Only In A Dream

[anitaymoore]

All feedback is welcome...thanks for reading!

Chapter 1 – Cynic

“Who buys this romance drivel? Why would anyone in their right mind consciously choose to waste money on rubbish like this?!” Tegan snorted, sat up and tossed aside the manuscript she had been reading in disgust. It landed with a loud “plop” on the aged and pitted hardwood floor next to her bed, still stubbornly opened to the pages she’d just read six times without comprehension.

Tegan didn’t know why she was so keyed up but she just couldn’t force her mind to stay focused on the task before her; words floated on the pages in front of her, blending into nonsense and fragmented images as her mind continued to wander taking her once again away from the task at hand.

She was used to proofing literature with substance, manuscripts that made the reader think or that provided factual information in the form of a biography. She liked seeing a well crafted mystery unfold, but this? This just wasn’t her thing. Romance novels to her weren’t “novels”, they were fluff and fantasy, nothing more than mental comic books for lonely, desperate women. She much preferred that other editors handled these “jobs”, to Tegan they were a huge waste of her skills, time and grey cells. She could almost see each brain cell doing its best impression of the Wicked Witch of the West crying out “we’re melting” each time she had to read another bodice ripping passage.

She ached for the day she could sink her teeth into a manuscript by the next Stephen King, Hemmingway, or Anne Rice but once again when her boss and best friend Alex asked her for a favor, Tegan caved and said “sure”, immediately regretting that her mouth, once again, beat her brain to the punch. So here she sat, laboriously trying to work her way through this manuscript, forever losing her place as her mind wandered yet again to another place and time with rolling green hills and purple heather.

In her mind she saw herself astride a huge black horse, running flat out across a field of pure green, nearly flying. She could hear the tattoo of the horses’ hooves, feel the withers shudder with the impact each time a huge hoof hit the ground and feel the steam rising off the animal as it strained to go faster and faster in desperation. The thick strands of the mane whipping like a cat o nine tails across her face as it lashed at her mercilessly while she pressed herself to its body in an attempt to melt into it, becoming one with the massive beast as they flew across the field. Then the image faded to black as though it were the end of an old movie reel, but the sensations remained as a constant lingering presence.

This wasn’t an unfamiliar scene, she had relived it thousands of times off and on over the years in her dreams, but lately it seemed this particular dream occurred nightly, like it had when she was a child. It was different now though, it was becoming more realistic, more life-like. As a child she never had any sensations in her dream, she just watched the scene unfold like an audience member in a play. Now she was center stage, she experienced it and woke expecting to find herself clutching that black mane in her hand…disappointed when that didn’t happen.

The problem now was that this wasn’t just a dream, it was a distraction. It had become so prevalent lately that it invaded her mind during her waking hours and shattered her concentration, interrupting her work and irritating the hell out of her as it prevented the focus she required to meet deadlines. She thought bringing some work home with her today would help her to relax and concentrate on the manuscript in front of her so she could finally get this one out of the way but she was as distracted as ever. The familiar surroundings just made it that much easier to drift off.

Tegan leapt off the bed and paced around the room trying once again to clear her head. As an editor she had read hundreds, possibly thousands, of books one after the other constantly scanning for errors and gaps in character development and storyline. She was used to it, it was her job and now she’d been handed something that would end up with some air-brushed version of Fabioesque perfection with a half-dressed woman in heat on the cover; it just felt beneath her…it was beneath her! “Why can’t people just live in the real world? What’s so wrong with it anyway?” She said as she shook her head using her mental etch-a-sketch to rid herself of the cover image in her mind. “Ugh, no amount of bleach is going to get that mental stain out!”, she mumbled to herself.

Tegan was pragmatic, logical, matter of fact…a realist. She had lived alone for several years now and liked it that way. Her idea of a romantic night was a pint of homemade lavender vanilla ice cream, a glass of chardonnay, a bubble bath and some kick ass tunes. Could life really get better than that? Living alone was just fine with her. Well, she was as alone as her fifty-pound lap-dog, Sally, would allow her to be. There was no one to answer to, no one to constantly berate her or tell her how inept, useless and stupid she was, no one to pick up after, no one accusing her of things she hadn’t done or to have to tip-toe around, and certainly no one to please but herself.

She had tried the whole “romance” route and married her high school sweetheart shortly after graduation only to have reality totally shred the “romance” illusion she had been raised to believe existed. She didn’t relish walking down that path again. She wouldn’t walk down that path again!

