Where Nightmares Ride Read online

  Clara ate her cheese with such excitement, no one could stop watching her except Jack, whose focused his attention entirely on Katie. Her beauty overcame him, her tanned complexion smooth as silk. Her tawny hair swept her broad shoulders whenever she turned her head and revealed her pearly smile. Her white floral top hugged her well-toned figure and complimented her casual blue jeans and stylish boots.

  But it was her face that struck him the most. He knew it—every curve, line, and beauty mark. Time stopped. Then a light flickered on in his head.

  It’s her!

  A dream had come to life. Every fiber of his being pulled toward her, but he resisted. Her deep brown eyes held him mesmerized in her lightest glance. His strength abandoned him at the subtlest curl of her full lips.

  “That’s all of you,” Derek said. “Let’s get started.”

  Fearful of making a bad impression, Jack forced his gaze toward Derek, but couldn’t resist throwing brief glances at Katie at every opportunity.

  “First, I don’t want you to think you’ll be missing out on activities with the rest of the camp. You’ll only spend an hour or so here each morning. Here, we’ll show you how to eliminate aspects of your thinking that impede your ability to realize your potential. Thanks in part to dream analysis work by Carl Jung, we now understand how to expose the thought patterns that keep us from performing at our highest level. Sherry, would you hand out the journals?”

  He pointed to a stack of lime green notebooks resting on the mantle. Sherry grabbed them and shoved them under her arm.

  With Katie facing away from him, Jack chanced a longer stare at the fullness of her silky brown hair. Three times, he brushed aside an object that kept pressing against his left arm.

  “This is for you,” Sherry said, pushing the book at him one more time, its pebble-surface tickling his fingers. Jack read the words etched in gold lettering: Personal Dream Journal.

  “Dreams provide a window into our minds,” Derek said. “Here’s what we want you to do. First, before you bat both eyelids twice in the morning, record your dreams in these journals. Record every minutia of detail. After that, you’ll come to the computer lab upstairs and enter the data into the dream assessment program.

  “The programs aren’t like any you’ve seen before. Once you input your dream, the program searches for every possible interpretation of it. No single dream provides an accurate analysis of your subconscious. Over time, however, a pattern will develop. That pattern will increase the accuracy of the assessment and enable it to pinpoint the aspects of your subconscious that are holding you back.”

  Alison rolled her eyes. “You mean to tell me this camp is all about analyzing dreams? I don’t believe this.”

  “It’s much more than that. The subconscious exposes the issues that are crippling your conscious mind. Our program uses your dream patterns to simplify what is happening in your mind on a subconscious level, so you can then take steps to correct any problems.”

  Jack caught fragments of Derek’s words, but he had more important concerns. He snuck another glance at Katie, but this time found her glaring back. He turned away at lightning speed, but the disapproval he’d seen on her face wrenched at his heart.

  Crap! Crap! It’s over now. She thinks I’m a loser. He kept his gaze firmly on Derek and hoped she’d assume he had only glanced at her that one time.

  “Alright, let’s head up to the computer lab now,” Derek said. “It’s up the stairs and across the hall. You’ll find your name on the computer we’ve assigned to you. Enter your dreams from last night into the program. After that, you’re free to join the activities around camp. Just be aware that we won’t pay out the five-thousand-dollar check if you fail to do what we’ve asked.”

  The campers stood up. Jack stared at the floor, then at Taylor, and then at Ming—any direction sufficed as long as Katie couldn’t catch him staring at her. He tapped Taylor on the shoulder and rushed to the stairs, brushing Tony and Carl aside.

  Taylor and Ming followed him up the stairs and across the hall. They walked through the open double doors into the computer room and looked around. Wood-paneled walls matched the hallway. Four large computer screens stood in a row on a wooden table, sandwiched between two identical tables with four screens each. Twelve soft, black-leather office chairs hugged the tables next to each monitor. Masses of wiring ran under the tables on the hardwood strip floor.

  “I’ve never seen computers that size,” Ming said. “They’re like twice as big as normal. I can’t wait to see what they can do.”

