Chapter 8

Celine awoke slowly as if from a deep sleep, however the reality of the unfamiliar ground she was lying on had her quickly rolling to sit up. She was in a circular glass-like container, six feet in circumference. She could see Mandy and Jade in a similar enclosure, their prison fitted to their size. There was no place for privacy; no place to relieve herself; and no water. The closed space increased her awareness of her soiled clothing and her thirst. Firmly she turned her thoughts to Mandy and Jade, whom she knew were miserable as well; however, to her surprise she felt a connection with them that told her they were just as worried about her.

Celine stepped to the wall to communicate with the four lizard people that were staring at her. They appeared to be anticipating her to communicate with them so she pressed her fingertips to the glass and was promptly knocked back into the wall behind her and bounced back, but the first impact knocked her unconscious.

*****
A roaring in Celine's ears subsided as she became more conscious, but the headache that pounded behind her eyes like a migraine made her wish she was still unconscious. Her stomach heaved but there was nothing to bring up, not even moisture. Weakly she remained lying on the hard floor until she felt well enough to sit up.

Celine did not bother to look out of her prison, knowing the lizard people were there watching her. Deciding to do something for herself, she pushed herself into a sitting position, and assumed a meditative pose. Letting her thoughts dwell on her fear and what could happen, or trying to figure out where she was, was too much to deal with right now. First she needed to find a quiet place within herself before she figured out if this was a bazaar nightmare or a weird reality. It took three deep breaths for the headache to recede and her awareness of how miserable she felt.

It is time.

Startled Celine's eyes blinked open. Three lizards turned to greet a fourth, bowing slightly in deference to the new arrival. None of them wore clothing that looked familiar to her. Celine wished she could have a drink and a chance to clean up. Abruptly she was lifted and dumped on the floor outside of her enclosure. Her headache returned, beating against her skull, and rattling her eyes in their sockets. Gritting her teeth, she sucked in a deep breath, glad for the fresher air.

Guards with sticks pointed them at her in a threatening manner. Getting to her feet slowly, she joined Mandy and Jade who also were escorted forward.

Poor baby's. We really walked into it this time, she thought consolingly.

Until you are spoken to, you will be silent!

A painful poke in her ribs had her falling sideways and into one of her guards, who roughly pushed her back into the first guard that had hit her. He brought his stick up to hit her and she could hear it whistling down towards her; however, it was stopped by another and the noise of the two sticks hitting had her rolling onto her back in panic with her hands crossed above her head.

Get up. Do not fear us. C'ar reacted too quickly.

Celine watched as the lizard that hit her, hissed and then departed down another hallway.

Get up! the order was repeated impatiently.

Celine rose to her feet holding the rib that was bruised. It now hurt to breathe. Studying the lizard that stood before her, she trusted this one less than the one that hit her.

So, you can hear us. Good. What are you and your companions doing here?

We were taking a walk in the desert and ended up here. We would like to go back.

We are to take you to S'l, our Ka leader. It will be his decision.

Before we do, can we clean ourselves, get something to drink, eat and relieve ourselves…?

The lizard features of the one speaking to her seemed to be amused. Liquid refreshment was supplied. They were then showed to an outside area that was bathed in sun. Many of these creatures were lying about on flat surfaces, soaking up the sun with nothing on. In a short time the area was emptied of her capturers.

Wash here, dry yourself there. She pointed at Celine's clothing and Jade's tack. You may clean your coverings over there.

Celine quickly stripped Jade's tack off and gave her a quick pat on her shoulders. Celine then removed her clothing, at this stage not caring if any of them were looking, and stood under the flowing water. Even without soap, just the relief of cleaning herself was helpful for her state of mind. She then picked up her clothes and rinsed them. To dry them, she stretched them out on top of the warm slabs of rock. For herself, she sat under the shade of a tree not wanting a sunburn to contend with. She closed her eyes for a moment, taking both a mental as well as a physical break from her situation.

Mandy woke her with a cold nose against her ear. Celine jumped from the touch, and she could swear Mandy was laughing at her. Celine found her clothes were dry, so she quickly dressed, also happy that her ribs and head were ache free.

She rebridled and resaddled Jade. She was tightening the girth when the same lizard person that had allowed her the time to clean up returned with differently dressed guards. She nodded approvingly at Celine and her companions, and then gestured for them to follow her. The guards flanked them, pointing their weapons at them incase they forgot they were considered a threat.

Celine, Mandy and Jade were led into another type of vehicle, larger than the first one. It drove until they passed by an area that was thick with vines and fruit bearing trees, growing in wild abandon. The vehicle came to a halt and the three were motioned to find what they needed. The guards also ate, but Celine knew running away was not an option. Jade was pulling up mouthfuls of grass and grains, putting out feelings of contentment. Mandy seemed to know this was all the food she was going to be able to eat and dug up a carrot. Nothing around them looked purposely cultivated.

By the time the sun set, they had reached their destination. They were escorted to a room where the three of them were to be locked in. She was at first grateful they were together, and not in a glass enclosure, but it still was not something that was accommodating to any of their species. The passage of time was difficult to measure in the dark room. Mandy's head was resting on her knee when they all heard something heading their way. Whatever it was, was in a hurry. The lights came up. Six lizard people arrived.

Come. The Ka S'l wishes to speak with you.

They were marched into a garden that was lit with something that was not the sun. A few lizards were draped languidly over rocks that were under the artificial light. Celine easily figured out who the Ka was. There was a wide flat rock with three lizards lying on it. As they approached all but one left.

Greetings….

It sounded polite but she felt he saw her no more than she saw an ant at a picnic.

Greetings…

You and your companions used a passage that has not been open for travel in a long time. Why?

It was not done intentionally. Maybe someone on your side did something to open it and we just happened to be in the right place at the wrong time, she responded defensively.

There were hisses behind her but she kept her attention on the Ka. The tip of his tongue fluttered, but otherwise he appeared calm, as he waited for the noises behind her subside.

Perhaps. It is understandable that you wish to return; therefore, a group of my aids shall accompany you. I don't wish for you to get lost.

Celine nodded, relieved. When?

You do not want to rest?

We prefer starting back now.

My aids are not prepared to move at this time.

A chilling thought from the KA reminded her that it would be through their auspices that she and her companions would be able to get back to where ever she had come from.

So when will we be leaving?

Tomorrow. Your guards will take you back to your holding pen until departure.

The three were shown into a larger holding area where there was a space for refreshment and bathing. However, she could not figure out where she was to relieve herself and there was no privacy from the onlookers that ringed the top of their holding pen.

Finding a place that felt right she sat with the intention of just sitting in silence, as Darcy described it. Not quite settled and not wanting to give into despair she imagined Darcy, mindful that her thoughts would be picked up by her jailers. With the image came a connection from Mandy and from there it was like an explosion of feeling from Darcy… or so she believed; and then it was gone.

What was that all about?

A crunch from her left, had her looking at Mandy who was chewing on some kind of plant that they left. Mandy's expression was that she wished it was meat. Sighing softly Celine glanced at Jade who was lipping grass that had been gathered for her. At least they were getting something to eat.

What may have been hours or maybe a day later the three of them were herded into another type of transportation. Their escort changed. Celine had unpleasant goose bumps on her arms, and Mandy's hackles all the way down to her tail stood up, making her look comical. Celine would have laughed if it their situation was not so serious. And even Jade's hairs were looking stiff along her back.

The vehicle lifted instead of taking a ground route. The acceleration and quick maneuvering unsettled her stomach as it did Mandy and Jade. Both had droopy ears and splayed legs, looking unhappy as they all fought to keep their balance.

When the dipping and veering from one side to another, stopped, Celine's stomach settled…and then their vehicle made a sudden nose dive with Celine immediately thinking of Jade's safety. She did not have as much room to maneuver around for changing her balance. Their pilot must have been skilled for they did not crash land, but as soon as they were on solid ground the exit hatches popped open. Celine sprinted out, knowing that her companions were following.

Outside there was a lot of flashes of light and explosions which popped in her ears from the concussions. She headed to what looked like water, thinking they could always swim for it.

Jade and Mandy ran by her probably with the same intention; however they began an arch away from the water when a crocodile emerged from the waters.

"Celine!" a familiar voice called through the booming noises, though it was not so much as a verbal call but a thought. The three of them halted their run and turned to look behind them.