Blake, her ex husband, was the picture of perfection in high-school. Sweet, respectful, charming, good looking, and built as only a country boy can be built. He was a real pro at selling the “Good Ole Boy” routine. He was someone, who by all accounts, at first glance, could fit perfectly into one of those stupid fairy-tale romance novels. She had no idea at that young age that it was all an act. That his façade would disappear quickly after they moved away from the safety of her family and she found herself isolated from everyone and everything.

She’d spent years being beaten down both mentally and physically. To the point that she nearly believed the things he said about her. At times she did begin to wonder if she really was that worthless, stupid, fat and ugly…although somewhere deep inside she knew that wasn’t true.

Blake was Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde depending on the situation. In public he appeared to be the perfect, adoring, affectionate and doting husband. He had everyone convinced they were the perfect couple and he was the ideal husband. In private the viper came out and he was controlling, spiteful, jealous, manipulative, and cruel.

Tegan always knew what was behind his spontaneous personal flower deliveries to Devane & Sweeny Publishing and she dreaded each and every one of them. She never knew if today she was going to have to walk that tight rope that kept him from going over the edge of verbally accusatory and hateful to physical. Naturally the people she worked with thought he was “so sweet”, “so thoughtful” bringing her flowers “just because”. They had no idea his obsession with her compelled him to personally check up on her and nothing he did was ever “just because.”

They were clueless that she paid the price each time he would “surprise” her by showing up at the office, flowers in hand, and find her absent from her office. Never mind the fact that she was just doing her job by attending a meeting. Oh no, that didn’t matter, in his mind she had to have been bumping uglies with the photographer in the graphics department. Oh and God forbid she had a lunch meeting at a local restaurant! That was a whole different level of hell for her. When that happened she always knew that if she took just a moment to look around the room she would find him seated at a table or bar nearby, staring lasers straight through her, barely controlling the impulse to get up and embarrass her right then and there. Then later that evening, when she got home, she’d be called slut or whore, or whatever his favorite insult du jour was, and be accused of screwing around yet again. It didn’t matter who she was having lunch with, male or female, the accusations were always the same. No one had any idea what she went through. How could they? She was a pro at hiding it well.

Blake, her one time “Prince Charming” turned toad was now the image she held in her head every time she read a story with a villain in it…”a blonde haired, blue eyed spawn of Satan”, as she not so fondly referred to him. It had taken time to finally get away from him and feel somewhat safe, three years in fact, but she had done it and she liked things the way they were now. She still occasionally looked over her shoulder to see if he was somewhere following her, or lurking in a dark corner watching her with those dead eyes. She still double checked all the doors and windows every night to make sure she was as safe as possible and still carried mace, a stun-gun, and a small bottle of hair spray with a Bic lighter, but lots of women did that right? That was normal.

She had even gone out on a few dates since her divorce. Friends had set her up, meaning to be helpful and occasionally she would accept a kind offer for drinks or dinner. For the most part she liked the company of men, but she always kept them just where she liked them…at a distance. Men were a luxury, a convenience, something she made time for when she wanted some companionship, but not something she wanted in her life permanently. She knew the men in those romance novels didn’t exist. She also knew the only one she could really count on was herself. “No thank you very much! You wouldn’t find me acting like one of these, these…no brain all boob bimbos in these books” she said to Sally who sat at her feet, wagging her tail happily. Tegan reached down and scratched the little black spot on the middle of Sally’s head causing the sturdy black and white dog to grin happily. “I like things just the way they are, just you and me girl!”

“Ok! Enough of this, we need to get out and get some fresh air. How about we go for a run Sally?” Sally barked her agreement and immediately jumped off the bed and ran out the bedroom door returning shortly with her leash, dropping it at Tegan’s feet. “I see you’re anxious to get out of here too, lets go have some fun!” She said as she knelt down and latched the leash to her Sally’s collar and headed outside.

The cool autumn air felt good on her skin, refreshing and revitalizing. Autumn was her favorite time of year there was just something comforting about this time of year. The smell of burning wood was in the air and everything was changing into brilliant shades of amber, red, and gold. The crisp air was electric and it made her feel alive. “Come on girl, lets head to the park.” Tegan laughed as Sally pulled her down the sidewalk.

An hour later Tegan finished the last leg of her run racing Sally back to the house in a full out sprint working as hard as she could to get exorcise the last bit of frustration, enjoying the feeling of air rushing past her as she flew, she had always loved running it made her feel free. As she slowed to a stop in her driveway the phone at her hip began playing “find out who your friends are…”, she flipped it open and checked her caller I.D.

