Dreamstone Read online

  “The lake is further away than it appeared from the campsite,” Melissa remarked as she walked alongside Matt.

  “Yeah, I noticed that too, but we’re not too far from it now,” he added as he looked ahead.

  Melissa nodded in agreement, and then took a sip from her water bottle. “I guess it’s going to be a hot one.”

  “I think you’re right,” Matt acknowledged. “Our cool morning breeze seems to have been replaced by dead air.”

  “Interesting choice of words,” Melissa remarked as they neared the western edge of the alkali lake.

  Matt paused momentarily to look at its seemingly innocent border, and then into the deep blue sky.

  “What are you looking for?” Greg snickered.

  “Nothing,” Matt replied.

  “You seem a little distracted,” Greg added in a suspicious tone.

  “Nope, just enjoying the view,” Matt insisted.

  “Really? Because I think you’re looking for something,” Greg asserted.

  “Stop being a weenie!” Melissa interrupted in Matt’s defense.

  “Come on, I’m just joking with him,” Greg contended. Then he turned and knelt down next to the lake and put his hand into the cool water.

  “Don’t you dare splash me,” Melissa warned.

  “I wasn’t,” he replied in a voice that indicated otherwise. Then he withdrew his hand and let a few drops of the liquid fall onto his tongue.

  “Oh yuck, that’s the nastiest water ever,” he announced while spitting the caustic mixture onto the ground.

  “It’s not potable,” Matt laughed. “It’s loaded with potassium, sodium, and boron salts you big dummy.”

  “I know that,” Greg retorted. “I wasn’t going to drink it. I just wanted to know what alkali water actually tasted like.”

  “Do you want me to get you a cup of it so you can try some?” Matt asked jokingly as he looked over at Melissa.

  “No thanks, I’m good with the water I have,” she replied with a smile. “Perhaps Greg would like to take some with him though?”

  “Nope, I’m good,” he chuckled after rinsing his mouth out with some fresh water. Then, when no one was looking, Matt reached down and tasted a drop of the alkali water for himself. It was so bitter and metallic tasting that he instantly gagged and spit up saliva.

  “What’s wrong,” Melissa asked when she noticed he seemed to be gagging.

  “Oh nothing... just accidently swallowed a small bug,” he replied. Melissa winced and then continued on.

  After a few hours, Melissa paused next to a small creosote bush and then took off her backpack.

  “Is everything okay?” Matt questioned.

  “Yeah, I just need a minute to get a drink and reorganize the items in my pack. Something keeps poking me in the side and I’m tired of it,” she added with an irritated look.

  Matt nodded and then stared at the canyons while Melissa fixed her pack.

  “How much further do you think it is?” she asked after she finished what she was doing.

  “I’m not sure,” he replied. “Five or six more miles perhaps? It’s kind of difficult to judge the distance without trees or buildings as points of reference.”

  “The desert is full of optical illusions,” Greg added in a mystical voice while looking over his shoulder at Matt. Matt did not respond, but he was planning some payback later that night. He had not forgotten how Greg liked to tease him when Melissa was around, so he brought along a rubber tarantula affectionately named ‘Mr. Crawly’. It was a special friend that had found its way into Greg’s life on many other occasions. Matt chuckled under his breath just thinking about the last time Mr. Crawly made an appearance. It was spring break and Greg had passed out from partying the night before. When Matt found him the next morning, he tucked Mr. Crawly under his pillow. It wasn’t long before Greg came running out of his dorm room screaming like a little girl wearing nothing but underwear.

  “What are you giggling about?” Melissa whispered.

  Matt held his finger to his lips and then pulled Mr. Crawly part way out of his pocket for her to see. Melissa smiled and then shook her head disapprovingly. It was clear that she wasn’t going to participate in the prank, but she still thought it was funny how they teased each other back and forth.

  “What are you two whispering and giggling about?” Greg asked as he glanced back at them.

  “Oh nothing,” Matt replied.

  “You’re not still going on about that mirage are you?” he questioned.

  “For the hundredth time, it wasn’t a mirage!” Matt responded passionately.

  “Okay,” Greg acknowledged as he continued on without teasing him further.

  When they reached the outer edge of the alluvial fan that drained the sandstone hills, Matt noticed small angular fragments of reddish-orange rock intermixed with darker gray gravels washed down from the Panamints. It was a geological marker indicating that they were almost there. Melissa and Greg realized it too, but not from the changes in the unconsolidated strata. They simply looked ahead at the hills and could see they were not more than a mile away.

  Melissa, eager to get to the canyons before nightfall, started walking at an increasingly fast pace.

  “What’s the rush?” Greg questioned, knowing full well what she was doing.

  “I want to find some petroglyphs before we have to set up camp for the night,” she replied.

  Greg nodded and then quickened his pace to match hers. Matt sped up a little to keep up with the two of them. Then as the afternoon heat was thwarted by the returning breeze, he noticed that Melissa’s long jet-black hair was gently flowing in the wind. Matt glanced away, but he could not deny that her unusually dark hair complimented her light complexion and piercing blue eyes perfectly. Even as he tried to think about something else, his mind kept coming back to her soulful eyes. They just seemed to have such endless depth and striking beauty, they were unlike anything he had ever seen. Matt’s daydream came to an abrupt end as a bead of sweat ran down his brow and into his own eye, stinging it for a second. Then as he paused for a second to wipe his face, he noticed a dark band of clouds forming along the Panamints taller peaks. “I think we might get a thunder shower this evening,” he announced.