Darcy on Medicine Man was racing towards them. Celine quickly mounted Jade and turned her to face the nearing duo. However, Darcy waved at them frantically to go in another direction. Jade knew and sprinted away, racing alongside of the river with Medicine and Darcy joining them. Mandy gallantly kept up, stretching her body into a flat run.

When the noise was further behind them, Darcy gestured towards a barge further up the river.

"We need to get to the other side!" Darcy shouted over the pounding hooves. The horses slid down the embankment and onto the barge with their hooves making thundering noises. Darcy slipped off Medicine and was pulling the ropes that held the barge to the dock loose. Celine slid off Jade and pulled off the rope on the other end. Whatever propelled the craft, Darcy seemed to know how to use because suddenly they were moving across the river but not to the dock on the other side. Darcy kept the barge in the center of the river where the speed suddenly increased until they were above the water, skimming over the surface. Celine's eyes opened wide as she spotted some of the creatures that in her books were labeled prehistoric, rearing their heads from the waters, craning their heads to watch them cruise by. The barge easily avoided any obstacles in its path.

Celine stood next to Darcy, wishing she could envelope her in a big hug, but Darcy was concentrating on whatever she was doing to get the craft to work.

"Where are we going?" Celine asked finally, not able to wait any longer. She rested a hand on Darcy's shoulder.

"To a vortex that will let us enter to our own dimension. You remember you were talking about alternative realities that were a result of the supernova around 95000 BCE?"

"Yeah!"

"Well, from what I understand from the bird people, the brizons, this is not one of them." Darcy chuckled at Celine's expression. "But they monitor numerous dimensions that were opened up as a result of it. The lizard people, the pirts that captured you, are aggressive and like to stir up turmoil and anguish in species in these other dimensions. The two groups clash a lot, though not like a physical battle. It's more like an ideological battle."

"What about all the prehistoric creatures that are going to be thinking we're tasty morsels?"

"They won't harm us. Here there is a harmony between higher functioning creatures and the lower ones. The higher levels are all vegetarian. Food is abundant. Have you noticed there is no cultivation of fields yet plenty of fruit and vegetables?"

"Yeah…but I haven't noticed any large dinosaur footprints."

"This is not their territory, but we will be heading that way. Creatures here respect each others living space…if you can believe that. See that? We're being followed."

Lizard people were moving along the river heading to the dock the five could see from their boat. Bird people were circling above. Darcy increased their crafts speed, leaving the group behind.

"Neither group, the brizons or pirts know where the exact entrance is back to where our dimension is. They know of two points where they can view us but never has anyone crossed over. We're the first."

Darcy looked at Celine who was holding onto her arm tightly. The shivers that were trembling through her hands had subsided. Darcy leaned over and kissed her forehead.

"The brizons were amazed that Medicine Man and I came through. They believe the pirts are trying to cross to our side and that there is someone or a group, that is helping them. They don't know who, what or from where this help is coming from."

They were quiet for a while intent on studying the riverbed, looking for a safe place to land.

"I guess you've found out that Mandy and Jade know what you're thinking," Darcy mentioned.

"That's not good," Celine pressed her forehead against Darcy's arm.

"Why?"

"I just don't feel comfortable with…can you read my mind?"

"Not unless you direct it to me. I heard you loud and clear hours back. That's what brought us here. I thought I was the only one that ended in Ca'sion until I heard you call me. Even the brizons heard you. We also could feel the pirts group dismay, with your mental call to me."

All five pairs of eyes continued to scan both sides of the river bed, the waters, and the air above them, not sure what they were looking for, but still looking. Mandy spotted the dock hidden among the rushes, and Darcy made a smooth U-turn in the river and back tracked, gliding up against the dock. Both horses gingerly stepped out of the boat and waited patiently for Darcy and Celine to hide the boat further into the greenery that nearly overgrew the structure, effectively hiding it from a casual glance.

"We stay on the animal trails," Darcy explained to Celine in a soft voice.

Mandy did not run very far ahead but rather trotted within visual distance, sniffing and moving her head back and forth.

"Darcy, don't you think it is kind of odd that we haven't seen any dinosaurs yet?"

"Why do you want to see one?"

"I don't. They may squish me because they can't see me. What's that?"

Sounds of the brush moving not far from behind them had the five hurrying faster along the path. Mandy was the one that chose the right side when their path forked. The noises grew louder behind them and Celine was getting suspicious they were being herded in this direction. What confirmed her suspicions was the cave that loomed before them.

"Darcy!"

"I see it! Dismount! We're going to have to walk!"

"Darcy! Don't…."

But sticks started to bounce off the rock face, and Celine fled behind Darcy into the dark cave using the sound of Medicine Man's hooves on the stone ground to guide her forward. Medicine's flicking tail gave her an idea just how close she was to his hindquarters, which made her rather nervous. The sounds of their pursuers no longer echoed in the tunnels.

"Darcy. Stop for a moment!" Celine whispered urgently.

"What?! What's wrong?"

"This whole thing is wrong. And now we're stumbling along in the dark with only the sides of the caves, conveniently just the right width for us to use to move along…"

"Would you like to go back?"

"No! But I think we need…"

Indistinguishable noises echoed from behind them.

"Damn! See what I mean?"

"No! Come-on…no wait." Celine heard some movement and then, "Okay. I've tied a rope around Mandy so she doesn't get lost. Hold on to Medicine Man's tail so I don't lose you."

The sounds behind them sounded closer.

Celine did find Medicine's tail as it flicked her way, and she held on as their column moved on as fast as Mandy led them. Meanwhile, Celine was mentally picking out all sorts of things about this situation that did not ring right. The fact that Darcy, who she had thought was normally quick and picked up odd things out of place, was missing them all. She began to wonder if it was Darcy. Then she began to notice that Medicine's tail flickered at regular intervals…too regular.

Celine was about to drop her hold on Medicine's tail but her concern went to Mandy. Whatever was appearing as Darcy had Mandy and she was not going to leave Mandy behind. In her mind's eyes she reviewed all that she had experienced so far, and aside from humiliation of soiling her clothing, a migraine and bruised ribs… Celine breathed in and then realized she felt fine.

All of this did not feel right. It had to be a weird dream. However, she could not bring herself to just stop and go back out the way they came because there was enough of a real feeling to all of this, for her to not risk Jade and Mandy's life.

I think I'm going crazy.

Well, you're not alone. This tunnel stinks and I'm getting tired, an unfamiliar thought returned.

"Darcy," she whispered, not sure why she was even talking to this 'apparition' that was acting like Darcy.

"What…and don't tell me that we are imagining this and all we have to do is imagine us out of here. I've already tried and it got me a bruise for not ducking when I should have."

"Well, that's how I do feel. Darcy, none of this feels right."

"Why should it, Alice?" Darcy asked her softly. "We fell into a rabbit hole and it's not ours."

"That's it exactly, only, I feel like Dorothy," Celine muttered as her hearing caught the sound change from the horses' hooves. She did not feel the terrain change beneath her own feet so the sound change was puzzling.

"Stay in the moment. Whatever all this is about….hold!"

In Celine's mind she heard a 'stop' from what she was recognizing as coming from Mandy.

"Water," Darcy muttered.

Celine squeezed her way past the horses and by feel she knelt down where she could hear water moving.

"Is that a light?" she whispered.

"Uh, huh. It's not moving… Was it morning or afternoon?"

Celine was surprised. "I don't remember…oh, morning. Darcy, that doesn't make sense. We had been traveling for a while in daylight."

"Don't try to make sense of it…"

"Live in the moment," Celine mimicked. Surprising herself, she leaned over to Darcy and kissed her cheek.

Suddenly her world tilted and both she and Darcy were in cold water, splashing to keep their heads above the water. Celine could not touch the bottom and for a moment entertained the idea to find out just how deep the water was but it felt like the water flow was quickly moving them away from the companions. She could hear splashes behind them, and was hoping that it was their companions jumping in and not something that would find them tasty. The only bright spot was the light at the end of the tunnel that was growing larger. Celine looked back and could see Darcy without her hat, a yard behind her.

"Make it to land quickly!" Darcy instructed her.

Celine agreed silently. No telling what was in the water. Her feet touched the slippery river bottom. She decided that crawling to the bank was a better idea since she would not have far to fall.

"Come on, come on! Don't rest. We need to get under the trees so we can't be seen!" Darcy looked back to make sure the horses and Mandy were close behind them. They were having problems with the slippery river bottom too.

