Dreamland is a fantasy about a 7 year old girl named Tara and her nightly visits to Dreamland. Dreamland is a parallel universe where everyone who dreams goes. It's as real as the place we inhabit in our waking hours, separated by the fabric of time. Tara was connected to Dreamland, as was her Mother and Grandmother. Each generation produces a special person, in her family to protect Dreamland and Earth, if it was ever necessary. Now it is necessary, and it might just be up to Tara this time.

Dreamland

Tara's AdventuresBy C.L. Rodd

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2011 C.L. Rodd
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4490-7792-1

Chapter One

It started like any other dream Tara ever had. Floating, happily, as a 7 year old does, between her own world and Dreamland. She was dressed in a flowing angelic white gown as she flew and floated through the darkened streets of her own neighbourhood.

As she floated happily, over the familiar rooftops of her friends' houses, she noticed a sudden damp chill in the air. It was like a misty, cold wave of fear and darkness.

Suddenly, she was standing in an old fashioned parlour, in front of a huge set of glass doors. They were like French doors with the wood slats all through them but these were gold slats and trim around each individual pane of glass. As Tara turned from the window, slowly, as in a dream, she saw the outline of a small child curled up, in a huge overstuffed chair in front of an ornate fireplace. The fire seemed to be slowly dying out as the red and yellow flames slowly danced in a row over a tiny pile of glowing embers. The child, crying as if his heart was breaking, seemed not to know Tara was even there.

Tara edged closer to the sobbing child. As she neared the chair the boy bolted upright, from his fetal position, at the sound of her footsteps. When their eyes met he bolted from the chair into Tara's outstretched arms. Tara was so surprised that her arms had even been outstretched, let alone that he had jumped into them, that she lost her balance and fell backwards. Just as she felt herself fall she glanced over her shoulder, and much to her relief, she noticed another overstuffed chair there to break their fall. They landed with a thud and the little boy on top of her giggled. His wide eyes and shy smile made her giggle too.

"Mama, mama your back!" he shrieked

Tara looked down at herself and realized that she wasn't 7 years old any more. She was a grown woman, obviously a mother, and dressed in early 19th century clothing, complete with lace up boots. Before she could fully digest this amazing and spontaneous transition, she could hear herself speaking.

"There, there now Seth. What is all this fuss about? I was only in the kitchen making our hot cocoa." Tara soothed.

Tara's mind was reeling. How could she be this little boy's mother when she was only a 7-year-old girl a minute ago? The only explanation she could find was that she was in Dreamland and that this little boy must need her there for some reason. So, she decided to relax and just see where all this would lead as the dream unfolded.

No sooner had Tara made this decision, when she and Seth heard an incredible crash. It sounded like it was directly over the house. Seth clung to her even harder now and began whimpering. Tara knew that their only hope was to follow her "gut" instincts, because she had no idea what to expect. This dream drama was about Seth not Tara the 7 year old. She had to become his mother in order to really help him. Suddenly, another loud bang. This time it felt like it was inside the house, upstairs. Sheer terror overtook her senses as she grabbed Seth's little hand and swiftly rose from their chair.

"The shelter." she heard herself whisper to Seth.

"Yippee!" Seth exclaimed.

The words were barely out of his mouth when they were on foot rushing toward the parlour door to the hall. Seth was leading the way and Tara could only assume they were headed for the shelter that she, herself had mentioned.

Seth dragged her through the enormous kitchen at the back of the house then, down a long hallway, through another narrow door, left, and then down a winding hallway. Seth stopped short in front of a small door that looked to Tara to be too small to even fit through.

"The key, mama, the key!" Seth whispered urgently.

Tara searched through the folds of her antique house dress until she finally found a hidden pocket, just behind her waistband.

She gently pulled on a ribbon that was pinned to the pocket lining. When she pulled she could feel something sliding out of the pocket. It was an ancient skeleton key tied to the ribbon. She immediately grabbed it and slid it into the keyhole of this odd looking door. Much to her surprise the key not only fit, it turned and the door swung open with such force that she and Seth were nearly knocked to the floor.

Tara gently shoved Seth behind the folds of her skirt as she peered carefully around the corner of the doorway. What she saw amazed her. The staircase was unlike anything she had ever seen. It was a spiral, but it was made of black iron. It looked like it wound around itself as it gradually led downward. She clutched Seth's hand, and as they began their descent the stairway began to sway gently, back and forth. As Tara looked towards the ceiling she could barely make out suspension cables of some kind. They creaked ominously as she and Seth stepped from one stair to the next. It was like walking on air. Seth clung to her skirt and hand as they slowly navigated each stair.

Tara was grateful for the kerosene lamp she had taken off the wall outside the doorway, because there was no other light source on the stairs. It felt, to Tara, like they were entering the very core of the earth. The smell of dampness was almost overpowering.

There seemed to be no end to the staircase.

They slowly moved further down into the vast darkness with only the small lamp to guide them.

