Heartache High by Jon Jacks Read Free Book Online Page A

we’re cut off from what you’re calling the real
world.’
     
     
    *

Chapter 17
     
    Despite Jassy
and Dave’s assurances, its less than a day before I’m back talking
to them again, insisting once more that my dreams are…well,
something more than dreams.
    Everything
taking place is consistent, like it’s a well plotted story at the
very least.
    There is a
steady, slowly running sequence of events. One happens after
another in a perfectly logical order.
    Unlike a story,
sometimes the ‘dreams’ dwell on the really boring bits – such as
when I’m in the school canteen picking at an unappetising meal (in
that dimension, Heartache High’s refectory is light years ahead).
Or I’m spending ages in front of a mirror, expertly putting on
delicate layers of makeup that transform even the flaws in my face
into enviable features.
    We’ve booked,
purchased and picked up the railway tickets for London.
    We’ve even got
ourselves a map of London, to work out the quickest tube trip to
Soho’s China Town, where Lamia is apparently based.
    And, see, her
name still keeps cropping up in the dreams.
    ‘How many dreams
do you know,’ I say to a perplexed and intrigued Jassy and Dave,
‘where you don’t just, say, fly off to where you’re supposed to be
next? Why is it all taking place so slowly, over days, rather than
just happening?’
    ‘So okay,’ Dave
says with a nod of agreement, ‘so where are you up to now in this
sequence of dreams – sorry, Steph, that word just crept up on me. I
didn’t use it because I’m still sceptical.’
    ‘Last time I
slipped into a daydream – I don’t really have any control over when
they’re going to happen – was just a couple of hours ago. We were
on the train, travelling down to London. We were getting some
sandwiches from the bar; see what I mean about these hardly being
dream-like? Oh, and things are a bit cold between us at the moment.
Iain’s a bit moody.’
    ‘A man that’s
moody?’ says Jassy with fake incredulity. ‘ That doesn’t seem
like reality at all Steph!’
    ‘So,’ says Dave,
coolly ignoring Jassy’s little barb, ‘why do you think you’re
seeing all these uninteresting bits? As you say, it’s hardly like a
dream at all. Even the most boring film director would leave bits
like these out.’
    ‘Yep, that’s
what I’ve been saying; that’s why I think there’s something odd
going on here. Perhaps they’re not dreams, but flashbacks to things
that happened in my life; but things I’ve somehow and for some
reason managed to completely forget.’
    ‘Could be,’ Dave
nods.
    ‘But that would
mean you really did behave like this with Iain, Steph,’ Jassy
points out. ‘And, if you don’t mind me saying, it doesn’t seem like
you at all; you’re far too nice.’
    I chuckle
bitterly.
    ‘Yeah, thanks
for the vote of confidence Jassy. But I’ve got to face up to the
fact that this might be my past; what other explanation could there
be? Perhaps I’ve forgotten it all because I want to wipe out the
memory of how badly I behaved.’
    ‘Well, if all
this is a logical sequence, Steph,’ Dave says, ‘then you’re
saying you reckon you’ll soon be seeing this Lamia,
yes?’
    I
nod.
    ‘So far,
everything’s happened in the order it should; I can’t see why we
shouldn’t be meeting this mysterious Lamia, whoever she is, pretty
soon.’
    ‘Soon? How
soon?’ Jassy asks.
    ‘Going by how
long we’ve been on the train, we should be London within the
hour.’
    ‘You’ve seen the whole journey?’ gasps Dave.
    I shake my
head.
    ‘Nuh uh; just
odd bits. Like with any other scenes, I can’t just tap into the
sequences I want to; they just suddenly start appearing, or just
disappear. But time seems to follow the same passage of time as
here. So once we hit London, there’s whatever time it takes to get
down to Soho – plus, of course, we might stop off for a
coffee.’
    ‘But if you
can’t control what you’re seeing – does that mean