Night Terrors Read Free Page A

fingers. ‘It’s kind of an emergency. I’ll still get the work finished in time, I promise.’
    ‘Do I have much choice?’ he asks huffily.
    I’m quiet. ‘There’s always a choice.’
    I’m starting to see how easy it would be to misuse my dreamweaving abilities. If I could hop inside Jerry’s head while he’s sleeping, it would probably be a simple matter to convince his subconscious self that I deserved another holiday. My intentions might be pure but I have to be bloody careful about how I carry them out. This wasn’t like trying to wake up someone from a nightmare. This would be Manipulation 101.
    He tsks. ‘Complete the Macgruber work and I can delay the next project.’
    I heave a silent sigh of relief. ‘Thank you.’
    ‘This has to be the last time though, Zoe,’ he warns. ‘From now on, you need to go through proper channels like everyone else.’
    ‘I will, I will.’
    ‘Super.’ He still doesn’t sound particularly thrilled.
    If I want to put food on the table and continue paying my bills, I’m going to have to find some other way to stop the Department for good. I can’t afford to spend the next year travelling around the world to every single Dreamlands zone. I’ll just have to hope that this trip to America sheds some light on what can be done. I nibble at my bottom lip. The Mayor founded the Department and he was evil through and through but maybe the rest of them aren’t that bad, despite what the others have said. I have a nasty feeling that’s wishful thinking.
    When the taxi honks its arrival, I grab the Chairman and give him a farewell squeeze, much to his disgust. My mother promises to lock up. Old habits die hard and I can’t help throwing a nervous look at my steel-reinforced door. ‘You will check that it’s secure?’
    She rolls her eyes. ‘Yes.’
    ‘And all the windows too?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘And…’
    ‘Zoe. You’re not going to be here. No one’s going to come and attack you because you’ll be on the other side of the world.’
    ‘You’re right.’ I nod. It’ll be fine. I’ll be fine. I am a rational calm person who no longer suffers from debilitating agoraphobia. I’m doing what normal people do every day of the week and simply leaving for a short trip. No problemo.
     
    ***
     
    I’m moaning like a caged animal in the back seat of the taxi. The driver keeps looking anxiously in the rear view window.
    ‘Are you okay, miss?’
    I can feel the pressure building in my head. I feel like I’m going to throw up. ‘I thought I was over this,’ I whisper.
    ‘Excuse me?’
    ‘Stop the car.’
    He pulls over to one side. ‘Are you hungover?’
    I shake my head and push open the door, retching violently. With no breakfast in my stomach, nothing comes up other than foul-tasting yellow bile. When I’m done, I pull back and try to breathe. The driver silently hands me a crumpled tissue. I wipe my mouth and push back the tears forming in my eyes.
    ‘I’m fine,’ I say. ‘You’d better keep going or I’ll miss the flight.’
    He puts the car back into gear. He’s barely three metres away from the curb, however, when I start feeling light-headed again. I begin pinching the tips of my fingers, one after the other. Come on, Zoe, I tell myself. You can do this. But my chest is tight and the panic is overwhelming. Much like the zumba woman, I’m shaking all over.
    I cough and croak. ‘No.’
    ‘Miss?’
    ‘I’m sorry,’ I manage. ‘You’ll have to turn back.’
    ‘Are you sure?’
    I nod miserably.
    He’s a decent guy. He doesn’t demand explanations or even look upset at the loss of a lucrative airport fare. He simply gives me a worried smile and makes a U-turn.
    The instant that the car is facing back in the direction of home, the pain in my chest begins to lessen but it doesn’t stop me from feeling utterly defeated. I’m meant to be over this. I’ve been leaving my house now for more than a month. There haven’t been any panic attacks or any