Suddenly there was a huge flash of light. It was a bright red colour and it blinded Tara. She stumbled and felt herself falling for what seemed like an eternity. As she fell all she could hear was Seth's tiny, frightened voice screaming

"Mama, mama, don't leave me here all alone. Mama, please ..."

Chapter Two

Tara awoke bathed in sweat and screaming;" Mama, mama don't leave me here all alone"

Katherine, hearing her daughters' distress, bolted up the stairs, two at a time. When she reached Tara's bedroom door, it was locked from the inside and there was an eerie red glow all around it.

"Tara, open this door, now!" Katherine screamed through the door.

"I can't Mommy. It's too hot." Tara whined back at her Mother.

"Andrew come here, quickly, it's happening again!" Kay, which had been her nickname since birth, bellowed to her husband.

"Kay, my Lord, you'll wake the dead screaming like that. What is it now?" Andrew shot back as he, too took the stairs two at a time.

Andrew reached the top step just in time to see the red glow fading. Tara's door flew open as if it had a mind of its own and crashed against the wall.

"Dear God in Heaven, what now?" he muttered to himself.

Kay was on the bed, in one bound, holding her quaking daughter.

"It's okay, honey. It was only a dream. Everything is going to be all right. Mommy's here now honey." Kay crooned to her terrified child.

Andrew slowly approached and sat gently on the edge of the bed. He laid his hand on Kay's shoulder to soothe her, but the look of agony in her eyes was finally more than he could bare.

"Honey, we need help. This can't go on any longer. This is not normal." he whispered to his wife.

"Alright Andrew, I'll go call Dr. Cain again and see if he has any new ideas for us. But I had better wait until morning, it's only 3 am, now." Kay relented.

"Tara, honey, you get some sleep now. Daddy will call Dr. Cain in the morning. Everything will be okay, just rest now." Kay whispered in a desperate attempt to comfort her child.

"No!" Tara shrieked. "I have to save Seth! The little boy. My little boy! I can't just leave him there all alone!" Tara was almost hysterical.

Kay nodded to Andrew and he slowly backed out of the room, silently, He went to the upstairs den to call Dr. Cain. Lately, the dreams were more frequent, more graphic and Tara seemed to remember them better. After all, Dr. Cain was the best in his field, whatever his field was called. Dream phobia is what Andrew was calling it lately.

The phone rang six times before a sleepy voice croaked, "Dr. Cain!"

It took Dr. Cain all of twenty minutes to get to the Prescott's house, which was actually a forty-minute drive. Kay already had the coffee on. Andrew sat at the kitchen table, head in hands, trying to make some sense of this nightmare their lives had become.

Tara had been having dreams as long as he could remember, but since she turned seven the dreams had become more frequent. They all seemed to have some hidden message in them. Like someone or something was trying to tell them something, important. Was Tara losing her mind? Was the whole family in some kind of danger? All these months of therapy, hypnosis and dream analysis and still no closer to an answer and no real proof of anything at all.

Kay and Dr. Cain had been up in Tara's room for well over an hour, when they finally materialized in the kitchen doorway. Kay looked totally drained, and Dr. Cain looked perplexed and bewildered. Kay poured them each a cup of coffee and refilled Andrew's cup. When she finally sat down, she immediately put her head in her hands, elbows on the table and wept.

She was feeling the effects of constant worry over her daughter's worsening condition, whatever condition that was? Not knowing what was wrong or how she could help her daughter was the worst part of all. Seeing their daughter distressed was taking its toll on both Andrew and Kay.

Too weak and exhausted to cry any longer, Kay raised her head from her hands and reached across the table to Andrew's hand. As they sat together in silent misery, Dr. Cain was feverishly making notes.

"Okay folks." Dr. Cain finally announced, glancing from one to the other. "Here is what I propose," he continued hesitantly.

"The Sleep Center has an opening and it is nearing the end of school for the summer. I think we should admit Tara immediately for some detailed clinical assessment." Dr. Cain paused and took a deep breath before continuing. "The Sleep Center is vacant, except the essential staff, of course. This should assist in keeping your privacy."

"The closeness between Kay and Tara is a strong soothing agent for both of you. That is why I believe that you, Kay, should come also." He raised his hand, open, to stave off any arguments and then continued.

"I know it will be difficult for you Andrew, but the process will go more smoothly and a great deal faster if Kay and Tara are kept together." he sighed.

"Okay, Doctor!" Andrew began, "I love my wife and daughter more than anything. I know that they share a special bond. I also know that Tara would be much better off with Kay at her side. How long a process are we talking about, anyway?" Andrew finally moved his gaze, although reluctantly, from Kay to Dr. Cain.

Dr. Cain drew in a long breath and looked from Kay to Andrew and back again. "There is really no way to know for sure" he began. "It all depends on how quickly Tara responds to our sleep therapy program. With a little luck we could accomplish a great deal in a few short weeks."

The word "weeks" slammed into Andrew like a hammer at top speed. He just gazed at Dr. Cain and whispered, "Will I be able to visit or at least call every day?"

