Page 61 of In Her Dreams
“I can’t go in there,” he said, gripping the sofa cushions as if they could anchor him.“It’s...affecting me.”
Olivia smiled thinly.“That’s precisely the point.The dreamcatcher is working as designed, bringing your fear to the surface.”She gestured toward the hallway.“Come.Now.”
Walsh remained seated, sweat beading on his forehead with the effort of resistance.His defiance was becoming problematic.Olivia needed to ensure his silence—permanently.
She moved to stand directly in front of him, leaning down until their faces were inches apart.“You leave me no choice, Anthony.”
His eyes widened with recognition of what was coming.“Please, don’t—”
“The emergency trigger was designed as a last resort,” she said calmly.“The Zalticans believed that one could either transcend their fear or be consumed by it.I had hoped you would be strong enough to transcend.”
Walsh tried to stand, to move away, but her gaze held him in place.
“You know what happens when I say this word,” she continued.“Your heart rate will spike, adrenaline will flood your system.Your fear will manifest physically in ways your body may not survive.Is that what you want?”
“Don’t,” he pleaded, tears welling in his eyes.
***
Jenna pulled the cruiser to a sharp stop in front of the six-story apartment building.
“Ritzy place,” Jake commented as they hurried to the front doors.A directory panel showed Walsh’s name beside apartment 612.Jenna pressed the button.No response.She pressed it again, holding it longer this time.
***
Olivia straightened, her decision made.“Nath-hak-to-mah,” she said, the word sliding from her tongue as she prepared to witness the ultimate confrontation between fear and survival.The word slammed into Anthony’s consciousness like a physical blow.Pain erupted in his chest, a vise of agony squeezing his heart as if determined to crush it.He clutched at his shirt, mouth gaping in a silent scream, convinced that this moment—this unbearable, excruciating moment—would be his last.
Then a distant buzzing sound penetrated the roaring in his ears.The intercom.Someone was in the entrance, buzzing his apartment.
Someone was here.Someone might help.
“Ignore it,” Olivia commanded.“Focus on what you’re feeling, Anthony.Surrender to it.”
Instead, Anthony lurched to his feet, swaying like a drunk man, still clutching his chest.The room spun around him, but he fixed his gaze on the intercom panel by the door.The buzzer sounded again, more insistent this time.Hope gave him strength that his body shouldn’t have possessed.
“What are you doing?”Summers demanded, stepping toward him.“Stop fighting it!”
Three steps away.Two.
Summers moved with surprising speed, positioning herself between him and the door.“You can’t fight this, Anthony.The suggestion is too deeply embedded.Your fear will consume you.”
“No,” Anthony gasped, the single word requiring herculean effort.“You’re...wrong.”
He lunged forward suddenly, catching Summers off-guard.His shoulder struck her .She stumbled backward, losing her balance and falling hard against the wall.
The buzzer sounded a third time as Anthony staggered to the intercom, his vision blurring with each step.He slapped at the panel, somehow managing to hit the button.
“Hello?”a woman’s voice came through the speaker.“Dr.Walsh?This is Sheriff Jenna Graves.”
“Help,” he gasped, the word barely audible.But it was enough.The intercom picked it up.
***
Jenna and Jake had bypassed the absent elevator, taking the stairs two at a time.The stairwell was concrete and utilitarian, their footsteps echoing off the walls as they climbed.By the fourth floor, their breathing had deepened, but neither slowed the pace.
“What if we’re wrong?”Jake asked between breaths.“What if it’s nothing?”
“Then I’ll apologize for the cardio workout,” Jenna replied, pushing through the fatigue in her legs.
