Free Alutia Rising, Anniversary Edition (Alutia Rising Series, Book 1) by Craig Gerttula Page B

felt
that way. The reason, though vivid, seemed to fade...as was common
with dreams.
    “I had the strangest dream,” Trent started,
thinking that must be the most logical explanation as to why he was
having so much trouble piecing together his fractured memories.
    “Oh...tell me about it. Tanya was going on
about dreams during lunch the other day. According to her
boyfriend, they may hold the key to a person's soul...or some
gibberish like that. She's always been interested in that machine
psychic healing nonsense that the corps have pushing lately,”
responded Samantha impishly.
    Before he could continue, she moved away,
letting her thin, silky nightgown roll to the floor, fully exposing
her naked flesh. Seductively, she brushed her fingers over the
shower activate plate, seeming to beckon him with her gaze before
entering the shower tube, leaving the screen open. Trent's lust
forced its way through the frosted wall as the water coursed down
her glistening curves, but it still wasn’t strong enough to fully
wash away his rational mind.
    “In the dream, we broke up,” a gasp of
disbelief erupted from the shower tube, Samantha staring at him
incredulously.
    “Why on earth would we do that? I love you
more than anything and...and you still love me? Right?” The
strength of her conviction threw Trent off guard.
    “Yes...of course...” he responded, though as
the words left his mouth, he found himself uncertain if they were
true.
    No, she was right , his mind slapped
away the uncertainty. He loved her and she loved him. There was no
way they would ever break up. But the uncertainty persisted;
growing larger within the back of his mind the more he believed she
made sense, becoming a voice of its own that warned him, screamed
something unintelligible that he knew was important, but couldn't
quite grasp.
    “You...you're right. But it was still so...so
strange...and felt so real,” the memory of the dream suddenly
become solid, “....I...I found out you had a fiancé, then I lost my
job, became a hobo, and I think I....I fought with some giant
insect? The whole thing's a blur,” he explained with disbelief,
scratching his head as he glanced from his glistening girlfriend,
to the mirror, still having trouble believing the clean shaven face
staring back at him was his. It felt like he hadn't seen it in
months.
    “You know, love, that's what happens with
dreams. The longer you're awake, the fuzzier they become. In a few
hours you will have completely forgotten it all and we can get on
with our happy lives,” she turned towards him, placing her hands on
her hips. “Why don't you let me help? Join me in here so we can
start the day with a...bang,” her soothing words cleared most of
the doubts from Trent's mind.
    Why worry about the dream when he had
something so beautiful beckoning him? The unease in his mind,
which had become a dull throb, flashed piercing pain as the last
thought took hold. He gritted his teeth, the sudden shock clearing
after a moment, he thinking the pain must be a side effect of the
hangover medicine. He removed his shorts, ignoring Samantha’s
playful whistle, and proceeded towards the inviting sight beckoning
him from the shower tube.
    Trent's glance slid once more to the mirror
covering the wall. He froze, glimpsing for the first time the
recently healed scar that stretched from his triceps to his
bicep.
    The painful flash returned, worse than
before, but this time images followed. Scenes of a giant
insect-like creature smashing a blade like claw into his side,
nearly cutting him in half. Images of old abandoned railroad tracks
followed, a dirty man whistling while skipping along, drinking from
an unmarked bottle without a care in the world.
    The images increased, flowing faster and
faster.
    A scene of a man in a suit waking in a dirty
alley covered in vomit and filth, an angry boss screaming at the
same man moments before being escorted away by corporate security,
confused and in a daze...and