Dead Dreams ((Young Adult Paranormal Romance) ( Dead Dreams Trilogy)) (23 page)

“
What ab
out Summer? She said it herself,
everything was messed up, is she crazy
as well?
”

“
That was your par
anoia,
wanting to believe she was as suspicious as you
. A
sk her if you don’t believe me.
”

He
did
, but she didn’t reply, instead she bowed her head in what looked like shame.

“
So y
ou’re telling me that everything that’s happened is fantasy dreamed up in my mental illness?
”

“
I’m sure of it yes,
and
maybe it’s been happening for
a while but you didn’t realize
. I
t’s
common for schizophrenia to begin in adolescence.
”

“
I’m Schizophrenic?
”

“
I think
so
Adam
.
”
She replied.

He studied
Elaine’s face looking
carefully
for any sign of dec
eit or falseness. T
here didn’t
seem to be
any
, her soft feat
ures and bright blue eyes gave
nothing sinister away
.
She had
knowledge of psy
chology. H
e had to trust her.

“
Let’s go inside,
”
She
said softly
.
“
Y
ou need to relax now.
”

Summer
waited
anxiously fo
r Adam to speak instead he headed
straight for a chair refu
sing to communicate with anyone. C
oncerned she
attempted
to talk to him,

“
Adam
say something
to me
,
are you okay?
I’m so sorry, please…
please
say something.
”

The
stonewalled silence
was unbearable so
she tried again.

“
Adam don’t ignore
me;
say something even if it’s to go at me!
”

“
I’m leaving cause
you’re destroying
me
,
p
oison that’s what you are!
”

“
Don’t say that I’m not, I care so much about you.
”

“
You real
ly know how to show it
, like bringing me here
?
”

Stalemate
. Their failed attempt to communicate
resulted in a
n icy silence intermingled with a
few
puffs and sighs
that created
an uncomfortable atmosphere in the apartment.

“
What are we going t
o do with them?
”
Elaine remarked
to
Gary
.
“
T
hey behave like an old married couple, and they’re not even in a relationship.
”

“
Beats me I d
on’t have a clue.
”
He concluded,
regretting that he ever invited them in.

Their
safe comfortable world was enjoyable until a couple of hours ago when a tornad
o struck in the form of two drifting
teenagers. Both in their early thirties
they were
a typical power couple whose home reflected their desires and aspirations
.
Gary
’s world had
to be run in an orderly fashion. He was a former t
eacher and part time musician who needed to
control his
environment
and
he didn’t take
to well
to having Summer move into his life the first time around.

He had found
her working the streets downtown
and
was horrified at her condition when she
tapped on his car window at the
lights
offering
sex for ten dol
lars. He decided there and then
to conduct a rescue and brought her starved and drug
-
craved back to the apartment
straight
into the loving caring arms of Elaine. She stayed there for weeks recovering even though her bulimia didn’t impress them very much they tolerated her because th
ey felt some kind of obligation.
She became more and more
restless and argumentative eventually disapp
earing into thin air one day-
not returning until now with another burden in tow.

Adam was still in a panic zone as
thoughts of suicide returned
.
H
ow to do it and where?

“
You’re n
ot schizophrenic,
”
Summer said.
“
I’m sure you’re not.
”

Gary
became angry and upset but contained it for now.
I
n his mind
discrediting Elaine
was
a serious offence
and he hoped that
Summer
didn’t push
him
too far.

“
Why
am I
imagining that people can’t see or talk to me
if I’m not a head case
?
”

“
I think I figured it
out a while ago, it’s
something else.
”

“
Summer
shut your mouth,
you’ve sai
d too much already!
”
Gary
had decided to intervene.
“
Adam…
think,
why is that neither of us are noticed by people.
”

“
It’s not everyone is it, Rone a
nd Reggie,
Doe,
Gary
, Elaine they
see us,
and the
people in Reggie’s house they saw
us. T
he weird lady in the street th
at followed us she could see us,
so explain it then.
”

“
Why don’t you hear your dad anymore?
”

“
I don’t know guess he’s busy.
”

“
Be serious.
”

“
I don’t know why you tell me, you’re the
fucking
expert.
”

“
I don’t think we’re alive anymore.
”

“
That has to be the craziest thing you’ve said so far
Jesus
!
”

Elaine was
nervous
,
desperate
to come up with the right words to calm Adam and dispel
his
paranoia
before he
was out
of control again but
,
unfortunately for her Summer was
unstoppable,

Relentless
she
continued,
“
If you put it all toget
her it makes sense.
T
hese two know anyway they just don’t want
you
to know.
”

“
Now why is that? I’m real curious to hear the rest of this crap.
”
Adam replied.

“
Because they want us to believe otherwise,
cause
they don’t want to believe it themselves.
”

“
So we’re all dead
living in this luxury apartment, that’s
real funny!
”

“
That’s right but we don’t talk about it do we
Gary
?
”

“
That’s enough Summer!
”
E
laine told
her in a firm voice.
“
We warned you about lying before didn’t we?
”

Looking to
Gary
for some kind of expl
anation yielded nothing for Adam.
He
had retreated to the bedroom and slammed the door in protest
leaving Elaine to deal with an increasingly alarming situat
ion. Adam’s fixed stare unnerved her, his
menacing dark eyes fill
ed with anticipation and anger left Elaine
in a very tight corner. To tell or not
hinged on whether s
he had also accepted the truth, but the only thing that was happening was
a
cold stony silence with Gary locked away and out of sight.