The Longest Dream
by
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Fear and panic raced through her as she ran across the desert edge beside the ocean. The sun washed her hair, a light golden brown, and her silken wrappings neatly outlined her female form, while trailing her exhaled breath as she made a desperate escape. Turning to check on her pursuers, she made one last plunge-- this time reaching the ultimate destiny. She was never seen again. Ryan Droden considered himself ‘Mr. Average’. He had a reasonably successful career in the public service, starting as a junior clerk, moving his way up to departmental manager. He was conservative, and kept to a daily routine, which included a visit to the gym at least three times a week. Married with two children, Ryan was now approaching forty. He didn’t feel it, and was still very good looking for his age. He met Carmel, his wife of seventeen years, just before she graduated as a doctor of psychology. The university was just down the street from a bar, frequented by the pin striped suit brigade. Their lives had run smoothly, although with the usual ups and downs. There were the holidays they spent touring the country or abroad. The odd broken leg or arm from either the jungle gym or school sport. And the occasional light drama associated with visiting the in-laws. Nothing too out of the ordinary had really happened, until now. "You see Doctor," began Ryan. "There’s this-- this need to find out. To solve the mystery, and relieve me from this obsession is the reason I’m in here. I’m not insane. Just possessed by a desire, a quest. It’s as if I’m the only one. Maybe the chosen one to work out the puzzle, and reveal the answer that’s so far eluded everyone else." Doctor Carmel Fischer seemed cold as she stared disbelievingly at the young man, yet she couldn’t doubt him completely. Her gut feeling was telling her there could be some substance to what he was saying. And if her hunch was right, and there was a prize at the end of it, she could steal all the glory for herself, and never have to listen to any of these crackpots again. Over the next few days, Dr Fischer became intrigued with the case, and after fourteen years as a psychiatrist, had found her ultimate experiment. This could be the case she’d been looking for to prove her theories. She would be able to have her cake and eat it too, as they say, because here was a chance to achieve her ambition. Re-write the medical books, and keep the prize all to herself. The more she thought about it, the more Dr Fischer decided she had sacrificed enough of her life, in the name of medicine. It was time to live her own life. She stood over him, controlling him with her blank stare through horn-rimmed glasses, coloured to match her dark, straight, shoulder-length hair. She wore little make-up, and Ryan knew that underneath her white coat, her clothing had to be conservative. "Tell me more about your dream Mr. Droden. The one on the beach." Dr Fischer was probing for as much information as she could glean from the restless hunk as he lay dazed and sweating on the hard plank. He had been drugged. ‘Probably quite a strong dose,’ thought Ryan. And in case there was a violent reaction, the room had only blank walls, and one solitary bright light shining from the unreachable ceiling. The harder he tried to sit up, the tighter the straps were across his chest, stomach and legs. Ryan could do nothing but retrace his steps yet again to the doctor. Ryan kept on wondering why he had to answer all these questions. Why couldn’t they just leave him alone to sleep. His head was aching, while the rest of his body felt limp. He couldn’t figure it out. "For the hundredth time doctor, I was just out for a walk along the beach. It was late afternoon. The sun was getting low and the easterly was blowing in off the ocean as it usually does at that time. I’d followed the main road for most of the way, but wandered down toward the shore as if I was being pulled, or dragged into a magnetic field." "Go on," she prompted. "Well, as I edged closer to the water, it was like someone was giving me instructions." "So what were you told to do?" "I took off my jacket. Then my shoes. And at the water’s edge, I rolled my trousers half way up my calves, like I was going to cool my feet off, or something." "Then what happened?" "It felt like someone just belted me across the head. But as I went down, I saw men, two, maybe three of them, running toward me from a sand dune about forty or fifty metres away." Ryan’s memory was fading as he struggled to recall more detail. "Who were these men?" Dr Fischer persisted. "I don’t know. They just came out of nowhere shooting rifles and guns in the air, and screaming at me." "Ah," said Dr Fischer. "That explains the flesh wound near your left temple. So then what happened?"
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About the Book
Ryan Droden went straight into public service life after graduating from university. He had had a relatively normal childhood, though some would consider him luckier than others, because of the many outings he had with his father. At times, Ryan felt he probably learned more on those outdoor trips, than he ever did at school. His career began slowly, but because his service was always of a high standard, he took the opportunities that came his way. Soon he was managing his own team within the Department of the Interior. In the blink of an eye, that all changed when a truck careened out of control and hit him while he was on his way from the underground to work. While in a coma, he had a dream. The dream had built up over years of reading documents and reports, which had crossed his desk. He had never had any real involvement in action out in the field, but secretly he hoped some day he would. His dream allowed him to escape to the field, and for once, become the center of attention. That is, until he met a woman who maintained she was on his side. There were times Ryan doubted her sincerity, as she always had an air of mystery surrounding her. Ryan succumbed to her charms, and together they were out to save the world, if they could save themselves first. When Ryan comes out of his coma, his mind goes blank, except for the beach memories. He’s not convinced the dream was real. Watch out for The Longest Dream to become a reality.
About the Author
I had never really taken too much notice of what really went on in the world as a child growing up in a small New Zealand town. Life was simple. I went to school, played with my friends in my own time, and basically enjoyed myself. It was typical of our neighbourhood until we all reached high school. Then it became more serious. Life began to get complicated. While my friends were deciding on their path in life, I still had no idea what I wanted to do. I wasn’t much good with my hands, so I had to find other skills to learn and develop. Music played a large part in my life, but apart from a stint in a rock band while still at school, I never really considered it as a career. Too unstable accourding to my parents. A radio station was born in our town in the early seventies. By the mid seventies, I joined the station, combining my love of music with writing. Suddenly, I was a cadet journalist. The Vietnam War was ending, but Joe Frazier and George Forman were still fighting it out for the title. The world was changing, and as a journalist, I could keep up with, and be a part of those changes. Eventually, there was some travel, marriage, and children. They’ve now grown to be the best kids in the world. After twenty years of chasing stories, interviewing politicians and celebrities, I decided it was time to try a ‘normal day job’. I hated it, but used it to write The Longest Dream, my first novel, which had its beginnings nearly eight years earlier. Now that it’s done, I want to keep writing more novels. Other ideas are already flowing and I can only improve. At last, a challenge that I really do enjoy. I hope you do too.