Evil Dreams Read Free Page B

possible, about your dream.”
    In a detached, almost impersonal manner, he recounted his nightmare as he had experienced it for the last twenty-eight years, to the point where he would awaken.
    When he finished speaking, the psychiatrist waited for a moment. “Is that it?”
    “In all its glory,” Jon said lightly. Perhaps if he kept his own attitude indifferent toward the dream, the doctor might decide there was no problem.
    Sam peered at him, his brown eyes unblinking. For several minutes he remained silent and then said, “That’s some dream. Is it always the same?”
    Jon nodded. “Always.”
    “Never any deviation from what you’ve just told me?”
    “Only in the degree of pain.”
    “Explain that.”
    “Sometimes my head feels as though it really has burst. Other times, it’s relatively mild and I won’t even wake up.”
    “How do you know you’ve experienced it when the dream doesn’t awaken you?”
    “I usually recall it later during the day.”
    “What would you say is the percentage of times you awake with the headache?”
    Jon hesitated. “Maybe sixty percent of the time—I’m not certain.”
    Sam slowly nodded, dropping his attention to the pad where he had jotted notes to generate questions. “The span of time you’ve experienced the dream is quite unusual. What’s the earliest age you can recall having it?”
    Jon pursed his lips for a moment before answering. “About five, I guess.”
    Sam shook his head, failing to conceal his amazement. “You’re thirty-three now, which means you’ve been having the same dream for twenty-eight years.”
    Jon nodded.
    “I’m going to ask you a few questions concerning it to see if we can come to any conclusions about some of the symbolism.”
    Jon brightened and said, “Do you feel now it isn’t as difficult as you made it sound at first?”
    Sam’s head jerked up. “No. Nothing of the sort. Knowing what I do about you, I want to see if there’s a deep seated reason for the long standing repetition. But then, like all dreams, it’s a jumble of symbols that probably mean something to you. In future sessions we’ll work backward in your life. Now,” he hesitated before consulting his pad, “the crowd noises, this could be related to a desire for acclaim as an author. Would you enjoy a public image as a recognized author?”
    “I don’t know. I might,” he said. “Actually, most authors receive very little public recognition.”
    “How do you mean?”
    “Their names are known, not their faces.”
    “Do you think you might have a desire to have yourself known and recognized as a celebrity?”
    Jon shrugged. “I feel if I can finish the novel I’m working on by the end of the year, I will have accomplished my goal. I’ll also have proven Trina’s belief in me. Beyond that, if I can sell it and begin a career as a novelist, I’d be happy. But I don’t think I’m doing it to gain a celebrity status.”
    “All right, Jon,” he said, “we’ll leave that particular aspect for now and move on to the running. Is anything annoying you, something you’re trying to avoid?”
    “No,” he answered, after reflecting on the question for several minutes.
    “What about your dislike for the medical profession? Do you feel perhaps you’ve tried to avoid being ill so you wouldn’t have to consult a physician?”
    “I’ve just been to a battery of doctors, Doctor,” Jon icily reminded him. “I’m positive that has nothing to do with it.”
    “Are you happily married?”
    Trina’s image popped into Jon’s mind. How could he be anything but happily married to someone like her? She constantly amazed him with her insight where he was concerned, overlooking his stubborness in certain matters and being able to make him see the logic of her own arguments. After all, it had been Trina’s idea to have him seek the cause of his nightmare. He would have plodded through life accepting the dream and the resulting headaches without question.