“Hey chick! What’s up?” she heard Alex say on the other end. “Not much, just out for a run with Sally.” “Ah, that explains why you’re breathing heavy. Too bad, I was hoping it was because you were happy to hear from me.”, Alex teased. Tegan laughed, “I’m always happy to hear from you Alex, just not happy in the way you mean she chided. Are you just calling to chat or hit on me again, or is there something I can do for you?”

“Ah well, can’t blame a gal for trying. I was wondering what you have going on the next few weeks” the voice on the other end said. “I had promised to house-sit for Sheila and her husband but Pops isn’t doing so well and even if he were, well, I still have a ton of work at the office. I just can’t leave right now. Think you might be able to bail me out on this? I promise you won’t regret it.” “The next few weeks?” replied Tegan. “I’m sure I can manage to do that, there’s not much going on around here that I have to take care of. Sure, why not. What’s their address?”

“Well, it’s not quite that simple” Alex said. “The thing is”, she hesitated, “it’s in Scotland.” “Lauder to be precise. It’s a small town in the Uplands.” “Scotland?!” Tegan yelped. “You didn’t say anything about out of town much less out of the country! I don’t think…” “Awe come on...please! I really need you to do this for me!” her friend begged. “I promised them that I’d watch their house while they are on vacation, I can’t cancel out on them now they’d never forgive me! Pleeeaaaase! I know you have a passport and you need a vacation anyway, you never use your vacation time.” Alex continued without letting Tegan get a word in. “We both know she won’t mind if you take my place, she’d love to see you. I know she would. You two haven’t seen each other since before she quit and moved over there with her husband; it’ll be good for you. Here’s what I’ll do, I have some paper work here to finish up and a few errands to run after work, I’ll just run by your place when I’m finished and we’ll talk about it. Ok?”“You mean you’ll come by and badger me until I give in.” Tegan said with a heavy sigh. “Ok, fine! I’ll think about it and we can talk about it later.” Alex laughed lightly in relief, “see you in a bit then. You know I love you right?” Tegan sighed, “Yeah, yeah, yeah…you’ll say anything to get your way.” “Damn right I will!”…was the last thing she heard as she hung up the phone.

An hour later Tegan sat on the front porch steps watching the sun sink into the horizon. The vibrant red, orange, purple and amber grew more vibrant in the sky as the sun sent branches of water color strokes across the clouds as it edged its way into the horizon and the stars began to appear one by one like tiny fire flies dancing in the heavens. The brief time of gloaming always gave her a sense of peace, as though for just a moment each day everything was right with the world.

The distant sound of screeching tires brought Tegan out of her slight reverie and brought a crooked smile to her mouth, she’d know that sound anywhere. “Well, Sally girl…looks like no one’s safe on the roads tonight, Alex is on the prowl. Time to duck and cover!” Sally’s all too human chocolate brown eyes looked up at Tegan and she smiled, baring her teeth in her doggy grin as her tail began a rhythmic “thump, thump, thump” where she leaned against Tegan’s leg.

A few seconds later Alex brought her highly polished cherry red classic 1964 convertible mustang to a screeching halt in Tegan’s driveway, narrowly missing the extremely well used 1966 VW Bug she loved so much. “You know you really shouldn’t have a driver’s license, it’s not safe for the public in general. You almost hit Penelope!” Tegan shouted.

“That old thing?! You’d never notice another scratch on it. I’ve seen taxi cabs in Istanbul with fewer dents on them! How could you possibly notice if I added one extra? I’d have provided a public service if I had hit it. Your insurance probably would have totaled the vehicle and then you’d be forced to get rid of it and buy something actually safe to drive.” Alex gave Tegan her “you know I’m right” wink. Grinning she climbed out of the mustang and held up two bottles of wine with bright red bows triumphantly. Putting her arm around Tegan, Alex said “Ok, lets go inside, break open this incredibly cheap Chablis and discuss what it’s going to take to get you to Scotland.” “You mean, if I’m going to Scotland.” Tegan insisted. “Oh you’re going all right” Alex replied as she put her hand aside her mouth and whispered “I hear your boss is a real bitch.” Then laughed and said, “Oh, wait! I am your boss and I’m insisting you take some of your vacation time pronto! You have three days to get ready for your trip, after that you won’t be allowed to step foot in the office for two weeks!” Where’s your corkscrew?”

Ninety minutes later and giddy from a bottle and a half of wine Tegan agreed to go on the one condition that she could take her faithful companion, Sally, with her. “It’s a deal!” Alex said. “In fact, I’ll even pay for her airfare!” “What do you mean you’ll even pay for her air fare, you’re paying for both of us.” Tegan replied. Alex smiled, the happy victor once again, “you are the best friend ever! If you ever need anything you know you can count on me!” Four days later later, Tegan found herself on her way to the airport, passport in hand, ready to head off for a vacation whether she wanted it or not.

