Free Depths by C.S. Burkhart

head when she asked this. Dreams,
dreams... What was I dreaming about? Was I even having
dreams?
    I couldn't remember what I had even come here for.
What did I think would happen? That she was going to magically make
things better?
    Make what better?
    I don't know.
    What was I even telling her about?
    “ Can we go to my house instead?
This street weirds me out. There's no light outside and
it ’s, ” I looked
for the clock. There was one hanging in view in the kitchen. The
clock read 2:13 P.M. “ And its after two o'
clock. Come on, that just isn't right. ” I
smiled at her and added, “ And besides, I'm
not used to such high class, ” I said as I
looked around her impressively sized and decorated
house.
    She laughed, such a beautiful sound.
    “ At least you ’ ve still got your sarcasm. Fine,
but when we get there will you tell me what's going on? You worry
me, you know that? ”
    I nodded in agreement, “ I'll tell you everything when we get
there. ”
    Everything. That's funny. Even with a whole day I
don't think I'd even be able to scratch the surface of all the
things I wanted to talk to her about.
    “ Good. We ’ll figure it out. If you can ’ t find
a way to stop for yourself, at least do it for me. ”
    D é j à vu
again. Why did that sound so familiar?

Chapter
13
    She was a goddess, stunning to look at. I could
barely concentrate on driving. I almost wished the drive between
our houses was longer just so that I could stay here next to her a
bit more. We didn't talk the whole way, she just kept giving me
these quick little side glances and I could see the worry on her
expression. She was trying to analyze everything she had heard,
process it and come up with a solution.
    I parked the car in the driveway and got out and she
followed me to the door. I must have forgotten to lock it because
the door was open.
    “ It ’s a
little chilly in here, ” she said as she
walked in.
    “ Yeah I know, there's been
something weird going on with the air conditioner, ” I replied. I walked down the hall and looked at
the thermostat. It read 75 degrees.
    Son of a bitch. I need to get that thing fixed.
    She had already sat down on the couch and I
followed, knowing I was going to have to start explaining. No more
stall tactics.
    “ So, what's really going on? You
promised you ’d tell me everything, what
you ’ re dreaming of. ”
    Right on cue.
    “ I don't really know,
there ’s been so many of them,
it ’ s hard to pick just one. ”
    That was vague enough.
    “ Well pick one of them at least. I
know you can remember at least one . Just tell me. You know I'm here
because I want to listen and help you, but you always do this where
you try and stall and dance around the subject. How am I supposed
to help if you don't tell me? ”
    The concern was genuine in her voice and it
comforted me. I was just about to start when there was a knock at
the door.
    “ I'll get it, ” she said already standing up. “Why
is someone knocking on your door this late? ” she asked as she headed towards the door.
    I just wanted to know why she was answering my door.
    Wait, this late ? It was just after two o'
clock. I looked towards the clock. Big hand is on the eight, little
hand was in between the eleven and the twelve.
    Almost nine o' clock?
    “ Hey! Come on in! ”
    I looked to the door as she invited in an older man.
Receding hairline, thick-rimmed glasses and a very noticeable gap
in between his two front teeth as he smiled at me.
    He held out his hand for me to shake as he walked
towards me.
    “ Charles Green, nice to finally
meet you, ” he said in between a large
toothy smile. I could have shown a light in between his two front
teeth.
    I held my hand out and shook his. Something was
obviously wrong with this whole situation. She came back to the
couch and sat down right next me, Charles on the other side of
her.
    “ We were just about to start
talking about you, ” she said casually,
looking from me to him.
    “ Oh