Dream Tunnel Read Free Page A

she could see that he was stunned.
    “You’re saying…you want to sleep with me?”
    She slapped him gently on the arm. “Not like that. Real sleep.”
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
    “I’ll show you. Put your shoes on.”
    “My shoes? ”
    “Yeah, I know it sounds funny, but it’s important—you’ll see.”
    “Okay.” He sat on the side of the bed and slipped into his shoes.
    “Now, lie down, and move over to one side.”
    “Okay.”
    She lay down beside him. “Now hold my hand and close your eyes.” The touch of his hand caused her to tremble briefly.
    “Are you okay?”
    “I’m fine,” she answered. “Now close your eyes, and I will describe our dream.”
    “ Our dream?”
    “That’s right. We’re going to have the same dream. We’re gonna be in the dream together.”
    “Ooookay,” he said.
    “You don’t believe me?”
    “Yes, I do. I mean—I want to believe you.”
    “Good enough.” Conroe could sense that Crane liked her very much, and that he would probably bark like a dog if she asked him to. “Just close your eyes and listen.”
    “Are you closing your eyes too, or are you staring at me?”
    “We both have to close our eyes and let ourselves fall into the dream world together,” she explained.
    “So, we have to fall asleep at the exact same time? How can we possibly do that?”
    “Just relax, be quiet, and listen.”
    “Okay,” he said.
    “We’re traveling to a distant land. The first thing we will do is walk over a narrow wooden bridge, and then through a dark tunnel—I call it the Dream Tunnel. It’s long and wide, and it will be a challenge to make it through to the other end. But just keep holding onto my hand, and I will guide you. I’ve done it before.”
    “With who?” he asked.
    “Don’t talk. Just listen.”
    “Sorry.”
    “When we come out of the tunnel, we will see beautiful green hills, a perfectly blue sky, and…” Conroe continued to describe the dream world for several more minutes.
    When she became silent, Crane asked, “Conroe?”
    “We made it,” she said. “We’re standing on the bridge.”
    “I can’t see anything. It’s so foggy.”
    “But you can feel my hand—right?” she asked.
    “Yeah, but…” He reached over with his other hand and made contact with her chest.
    “Hey!” She pushed his hand away.
    “I’m sorry. I can’t see you at all. Where are we?”
    The fog began to clear in front of them, revealing the wooden pedestrian bridge on which they were standing. It led to a stone pathway and an opening in a massive rock wall. Two torches in the wall illuminated the area, one on each side of the pathway. There was no sky—only a black nothingness hanging low over their heads.
    “Oh, wow,” Crane said. “Are you sure this bridge is safe?”
    “We’ll be fine if we’re careful.”
    He looked over the railing into the dark abyss below. “I don’t know. Maybe we should go back.” He turned around. There was nothing but thick fog behind him.
    “It’s only a dream, Crane—remember? Now hold my hand tight and follow me, stepping exactly where I step.”
    “What does that mean? Are some of the boards rotten?”
    “Possibly.”
    “I can’t believe I’m doing this. Are you sure this is a dream? It seems awfully real to me.”
    “Let’s go.” Conroe placed her foot on the first board of the bridge and it creaked. She skipped the next two boards.
    Crane watched her feet and followed in her footsteps.
    Halfway across, she stepped on a board and it broke. Her leg went through to the knee. The broken board fell into the chasm.
    Crane held tightly to her hand as she pulled her leg up through the gap and repositioned her foot to the next board, which held her weight.
    “The broken boards haven’t hit bottom yet,” he said, listening for the sound of impact.
    “We don’t have time to worry about that.”
    He looked back. “I think the fog is gaining on us.”
    “We’ve got to go.” She moved