-- 12 Jun 2015, 11:12 --

I am sorry, I just realized this was for short stories. I apologize for posting this here.

[Jaze10]

Hi!

First, I'd like to say that I like the story so far. (Since it is titled Chapter 1, I assume there is more) Tegan seems likeable, and we get to know her motivations and character straight away.
That being said I believe that there was a lot of exposition straight away. In the first chapter we know about Tegan's past and marriage, her job, why she hates romance stories, and the fact that she talks to herself and to Sally a lot. If this is just the first in a series of chapters I think it would be better to slowly introduce bits of Tegan's past as we get to know who she is in the present. Maybe talk about the divorce but go into the reasons for it in a later chapter, mention her need to to have mace and a stun gun with her when she goes to walk Sally. Just tease the readers with just enough to stay interested.
There were a couple of grammatical errors as well. There were some missing quotation marks so the dialogue became a run-on sentence that made no sense until I realized what was wrong. Also, it makes it easier to know who is talking to who if you start a new paragraph whenever Tegan stops speaking and Alex starts.

This story is good so far, I want to know what is going to happen to Tegan in Scotland. Is she going to find love again? I hope you continue.

[anitaymoore]

Jaze, thanks so much for taking the time to read through all of that. I agree, there are some issues with it and I'm sure I haven't yet caught all the grammatical errors. I like your suggestions and will go back through and tweak it a bit keeping them in mind. There is another chapter but I realized after posting it that this is meant for short stories, this isn't a short story. I'm new to the forums so I'm still learning it all.

[DATo]

I must admit I was a bit confused about the ending *LOL* (didn't key on the fact that this was just the first chapter).

You have a very nice writing style anitaymoore. I particularly liked the voice as well as the flow and rhythm contained in this installment.

“No thank you very much! You wouldn’t find me acting like one of these, these…no brain all boob bimbos in these books” she said to Sally who sat at her feet, wagging her tail happily.

You manage to capture things the reader can relate to. Any reader who has ever owned a dog at one time or another made some serious pontification aloud only to find their dog looking up and wagging their tail as If to say, "Absolutely Boss! Whatever you say. I'm in 100% agreement with you."

OK, this may be more than a short story but I for one would like to read more. To borrow a popular saying from my own ancient past .... WRITE ON !

[anitaymoore]

OK, this may be more than a short story but I for one would like to read more. To borrow a popular saying from my own ancient past .... WRITE ON !

DATo, that you for the encouragement. This is my first attempt at a story, so I know there is plenty of room for improvement here. I greatly appreciate people taking the time to read what I have posted. I sort of wish these forums had a delete button as I honestly didn't realize I was posting this in a "short story" forum until after I had already done so but if you are willing to read on I will post chapter two for feedback as well.

[DawnGehring]

hy there is a nice point for all discussion carry on

[anitaymoore]

Thanks to all who have taken the time to read that...if you would like I will upload the second chapter as well. I am always open to feedback.

[anitaymoore]

Thanks to all who have taken the time to read that...if you would like I will upload the second chapter as well. I am always open to feedback.

[DATo]

Thanks to all who have taken the time to read that...if you would like I will upload the second chapter as well. I am always open to feedback.

I've been waiting, and waiting, and waiting for that second chapter. I'm not getting any younger anitaymoore, just look at that picture of me. Morticians follow me around expectantly wherever I go. So PUH-leeeease post that second chapter soon.

[stanley]

Unless I'm mistaken, (I'm new too,) I think it's okay to post openings for novels or short stories in this forum. If not I am also guilty. The fact that our protagonist is the disillusioned victim of an outwardly charming and handsome deranged abusive husband /predatory stalker addresses an all too real peril that so many women face today. By making her a reader for a publishing house who finds the romance genre particularly distasteful, you've given her a "pulpit' from which to deplore romantic fantasies, fantasies that contribute, perhaps, to disastrous relationships too hastily embarked upon. Your story, in my opinion is a brave attempt to make a statement, and your opening device seems a pretty good one.
I think that the hazard here is that the bad guy is kind of a stock character. It's not your fault, of course, stereotypes exist because there really are people that fit them. I don't have any answers for the problem other than to suggest that maybe there are ways through dialogue and action to individualize this kind of character. Instead of summarizing the old story of naive girl taken in by gorgeous phony turned psycho, you could in a brief encounter or two suggest the heroine's angst and peril, this at no cost of more words.
I think that the recurring dream is also a promising device. It is certainly vivid and raises expectations in the reader that make for suspense and anticipation of future action. What kept me reading was the prospect of the house sitting in Scotland. Will he follow her there? Who will she meet? From what peril will she flee across the moors on the back of her dream steed? How will this narrative not appear as a romance itself? The nice irony might be that it does read like a romance, but a very good one. You've got something good going here. I look forward to future installments.

