I Dreamed a Dream
But The Tigers Come At Night
”Nick.” I looked around the white room. “Nick help me.” I ran forward towards the white door. I looked around for her.. But like every night I couldn’t find her. “Nick.”
I sat up a cold sweat covering me. My mother was sitting beside me holding my hand. She smiled slightly I knew she was worried. “I’m fine.” I whispered laying back down, My arm moving to cover my eyes.
“Nick, We need to figure out how to stop these dreams.” She whispered. “What was this one about?”
“She was calling out for me.” My mother nodded. “I saw her face… I don’t think she’s really a dream… I think she’s real.” My mother patted my hand.
“If it’s ment to be Nicholas… You’ll find her and the lord will let it be.” She stood up kissing my forehead.
“Her names Annie.” I whispered. My mother stopped at the door but didn’t turn back. My mother walked out before I laid back down. I shook my had and pulled at my curls. I rubbed the palm of my hands to my eyes with a groan. I knew I had to find her, My family was freaked out, I was freaked out. I didn’t know what was happening. I looked at the clock and frowned it was only Five Am. I groaned once more before standing up and grabbing my phone, keys and wallet. I looked around before deciding to get Joe’s Polaroid camera from his old room.
Once it was around my neck I walked out the door and too my mustang. I pulled out and drove to Venice beach. The drive itself took about thirty minutes and in those thirty minutes I thought about her. I’d been having these dreams for the last three months all different from the last but all making sense, Each night I’d been learning something new about her.
I learnt about her green eyes in the first dream, It was only her eyes I saw. They were filled with worry.
The next night it was her lips, Her full red lips with a single split down the side. I watched them as she spoke my name. Every night a part of her was added to my dream and now, Now I was obsessed with finding her. The beach was calm as I walked towards it a small girl catching my eye as she sat on the edge of the water. I pulled the camera up to my eyes and snapped a picture of her. The sunrise making her hair shine. I looked at her from behind. I knew her… I walked closer to her smiling to myself as she just sat there. ”Annie.” I stopped dead in my tracks as she turned to her right, Her head turning away from me. “What the hell do you think your playing at, Walking away from me.” The man grabbed her arm. Pulling her up to him and kissing her. “I was scared. I don’t like being scared.” He gripped her face and squeezed it causing her to let out a yelp of pain. I ducked behind the garbage bin next to me and took some pictures, Him pulling her shirt up bruises littering her back. “I’m taking you home.” He growled pulling her away from me. I watched as he pushed her into his truck her small body moving with the forces. I frowned and stood up looking over the pictures.
The next time I saw her was when I was at my local doctors for a check up, She walked out with him following her just as I walked in. Her eyes made contact with me, The eyes and face I’d seen every night for four months. I looked at my doctor as he tutted watching them leave. Her small hand in his over sized one. “Poor girl, Beaten on the street again.” I looked at him deciding to take a chance.
“What do you know about her?” He raised an eyebrow at me before closing the door and sitting in his seat while I sat in the other.
“Nicholas you know I can’t tell you..”
“Please.” I cut him off. He cleared his throat and walked over to his desk. He picked up a folder and dropped it on the examination bench.
“If you’ll excuse me I’m going to the bathroom.” I nodded and watched him leave before grabbing a pen and paper from his desk.
Surname; Wilson Given Name; Annie Elizabeth
D.O.B; 6/1/94 Citizenship; Australia, USA
Health Problems; Bio Chemical Imbalance.
I skimmed the page until I came to her current address and phone number. Scribbling them down I jumped back in my seat just as my doctor walked back in smiling. “Oh how silly of me to leave this out.” He smiled before putting it back in his filing case.
“I found her.” I announced at our family dinner. “I mean I found her a few months ago at a beach but now I have her address and number.”
“Nicholas.” My father cut me off. “Are you sure you know what your doing?” I looked at each face of my family members. They all knew how crazy this was driving me yet I wouldn’t let it go. I needed to stop these dreams. “I know you want to stop dreaming about her, but staking her is not the answer.”
