arms slipped around her waist, moving slowly, caressing her side as his hand stroked her back. "Can't you guess what's in the box, Sara?"
Sara snuggled closer into his arms, tore her eyes from his face, and looked again at the box, shimmering, glowing white and green on the floor at her feet. "Roarke, there's something in it! Something alive! The box is moving!"
The whimper emanating from the box made Sara shift her body in Roarke's arms and suddenly she once again found herself awake, lying in bed, blinking her eyes, bemused by the dream, but instead of fear and panic, a warm feeling of security filled her senses.
But it was the pulse-thudding, stomach-turning, paralyzing nightmares that dominated her sleep and, in the middle of the night, she would wake up drenched with perspiration. In her dreams screaming people pursued her as she ran blindly toward some unknown person who seemed to represent safety. In her dreams her movements were always in slow motion, and the feeling of terror pervaded her being, a living entity taking over her soul.
She mentioned these nightmares to Ted when she saw him on one of her check-ups. He put his hand on her shoulder as she sat up on the examination table. "Do you want some sleeping pills? I don't like to prescribe them, but in this case, I don't want you to become ill from lack of sleep either."
Sara shook her head, "No, Ted, thanks anyway. I don't have that much trouble sleeping, although I hate the dreams. Sometimes they're so scary, it's as though something awful is going to happen and I'm powerless to stop it. It's just like everything else—I don't seem to have any control over my life, awake or sleeping!"
"Now, wait a minute, Sara. They are exactly what they are— dreams, nothing else. They're not any forecast of doom. You're frustrated because you're not remembering that much yet. That's the only thing these dreams mean—your frustration. Have you discussed them with Roarke?"
Sara hung her head. "No, I haven't told him. I… I don't want to worry him if there's nothing to worry about."
Ted went to the door of the examination room and opened it. "There really isn't. You're healing fast and in no time you won't be needing me anymore."
That night when she woke up, sobbing and shaking uncontrollably from the fearful dream, Sara remembered Ted's words and prayed they were true.
Nervously she waited for Ted to come into the room. She didn't know if she was happy or not about having the cast removed, but it would eliminate her excuse to stay in her room.
"Are you ready, Sara?" Ted's jovial voice boomed from the doorway.
"No, but I don't have much choice, do I?" Sara answered, glancing over at the small, shiny electric saw laying on a table beside her.
When the buzzing noise began, she closed her eyes and turned her head.
"All done. You can open your eyes now."
Sara looked down at the wrinkled skin of her foot. Twisting it around, at first slowly then with a little more speed, Sara laughed. "It feels so light! But it feels so good, a little stiff but no pain. Are you sure it's going to hold me up? I don't know how to walk without a cast. I've used crutches for so long, I'm almost afraid to try to walk without them."
Ted smiled broadly and helped her to her feet. "Come on, walk with me into my office. Go easy now." He put his arm around her waist and slowly they walked together into Ted's private office.
Lowering herself down onto the couch, Sara straightened her leg out in front of her. "It held, Ted, it's really okay. I could run if I wanted to, couldn't I?"
Ted looked at her strangely. "Run?" he asked. "No, I don't think I'd try to run just yet. You're going to be using a cane for a few weeks to take some of the weight off that foot." He paused. "Why would you want to run, Sara?"
Sara glanced around the room, a little uncomfortable.
Why did I say such a dumb thing
? She cringed inwardly. "I really didn't mean it literally, Ted. Although, to be perfectly honest with
Sara snuggled closer into his arms, tore her eyes from his face, and looked again at the box, shimmering, glowing white and green on the floor at her feet. "Roarke, there's something in it! Something alive! The box is moving!"
The whimper emanating from the box made Sara shift her body in Roarke's arms and suddenly she once again found herself awake, lying in bed, blinking her eyes, bemused by the dream, but instead of fear and panic, a warm feeling of security filled her senses.
But it was the pulse-thudding, stomach-turning, paralyzing nightmares that dominated her sleep and, in the middle of the night, she would wake up drenched with perspiration. In her dreams screaming people pursued her as she ran blindly toward some unknown person who seemed to represent safety. In her dreams her movements were always in slow motion, and the feeling of terror pervaded her being, a living entity taking over her soul.
She mentioned these nightmares to Ted when she saw him on one of her check-ups. He put his hand on her shoulder as she sat up on the examination table. "Do you want some sleeping pills? I don't like to prescribe them, but in this case, I don't want you to become ill from lack of sleep either."
Sara shook her head, "No, Ted, thanks anyway. I don't have that much trouble sleeping, although I hate the dreams. Sometimes they're so scary, it's as though something awful is going to happen and I'm powerless to stop it. It's just like everything else—I don't seem to have any control over my life, awake or sleeping!"
"Now, wait a minute, Sara. They are exactly what they are— dreams, nothing else. They're not any forecast of doom. You're frustrated because you're not remembering that much yet. That's the only thing these dreams mean—your frustration. Have you discussed them with Roarke?"
Sara hung her head. "No, I haven't told him. I… I don't want to worry him if there's nothing to worry about."
Ted went to the door of the examination room and opened it. "There really isn't. You're healing fast and in no time you won't be needing me anymore."
That night when she woke up, sobbing and shaking uncontrollably from the fearful dream, Sara remembered Ted's words and prayed they were true.
Nervously she waited for Ted to come into the room. She didn't know if she was happy or not about having the cast removed, but it would eliminate her excuse to stay in her room.
"Are you ready, Sara?" Ted's jovial voice boomed from the doorway.
"No, but I don't have much choice, do I?" Sara answered, glancing over at the small, shiny electric saw laying on a table beside her.
When the buzzing noise began, she closed her eyes and turned her head.
"All done. You can open your eyes now."
Sara looked down at the wrinkled skin of her foot. Twisting it around, at first slowly then with a little more speed, Sara laughed. "It feels so light! But it feels so good, a little stiff but no pain. Are you sure it's going to hold me up? I don't know how to walk without a cast. I've used crutches for so long, I'm almost afraid to try to walk without them."
Ted smiled broadly and helped her to her feet. "Come on, walk with me into my office. Go easy now." He put his arm around her waist and slowly they walked together into Ted's private office.
Lowering herself down onto the couch, Sara straightened her leg out in front of her. "It held, Ted, it's really okay. I could run if I wanted to, couldn't I?"
Ted looked at her strangely. "Run?" he asked. "No, I don't think I'd try to run just yet. You're going to be using a cane for a few weeks to take some of the weight off that foot." He paused. "Why would you want to run, Sara?"
Sara glanced around the room, a little uncomfortable.
Why did I say such a dumb thing
? She cringed inwardly. "I really didn't mean it literally, Ted. Although, to be perfectly honest with
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