[anitaymoore]

Thank you everyone for your very helpful feedback, I can't tell you how much I truly do appreciate it. You have all given me some great advice and plenty of things to think on while crafting this story. I know it's been some time since I posted but I am following this post up with the second chapter. Thanks for being patient with me on this and for taking the time to read it as well.

-- 16 Nov 2015, 16:49 --

Chapter 2 – New Surroundings

International flights aren’t known for being particularly enjoyable; this flight was certainly no exception. “Next time Alex you’re paying for first class!” Tegan thought as she attempted to gain as much room as she possibly could in the cramped airline seat. Oh how she wished poor Sally was in the seat next to her instead riding in cargo. The NFL linebacker wanna be she was stuck next to was definitely taking up more than his paid for portion of the aircraft cabin. Tegan fiddled with the seatback entertainment system in front of her hoping to find a movie or two to help pass the time. “Snakes on a Plane? Seriously?! Who was the marketing marvel who made that decision?” “Birdman? Nah.” she thought to herself as she continued to scan the offering. “Now we’re talking!” she thought as she came across one of her all-time favorite movies. Popping in the stiff headset ear buds she hit the play button and began tuning to everything else around her out as the opening music to “Young Frankenstein” began.

Leaning her head back against the head rest as she reclined the whole six inches she was allowed, Tegan allowed her eyes to slide shut viewing the movie by memory in her head as the familiar voices to soothed her. Each scene passed by in shades of grey in her minds-eye. The theater scene with Frankenstein and the creature dancing to “Putting on The Ritz” made a subtle smile appear on her face as she relaxed. She envisioned the villagers in their peasant garb chasing the unfortunate monster down the street after the musical debacle, their torches and pitchforks bobbing as they ran.

The scene before her morphed from black and white to the muted sepia colors of an antique photograph, then to intense brilliant color. She could see the vibrant orange and yellow glow from the torches and acrid smoke from the fires that surrounded her burned her throat. The shouting of the men close by as they yelled battle cries over others screaming in pain was nearly deafening. The clanging of steel blades rang in her ears as metal collided and scraped apart. In the distance someone yelled her name “Tegan!” Whirling in the direction of the voice she caught sight of a man on a huge grey horse covered in mud splattered leather armor as he spurred his mount hard. The charger trumpeted loudly as he leaped forward at his riders command. Her foggy smoke-infused brain took a moment to register the action and realize he was coming right at her! “Run!” Her instinct screamed! “Run!” The ground shook as the horse and rider charged toward her and Tegan frantically flung herself aside barely evading the man’s hand as he reached down attempting to grab her as horse and rider thundered by.

Stunned and dumbfounded she sat watching as the rider gathered his mount to a sliding stop in the mud and expertly pivoted the charger to face her. The grey snorted, pawed the ground impatiently and then urged on by his rider charged forward once again. He was coming…for her! “Oh God!” Panic clawed at her as she scrambled backward trying to get back on her feet but no matter how hard she tried she just couldn’t seem to gain purchase, something held her trapped. Looking down she saw a length of rope had somehow wrapped itself around her ankle as she slid around on the slick grass. Fumbling, she reached down frantically trying to free her foot from its snare and then gagged as she realized it wasn’t rope at all. Sucking in a breath she gingerly removed the slimy length of intestine she had inadvertently stepped in. “Oh God, I’m so sorry…” she whispered to the man whose entrails trapped her, his lifeless eyes staring at her without condemnation. Standing on shaky legs Tegan forced herself to step over the body and backed away, never taking her eyes off the rider focused on her.

The rider was focused so intently on Tegan as he charged that he didn’t see one of the fallen men on the ground hefting a huge spear with great effort until the anguished scream of the charger split the air. Both horse and rider were lifted off the ground as the horse reared attempting to free itself from the impalement sending both crashing backward to the ground. Tegan froze, she couldn’t think, couldn’t move. All she could do was stare at the horse, mesmerized as it frantically fought to get up. She barely registered the shouting of the man behind her. Someone distant was saying her name again. She shook her head for clarity and had just long enough to mutter “Hey! This isn’t Young Frankenstein!” when she heard a man yell “Tegan, git doun lass!” She whirled around to see where the voice was coming from and through the fire and smoke saw the outline of a man, leaping over bodies as he ran toward her, sword drawn. “What the hell?!”