“He beats her.” I whispered looking down at my plate. “I saw it the first time I saw her, Got pictures of her back… Of the bruises…. I saw her again at the doctors. Her excuse was she’d been attacked on the street.” An eerie silence took over the table. “She lets him do it because she doesn’t know better… She was born in Australia… She’s only seventeen.” My mother looked at me a tear stinging in her eye. She got up from the table and walked into the bathroom a sob escaping her lips as she shut the door.
I found her again at a local starbucks he wasn’t with her this time she was alone but I wasn’t. My mother was with me. I pointed her out causing her to smile. “That’s her.” My mother looked over her, her red knit hat and oversized coat. “Beautiful isn’t she.” My mother nodded and walked up to her. I watched as they had a serious conversation. My mother offering her phone number. She took it.. I watched as she looked into my eyes my heart breaking due to all the pain. She smiled at my mother before being pulled into his arms. My mother glared at him before walking back to me. She was still watching me. “What did you say to her?” My mother laughed.
“That she was to young to be alone on the streets of LA and to call me if she ever needed me.”
The one night my mother was needed was one of the worst of my memories. My mothers phone was called by emergency services. A call telling them she was in the hospital…. Close to death. My mother woke me and pulled me to the car. Driving us both in the rain. We ran inside only to find him standing there. My mother walked right up to him and slapped his face. I smiled as my mother did so finally proud to see her being stuck up for. I asked the nurse if I could see her smiling as I got a yes. I ran into the room stopping, Her long blonde hair was now shoulder length her frail arms covered in bruises… she looked anything but healthy. I watched as he eyes opened, Her cut lips opening in surprise. “Nicholas.” Even though we’d never meet she knew my name, She’d had the dreams too. I smiled and lent down my eyes staying locked with hers before my lips touched hers.
“I’ve wanted to do that for months.” I whispered. I pushed some of her hair behind her ear. “Every night a new dream. Every night a new dream of you.” I turned to the door as my mother walked in smiling as she saw my hand on Annie’s cheek.
“Annie they’ve take Mason into custody and their taking him to jail.” She smiled. “Your free.” A tear fell from her eye.
“Thank you.”
The last time I saw Annie Wilson was at my wedding. She was there smiling up at me as I stood at the isle. She she’d a few tears as I said my I do’s… I looked at her smiling as she said hers two.. And that was the last I ever saw of Annie Wilson… Now I see Annie Jonas every day.
I sat up a cold sweat covering me. My mother was sitting beside me holding my hand. She smiled slightly I knew she was worried. “I’m fine.” I whispered laying back down, My arm moving to cover my eyes.
“Nick, We need to figure out how to stop these dreams.” She whispered. “What was this one about?”
“She was calling out for me.” My mother nodded. “I saw her face… I don’t think she’s really a dream… I think she’s real.” My mother patted my hand.
“If it’s ment to be Nicholas… You’ll find her and the lord will let it be.” She stood up kissing my forehead.
“Her names Annie.” I whispered. My mother stopped at the door but didn’t turn back. My mother walked out before I laid back down. I shook my had and pulled at my curls. I rubbed the palm of my hands to my eyes with a groan. I knew I had to find her, My family was freaked out, I was freaked out. I didn’t know what was happening. I looked at the clock and frowned it was only Five Am. I groaned once more before standing up and grabbing my phone, keys and wallet. I looked around before deciding to get Joe’s Polaroid camera from his old room.
Once it was around my neck I walked out the door and too my mustang. I pulled out and drove to Venice beach. The drive itself took about thirty minutes and in those thirty minutes I thought about her. I’d been having these dreams for the last three months all different from the last but all making sense, Each night I’d been learning something new about her.
I learnt about her green eyes in the first dream, It was only her eyes I saw. They were filled with worry.
The next night it was her lips, Her full red lips with a single split down the side. I watched them as she spoke my name. Every night a part of her was added to my dream and now, Now I was obsessed with finding her. The beach was calm as I walked towards it a small girl catching my eye as she sat on the edge of the water. I pulled the camera up to my eyes and snapped a picture of her. The sunrise making her hair shine. I looked at her from behind. I knew her… I walked closer to her smiling to myself as she just sat there. ”Annie.” I stopped dead in my tracks as she turned to her right, Her head turning away from me. “What the hell do you think your playing at, Walking away from me.” The man grabbed her arm. Pulling her up to him and kissing her. “I was scared. I don’t like being scared.” He gripped her face and squeezed it causing her to let out a yelp of pain. I ducked behind the garbage bin next to me and took some pictures, Him pulling her shirt up bruises littering her back. “I’m taking you home.” He growled pulling her away from me. I watched as he pushed her into his truck her small body moving with the forces. I frowned and stood up looking over the pictures.
