It’s 3:00am and I’m pacing around my bedroom. I would be sleeping soundly and uninterrupted but my mind is reeling from the dream that I had. I am 17 years old and I’m having a dream that I used to get all the time! I was fourteen years old when I first had this dream.
It disappeared for long enough that I’d almost forgotten it but now the memories are taunting me again, in nightmare form. Why now?
In the dream, I’m standing on the beach, chatting with my best friend Jessica (or Jess as I like to call her.) I hear a voice cry out behind me.
“Look at me, Misty! I’m going to be a pro surfer!”
I whirl around. My little brother, Jason, is in the water, surfing! I am so shocked that I don’t know what to say.
“Jason, what were you thinking? I thought I told you to stay on the sand until I’m done talking to Jess,” I say.
Anger courses through me. How did I not see this coming? I forgot how impatient Jason can be.
“Jason, get back on the shore right now!” I say.
“I said I was going to show you what I’ve learned. This is me doing it!” Jason says.
“The ocean is not a forgiving place!” I say.
I’m worried for his safety. I can’t help it - I’m his big sister. I know he’s twelve and he can swim but it’s still the ocean and no one is a match for the ocean.
How could I be so stupid? If I hadn’t agreed to watch my brother surf, this would never have happened. I am enraged. And then I lose control.
“Get back here this instant or I’ll tell Mom!” I yell.
All of a sudden, a huge wave hits Jason and he falls off his board. His head goes under.
“Oh no!” I gasp.
I am glued to the spot. I am frozen. That wave was my creation. I know it was. It’s one of those thoughts that comes to me by instinct. I know I did this. I don’t know how or why but I know it was me. This is my fault.
“Misty, you need to stay calm,” Jess says.
“Don’t tell me what to do, Jessica Price. I need to save my brother!” I say.
I run into the water and dive. I swim out and grab the board. I strap Jason onto the board and tow him back to shore, swimming as fast as my body can carry me. Jess helps me pull my brother out of the water. She rolls him into recovery position. A few minutes later, I hear him coughing.
“Jason, are you alright?” I say. I can hear the panic in my voice.
“Yes I am. I’m sorry, it’s all my fault,” Jason says.
“No. If it was anyone’s fault, it was mine,” I say.
“Misty, don’t say that. You know it’s not your fault. It’s not anyone’s fault,” Jess says.
“You don’t understand,” I say. “That wave came from me. Don’t you see that every time I lose control, freaky weather events happen?”
Jason and Jess turn and look at me. Jess grabs my arm.
“Misty Melbourne, let’s get one thing straight. You have a superpower. You are going to have to learn how to use it,” she says.
“Everything’s going to be okay,” Jason says. “Blaming yourself won’t change things.”
“Oh, really,” I say. “Wait ‘till Mom and Dad find out that they have a freak for a daughter!”
My mother’s voice breaks through the dream.
“Mel!” she says.
When I manage to break out of my dream, my mother is at my bedside.
“Mel, you had that dream again,” Mom says.
“One and the same,” I say. “It never goes away. I can’t stop thinking about what happened that day. I tried writing it down like you said but the events of that day still haunt my dreams every night.”
“I’m glad you decided to give it a try,” Mom says.
“I didn’t believe it would work anyway,” I say. “What made you suggest it?”
“I suggested it because it worked for me,” Mom says.
“How am I going to figure out how to use my superpower?” I say.
“Don’t worry about that right now,” Mom says. “In the morning, we’ll go to your uncle Alan’s house.”
“What will we do there?” I say.
“We’ll stay there for the summer,” she says. “Get some rest. Remember, I love you always.”
“I love you too, Mom,” I say.
Mom leaves my room. I do as she suggests: I go back to sleep. All is quiet this time and the dream doesn’t return.
***
In the morning, I wake up to the smell of pancakes and sausages. I take the extra effort to tidy myself. As I get up, my long, chestnut hair falls over my shoulders. I put on a blue summer dress. With a sigh of satisfaction, I go downstairs. When I enter the kitchen, my father is there and so are Jason and Mom.
“Morning, sleepyhead!” Dad says.
“Really, Dad, do you have to call me that?” I inquire.
“I wasn’t expecting a kind of Spanish Inquisition,” Dad replies.
“No one expects the Spanish Inquisition! Our chief weapon is surprise and fear, fear and surprise,” I say. “You’re the only one in this family who appreciates Monty Python. I may have overslept but I don’t sleep well when my mind won’t quiet down.”
Dad looks at me, his eyes searching mine. I could swear he’s reading my thoughts. This is too weird. I break free from his gaze and look at Jason instead. Jason laughs. At the present time, Jason is fifteen years old.
“I know that this isn’t funny but it’s no secret,” he says. “We know you had that dream again.”
“Great, so now the whole world knows I’m crazy,” I say.
“No one believes for a minute that you’re crazy,” Mom says.
My family leaves me to eat my breakfast. They go to pack their things and they say they’ll pack mine even though I told them to leave it to me. As if I can’t handle myself. Why does everyone think I’m helpless?
***
On the car ride to Uncle Alan’s place, Jason and I play the alphabet game. We look out the window for signs that begin with letters of the alphabet. Whichever one of us gets to Z first, wins. My brother won, he’s quicker than me.
When we arrive at Uncle Alan’s house, Uncle Alan is waiting on the porch.
“Everybody out!” Dad says when we’ve parked.
We all get out of the car and Jason and I run towards Uncle Alan. He pulls us into a group hug.
“It’s so good to see you,” Uncle Alan says. “You two sure have sprouted up like trees! Grow any taller and I’ll have to shave you down a few inches.”
“You’re not going to do that, Uncle Alan?” Jason says. I can hear the fear in his voice.
“Don’t worry, Jason,” I say. “He’s just kidding.”
“Hey, munchkins!” Mom says. “Come help us unpack.”
“Yeah, we’re coming,” Jason says as we run toward the car.
I grab my things and take them to my room. I start to unpack. When I’ve finished unpacking, I look out the window. I think this will be a great summer. I can’t lie. This will be a new adventure. Uncle Alan’s house is not far from the beach. I think there’s nothing better than being barefoot on the beach. I go downstairs and slip out the side door. I immediately start walking toward the beach. I’m home at last. Truly home. Not like my home isn’t home but I feel more myself when I am by the water.
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