"Go! They'll make it. Go!" Darcy encouraged her, tugging at her elbow to follow her. Once they were hidden in the forest, Darcy stopped pushing them.

Celine was going to sink to the forest floor, using the nearby tree, however Darcy halted her.

"Don't lean against any of the trees. There is either something in them, on them or above them that will make you short life miserable. Let's go over this way." Darcy gestured to her right and tiredly headed in that direction. It was a very bedraggled line of followers that quietly fell in behind her.

"Darcy!" Celine called looking down at Mandy's neck ruff that was standing up.

"Yeah. It's the energy. We must be near something."

"Listen, Darcy. I'm not comfortable with this situation."

Darcy looked at her with a frown, "I'm listening."

Celine became annoyed. "Exactly," she muttered under her breath. "For one, we've been herded in this direction. Two, who the hell are you?" she finished stopping in her tracks and glaring at the apparition of Darcy.

"Whatever you have to say, we need to keep moving. We have to find this place before it gets dark."

"Why?" Celine did not budge. However, horses, Mandy and Darcy continued walking at a fast pace down a path Celine could not see.

Celine decided she was not going to move just to see what was going to be created to 'make' her move. A snake dangled in front of her and she acted unimpressed until it twisted it's face so that it was very close to her and she could see how large its eyes were.

"Alright…I'm impressed…but until you tell me what is happening…I am staying right here and I will die if necessary!"

The snake had a friend and it dropped on top of Celine, causing her to scream but she was determined that she was going to get the truth without giving in. She began to have second thoughts on this approach, when her body was squeezed and she could feel her breath being expelled from her. She blacked out.

When she came to, she was bouncing around on Jade's back and it was not comfortable. She had a headache and her ribs hurt.

Damn! They still did not answer my question!

What is that?

Who the hell is responsible for this farce! This isn't real. It's some figment of my imagination and when it gets to a point that I'm losing…I faint. How convenient for them!

"You dumb, stubborn idiot!" Darcy's voice said near her. Celine was roughly pulled off Jade's back and she found herself stumbling to keep her balance. "Walk! You nearly got us all killed because you have some crazy idea that whatever is happening here doesn't fit your idea of 'reality' so it's not real. Well, gee Celine, whatever made you think we were in Kansas?" Darcy's fury had her face red, though her voice was not loud. "The dangers here are real in that you can die and I can and so can the rest of our friends here! You have no right to endanger us because you are not getting someone to sit down with you and explain in some language you can understand what is happening!"

"Well you should have just let me die back there if you feel that way!"

"We came in together and we are leaving together. Get your shit together and stop thinking about yourself! None of us like feeling we are being led, guided or herded in a direction but maybe it's for our benefit. So far, in case you've missed it, we have not received debilitating injuries nor have we suffered anything we have not recovered from. So we will move on until we get to where we are being guided to and go from there. You will not do something that stupid again!"

Mandy whined her agreement, and it was embarrassing to feel Jade and Medicine Man agreeing with their snorts. The five continued on, stepping over forest debris and looking all around them for anything that may drop in on them.

"I'm sorry, Darcy," Celine said softly. "But none of this is real to me and it's a stupid and scary dream!"

"Whether it's a dream or not…we are all in it and experiencing it as our own," she told Celine still feeling angry at what she had to do to get the snake off Celine. She was terrified of snakes and this one was not only bigger than her, but had completely covered Celine within it's coils. The only reason she knew Celine was it's prey was Mandy's barking at the snake. Darcy had to knock the snake out, fearing that if she killed anything where ever they were, it would change everything.

"Whoa! Yuuck!" Celine shuddered and would have screamed if her throat muscles were not frozen at what she walked into. She was stuck in what she was afraid was a spider web. She hated spiders.

"Don't wiggle! Just relax. Shit, Celine. This is not the way I want to relive boredom," Darcy muttered as she slowly pulled her knife across the sticky line that Celine had walked face first into.

Mandy was growling near them. Celine's head was freed and then her left side. She could feel something quivering along the web that she was still attached to. She pulled herself from the rest as Darcy cut and then the three of them backed up looking around for any more of the web.

"Isn't there another way?"

"I'm just going by feel. Can't you feel it?" Darcy asked exasperated with being the only one that could feel the energy vortex. Mandy and Jade agreed that they felt something…just a little. Medicine was too jumpy like Celine to concentrate on feeling for a vortex of energy that may be their doorway back.

"No! Does that mean we won't get back?"

Darcy grabbed her hand, hoping to give her some sense of courage. Celine's anxiety was so strong she was giving Darcy a belly ache.

"Darcy, what's…what's wrong?"

"You're…" Darcy gulped back the sudden escalation of the belly ache to gaseousness.

"I…oh…gawds, Darcy!" Celine realized immediately what she was doing. She gripped Darcy's arm firmly. She pictured a nature scene, not at all like the desert, a garden that was wild with flowers and in the center her guardian sat, waiting for her.

Celine blinked for a few moments, delighted that her visualization was so well done. Then suddenly she felt something pull at her and had to spread her legs to balance herself as it felt she was atop a fast moving train. Abruptly it stopped. Frightened she looked around her. She was not in her garden. She was now in…she was standing in the desert. Alone. As she turned around there was absolutely nothing around her.

"Darcy!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Nurse! Marti, it's okay. It's okay, hon. Nurse!" a familiar voice above her hollered as two hands held her down.

She panicked and frantically grabbed at the hands pulling them off her, blinking in confusion at Gail's frightened face looking down at her. She felt the rush of air as if someone had opened a door and then…darkness.

*****
Chapter 9

Celine's mouth was dry and so was her throat. A cough, the sound rough to her ears, brought her closer to consciousness. Her eyes felt heavy. She tried to raise her arm, but found it was too heavy to get more than an inch off the bed.

"Marti?" a soft voice called to her.

Her first attempt to speak was not translatable, but the effort was rewarded with a straw pressed against her lips. The energy expended to draw in liquid was too much and she sank back into a deep sleep.

*****
Her third waking was sudden and it had her trying to sit up. However, she was tied up with tubes and more tubes and with only rising a foot, she managed to pull a lot of them askew.

"Marti, hon. You've got to wake up with less vigor. You have a lot of stuff still attached." Gail's cool hand rested on her forehead. "Hi," she greeted the reddened eyes with relief.

"Gail," Marti answered bewildered. "Where am I?"

"A hospital in the middle of nowhere."

"Last Chance?"

"Last chance? For what? Girl, we were in a car accident. I was lucky because I had the air bag. I…bought a new car and this time the passenger side has an air bag too," she told her solemnly and then started to cry. "Oooh, Marti I was so frightened for you!" she wailed. "I am soooo sorry. I didn't intentionally not choose to not have an air bag on your side. It just came that way…I'm…"

"Gail, what the hell are you talking about?" wheezed Marti.

Gail plucked a tissue from the box near the hospital bed and blew her nose. "I…what do you last remember?"

Marti looked at her doubtfully. There was no way she was going to tell her about Last Chance and being caught in an alternate world.

"Yeah. You remember nothing. That's what the doctor said," Gail admitted sadly. Gail settled in the chair picking up a Starbucks papercup. She sucked on it for a while. "I badgered you to take off a week…at least…to go on a trip with me up to…"

"Lake Tahoe…" Marti contributed.

"No," Gail told her firmly. "Santa Barbara…where on earth is Tahoe?" She shook her head. "Anyway, we got tail ended by some drunks and my car spun out of control and we both ended up in a ditch. I was in the hospital for about a week and you…" she took a deep breath.

"Yeah?" Marti asked feeling like this was a nightmare.

"Nearly a year," she told her quietly.

"A…year?" she whispered unbelievingly.

Gail nodded and started to tear up again. "I'm so sorry," she apologized again.

"Gail, stop blaming yourself. You just said we were tail ended." Marti's thoughts were going off in different directions, scaring her to near panic. She tried to lift her arm to remove the tubes but she found she was too weak to do much.

"It's all taken care of…your bills and all. My insurance and yours…it's…"

"Insurance?" Marti looked at her really not understanding her.

"Your employer, McKee's Software and Technology Design. The place you worked at during your internship and they hired you after your graduated? Remember any of that?"

"Yes, I remember that!" she told her impatiently…Except, I quit them and lived on the street for a few years. Then we headed to Lake Tahoe and we were in a car accident before we got there. What is going on!?

