do? This is possessing me and destroying my sanity. Maybe I’ve been cursed.”
“You’re under too much stress,” Marianne replied. “You need to get away, to rest and regain your strength. I’m not much help because I’m gone most of the time, but I’m worried about you.”
“You have enough on your mind, without worrying over me,” Sara said. “You’re supposed to be planning a big wedding, remember?”
“Don’t worry, everything is under control. Look, Sara, it’s obvious that you can’t fight this on your own. Will you seek some help in dealing with it?”
“Okay. Listen, there’s this place out in the country. I’ve heard they have a wonderful therapy program for people who are burned-out, stressed-out, or suffering from emotional problems. They specialize in trauma cases, I think. I was considering checking them out.”
“Sounds good. Maybe they can help you get to the bottom of this. You’ve got nothing to lose by trying.”
Sara grimaced. “Just some hard-earned cash. They’re probably not very cheap, but it might be worth it.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Four days later, after arranging a leave of absence from work, Sara had checked herself into the Peaceful Pines Resort. It was a beautiful place, set among acres of lush green lawns, flower beds, sunken gardens with classically sculptured water fountains and statues, and intricate pathways shaded by tall, majestic pine trees.
The building itself resembled some old, luxurious estate from the Victorian age. The décor was largely of chintz-covered furniture, elaborate Persian rugs, and muted earthy colours. Bedrooms were on the second floor, with each one containing a four-poster canopied bed, vanity and mirror, chest of drawers, spacious closet, and a desk in front of the window. There were also a table and several chairs for guests, an easy chair and lamp for reading, and a private, fully equipped bathroom. On the ground floor there was every type of entertainment and activity needed for relaxation and exercise.
Every modern convenience one could hope for, with all the charm of a country inn. All the latest technical and medical equipment were also available, but very neatly camouflaged. Small wonder the place is expensive and hard to get into, Sara thought.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