"After the first week of orientation, initial testing and assessment, visits could be arranged." Dr. Cain replied evenly.

"Well, I guess I could handle it for a week if it will help Tara at all. Tara cannot go on like this for much longer. She needs help, and if she can get it at the Sleep Center, then I'm all for it." Andrew finished, reluctantly.

"Kay, how do you feel about all this? You haven't even uttered a word since you sat down." Andrew asked, with genuine concern in his voice.

"Well ..." Kay began rather, shakily.

"I guess at this point we really have no other alternative. I'll get our things together tonight so we can leave first thing in the morning." she sighed.

Dr. Cain gave Kay a card with the Sleep Center address on it, and said "I'll meet you there at 11am tomorrow. Try to get some rest tonight."

Andrew and Kay just sighed as they walked Dr. Cain to the door. The second the door shut behind him, they were in each other's arms, sobbing uncontrollably. After several minutes, the little bit of energy that they might have had, drained away. They headed, silently for the kitchen and two more steaming cups of coffee. They sat and sipped silently for what seemed like an eternity, when Kay finally whispered to her frightened husband "I remember when I was Tara's age. I would wake up five out of every seven nights, because of a dream or nightmare. Oh Lord! Andrew, is this somehow my fault? You know genetics or some of all that other weird stuff!"

Immediately, Andrew met her frightened gaze and replied, calmly "I hardly think that bad dreams are somehow hereditary, but it still wouldn't be your fault. You are an excellent Mother and Tara's best friend. I refuse to believe it's anyone's fault.

They are only dreams after all, and Tara is afraid, but a dream can't really hurt her."

Kay sighed heavily, "I guess you're right honey, but it's so frustrating to not be able to help our daughter.

"Come now sweetie, let's go to bed. We could both use a good rest." Andrew suggested gently as he took Kay's hand and led her to their room..

"Please, Andrew, tell me everything is going to be alright with our little Angel." Kay pleaded with her husband for some kind of reassurance. Kay knew only too well about these types of dreams Tara was having, as she had experienced the same thing as Tara, at roughly the same age.

"Kay, honey, you know yourself that these are only dreams and cannot really hurt anyone." Andrew said in his most soothing voice he could muster. "Didn't you have bad dreams when you were Tara's age?"

"I guess you're right. I seem to be okay now, even though I had similar dreams. It's just what Mother used to tell me about my dreams that is really bothering me." Kay responded in almost a whisper.

Chapter Three

At 7:15 the next morning, the sun seemed almost too bright for the way Kay was feeling. As Kay silently crept across Tara's bedroom floor, the sun was just bleaching the entire color out of the room, with its brightness. She reached Tara's bedside and gently sat in her rocker that she always kept there. Kay turned her gaze to her sleeping child and noticed Tara's eyes moving rapidly, under her eyelids. They seemed to be darting back and forth. Dr. Cain had explained to them, already about REM (Rapid Eye Movement) as the phase of sleep where the majority of our dreams occur. Kay's heart leapt into her constricting throat and her breathing became very rapid. Kay knew all too well, the signs of an imminent terror attack. She had them as a child, and since Tara got worse the attacks had returned to torture Kay. Oh God, Tara, wake up, she thought over and over again. A moment later, Tara sat bolt upright in bed and in a very clear, mature voice, she stated, "Yes, my little one, I will protect you." She opened her eyes and stared at Kay as if for the first time. Her eyes were clouded with worry far beyond her years. Tara rubbed her eyes, shook her little head and asked "Hi, Mommy is it time to go to the sleep hospital already?"

"No, my darling we still have time for one of Daddy's famous breakfasts." Kay managed to stammer, trying to hide her shock.

"Cool, blueberry pancakes, bacon and orange juice, right Mommy?" Tara grinned at Kay. They both knew she loved all those things.

"Go get washed, get dressed and I'll go see how Daddy is doing in the Kitchen, okay? You come down as soon as you're ready, sweetie." Kay said, in the most carefree voice she could muster.

"Okay, Mommy." Tara beamed.

As soon as Kay entered the kitchen she started to shake uncontrollably. Andrew ran to her and held her to him. "It'll all work out, honey. Please try to stay positive. Our Faith and love have gotten us this far. Please, Kay, I love you. Relax." he crooned as he gently rocked her in his arms.

After several minutes, Kay's breathing returned to almost normal. She stopped shaking, a little, and took one careful step backwards.

"Andrew, I love you too, and I know we will get through all of this, whatever it is, and we'll be stronger for it." Kay was out of breath with emotion.

"Group hug!!" Tara shrieked as she flew into their arms, giggling.

Kay and Andrew managed to retain their balance in spite of the force of her tiny body. They wrapped their arms around her as she wriggled her way in between them.

"Let's eat, before it gets cold." Andrew announced a little reluctantly.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Dreamlandby C.L. Rodd Copyright © 2011 by C.L. Rodd. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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