The beeping of the machine next to her had Gail looking anxious. "Marti…calm down. I don't know what you remember and what you don't."

A nurse interrupted the conversation.

****
Chapter 10

Marti puffed, sweat soaking her T-shirt and yet, she still had four yards to go on the hand rail.

"One step at a time…" her physical therapist encouraged quietly.

Marti shoved her foot ahead, feeling her legs shake so hard she did not think she could support her weight. It did not help that her arms, that were supporting the weight her legs could not hold, were shaking just as much.

Arms reached around her and eased her into the chair. Marti was angry that she did not make it to the end, regardless of the fact that the therapist did not expect her to yet. Too soon she had been told.

Margi could not understand how in less than a year her body deteriorated so much. While she retreated within herself, she was rolled back to her room. Her hands dangled limply into her lap as her arms shook with exertion. She was assisted with her shower, something else she closed out and just went through the motions. Her heart and mind returned to a life she thought she lived…with Darcy. She was afraid.

Weeks turned into a month, with three changes in her living arrangements: from the hospice, to a recovery facility and then to Gail's condo. Gail had packed up her apartment and put everything into storage, not knowing for how long her friend would be in a coma. Margi had no family.

****

"Where're you going?" Gail asked.

Marti picked up a bottle of water from the kitchen. "Out. I'm going nuts hanging around here and doing nothing."

"Maybe you need to get back to work…it helps me," she smiled. Gail leaned back from the dinning room table that was hidden under laptop, printer, scanner, camera and neatly stacked papers and books she was using for her current research. Gail always researched before starting her next business venture.

In the months that Marti lived with her she got used to seeing her friend sitting at her dinning room table with laptop opened, surrounded by equipment and papers, and a brown bag next to her that she tossed her empty plastic water bottles into. Gail preferred working here, to her study or library. Marti could understand, as she admired the nature scene the bay window looked out at.

Gail sipped from her water bottle as she watched her friend whose radical behavior change since the accident had her worried and vigilant.

"Gail, you're a work alcoholic," Marti snorted in disbelief.

"And you're not?" Gail returned. "Hell, to get you to take that vacation that had disastrous results, I had to promise you I would help you track down IYD."

"What!? What did you say?" Marti stepped over to Gail and nearly grabbed her by her shoulders.

"Hey! Take it easy. What's wrong?"

"IYD, In Your Dreams…you said you can find her?"

"I thought you said you weren't interested," she told her slowly, wondering what was going on with Marti. "I…what do you remember?" she asked cautiously. Due to Marti's complete change of character since the accident she had gone to a psychologist to see what she should do about it.

"I…she turns up in our chat room every now and then…" Geeze! Why didn't I think of that? I could…what would I say? Shit! I…I know I didn't imagine it because I'm not wearing glasses. I know I was blind as a bat before I had laser surgery in my other life. Even Gail noticed that I didn't need glasses after all this time and she said my desire to always work is not the same. That's exactly how I was before I quit McKees!

"Right," Gail said slowly. "And…I had told you I had a detective that works for me that could locate anyone…"

"Joe. So…?" she hinted for her to go on.

"I was going to do that when we got back from our vacation…but other things happened. You haven't been hitting the chat room since your accident. You know, every now and then some people ask about you. IYD still shows up…she once asked about where you were."

"Did you tell her?" she asked breathlessly.

"You were in a coma then. I just said your were sick," her voice softened. "I did tell CD, California Dreaming when you were on the road to recovery," she added.

"Oh," Marti played with the water bottle for a few moments, while she tried to remember what days Darcy signed on. Wednesday evenings. "What day is today?"

Gail shook her head. "It's Monday and too early for the crowd you usually chatted with. They would be happy to hear from you again," she said again.

Margi nodded. She knew Darcy's Email…but what would she say? She knew she did not dream or imagine another life…she lived it! Would this Darcy return her inquiry?

"Do you mind if I sign on?"

"No. Anytime you want. You know where the PC is…down the hall in the library I never use." Gail smiled and watched as Marti turned and headed towards one of the bedrooms that had been morphed into a library which was also to serve as an office. However, she found she liked looking out her bay window while working and abandoned the library/office.

Margi entered the darkened room that lit up the moment it detected her movement. She settled comfortably in the office chair. While she waited for the PC to boot up, she looked around the room. The three months she lived her she had not entered this room, not wanting to invade all of Gail's spaces. Gail's bookcases were more for holding statues and vases than books. Whereas, in her bedroom, books that she had been purchasing were stacked all around her bed. Celine was sure the maid was going crazy with trying to vacuum around the stacks. The books were on subjects she remembered Darcy had in her bookshelves.

Turning back to the PC that was ready, she quickly clicked on the internet ICON and moved to her Yahoo account. Pursing her lips, she realized that she was going to have to delete a history of her internet movements.

She sent an Email carefully worded to Darcy, wondering what would happen. She then logged onto the chat room she had long ago favored. The names had changed, but some did not. When she signed on as Dreamer it was only five minutes before she was greeted by many of the names she once knew well. She was hoping IYD was going to sign on, but, Darcy did not sign on the internet very often. But Jack did. What did he sign on as? She logged out and opened up her mail again. She fired off an inquiry to the Last Chance group mail, wondering if such a mail address existed. She went back to the chat room and chatted a bit. Many wanted to know where she had been and she told them, Dreaming. Finally she signed off.

It was still light out so she took the walk she was originally going to take. By the time she returned, Gail was micro waving dinner.

"Hey, girl! Did you work up an appetite?"

"Yeah. What can I do?"

"Salad. How was the walk?"

Marti knew she was asking about her strength. "I walked until I was at Hayswoods and then jogged up to the top of the slope…and then slipped and fell on my butt on the way down," she chuckled. "Wet grass."

"Hm. One day the slope will be your midpoint," she told her as she spooned the rice and mixed vegetables on two plates.

"Ehhh. Running to run is your thing. I'm doing it to not feel so damn weak."

"Well running with a buddy doesn't mean you chit chat," she remarked, knowing Marti preferred solitude.

"How's your business going?"

"Good. I'm getting ready to sell my interests in this one. This is the last time I go into partnership with someone," she shook her head.

"Hm. Taking CEO perks off the top, is he?"

Gail looked up at her startled. "What?"

Marti shrugged her shoulders. "You know in the movies, they have everyone taking from the goose and leaving… What's wrong?"

"I hadn't realized I spoke with you about my suspicion about Bennie." She knew she did not because Marti was unconscious when she took Bennie on. She was distracted with Marti's condition and in a weak moment let someone weedle his way into her business affairs, she thought disgustedly. She was determined she would not blame it on Marti.

"Bennie?" Oh, shit. Now what. This isn't right. The timing is off. Nothing is right in this world! I didn't quit my job and live on the streets for two years… I lived in an apartment and rented out my condo because I couldn't stand my neighbors…and here, Gail and I got together weekly.

"Yeah. Not tall dark and handsome, but a smooth talker he is. Besides becoming my partner, he's also talked me into keeping the business longer than I'm interested in." She frowned at this then waved it off. "Said he wanted to learn the business of starting a business and then selling it when it reaches a certain peak."

"But you always sell a year or so later. You just like to start them. You hate sharing power and developed companies need management…that means more than one at the top."

"Right. That's where everyone on the management team wants to have a say in how and where the company is going and then take the next step and get on Wall Street. Not for me," she agreed.

"Remember that account we opened for your first business?"

"Yeah. I got two credit cards on it yesterday. That's a damn coincidence that you remembered it when I was reminded of it just the other day," Gail marveled.

"Hm. I just remembered…and with a guilty conscious. I was supposed to close it and I forgot. Speaking of your businesses reminded me of it. If you want, we can close it tomorrow, since I'm here."

"Uh huh. Usually my business mail goes to Emile's office but he and Tom just broke up so their addresses are changing. I found that not only do we have the account open, but it's got over seven thousand dollars in it. Must have been accumulating interest. But it's all yours. I withdrew my business funds from it when I sold that business. I have to speak with Emile…Geeze. My business manager and accountant are now going to be taking snippy shots at each other at our business meetings," she whinned.

Marti laughed at Gail's exaggerated face. "Well, let's go over to the bank and close it out. One less account to worry about."

"Yeah. Listen, talking about business…your supervisor called. I think they want to fire you but you have to come in to work for them to do that."

