Alienation: A Serial Story Dream Or Reality?

Mon., Aug. 28, 2000

Avie Noll West Valley

PART FOUR

The next morning, Gael awoke with a headache more painful than the previous night’s.

“Where am I?” she thought. “Please let this be a dream.”

“Oh, this is not a dream, sweetheart,” boomed a voice that sounded as though it were coming from an intercom.

“This can’t be,” she thought. “I didn’t say that out loud, at least I don’t remember saying that out loud. What’s going on? Somebody, somewhere, please help me. I swear I’ll never do anything wrong again.”

Gael looked around. She was locked in a small cage in a strange room. The ceiling was so high she could barely see it. The room was round and painted an odd, unfamiliar color.

“OK. I’ll close my eyes and this will all be just a bad dream she chanted. “It’s all just a bad dream. …”

“Gael! Gael! Wake up! Let’s go! Wake up!” shouted a voice beside her.

Gael felt as though she were falling backward through a tunnel in her wacky dream.

“Was it real?” Gael thought. “Could any of this be true?”

“Gael! Gael! Come on, wake up!” The tunnel began to feel bumpy, and she started to shake. “Gael!” the voice yelled in frustration. She knew that voice.

“Ouch!” Gael said, rubbing her arm as she opened her eyes to see her little brother shaking her. “It was all a bad dream,” she thought.

“Malique, oh, Malique, I love you so much! Thank you. Thank you,” Gael said, tears rolling down her face. Elated, she kissed him.

“Ewwwww! Get off me. I just came to wake you up because breakfast is ready,” Malique said in disgust. “So hurry up. Mom says.”

“OK. I’ll be right down.” Gael sat down and took a deep breath. She looked around the room. It had all been a bad dream.

As she crawled from beneath her covers, Gael noticed something odd on her bed. She reached down to touch it. It was a slimy green film that clung to her fingers.

“This can’t be real,” she thought. “There’s no way. It had to be a dream. It had to be. …”

To be continued …

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.