Tegan woke with a start, immediately wide-eyed and looked around feeling disoriented. She’d been dreaming again but this time the dream was different. “It was so real…so very real” she thought as her heart hammered in her chest. She could still smell the smoke from the camp and hear the cries of the injured and dying in her ears as if she were still there. She shuddered trying to rid herself of the images and thought “Ok, that’s it! I need a shrink!” Then she rang for the airline attendant and ordered a double Johnny Walker Red straight up.

****

Sheila and her husband Ewan met Tegan at the Edinburgh airport. She did her best to try to stay focused on their conversation in the car but found her attention constantly diverted to her dream on the plane and the man who shouted her name. Who was he? He obviously knew who she was. “Tegan, you must be totally knackered after that long flight! You look like you can barely keep your eyes open, are you sure you don’t want to just go to the house and hit the hay?” Sheila asked. “Oh no, I’m fine, really, dinner sounds great and Sally needs something to eat too.” Tegan assured her with a smile. It had been a long flight but a glass of wine and a bite to eat was definitely in order for them both.

It was nice to see Sheila again. She hadn’t changed one bit from the spastic teenager Tegan remembered in High School. Stifling a yawn as Sheila chattered on and on…and on, Tegan couldn’t help but imagine her old friend in one of her cheerleader outfits manically rooting on the football team to what she always seemed to perceive as her own personal victory. Shelia was as bubbly as ever, never taking a breath before her next sentence. Truthfully, being around her was just a tiny bit exhausting. Sheila in small doses was the best way to take her.

Ewan, Sheila’s husband, was more Tegan’s cup of tea for conversation. He was intelligent, well read, and had a keen sense of humor but sometimes his thick Scottish brogue became bit hard to follow. She was sure however as the night wore on the scotch in her glass magically enabled her to understand him. “Whit d’ye mean lassie? I dinna hae nae accent, ye do!” he joked as he laid it on thick and gave her a brotherly jab in the side with his elbow as he slyly sneaked a bit of ham to Sally under the table; instantly earning himself a friend for life. Tegan liked him, he had a natural way of putting her at ease and the tension began melting from her body as she relaxed. She wasn’t sure if it was the company, the scotch, the nostalgia, or the atmosphere in general but right now, it was just what she needed. “Ok Alex, you were right. I needed this. Cheers girl!” she thought as she raised her glass to her friend.

It was a shame they only had the one night to catch up before she was left to tend the house on her own but Sheila made sure she provided Tegan with a list of things she could do to keep busy during her stay. High on that list was a ride in the countryside to Jedburgh Abbey a sight Sheila insisted was an absolute must! “It’s nothing but ruins of course, and it will be a long ride, but I just know you’ll love it. You’ve always loved history so it’s right up your alley.” Sheila said sweetly. “I haven’t ridden in years!” Tegan protested already sympathizing with her soon to be sore backside, but Sheila was having none of it. “It’s the only way to really experience the countryside, trust me. It’s too beautiful to miss.”

The next morning Tegan awoke to find Sheila bustling about the cottage pulling together the last “absolutely necessary” items for their vacation. “Good morning Tegan! I hope you slept well” Sheila said in a voice that was far more enthusiastic than Tegan was ready for. “There’s some breakfast in the kitchen if you’d like, Ewan insisted on cooking you a hearty Scottish breakfast to make a good impression on you.” A jaw cracking yawn threatened to unhinge Tegan’s jaw as she muttered “morn’n” unenthusiastically. Carefully she negotiated the dangerously steep stairs down to the first level of the cottage to find her mouth beginning to water at the heavenly smells emanating from the kitchen. She stood in the doorway and watched as Ewan prepared a feast large enough for ten people, then politely cleared her throat and said “Good morning…” “Guid mornin lassie!” He said to her in his smoky baritone burr. “A hae cooked up a wee bit of breakfast if ye like.” “A bit?” she replied, “there’s enough here to feed a small nation but it smells heavenly!”

Shelia popped her head into the cozy little kitchen as Tegan selected some food from the feast Ewan had provided. “I found it!” she sang, proudly holding an emerald green cable knit turtle neck sweater out towards Tegan. “Here Tegan, this is for you. I’ve had it forever! This shade of green just isn’t for me, but it’s perfect for you! I think it’s actually the same shade of green as your eyes. So…see, it must have been made just for you! You can wear it on your ride this morning.”