Marti nodded. "I need to get out of that business anyway. Too stressful. I'll send a 'I quit' letter to McKee. I know you've been taking care of my finances Gail, and I appreciate it. I know I need to sit down and go over them with you, but…can we give it some more time?"

"Hey, don't worry about it! We're friends. It's not like you have some strange money flow problems…" Gail laughed. "Like I said, the insurance has been picking up your tab. Until the doctor gives you a clean bill of health…"

She watched Marti as the woman shifted to her other foot, as if she was uncomfortable about something. "I thought you liked working at McKees what with all the deadlines and pressure to produce creative stuff."

"People change…" she took a deep breath of relief to end that type of pressure, hoping that the other Marti would forgive her.

****

Later she signed onto the internet to see if she got any replies to her inquiries. Two undeliverables. Darcy's mail and Last Chances group account came back.

She signed onto the chat room. She needed some cheering up. Half heartedly she teased CD that for someone stuck in Chicago that she may have to change the name to Chicago Dread, and then IYD signed on. Margi's heart beat furiously as she answered the teasing come-on IYD had for her. She remembered they played sexual word games…she was frightened that maybe she imaged it or in this life…they did not have that type of a relationship. She shook her head frustrated. Of course they did. She did it with the others so why not with IYD and Gail did say she was interested in IYD enough to look for her.

To test IYD she wrote:

Dreaming: Been thinking of retiring to the desert and starting my own Findhorn garden.

IYD did not type an answer right away but the others responses were a mixture of sexual innuendos, as most were, and a question or two about what was a Findhorn garden.

IYD: Personally, I like playing in gardens that are not desert dry but moist. As for finding a horn…

Oh, joy. That started a load of remarks. IYD's sign off was sandwiched between the rolling remarks.

Marti sighed. Now was the waiting game. After dutifully staying to send some of her own remarks back on how the challenge of working in dry gardens was good for her libido and that she had a fine horn, thank you, she signed off. She needed to look at a map of California. Darcy had told her that Last Chance was too small to be on the map, but the freeway was a few hours from it…that she knew. She just needed to figure out what the off-ramp was. The name was missing from the freeway overheads, she remembered that. Now that she was thinking of that. It seemed odd. Usually off-ramps were announced about three times. Shaking her head she returned her attention to her present search, pulling out an Atlas Road map from the book case, she spread it out on the carpeted floor. Sliding her finger down the page she looked for a name and could not find any she recognized. She moved to the coast and looked for Santa Monica or even Long Beach. Nothing. Cursing under her breath she paged over to the index. P42L. Thumbing through the map book she found Long Beach…it was in Northern California.

What the hell…

Marti went through the index for other cities she knew and found they either were not there or…they were moved…in fact…looking closer at the map…California was not looking like the California she knew looked. It was cut in half.

Marti sat back on her heels dumbfounded. Shit! Shit! Shit! It was a mixture of elation and uncertainty because now for sure she knew she was not where she felt she belonged. It made sense. If she could visit that dimension where lizards and bird people existed, then why not another reality. But that meant…she rubbed her head ruefully. This was worse than Alice in Wonderland, Wizard of Oz or even Jack and the Bean Stock. Marti rubbed her face tiredly. She needed to focus on a new priority. Her first had been to walk again. Now she had a new one…to get back to the desert.

She didn't have a car. She was not strong enough to drive, and it was only tantalizing her with its presence so Gail helped her sell it. She groaned to herself. She just sold someone else's car. Her eyes blinked open. Damn! I wonder what she's doing in my place…or where she ended up…with MY Darcy!

Maybe she could talk Gail into a weekend trip somewhere. Getting up she went in search of Gail in the dinning room area but Gail had gone to bed. Her laptop was closed and books neatly stacked with the recyclables disposed of.

Maybe if I sleep on this…it will be different tomorrow… I don't want it different…I want to be back with Darcy.

*****
Chapter 11

Darcy's heart was racing when she ended up back at the place she stepped over the threshold. Her eyes and equilibrium struggled to make sense of the distorted world before her. She turned around startled. Where was she? No Medicine Man. No Celine, Mandy or Jade.

Damn! Where did everyone go?

Darcy squinted as a shape approached her, growing into something recognizable as it neared. Shit! Whatever it was it walked like her. What happens if I meet myself in a parallel world? Damn, damn. Okay, lot's of sci-fi buffs write about it all the time. Let's see…ohhh. I think I'll take G.L. Dartt's versions. People don't die.

"What the hell! What are you?" the voice from her other self demanded.

"Someone in trouble. We're either in a bad dream or it could be a good one," Darcy offered. If this person studied the same subjects as she did, she would know what that meant.

A smile curled the corners of the lips of her look-alike. "Well, if it's my choice, you would be better looking and not wearing my face."

"Are we in a desert?" Darcy asked.

"More like a man-made waste of dirt and other shit," her double returned disgusted.

"What do you mean?"

"This wasteland around us was the result of a toxic waste site gone bad. A group of us have been cleaning it up…unbeknowingest to our government. We don't want to let them know until the anti-nuclear energy bill is passed, with all its waste banned, and use of anything that produces unrenewalable byproducts."

"Wow. That covers a lot of big companies. In my world they picked Nevada's desert for the dump site and Nevada is fighting it."

"Here too. But there was an explosion underground and it contaminated ley lines thus affecting other states…and though moving slowly, it progressing into the other states."

"What year is this?"

"4699 the year of the Black Horse," she replied promptly. "What year is it on your side?"

"2003 BCE."

The other looked surprised. "What's BCE?"

"Before Christian Era."

She laughed. "Bloody hell, but those cretins are certainly are arrogant where you're from. Ours are a lot more humble."

"My name's Darcy," Darcy offered.

"Big D or just Darc," her counter-part returned. "So, what are you doing here?"

"Trying to find my way back. In my dimension, I live near a portal so I can see what is going on somewhere, but I don't know where."

Darc snorted. "So, you don't have the adventurous genes either, huh?"

"I'm here, aren't I?" Darcy returned defensively. And then laughed with Darc joining her.

"Yeah, but like me, I bet it was by a big accident in your life."

"Yeah. Well…I want to get back. Around my house in the desert are energy vortexes of different types. I was walking around one of them with Celine and we ended up in another dimension that had lizard and bird-type people living with dinosaurs and the likes."

"Holy angles," the other said.

"That was no holy encounter. Anyway, we were being chased by something and got split up. Here I am without my horse, dog or lover."

"What? You have animals still? And a lover?"

"You don't have animals?"

"No. Over population of our species and the contamination of the land killed of everything that took up human space. The choice was share the earth by reducing our birth rates or kill off anything that took up space we could use. The religious right killed off all animals they felt would infringe upon a human's right to exist…including what they found in the zoos. The government was suspiciously slow to prevent the slaughter. The diseases the carcasses brought wiped out so many of those creeps I think someone got their revenge…however, the contamination from waste dump sites is interfering with reproduction of all the species. People these days don't readily identify themselves with any of those old established religions."

"How do you eat?"

"Well it's not meat. Goretec and Fasotech became the biggest bioengineering companies in the world and started production of uncontaminated food in space." She pointed to the sky above her.

"Wow."

"It is wow. Their subsidiary, Larmont Fuel and Toxic Waste Disposal was responsible for the shoddy storage of the toxic waste in Nevada."

"And no one did anything?"

"Politics. Everyone is sleeping with everyone at the top. A regular orgy."

"You don't sound down about it."

"Like you said…we create our own reality and there is a group of us that is fighting the collective image some are directing the masses to have of this world."

"Do you know how I can get back to where I need to be?"

Darc laughed again. "Where you need to be? Since you're here…I would say that this is it. So, we need to figure out why you are here. We must have something you need or you have something we need."

"You don't have animals? Maybe that's it. I have dog hairs, Ilama, chicken feathers, horse hairs…things you can take DNA from to recreate what you're missing."

"You always carry stuff like that around?"

"It's on my clothes," she told her patiently.

"Well, maybe that's it. All our scientists come up with is damaged DNA." Darc grinned. "Well I gotta say, prayers work. We've been chanting for some help on our next phase and I guess the shirt off your back will do." She took the shirt she was handed feeling eerie touching her double.

Darcy thought about the pockets probably having a lot of chicken stuff because she had used the pockets to carry eggs that morning and the two eggs did have feathers stuck to them.

"So, now…." before she finished her sentence she was moving elsewhere, except her feet were not moving but firmly planted on the ground beneath her.