  Taylor marched over to Jack and stopped him before he could sit down. “Okay dude, what’s up with you?”

  “It’s her,” Jack said. “That rich girl. She’s the one I kept dreaming about!” Jack’s spirits fell when Taylor and Ming looked at each other with doubting eyes. “I’m not making this up, guys. I dreamt about her so many times, her face is etched into my brain. I know it’s her. I just don’t know why.”

  Katie leaned back in her chair, watching Clara peck at her keyboard with two fingers. She leaned forward to read over Clara’s shoulder. “You can’t possibly remember this much about your dreams,” Katie said. “You’ve been typing for hours. They’re almost done serving lunch.”

  “I’m almost through. You have no idea how much happened last night.” Clara turned to Katie. “Everyone depends on me in my dream. I can’t even find time to journey to the misty castle, I’m so busy. Last night I had to make the pine trolls unblock the silver river so the water faeries and prairie dwarves could get water. A whole fleet of the Needling’s ships were grounded when the water dried up. Then the harp trolls started forcing the weaver nymphs to pay a toll on the main road through their territory. Saltasha told me about a rebellion among the brownies…”

  “Wait, Clara. What are you talking about? They don’t want you to make up a story. Just write down what you dreamed last night.”

  “That is what I dreamed. There’s always tons of things happening in my kingdom.”

  Katie stared at her and shook her head. “If you’re serious, we need to get you to a therapist. You should be dreaming about things that happen in your daily life, not these weird fantasy stories. I’m seriously worried about you.”

  Clara frowned. “Some of the boys were laughing at me. I thought everybody dreamed this way.”

  “Don’t feel bad. It isn’t your fault. Your mother kept you isolated for all those years. You probably created those dreams to make your life tolerable. Let’s quit this and get some lunch. When we get home, I’ll talk to my dad about getting you some help.”

  Leafy vines twisted everywhere through the wooden trellis that hung over the outdoor eating area sandwiched between the lodge and the camp’s main office. A dozen campers remained, finishing off their chicken quesadillas, bread sticks, and chocolate pudding. Jack squeezed his empty plastic plate into a pile of trash that rose above the rim of a metal-strip trash receptacle. Ming and Taylor did the same.

  “Self-defense session is next,” Jack said. “I’m looking forward to that.”

  Jack sauntered across the clearing with Ming and Taylor, toward four blue-and-white canopies. They slowed to step around three men raising a light post into a metal sleeve in the ground. A shiny white coat of paint made the main offices look newly built. Jack focused on a group of campers already gathering below the canopies.

  “She isn’t there, dude,” Taylor said. “You’re looking for Katie, right?”

  Jack reddened and looked away. “She’s avoiding me, I’m sure of it. I haven’t seen her since the computer lab this morning.”

  “You’re making too much of it, man. Girls like her are used to boys staring at them. I doubt she’s given you another thought. She doesn’t show up to things because rich people don’t like hanging with us common folk. Now Clara, on the other hand, she’s worth getting to know. Katie, not so much.”

  “Don’t let some girl ruin your whole experience here,” Ming said. “You seemed a lot happier t
his morning before she came along.”

  “You’re right,” Jack said. “I need to get her out of my head. I’ll never see her again after this week anyway. I had a good reason to be happy this morning. I didn’t have a nightmare last night. I haven’t slept that well in months.”

  “That’s great news,” Taylor said.

  “It might be the dream tech,” Ming said. “You guys missed the opening ceremony last night. Derek said we might notice changes to our dreams while we’re here. He said that when we on the research team do the sleep lab, our dreams will become even better.”

  “Sleep lab? Sounds creepy,” Taylor said.

  “I know,” Ming said. “It’s some kind of brainwave study that rewires our dream quality.”

  “No one’s hooking anything up to my head,” Jack said.

  The three boys arrived at the canopies and searched for open spaces on the ground among the forty campers already sitting around a large square section of plywood flooring. Avard sat on a black metal chair, along with six burly, tattooed men and women.

  “Looks like we’ll be learning self-defense from a biker gang,” Taylor said.

