Part XI - 12: The Power of Dreams

"May I speak with Tim Brandton please?" the female voice said on the phone.

"Speaking," I said, finding the voice strangely familiar.

"Tim, this is Dr. Cain. Do you remember me?"

"Dr. Cain?" I said surprised. "Sure, I remember you... Er, is this about that thing we talked about last time?"

"... Yes, I suppose it is. Is that a problem?" she said in a confused voice.

I was reaching out with my mind with all my might, but I for some reason I couldn't get a lock on her.

"I'm sorry for not showing up for that appointment. Are you free in say fifteen minutes?"

There was a pause, then she replied, "Yes, I have an opening. But I have a client scheduled right afterwards. I'm afraid I still have to charge you for the missed appointment," she lied.

"Uh, okay, I guess. I'll be there in flash... bye."

My heart was racing. Not because of Dr. Cain's phone call, but I had just got Midge home when she called, and now I was about to fly her for the first time... to pay a Doctor a house call.

Nobody was home to share my moment as I brought Midge's engine up to take off speed. She may have been older than Beany, but after the mechanic found the tiny cracks in the engine block, Midge had a brand new heart. The difference was amazing. Before getting the new block, I had feared she would shake herself apart if I ever could get her off the ground.

But as her pads broke contact with Mother Earth, she rose into the air like an angel, her blades purring above me and her engine singing in my ears. I wanted to yell and scream with joy so bad that... Oh wait. Heh. I guess I did.

The weather was perfect, making my trip even that much more enjoyable. I was swerving back and forth, giving quite a few trees a trim on the top. Holly's experience allowed me to do it without risking damage, but I nearly lost control when I spotted a power line just past a tree I was about to buzz.

I cooled the fancy stuff after that, and concentrated on where I was going. The flight came to an end too soon for my taste. But the moment I saw Dr. Cain standing outside waiting, I knew something serious was wrong.

Even still, I thoroughly enjoyed the expression on her face when she realized I was waving at her. I sat Midge down in two parking spaces, not wanting to risk anyone dinging her paint. Okay, so I also didn't want to chop off anyone's radio antennas either.

With Midge's key in my pocket and the cockpit covered with a weather tight hood, I nearly ran right into Dr. Cain when I turned to go meet her.

"You certainly are full of surprises," she said.

I felt the familiar tingles of an experienced probe, but her experience hadn't ever encountered one of my mother's shields.

"Sorry," she said when she realized what she was doing. "I wasn't thinking... "

"That's okay. I know how easy it is to get used to doing it," I said, canceling the probe I had been unconsciously preparing. "So what's wrong? You look like you haven't slept in a week."

"That's because I haven't... Why were you so... concerned about speaking on the phone?"

"Paranoid, you mean. Long story. I'll tell it to you later if you really want to know. Actually, you might be in a little danger yourself if they suspect... Well, don't worry about it right now. What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Lets go to my office first," she said.

Before I had a chance to agree, she was hurrying across the parking lot. I couldn't help but notice that she had a nice ass.

"You redecorated," I said when we entered her outer office. "I take it you didn't have any more appointments?" I said, noticing the absence of the secretaries. Even the other doctors apparently were out.

"I sent everyone home. I've been a nervous wreck for the past several days... " she sighed as she unlocked her office door.

I followed her in, and almost did a double take when she started pulling her blouse off over her head.

"Er, what's going on?" when she revealed what apparently was her sleeping attire.

She sat down on the couch and pulled her slacks off while saying, "I've been having this... dream. Every night for the past two weeks he's been trying to tell me something, but I couldn't understand it until this afternoon."

"Huh?"

"He just kept mouthing his words over and over... I finally started to understand what he was saying. But I get so... scared when I can't move or talk, and he keeps... "

"WHO?"

"I don't know!" she said, laying down on the couch. "Who ever he is, he wants to talk to you. Aren't you going to lay down?"

"Huh? Why? And what do you mean he wants to talk to me? Hey! Don't fall asleep on me... Shit."

I laid down on the floor next to her, and formed a connection to monitor her thoughts. For an instant I thought she had double crossed me, feeling a surge of another presence in my head. But she was asleep. Deeply asleep, and after I had laid there for nearly two hours, gave up and wrote her a note.

When I got out to the parking lot, I immediately notice the three guys about my age checking Midge out. I started to feel a little protective when one of them tried to make her blades turn, but resisted sending the sensation that the blade was so sharp that it cut his hand.