Standing before her was another her. And she looked like she was waiting impatiently. This person was dressed in shorts, hiking boots and had two water bottles hanging from her fanny pack.

Both started at each other for a few moments.

"I'm Darcy," she began.

The other nodded watching her warily.

"You don't believe me. Ask me something about my life and we can see how close we are." She offered but only because she was wondering about this dimension. So far, both Darcy's she met had the same face change. That worried her to some extent.

The other still said nothing.

"Okay. Let me tell you about mine." Darcy gave a quick bio on herself, and even went into her online entertainment, trying to find something that would change the hard face before her. She felt like she was facing herself when she went into the military. She wondered when this person had her face changed.

It was at the mention of her internet chat name that a flicker of interest showed.

"You got internet in this dimension?"

"You know, I don't believe in half the shit you told me," the other said. "But you sure have an imagination."

"Really? Then why the hell are you out here in the desert? And…you have the same face as me."

"This isn't a desert. It's a private preserve. I'm the new patrol officer just checking out the spots that are off limits to any visitors."

"What the hell is this place?" Darcy demanded, suddenly worried about her counterpart.

"It's like I said…closed to visitors."

Darcy then noticed she was carrying a shoulder holster and she had a badge sewed on her shoulder.

"You stayed in the military…probably in special ops. Damn, Darcy you need to get out of that group. I did. Took me a while but…"

"I don't know who you are…but where ever you came from you can leave and don't come back. I'm going to mark this spot for difusement."

"You're warning me. That's nice. But if you damage something in your dimension…it may affect others."

"That kind of talk will attract the Enforcers, so I don't want to hear it."

Darcy took a deep breath. She had to be here for a reason. Well, maybe her showing up was enough to plant a seed of dissention in the Enforcers power. It sounded to Darcy like this dimension was peopled by a closed minded group…yet, they hired her counterpart and that meant they used people who had the ability to see more than what the large masses saw to keep it under control.

Time to move on, she thought.

"Well, I would like to move on…just remember, you create your own reality."

And Darcy moved on. That must have been the message.

****
"Look, I'm telling ya, I'm being moved from dimension to dimension or place to place and I just say what comes out of my mouth and poof! I'm off to another place. I'm getting tired and my patience and politeness are gone. I don't care if you believe a word I say. I'm just a messenger…who doesn't know what the hell my message is about. I just told you all I know!"

She waited impatiently for her to be propelled forward but she went no where. This person had her old face so she obviously did not share the same experiences. It was a real pain to convince this Darcy who she was…and she knew she still had not.

Both stood regarding the other for what could have been up to ten minutes silently. Darcy was afraid to move out of the energy she felt running up and down her body and the other Darcy was just standing where she was not moving either.

"I got an Email inquiry from 'a Celine'…" the woman finally said.

"You did! When!"

"Yesterday. I also chatted with this 'Dreaming' person. You say they are the same person?"

"Yes! Yes! She must be trapped here like me if she knows your Email! Unless you gave it to her?"

"No. It's a private mail address and I sent it back as undeliverable. I've been chatting with Dreaming every now and then… She's been off the chats for about seven months…until yesterday. Said she was in a car accident and it took her a while to recover."

"Geeze! We met…I…I had picked her up in a rain storm…we later figured out she was in a car accident and had wandered from it. She had temporary amnesia. So, in this dimension we didn't meet, but…"

"So, you say you're lovers?" the lips curled up into a slow smile.

"Yeah and friends," Darcy smiled.

"Why do you think she's your Celine?"

"Because Celine or Marti…she goes by Marti too…why else would she have sent you a personal Email? I can't figure out why I'm here because…you have the same stuff here as we have…"

"Wait! Hold on. You're speaking of really 'out there'. How do you know about me…if you don't even look like me?"

"I told you how I came here…to Last Chance. Do you call your town Last Chance?"

"That's not something I can talk about."

"Look, I'm clairvoyant…I can see things around people like a story or images that play out like a movie as I'm talking to them. It doesn't happen all the time…but I can see why you escaped the car accident that I was caught in. You saw it happening before the sequence started so you had the car towed when you had the chance and quit the PD to avoid getting caught up in their sicko game. You came to LC because you saw it…like an oasis in the middle of a desert. You accepted your talent while I fought mine."

"Shit!"

"See, it happens to you too," Darcy finished triumphantly.

"So, you live in a desert community that takes care of energy reservoirs?"

"Something like that. We call them vortexes. We're observing and in my case, somehow I ended up stepping over some kind of threshold…"

"Yeah, you said that. So, what do you want me to do with this Celine?"

"Bring her here! She's got to get back over the threshold!"

"This is going to be interesting," the other remarked dryly.

"Yeah," Darcy laughed happily. "If it's the right Celine she'll know. Gawds. An accident. I hope she's okay."

"So what…."

Darcy felt herself drop to the ground as if a great weight lay on top of her, pushing her down…

Like I'm in a damn plane taking off at high g's!

***
Chapter 12

"Gail! Just humor me! You're not doing anything right now are you?"

"No," she admitted resignedly and then added quickly, "but this is in the middle of…" she looked at the map again.

"It's an adventure. You need a vacation. You've been fretting about the investigation into your finances so this is a good time to get a break from the stress. You don't have to report to anyone where you're going do you?"

"Why?" Gail asked suspiciously.

"Because I don't want another one of those rear end engagements by someone trying to knock you off for your business," she told her mockingly.

"Oh, gawds you have an imagination," Gail laughed and then glanced at the drawing pad on the table. In all their years together that started in college, she never knew Mari to leave a drawing pad around. It was like her diary. She was tempted to look at it but refrained. Trust was at issue here, and after all she tipped her off to her business associates stealing money from her businesses, though Gail was not sure if she did it intentionally or not. Maybe that was why she got along with Marti so well. When she offered her some information, she was always right. Something she did not do often.

"Okay. So…tell me…are you sure this is IYD and not someone giving you a line? And how do you know this is not some guy waiting to knock you off?"

More like my socks! Marti thought humorously. "'Cause I just know," she returned with certainty. "I won't just go off somewhere without investigating it. You're not the only one that can research. Come on, let's get some clothes together and start off. We can find a place to sleep when you get tired."

"Okay, okay. Let me let my neighbor know I'll be taking a trip to Northern Cal. Gawds, but some people hate those people," she frowned. "Maybe I should just tell them I'm heading up to Santa Barbara."

Marti nodded already stuffing her pad in a backpack along with bottles of water. She added only one day's change of clothing. She knew the bait of meeting IYD would be too much for Gail to resist. She had the hots for her just by the conversations over the internet. Marti wondered how she would look. For a few moments she looked at herself in the mirror. She did not have the same face she was familiar with and that had taken some getting used to. When she had first seen herself in the mirror and freaked, Gail had told her the change had saved her life and that was all. Marti's assumption was that it was due to the accident. She had not thought to ask Gail why this face. Maybe on their trip.

****
It was an hour later and Gail's roadster was ready to go. The tolls were prepaid and since they were taking the cheaper route, which happened to go near their rendezvous, it would take a little longer to get to Gail's logged final destination, Santa Barbara.

Santa Barbara, from what Marti's research found, bordered the Northern Cal lands. Santa Barbara supported all the things Northern Cal and Southern Cal differed on. Like concerts that usually left the environment injured with their pyrotechnics and outlandish antics of their attendees that burned anything in the area to the off shore over fishing, dumping and oil pumping. Southern Cal, she learned, was the poorer half of a once large state, and wanted to sell its soul to oil and large self interest-corporations while Northern Cal was interested in saving its natural resources and finding other ways to survive the great depression. After a bloody war that was like a gang war, the Federal Government, who loved the South for their potential market, separated the two powers into different states. The two states hated the other. Any sport games between the two rivals was closed to public attendance due to the riots that always broke out between the spectators.

"All right, strap in, and gimme a bottle of water. Just thinking about the rest stops already has me wanting to get my moneys worth," Gail told her humorously.

That was another thing that was different in this dimension. Not only did you pay in advance for the use of the roads, but you paid for each rest stop you passed just in case you were going to use it and after a certain amount of miles, the owner was mandated to have the vehicle checked out. Marti suspected that not only was the government keeping track of citizens this way, but corporate United Citizens of America also made sure that their coffers were kept filled with all the fees they collected.