  Avard stood and stepped forward. He didn’t bother to introduce his companions.

  “No point waiting any longer,” he said. “This session is about defending yerself. If yer expecting the kiddie stuff yer used to seeing in the movies, yer going to be unpleasantly surprised. We’re about preparing you for survival. When we’re done with you, yer going to be tough, alert, ready for whatever comes at you. Now, who here thinks they know a few things about self-defense?”

  Two-thirds of the campers raised their hands, Jack being the only one from his cabin. Avard zeroed in on him.

  “My friend, Mister Park, knows a few things, does he? Mind stepping up here to show us a few tricks?”

  Jack stood and walked over to Avard, then turned to face the campers. “I can’t claim to be an expert. I never made it past the color belt ranks in Taekwondo. But I could show you a few kicks…”

  Without warning, Jack found himself lying on the plywood board, confused and unable to breathe, his left side searing with pain.

  “You sucker punched him!” Taylor jumped up, but two of Avard’s tattooed cohorts grabbed his arms and pinned him against a thick tree trunk.

  “There ain’t room in this world for the weak,” Avard said. He stepped over Jack and kicked him in the ribs. The speechless campers looked on with dropped jaws. Avard snarled at any camper who made eye contact with him.

  “You kids have been taught yer whole life to cry to yer mommies every time somebody breathes in yer direction the wrong way. Stub yer pinky toe and you call a lawyer. Gotta sue someone. Well, we don’t train babies here. Only the tree that endures the hurricane survives to see the next storm.”

  Alison stood up, her face red with rage. “You can’t go around abusing people! You assaulted that boy! My mother’s a lawyer. Your career is over.”

  The other campers watched her, their eyes wide. Jack couldn’t blame them for sitting still and motionless. No one knew what Avard and his crew might do next.

  “Look around you, Missy,” Avard said. “This camp is surrounded by tall fences and barbed wire. You have no contact with the outside world. No phone service. Why do you think we hid your vehicles away? Wake up! For one week, we own you. We’re going to strengthen you whether you want it or not.”

  “My mother wouldn’t have signed me up for this abuse,” Alison said.

  Avard laughed. “This is exactly what she signed you up fer! Same fer all you pitiful wimps. We told yer parents every aspect of our methods, and they couldn’t wait to send you here. No one wants you toughened up more than yer parents do.”

  “That’s a lie!” Alison turned, and bee-lined toward the Main Offices.

  A tattooed bald man started after her, but Avard held a hand to his chest and stopped him. “Let her go. She’ll just run to Farley where she’ll find out he’s on our side.” He turned to the campers who still sat staring at him. “The sooner you all learn that there’s no place to run, the better off you’ll be.” He grinned and nodded to his friends to let Taylor go.

  Taylor yanked his arms free, ran to Jack and pulled him to his feet. Jack held his ribs, his beet-red face wincing with every movement.

  “You won’t get away with this,” Taylor said. He walked Jack away from the canopies.

  “I couldn’t breathe,” Jack said in a raspy voice. “I’m going to kill that jerk.”

  Katie sat alone with Clara at the eating area and nibbled on a bread stick. Campers filed out from the canopies of Avard’s self-defense session. Katie turned her head when Damien exited the lodge nearby. Spying Katie, he strolled over to her.

  Clara stood up. “Can we go to the self-image session? It’s in the lodge. Marina said the staff took pictures of everyone yesterday for it.”

  “Go ahead. I’ll catch up in a minute.”

  Clara darted off, barely avoiding a collision with Damien.

  He grabbed an aluminum chair and set it next to Katie, then sat down. “Weren’t you supposed to be at self-defense training? Of all the crap they teach here, that’s one you could’ve benefitted from.”

  “Clara wouldn’t go. I think she’s scared of Avard. Besides, we both know I’m not here to learn self-defense. I’m here to fall in love with Montathena Research. When does the brainwashing start?”

  Before Damien could answer, Sherry emerged from a side door of the lodge with Jack and Taylor at her side. Jack had a bandage wrapped around his chest.

