Free Waking Anastasia by Timothy Reynolds Page A

earlier and then swing by for a bite to eat or a cocktail, and chat for a bit.”
    “I like it. Want help?”
    “That’s why I was calling. How would Carmella feel about being my right-hand-lady on this? She knows the people and the city. I don’t want her doing the work, just being the voice in my ear that says ‘yay’ or ‘nay’.”
    “She’d love it! She loves nothing better than planning and executing a party, Jerr, especially on short notice. She just left the office so I’ll text her and have her give you a call.”
    “Thanks, Manny. I’ll send out an email telling everyone when and where as soon as we hang up.”
    “Then go, do.”
    Jerry sent out the email to his list of station staff and ten minutes later Carmella called.
    “Jerry, dear, I hear we’re planning a party.”
    “Just a casual gathering, Carmella. You don’t mind giving me a hand?”
    “Don’t tell Manny this, but I’m tired of shopping for presents and this is the perfect little break I need. Besides, I think it’s a great idea. We had a staff party last week but it was a sit-down dinner and we were missing our handsome new station manager with the voice made for radio. We need a relaxed, mingly-thing to start the Christmas week off.”
    “Just a simple thing. You know the staff and you know where to find supplies, so I’m in desperate need of a wing-man, or wing-woman as the case may be.”
    “Then I’m your girl.”
    In five minutes Jerry sketched out what he needed and in another five the two of them had the simple gathering all planned out.
    “Jerry, you go home and finish unpacking and settling in. Get a good night’s sleep, and I’ll be at your door bright and early at nine so we can hit the markets early.”
    “Nine it is, Carmella. Thanks.”
     
    THE FRESH SEA air eventually shoved the headache away and Jerry let his iPhone guide him back to the loft. He tossed together a simple salad, then spent the rest of the afternoon and most of the evening unpacking, replying to emails and texts, tweeting a few words of wit and wisdom, and checking the spelling of his pre-written blog post before letting it go live. He scribbled down a couple ideas for future posts, and then went to bed early.
    Between the effects of the sea air and finding renewed hope in this far off place, Jerry slipped into a deep sleep so quickly that at first he didn’t realize he was dreaming when the hazy, see-through girl appeared and sat on the foot of his bed. She didn’t say anything, but while her smile was welcoming, her eyes seemed confused and maybe a little lost. He smiled, waved, and fell deeper into sleep, where the dreams rarely followed.
     
    THE DARKNESS PARTED and she stepped through the gap into her dream. The blurry flat was still and dark but for the light on the small fish tank. The little fish wiggled at her as she drifted around trying to focus on things and not succeeding. It was a small space, but quite well furnished if her eyes were to be trusted. Once again, it was an unusually calm place for a dream. Until recently her dreams involved screams, shouts, gunfire, and blood, but in this dream she could not, in fact, hear anything at all. Was she deaf here? Or was this a dream world of no sound?
    She drifted around, exploring the room, and came across a young man in bed behind a lovely ornate dressing screen. She stopped for a closer look, but couldn’t see his face clearly enough to know whether it was the same man from other dreams. The fact that the fish was in this dream as well suggested that this was the same man. The darkness beckoned once again so she let her world draw her back in.
     
    JERRY LOOKED AROUND the loft at the first party he’d hosted in a couple years. The gathering was perfect, and if Carmella were twenty years younger and single, Jerry would have fallen head-over-heels in love with her. She was funny, smart, and made Jerry feel like he’d lived in Victoria his whole life and she, Manny, and he had