Marti leaned back after making sure they both had water and refreshments close at hand. She closed her eyes and pictured the Darcy she knew. Smiling she hugged herself.

"Hm. Already getting your panties in a wad are ya?"

Marti giggled. "Uh huh. Gail, can I ask you a personal question?"

Gail laughed. "Geeze, since when was anything between us too personal?"

Marti did not answer that question, not knowing just how close the Marti of this dimension was to her. "Okay. Why do I have someone else's face?"

Gail blinked surprised. "It's what you asked for, I guess. What does it matter? You couldn't have your old face back," she reasoned.

Marti turned her head to look at Gail. "What…why couldn't I have my old face back?" she asked softly.

"You sure have some weird blank memory spots," Gail marveled, not understanding it at all. Her research on memory loss never mentioned blank spots like Marti was having.

"Please, Gail. Just tell me," she insisted.

"You witnessed an assassination and the people behind it would recognize your face. You were put under a witness protection plan but…"

"Wait a minute! When did this happen?"

"In your senior year of high school. For your testimony you were given a new identity and went to a prestigious college that you would have not been able to have done. You know how people with old money are about sharing their colleges with those who don't belong to their club," Gail laughed easily. "And, that's where we met."

"Oh." Gawds, but the differences are strange. What choices in high school did I make that led me in a different direction? In high school I was still drawing those weird pictures of the future… I'll bet that is the difference. I stopped after one really scared me. I burned my pads. Granny was disappointed in me. She wanted me to hone my ability…our only disagreement.

"Hey! Yoohoo." Gail said.

"Oh, sorry. I was thinking."

"Yep. We're coming to the first rest stop. We get one sweet drink each and a Nabisco snack. Pick whatever. We'll toss them at the next trash can."

Marti did not want to show her surprise, but this whole trip was weird. Forced car maintenance checks and the purchase of refreshments. Traveling was expensive. However, why did Gail not want to try the refreshments?

Once settled back in the car, Marti opened one of the bottles of sweet drink, while Gail looked at her like she was crazy. After the first sip she knew why Gail was looking at her incredulously. She decided she would not try the small bag of oatmeal cookies; however, she did open the pack and found what was on the wrapper was not what was in the bag.

"I can't believe you still believe what they tell you on the advertisements," Gail told her. "You used to do their ads so you should know better."

"Someone needs to end this type of shit we have to put up with," Marti told her disgustedly.

"Well," Gail looked at her hesitantly and then shrugged her shoulders, "the international news said the Alliance of Old Europe is going to vote against the United Citizens of Americas and if they do…the corporate structure will be dismantled and they will send AOE people over to act as an interim government until we get our new government together."

Marti's eyebrows rose before she could censor her reaction. "Isn't the UCA going to fight it?" Marti was surprised the acronym came out so easily.

"They have been for fourteen years and while they do, they've been taking over everything and stripping every natural and publicly owned resource." Gail shook her head at her friend's lack of memory. Marti had been an active underground activists, just like her, which was why she was assigned to keep an eye on Marti after her recovery from this accident. The UCA agents had not expected her to live, but considered their warning taken seriously so they did not pursue her; which was also why she was suspicious of IYD and had investigated whoever was on the other side of the mysterious URL. Her network recognized IYD to belong to a similar group though there was not much information on them. That was why she was surprised the meet was agreed on.

They were three hours driving along one stretch of road noticing that there were a lot of red and white law enforcement vehicles passing them both ways. It gave both women goose bumps. A red light on her dash flashed every time one passed by. Neither women spoke, but they wondered if it would be wise to follow the plan IYD set up.

The flat tire occurred exactly where IYD said it would happen. It scared both women as the car fishtailed around before Gail got control of the vehicle and pulled over to the side of the road. The moment the car stopped, a red and white pulled up behind them. A tall women climbed out while Gail sat still to get her pounding heart to slow down.

A hand gestured for Gail to roll her window down.

"Hi. You two okay?"

They both nodded.

"Good." She stepped back and looked over the car. "Looks like a couple of days in the repair shop and you should be road safe." She waited politely for Gail to tell her that was bullshit and a rip off…however, Gail did not say anything.

The woman turned slightly, not enough to let them out of her peripheral. "There's your ride now. I don't want you to be inconvenienced so Dee will take you to the nearest board and breakfast. You'll be notified when your car's ready." She handed Gail a token that would get her car back.

Their ride was an old beat up jeep. Just like Darcy's! Marti nearly ran to the jeep, slinging her pack over her shoulder. Gail followed a little slower, waiting for someone to step out of the jeep.

Marti pulled the jeep passenger door opened with excitement. The face she was staring at was Della's. "Della, where's Darcy?" she asked without thinking. She had been sure it would be Darcy.

The eyebrows behind the dark glasses rose. "What makes you think I'm not Darcy?"

The voice was Darcy's.

Gawds you have got to shut up, Marti. This Darcy probably didn't have the run in…

"Sorry. I…"

"That's okay. Your Darcy told me. Get in. We gotta get outta here."

Marti's face broke out into a big smile as she hopped in, tossing her backpack at her feet. "Come on Gail!" she encouraged her slower moving friend.

****
Darcy said nothing as she drove them over a bumpy road for the next two hours. Marti was tired and cat napped as best as she could. Her dreams were really strange, overlapping what she thought may be the other Marti's memories. This Marti never gave up drawing her prophetic scenes. She used them to help bring down a conglomerate that was attempting to run a continent as their private business. It was not the UCA government that had rescued her with the face change, but Interpol that was working with an organization her granny introduced her to that was against the corporatism of the Americas.

Now she understood her relationship with Gail. She had been her contact with the organization since her identity change. Her ability to start businesses and sell them at a profit was something that corporate UCA liked since it brought more tax revenues in and small business were no threat to them especially since they controlled parts and equipment any business needed. It also helped that Gail was from old money.

Marti sat up in her seat excited at the change she could feel around her.

"So…you can feel it," Darcy's voice quietly observed.

"You taught me," she returned just as quietly.

"So…are either of you going to tell me what is going on?" Gail's impatient voice yawned.

"No," Darcy said.

"Yeah, but not right now," Marti told her. "You can trust her," she told the Darcy from this dimension and then sighed. Actually, she did not have the right to make that offer.

"Sorry," she told Darcy. "It is your decision."

*****
The jeep came to a stop in the middle of no where. Then it started to descend.

"Oh, wow. We don't have this," Marti muttered.

Once the elevator stopped a red light came on, giving them enough light to see a tunnel before them. Darcy got out and waited, expecting them to follow.

"So," Marti began.

Darcy shushed her and walked faster taking them further downward. They were finally shown into another elevator. This went even further down into the earth. When it came to a stop it opened into a room that Marti recognized as Last Chance's general store. A group of people, some she recognized and some she did not, were waiting for them.

Darcy waved them forward.

It took about ten seconds before Doc Ellen nodded. "Clear."

The others nodded their agreement.

"Have a seat. Care for something to drink?"

"Water," Gail said.

"Okay, so what is going on?" Marti asked sitting with her hands on the table.

"May I?" Jack asked indicating her backpack.

"Looking for pictures, Jack?" she teased.

Jack looked startled and then chuckled. "Yeah."

Darcy studied Marti and then glanced over to Gail.

"So, as Marti asked…what's going on?" Gail asked.

Darcy smiled. "Well, I can see why you're asking…but Celine here, I think she knows and the less spoken of it…the better it is." She looked at Celine/Marti and got a nod from her.

"Celine?" a worried Gail asked.

"It's a long story, Gail. Let me tell you what I can that will not put these people in danger." She pursed her lips and thought. "I am not from this dimension or reality." She watched Gail's face expecting a laugh of disbelief.

"What exactly does that mean?" Gail asked carefully.

"I'm not your Marti." She leaned forward to look deeply into Gail's eyes. She saw a look of relief. "You knew?"

"I…you're just too different after the accident. I thought maybe the UCA agent's got to you."

"No. The only accident I remember was being tail ended on a freeway, but you were the only one that required hospital care. A short one or two week stay," she added when Gail looked worried. "My reality isn't quite like this one…though it has it's similarities. The government is IOU'd to corporations but there is a lot of denial and we still have parks and we only have a few toll roads in California. We also are not divided into North and South with a boundary of demarcation. Your geography is also different." She looked up at Darcy who stood to receive the bottles of water John brought her. She felt like she was being examined thoroughly.