The next time I saw her was when I was at my local doctors for a check up, She walked out with him following her just as I walked in. Her eyes made contact with me, The eyes and face I’d seen every night for four months. I looked at my doctor as he tutted watching them leave. Her small hand in his over sized one. “Poor girl, Beaten on the street again.” I looked at him deciding to take a chance.
“What do you know about her?” He raised an eyebrow at me before closing the door and sitting in his seat while I sat in the other.
“Nicholas you know I can’t tell you..”
“Please.” I cut him off. He cleared his throat and walked over to his desk. He picked up a folder and dropped it on the examination bench.
“If you’ll excuse me I’m going to the bathroom.” I nodded and watched him leave before grabbing a pen and paper from his desk.
Surname; Wilson Given Name; Annie Elizabeth
D.O.B; 6/1/94 Citizenship; Australia, USA
Health Problems; Bio Chemical Imbalance.
I skimmed the page until I came to her current address and phone number. Scribbling them down I jumped back in my seat just as my doctor walked back in smiling. “Oh how silly of me to leave this out.” He smiled before putting it back in his filing case.
“I found her.” I announced at our family dinner. “I mean I found her a few months ago at a beach but now I have her address and number.”
“Nicholas.” My father cut me off. “Are you sure you know what your doing?” I looked at each face of my family members. They all knew how crazy this was driving me yet I wouldn’t let it go. I needed to stop these dreams. “I know you want to stop dreaming about her, but staking her is not the answer.”
“He beats her.” I whispered looking down at my plate. “I saw it the first time I saw her, Got pictures of her back… Of the bruises…. I saw her again at the doctors. Her excuse was she’d been attacked on the street.” An eerie silence took over the table. “She lets him do it because she doesn’t know better… She was born in Australia… She’s only seventeen.” My mother looked at me a tear stinging in her eye. She got up from the table and walked into the bathroom a sob escaping her lips as she shut the door.
I found her again at a local starbucks he wasn’t with her this time she was alone but I wasn’t. My mother was with me. I pointed her out causing her to smile. “That’s her.” My mother looked over her, her red knit hat and oversized coat. “Beautiful isn’t she.” My mother nodded and walked up to her. I watched as they had a serious conversation. My mother offering her phone number. She took it.. I watched as she looked into my eyes my heart breaking due to all the pain. She smiled at my mother before being pulled into his arms. My mother glared at him before walking back to me. She was still watching me. “What did you say to her?” My mother laughed.
“That she was to young to be alone on the streets of LA and to call me if she ever needed me.”
The one night my mother was needed was one of the worst of my memories. My mothers phone was called by emergency services. A call telling them she was in the hospital…. Close to death. My mother woke me and pulled me to the car. Driving us both in the rain. We ran inside only to find him standing there. My mother walked right up to him and slapped his face. I smiled as my mother did so finally proud to see her being stuck up for. I asked the nurse if I could see her smiling as I got a yes. I ran into the room stopping, Her long blonde hair was now shoulder length her frail arms covered in bruises… she looked anything but healthy. I watched as he eyes opened, Her cut lips opening in surprise. “Nicholas.” Even though we’d never meet she knew my name, She’d had the dreams too. I smiled and lent down my eyes staying locked with hers before my lips touched hers.
“I’ve wanted to do that for months.” I whispered. I pushed some of her hair behind her ear. “Every night a new dream. Every night a new dream of you.” I turned to the door as my mother walked in smiling as she saw my hand on Annie’s cheek.
“Annie they’ve take Mason into custody and their taking him to jail.” She smiled. “Your free.” A tear fell from her eye.
“Thank you.”
The last time I saw Annie Wilson was at my wedding. She was there smiling up at me as I stood at the isle. She she’d a few tears as I said my I do’s… I looked at her smiling as she said hers two.. And that was the last I ever saw of Annie Wilson… Now I see Annie Jonas every day.
♠ ♠ ♠
Finally! aha