One of them spotted me walking up, but then he didn't consider me a likely candidate as the owner and operator of my fine craft.

"Hi. What's up." I said. "Cool copter, huh."

"Yeah. I've never seen one so small. We were just wondering if it actually flies or if it's some kind of model."

"It couldn't fly!" the one who had tried spinning her blades. "I mean it doesn't even have a dome or nothing. Who would want all that wind right on top of you."

"Actually, there really isn't much wind there because the cockpit is right in front of the axle. And Midge does fly. Flies better than a humming bird."

"What. You saying this is yours?"

"Yep."

"Bull Shit. I bet you have to be at least 21 to fly something like that."

"Excuse me... " I said, unlocking the hood. "I gotta get home and start dinner for my mom... "

They stood there watching me check everything, and didn't even move when I had started the engine.

"I'd STAND BACK, If I Was YOU!" I said, starting to rev the blades up a little more.

Two of them moved back, but the third ignored my warning, figuring Midge was too small to put out much wind.

But Midge showed them she wasn't a wimp, making him eat her dust as we took off.

"Sleeping... Not now Joey... " I thought when I felt a mental contact brush my mind.

Whispers... then almost like someone clearing their voice, but without making a sound. I was starting to get a little irritated when all of a sudden the room lit up.

"What the... " I tried to say, but my mouth wasn't working. In fact, I couldn't move at all. I was laying on my stomach with my head towards the bathroom, only being able to see that my room was lit by some kind of sparking light, the source out of my viewing range.

My mind was a little groggy, and I was having trouble staying calm. Then when the light began shifting, I really started to panic. I knew whatever it was coming closer.

With a surge of fear I commanded my body to turn. It responded sluggishly, but rolled over to face the source of the light.

"Oh my... " I started to say, catching myself since it might not like me saying that.

"goodness," I managed to whisper.

In front of me was a... twister, or tornado of white sparkling light. The base of it was coming from...

"My coin... " I barely uttered.

The normally red translucent coin was bright white with even brighter sparkles flowing from underneath it, passing up through and into the twister's vortex.

It was terrifying, yet somehow I knew it wasn't here to harm me. I gathered my courage up and with all my might and energy, I mumbled "hi?"

Whispers... Whispers that seemed to come from every direction. My ears were twitching as they involuntarily were trying to track the moving sources.

Then suddenly the light surged and the whispers seemed to congeal at the center of the twister of light.

"Tim... " it said.

A mouth made out of light formed at the spot where the sound appeared to have come from. The mouth was human looking, appearing to be emerging out of the light like it was immersed in a pool of water.

The mouth was followed by a chin, then its cheeks started to emerge. When the forehead came out leaving it's eye sockets still under the surface, I couldn't help but shiver from the sight.

But the moment his eyes were above the light's surface, I recognized the face instantly. Every hair stood up on my body as the most powerful chill ran down my body.

"Michael?" I whispered, as my goosebumps competed against each other for being the highest one.

The face stared blankly for a moment, then broke out into a smile of relief. Michael's image started to say something, but there was no sound to his mouth's movements.

"Michael, I can't hear you," I said very slowly. "Can you hear me?"

He blinked several times, almost as if he was waiting for a translation. He finally nodded and his mouth formed a "yes".

"Are you okay? What happened to you? Where are you?"

When he comprehended my words, his face gave a shrug, then he slowly mouthed "I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know? How are you doing this anyway?"

Again, he shrugged. But then his face became very serious and he mouthed, "Tim, help David. Please help him and Penny."

"I have tried everything I can think of. God, Michael I've... Oh shit. Michael... Do you think... Do you think you're... like dead?"

To my surprise, he nodded. He mouthed, "He's been helping me to find you."

"Huh? He who?"

Michael gave me a irritated look, then glanced up at the ceiling.

"Oh... " I said as my goosebumps held another contest. "You've met him? You've spoke to him? What's he like?"

Michael frowned, then mouthed "I can't... I can't remember."

"Michael, I can't help David or Penny if I can't find them. Can you find them?"

Michael shook his head and mouthed, "I can feel them, but I can't talk with them."

His eyes were sad and the light dimmed a bit.

"Please Michael... Tell me everything you know about what they did to you and to them. Please? It might help me."

The light started dimming even more, and he barely was able to mouth, "tomorrow night" before his face disappeared in the column of light.