"Also, Last Chance is above ground. Your hospice, John, is known by word of mouth and just busy enough for the co-opt to handle comfortably."

John eyed her critically. "So…I have a counterpart in your dimension." After a few heart beats he asked, "Is she…?"

"Hasn't had the surgery. John believes he was born the way he was to try to find a balance within. But as he says, everyone is different and has different challenges…so I would image yours is different."

He merely nodded and looked over at James and Ellen. He then left the room.

"So…how can I get back to where I belong?" Marti asked.

"Well…your Darcy has…"
****
Chapter 13

"Marti, is it?" Darcy asked hesitantly.

According to John, this woman appeared outside of the circle the group was chanting around before she did, and had not recognized any of them. They had coaxed her to the hospice for a check up and she had freaked out when she saw herself in the mirror.

Marti's eyes looked reddened. She pushed her glasses back on her face and sat up in her chair, taking the box of tissue Darcy handed her. They were in the hospice sitting in one of the rooms that had a nice view of the indoor arboretum. The book she reading was turned face down so Darcy could not read the title.

"John said he explained to you about our believing you came from another dimension."

She nodded.

"Hard to believe?"

"No. Not really," she sniffed. She took a deep breath and pulled out the pad she had under her blanket. Jack and James suggested she be given a pad and pencils to see if she would draw.

"Ah. Our Celine or Marti, draws too," Darcy told her smiling fondly at her memory of the sketches of the horses.

She turned the pages that Marti had offered her. Her breath caught as she drew the lizard and bird people. As Darcy turned the pages she realized Marti drew a diary of the fives adventure. She paused at the picture of Marti in the hospital.

"So…do you go into trance to draw these?"

Marti shook her head. "When I was younger I did. Now, I just open myself and I can see what I'm going to draw." Marti touched her face. "I…always wondered what I would look like if I had not had my face altered."

"Why did you have it changed?"

Marti sighed. "I'm a social conscious activist…I work against the corporations that have taken over our lives, giving us no choice but to live their way which shortens our lives and in some cases gives us diseases we have to pay exorbitant prices to cure or extend our lives. They had a hit on me when I was in high school because I witnessed something I should not have and made it public in one of my drawings… The Freedom Fighters is my group, and we posted it on the internet." She gave a small laugh. "Did it rattle those at the top of UCA! It gave Interpol the faces and names they needed and they've been gathering evidence since. The European powers are a few days away from getting rid of corporate UCA through the international courts. Of course UCA does not indorse them but it does not matter. Anyway, as the whistle blower…I had to take on a whole new identity." She rubbed her forehead. "The last I remember…Gail and I were headed to Santa Barbara to meet up with some of our Northern Cal members when…we were hit from behind. We thought they were UCA agents. Bloody moon, but I hope Gail's al right."

"Well, we're working on getting you back. My Marti or Celine is where you were. If all goes well…you'll be returned to your world and Celine will be back here."

"You love her," Marti observed.

"In your dreams," Darcy snorted. And then nodded. "Very much, Dreaming."

Marti's eyes opened wide. "You're…are you…?"

"IYD. Yeah. Amazing how life is. Don't you think?"

Marti nodded. "Will…will we meet over there? I mean…does this mean I'll meet you…or…"

"My counter-part? I believe so. She is the one that is bringing Celine to the spot that we believe will allow us to exchange you." Gawds but this better work! Faith, little grasshopper, she parodied nervously, and then firmly reminded herself that this was mind over matter.

"Well, when does all this happen?" a more animated Marti asked.

Darcy grinned. "In four days. At half moon. Come on. I'll introduce you to the others that will be supporting the cross-over. And…maybe you'll want to get rid of the glasses?"

Marti pushed her glasses back on her nose. She nodded. "John…she or he told me about the surgery I can have." She looked up at Darcy hopefully. "I've never had the time."

*****

Doc Ellen looked up from the herb wreathes she and George were weaving together that would surround the circle they were going to use to open further an already existing aperture between dimensions. They were all sure it was the right dimension for the switch of the two Martis. Darcy walked in with the Marti that had appeared near the circle moments after a nervous dog and horses appeared.

Ellen had been on her way to the circle when George, who was quietly riding next to her in their car, suddenly shouted something. It scared the hell out of her. But George was shouting at her to hurry that 'they' got them. After it was all sorted out it turned out that George's consciousness had been in a place that overlapped two dimensions and had seen the lizard people attempting to cross over to this side to do harm. He could also see the bird people hovering nearby doing nothing but watch, just like him. Helpless to get out of the place he was in, all he could do was watch for weeks. When the lizard people were ready to force the aperture, instead of their agent, Darcy and Celine with their companions crossed over and spit off. The bird people's intervention had caused the split off.

The community gathered around the circle, attempting to do what a revived George suggested had to be done to get them back safely. To everyone's surprise, the animals came back first. They then concentrated on Celine and what came through was a startled Celine that turned out to not be her at all. Darcy was the next they had found and pulled back.

Darcy was able to figure out what happened and easily talked the others into trying again. They had to wait, though, when the planets and moon were right as well as they had to get Celine to the vortex. Then, there was Marti to consider. John worked with the traumatized woman, not wanting to rush her into another terrifying experience, regardless of the fact that she needed to return to her reality and Celine was wanted back.

Doc's eyes knowingly studied her, noting the return of color to her cheeks and the fact that her eyes had lost that haunted look. Doc nodded at Darcy and smiled at Marti. "You're looking a lot better. How do you feel?"

Marti smiled and nodded. "Fine, Doc. How are you doing?"

"Good. Are you ready?"

Marti grinned. "Sure am." She took a deep breath and let it out nervously.

"Marti, this is my husband, George, this is Jack; you've already met James, his twin…this is Ruth…she's going to guide you over. We've got about three to four days to prepare. We don't want the moon's pull to be too strong so we'll wait for that to evolve and you need to be comfortable with all of this."

Marti nodded and sat in the chair presented to her.

*****

Marti was looking over the group that she had worked with for four days. Her glasses were gone, though the habit to push them up her nose was still there. These people were a strange group, but so were her revolutionary friends. During her time in Last Chance, she learned as much as she could to take back with her. Gail was going to be surprised…if she was still alive. She shook her head to loose that thought. What she learned here was thoughts were real.

Everyone got comfortable and began to meditate before they would start out to the circle.

******

The vehicles stopped ten yards from the circle. Everyone quietly piled out and moved in the darkness, letting the half moon's illumination be their only source of light.

Drumming for mood was started but it did not take long for the vibrations to heighten and the burning herbs to tighten the circle's protection.

Both Marti's stepped into the center, trying to remember to not hold their breaths. A clear image of the desert she knew, Celine held firmly in her minds eyes as her destination. She then pictured where she was for the benefit of her counter-part.

"Home," Celine muttered.

Nothing.

Celine opened an eye and then another. A dog barked from somewhere in the darkness. "Mandy!" she shouted, remembering too late to find out if this Darcy had a dog.

Celine cocked her head to one side…it was their Mandy! Celine turned to look behind her and she could barely see a shadow and then a face turned towards her…it was the face she had worn in the alternate reality. She smiled and waved. A wave was returned and then…

Marti turned and hesitantly waved back at the woman whose face she had worn for months. Taking a deep breath, she moved out of the circle, her heart beating rapidly in anticipation of seeing IYD…Darcy… She knew this woman would not have the same face as the Darcy she had met first…but…

She blinked a few times and out of the darkness appeared Gail smiling. Marti laughed for she could see the tears running down her cheeks. Gail was going to be really surprised with her because she did not need glasses anymore. Her eyes moved to the woman that was next to her, whose eyes she recognized.

"Darcy," she whispered. The woman smiled.

"Welcome back, Marti," Gail told her before grabbing her and giving her a big hug.

****
Celine laughed with the others and sipped the warm tea, hoping it would stop the cold shivers that were inside of her. Darcy leaned over and kissed her on her forehead, feeling the disconnection Celine was feeling. Mandy would not leave either woman, resting her jaw on Darcy's foot and moving her eyes when Celine moved.

"It is so good to be with you," Celine whispered fervently.

"Gawds, but I missed you. Let's take tomorrow off and decompress in the jacuzzi," Darcy suggested.

"Sounds good. It isn't on any vortex, is it?"

Darcy looked at her alarmed, and then laughed. "No," she answered firmly.

*****

END of the 2nd adventure in the world of "Dreams"