“What ride?” Tegan said cautiously around a mouthful of eggs. “The ride to Jedburgh Abbey, remember? We talked about it last night” Sheila reminded her. “I’ve already arranged for a horse at the Inn for you. You don’t have to worry about a thing. They’ll even pack a lunch for you to take along. Oh, and I’ve called ahead and made a room reservation for you at the local Inn too. No worries, it’s on us and they will put both you and the horse up for the night so you don’t have to make that whole journey in one day.” “Seriously Sheila, I haven’t ridden in years.” Tegan replied, cringing at the punishment her posterior was going to take. Sheila just laughed in that irritatingly bubbly way that always made Tegan want to slap her.

“Beep! Beep!” interrupted the amiable scene to announce the arrival of the airport taxi. “Well, we’re off for some fun in the sun!” Sheila said with a smile. “Make yourself at home here, and have some fun while you are at it. This is a vacation for you too.” Sheila said and then kissed Tegan on the cheek while tousling her thick auburn hair. “Oh, what I wouldn't give to have hair like that!” Sheila said under her breath as a smiling Ewan pushed her out the door towards the taxi waving goodbye on his way out.

****

By noon Tegan found herself sitting astride Sebastian, a huge but gentle black gelding with faint dapple spots in his coat. The Innkeeper at the Black Bull assured her he was “the gentlest beastie.” The tiny English saddle she sat on felt foreign and completely inadequate to the task of keeping her astride the big horse should he decide he really didn’t want a passenger but she clung to it gamely doing her best to center her seat. Reaching forward to stroke his neck she whispered “remember Sebastian, I’ve been told you wouldn’t hurt a fly, don’t let me down.” The huge horse flicked his ears toward the sound of her voice shook his head, tossing his main back and forth and turned back to look at her, nudging the hand she extended towards him affectionately.

Dubiously Sebastian reached down to sniff at the dog by Tegan’s side. “Sebastian, I would like you to meet Sally. I hope you two will be good friends.” Sebastian sniffed at Sally and Sally, in return, licked his muzzle in greeting. “Looks like you two will get along fine” she said as she did one last check of her backpack to make sure she had everything she needed. She had her camera, her wallet, cell phone, wind-up flashlight and her little laptop in case she felt inspired to get some work done along with a few other odds and ends in her little purse. She looked down at Sally, grinned and said “ok, girl...looks like we’re ready to go.” Taking a deep breath she gathered the reins and urged Sebastian forward down the road to embark on their journey.

An hour outside of town Tegan brought Sebastian to a halt. Her backside was already complaining and there were still a couple of hours to go to get to the Abbey. “It’s time for a break guys my keester is already killing me” she said. She had spotted ruins of a structure on top of a hill in the distance. “I bet I can get some great shots up there and this will prove that I actually did something while I was here.” She said to Sally as she held her camera up and urged Sebastian in the direction of the ruins.

The ruins were much more substantial that she had first believed. Many of the walls were crumbling but a few of the interior rooms were still complete. Tegan slid off Sebastian and allowed the gentle gelding to graze. Taking a deep breath she looked around, the sun was shining, there were a few billowy clouds in the sky, and the heather that surrounded them in an abstract water color of white, green, and purple swayed gently back and forth in a soothing rhythm. Sighing, she inhaled deeply. “This is my idea of Heaven. Pure, unadulterated Heaven!”

Gazing at the ruins of the ancient structure she thought about its history. She wondered about the events that may have unfolded there over the centuries. “If you could talk what would you tell me?” she wondered aloud and slowly walked around the ruins, letting her hand run over the ancient eroded stones as she strolled. As she walked she tried to envision what the structure would have looked like in its prime.

After a few hours of exploration the growling in her stomach reminded Tegan that it had been several hours since Ewan’s mammoth feast at breakfast. She unpacked her little picnic lunch and gave a shrill whistle. Sally’s head popped up from the purple heather where she’d been investigating a rabbit hole, immediately she began bounding her way through the grass, anxious for the treats she was sure would be coming her way.

This was one of the few moments in Tegan’s life when she felt truly content. Sebastian grazed just a few yards away occasionally swishing his tail to swat at a fly. Sally was curled up on the blanket, her belly full of chicken, snoring happily in a sun beam. “Life just doesn’t get much better than this.” Tegan said quietly “I think you’re on to something Sally” she said as she lay back, using the saddle bag as a pillow, and thought about all the things that may have happened throughout the centuries at this site. As her mind wandered, she thought about a bustling town, kids playing, a busy market, the smell of baking bread in the air, the repeated clanging of a blacksmiths hammer, and ladies hanging laundry with their little ones clinging to their skirts. It was a happy scene of long ago where knights fought for their ladies and honor and chivalry wasn’t dead.

