Page 18 of Forever Love-Reimagined

Was she close to me? Did I miss her because of some stupid mind movie that took over my brain? Or was this all mental exhaustion, and none of it real?

How long was I in that trance? I needed to return to the studio, so I rushed to Juan-Der-Ful Tacos and picked up Haley’s favorite taco pizza, but I was too wired to eat. My body was tingling, and goosebumps were covering my skin. If I didn’t know any better, I’d assume I was coming down with something, but nothing was wrong outside of the odd sensations coursing through me.

After returning to work, I wondered if I should talk to Haley about what had happened, but I wasn’t sure we were there yet. Even though she had opened up to me about a personal problem, Shanny might be better suited to handle my issue. At least she had some understanding of the situation, and I trusted that she'd offer support without resorting to extreme measures.

The rest of the day went just as fast as the morning had. As much as I tried to stay present while shooting, I found myself drifting. I needed answers because I couldn’t go on like this—just phoning it in. As soon as the last session ended for the day, I packed up my things, hoping to get home and do some research or something, but Haley caught me one foot before freedom.

I didn’t want to dodge her, but I also didn’t want to have an extensive conversation. I was at war with my brain right now.

“Boss.” She stared at me expectantly but didn’t say anything else.

Had I done something wrong? Should I have known what she needed?

When I was finally tired of pupil wrestling, I prompted her. “Yes?”

She rushed toward me, throwing her arms around my neck. As quick as the hug started, she moved back as if embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I wanted to say thank you. You have given me a lot to consider, and I would have been in my head all day if it weren’t for you.”

It was good that we chatted before the incident at lunch, or I probably wouldn’t have been much help. I had a twinge of guilt inside me that I wouldn’t divulge my problem to her. But there was a positive shift between us, and it was nice. She was like the little sister I never had, and having one more person in my corner was never a bad thing.

“Don’t mention it. I’m always here to offer insight if I can. And if I can’t, at least I’m good for a laugh.” If life taught me one valuable lesson, it was this: if you couldn't appreciate the journey, was it truly worth the adventure?

“I hope you know I’m here for you, too.” She smiled, and before I could stop myself, I spouted everything that had happened like it was word vomit.

Her mouth hung open, and I wondered if I had made a colossal mistake.

“Obviously, I’m kidding,” I finished, after basically telling her I was a time traveler or something just as absurd.

“Leia, that didn’t sound like a joke. Is this person calling out to you?” She didn’t mock me at all, which was surprising.

She might be a better choice than Shanny.

“Can that happen?”

“Definitely. It seems like your soul is connected to hers, and you’re remembering those past experiences. It’s so romantic.” She giggled, and now my skepticism was high. She was living in some fairytale and those didn’t exist.

“Maybe it would be romantic if I could meet her, but since I have no clue who she is or where to find her, I guess it will all just stay in my dreams.” Even though Haley didn’t razz me about what I thought was happening, she probably wouldn’t be much help.

“That’s it!” she exclaimed, but I had no idea what she was so excited about.

“Okay?” I questioned.

“Dreams. Why don’t we try to guide your dreams and see if you can find out more about this mystery woman? We will be like sleepy sleuths.” She made a Charlie’s Angel pose, and I shook my head.

“How can anyone guide their dreams? That doesn’t seem plausible.”

“Ye of little faith, Lay.” Her giddiness was almost infectious, but I was still unsure what she had in mind. “It’s called lucid dreaming. You are the director, actor, and audience all in one. So, you can guide yourself back to a place where you know she was at.”

“But I don’t even know what she looks like. How would I make that up?” It didn’t seem like it would work, but I guess it was better than anything I came up with on my own, which was I had a tumor causing me to hallucinate.

“Maybe your mind will fill in those blanks when you dream of her. And then, we can put out an APB!” She was getting carried away, but at this point, I had nothing left to lose.

I needed to be in control of my life, and right now, I was at the mercy of these visions.

“Okay, so how to do it?” I wasn’t even sure this was safe, but Haley knew more about it than me, so I would have to trust her.

“Well, I haven’t done it myself, but I’ve read about it. And it sounds simple. You start by falling asleep naturally, but set an alarm to wake up after four hours. Once you’re awake, turn on some calming music to relax your mind. Then try to go back to sleep, but focus on guiding your thoughts to her. What do you think?”

Did I say what I thought out loud or stick to something polite? “Umm, I guess I could try that sometime.”

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