  “You’re lucky you escaped with just a few bruised ribs,” Sherry said to Jack. “Go to your cabin and rest for a while. You have my permission to skip Avard’s sessions from now on.”

  “Thanks, Sherry,” Jack said. “If I never see that creep again, it’ll be too soon.” He and Taylor walked slowly up the hill toward their cabin. Jack glanced at Katie for a second and quickly looked away.

  Katie turned to Damien. “Who’s that Korean boy? He works for my dad, doesn’t he?”

  “Jack Park? Not that I know of. I’ve never seen him before. He lives on the west coast.”

  “You can stop lying to me, Damien. My dad hired him to spy on me, right? I know that’s why my dad sent you here.”

  “Look, I have no reason to lie to you. I don’t know anything about Jack Park, but he seems pretty ignorant to me. And I freely admit that they ordered me to look after you. Your dad all but begged me to keep you from joining his company. But Mr. Lynch ordered me to make sure you joined.”

  “So, what are you going to do?”

  “It isn’t up to me. You need to understand; there are some dangerous people at Montathena Research, and Lynch is one of the worst. So is Farley. My dad’s scared to death that something could happen to me if I don’t do what Lynch wants.”

  Katie sighed. “If I’d known they were threatening you, I’d have joined without coming here. What do I have to do to keep Lynch off your back?”

  “There’s a sleep lab he wants you to take. If you do that, he’ll be satisfied. You could go home tomorrow.”

  “Why would that matter? People do those all the time. My dad has sleep apnea.”

  “It’s not a sleep apnea assessment. The lab uses Montathena tech to manipulate your dreams, so you can see with perfect clarity how beneficial their technology is. It’s pretty awesome if you ask me.”

  Katie stood up. “Seems like little to ask to keep Lynch away from you. Sign me up. I’m going to see what this self-improvement session is about.”

  “I don’t see how it could apply to you, but I’ll join you if you don’t mind.”

  Katie smiled and they both made their way to the lodge.

  Rustic cedar timbers held up the high, wood-slatted ceiling of the lodge’s vast lobby. A three-part, bowed window formed the wall facing the center of camp. The other log walls housed cubicles and shelves strewn with scissors, paint, bottles of glue, stacks of leather, and many other craft supplies. />
  Over fifty campers covered the beige, carpeted floor, facing a large whiteboard. Katie located Clara sitting between Marina and Barbara at the back of the room. Damien blazed a path for himself and Katie until they arrived at an open spot behind Clara. They both stood, leaning against the back wall.

  An attractive brown-skinned woman, in a navy-blue, knee-length dress with long, lacey sleeves, swaggered to the front of the room. She moved slowly. Two other staff women passed by her and stood fidgeting, waiting for her to catch up.

  “My name is Media,” she spoke with unnatural slowness, her accent revealing her Indian heritage. She took her time writing her name on the board. “That’s Meh-dee-yah, not Mee-dee-yuh. Ten points from anyone that mispronounces my name. In addition to instructing you on the importance of maintaining a proper image, these women and I will run the competitions and activities here. Any cabin that loses too many points will spend their time cleaning toilets. We’ll provide prizes for the cabin that gains the most points at the end of each day.”

  Katie turned to Damien. “Why does she talk like that? I’ve never heard anyone talk so slow. It looks like it’s torturing her to have to talk so much.”

  Damien shook his head. “It’s sad, really. She was talking as fast as anyone back when I attended the camp. She’s real smart, too, has a PhD in Neuroscience.”

  “So, what happened to her?” Katie waited for an answer, but Damien just stared at the floor. She sensed he was holding something back.

  “Something happened to her mind,” Damien finally said. “Montathena has its risks. I can tell you more after you join the company.”

  Katie shook her head.

  “This first woman to my right is Jenny,” Media said. She pointed at a petite, shapely woman with long black hair, her pink one-piece swimsuit visible under her unbuttoned staff shirt. She smiled and waved.

  “You may have already met her. She oversees the waterfront. This other lady is Tamera. She runs our research facility and helps with the science and nature sessions.”