Tegan saw herself flying across a field, on the back of a huge bay destrier. Her hair flying like a banner, skirts billowing behind her as she sat crouched low over the horse’s neck with its mane whipping her face. She heard men behind her yelling at her to “stop!” and felt the breeze from an arrow split the air as it whizzed past her cheek. She pressed closer to her mount, and felt steam rising off the horse under her as it strained to go faster in their desperate attempt to avoid the flying arrows. She knew she had to keep running, she had to get away…their lives depended upon it!

A thunderous “BOOM!” jolted her out of her dream. “What the….?”, she said as she raised her hand to shield her eyes from a lightning bolt as it sped across the sky sending electricity through the air. The first few ice cold drops of rain landing with a “plop” on her face brought her instantly back to reality just before the heavens opened up and a sheet of icy rain came plummeting down. Blinking rapidly, she looked around trying to readjust herself to her surroundings as another streak of white light illuminated the valley below her. Sally sat shaking at her feet, leaning up against her for comfort, chocolate eyes huge with fright. Tegan reached down patting her faithful friend on the head. “Everything is fine girl, lets just get Sebastian and go find somewhere to stay dry for a bit.” Whistling as loud as she could she prayed Sebastian would hear her and respond. Sure enough, the black gelding nickered in response and came trotting up the hill, eager for food and shelter. She gathered up Sebastian’s reins and led him toward one of the interior rooms of the ruins.

“Well guys looks like we are going to be stuck here for a bit, I don’t think this storm is going to let up anytime soon. I’d better call the Inn and let them know I’m ok.” Tegan retrieved her cell phone. “Damn! No signal. I guess, for now, we’d better just plan to settle in here for the night. I wasn’t planning on camping out but it could be worse right? We have food, we have shelter, and I can get a fire going. This won’t be so bad.” The room she had led them into was dark now that the sun was going down and cold but at least it was dry and there was plenty of food left, so really…all she had to do was start a fire and sit back and relax. Things could be a lot worse.

Hours later Tegan stood up and attempted to rub at the crick in her neck she’d gained from laying against the cold, hard stones. She must have managed to doze off again. As she stretched her sore cramped muscles she looked around. Something wasn’t right but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was. She had the oddest feeling that something had changed. The hair on the back of her neck stood up and she vibrated with an electric energy that made her edgy. “Get a grip Tegan” she muttered. Sally was still snoozing away on the blanket and Sebastian was still happily munching away on grass, everything seemed just as it had been before she dozed off. “You’re letting your imagination run away with you again girl.” She thought, “You’re just feeling the electricity from the storm….that’s all.”

Glancing outside she saw the rain had stopped. The sun was getting low in the sky and daylight was fading quickly. “Well guys, if we are going to get back tonight we had better get started.” Tegan quickly gathered the remainder of the picnic and packed it away in Sebastian’s saddle-bag. With a great amount of effort she managed to get her foot in Sebastian’s stirrup “damn he was big”, she thought, and hauled herself back into the saddle. “Come on Sally, time to head back girl. Sebastian, I certainly hope you know your way home, we will see the Abbey another time.”

It seemed as though they had been plodding along hours when Tegan reached into her pocket for her cell phone, to check the time. She flipped it open and read 12:15. What?! There’s no way that’s the right time, this thing must have gotten messed up during the flight over, it’s can’t be past midnight! The sun hasn’t even set completely” she muttered to herself. The rustling from the bushes next to her was her only warning before she felt a sudden and vicious yank on her hair that caused her to lose her balance and sent her tumbling out of the saddle backwards to land hard flat on her back with a thud sending the air rushing out of her lungs before she heard a loud “crack!” that rang in her skull and the world went black.

[stanley]

Movin' right along. I think Tegan's dreams and daydreams are a pretty good device for a sort of time travel sans machine. reminds me of Mark Twain's "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court." wherein the hero is transported back to Arthurian Britain by way a blow to the head.
I found myself reading with anticipation of what is coming next and felt that on the whole suspense was well sustained. The battle scene was credible and engaging and gave a sense of the stark ugliness of armed conflict in whatever age.
In my opinion the pace of this part of the story is just about right, but possibly impeded at some points by too many words. If it were my story, in rewrite I would look for every opportunity to eliminate unnecessary language, for example the first line about Tegan's airline seat. You could drop the first sentence and go right to the second where Tegan mentions a first class seat. This is only an example, and I would not presume to go through the story line by line and suggest cuts. You will see for yourself where descriptive language, or discussion can be compressed to quicken the pace.
This is an imaginative story that holds the reader. I look forward to reading more.