  “Maybe we should setup camp early,” Greg suggested. “I hate putting up my tent in the rain.”

  “I would prefer not to camp out in the open,” Melissa declared as she looked over at each of them. “If you boys think there’s a storm coming, then maybe we should speed it up a little.”

  Greg looked at Matt and then over at Melissa, and without a word the race was on. Greg took off running first, followed by Matt, and then Melissa after she cinched down her pack. After a few hundred yards, Matt could hear her laughing as she came up from behind.

  “Show off,” he joked as she overtook him. Melissa smiled and then headed for Greg. A few minutes later, she overtook Greg, who slowed down to talk to Matt after conceding his defeat.

  “She kicked our butts!” he admitted between gasps for air.

  “I guess we should have known better,” Matt added. “Four years on the track and she was never defeated.”

  “True, but being beaten by a girl still hurts,” Greg remarked as he rubbed his burning calf muscles.

  Melissa continued on until she reached the base of the sandstone formation where she patiently waited for the two of them to catch up.”

  “Hello,” she announced in a victorious tone, as Greg walked past her without responding.

  “I don’t think he likes to lose,” Matt whispered.

  “Yeah, I probably shouldn’t have beaten him so badly,” Melissa replied.

  “I wouldn’t worry about it too much, his ego will recover,” Matt said with a smile.

  “That’s true,” Melissa replied as if referring to some past event.

  “Well, I guess we should spread out and see if we can find a good place to set up camp,” Matt remarked after noticing the ever darkening s
ky.

  “Really, it’s going to rain while we’re visiting the driest place on earth!” Melissa shrugged.

  “I think so,” Matt replied sympathetically. Melissa frowned and then headed over to one of the canyon passages and started looking around. A moment later Matt climbed up a small ravine that paralleled her, and as he walked along, it became apparent that she was searching for petroglyphs rather than a campsite.

  “Were you planning to camp on the side of the canyon wall?” Matt called out to her jokingly.

  “No silly, your job is to find us a good campsite, while I locate the petroglyphs.”

  “Oh I forgot, you’re the archeologist and I’m the campologist!”

  “Yes, that’s correct. Now go make yourself useful, and find a spot that is level this time. I’m still trying to get the kink out of my neck from the last campsite you picked out for us.” Melissa said jokingly as she rubbed her neck for emphasis.

  “Alright, I’ll be back when I find the perfect spot for you,” Matt replied with smile.

  A few minutes later Matt paused when he heard Greg’s voice echoing in the canyon. Then he edged down in that direction to see what he was doing, only to find Greg had caught up with Melissa and was questioning her.

  “What is Matt planning?” Greg asked.

  “Nothing”, Melissa replied innocently.

  “Are you sure? I know he wants to get back at me for teasing him about the mirage this, morning.” Greg contended.

  “You two act like brothers, each one trying to outdo the other. If he’s planning something, I’m not part of it,” Melissa declared.

  “Well, I’m keeping my eye on him either way,” Greg affirmed.

  Matt waited for them to pass by before moving on. Then after stumbling across a large flat area with a good view of the mountains to the east and the valley to the west, he worked his way back to where his friends were.

  “I found a great spot to camp,” he announced from overhead.

  “Up there?” Melissa asked, looking at the side of the canyon with hesitation.

  “Yes, it’s perfect,” Matt replied confidently. “You can see the whole valley and it’s high enough that we won’t have to worry about a flash flood in the middle of the night.”

  “How do we get up there?” she asked.

  “Just go back towards the opening of the canyon and take the ravine on the left until you reach the top. Then follow along the edge of the canyon until you see me.”

  “Okay,” Melissa replied.

  A few minutes later Melissa and Greg reached the overlook where Matt was standing.

  “So, what do you think?” he asked as Melissa carefully scrutinized the site.

  “Not bad,” she acknowledged. “I’ve seen better of course, but this will do for one night.”

  “I can keep looking your highness, but it’s going to be dark soon and the petroglyphs will be more difficult to find,” Matt announced with a British accent.

  “What do you think Greg?” Melissa asked as she turned towards him and held her head into the air like royalty.

  “Your man servant lacks in every measurable way, but considering the lateness of the hour, I recommend that we camp here and replace him when we return to jolly ‘ole England,” Greg exclaimed in his best English accent. Then he tossed his backpack on the ground and proceeded to unpack his things. Melissa and Matt laughed for a moment and then followed suit.

  Once Matt was finished putting up his tent, he walked over to Greg and asked, “Do you need any help?”

  “Nope, I’ve got it,” Greg replied suspiciously.

  “What about you?” Matt asked as he turned towards Melissa. “Can I help in any way?”

  “Sure,” Melissa said with a smile. Then she handed him four tent stakes and a large rock. Matt made his way around the tent, pounding a stake in at each corner until it was flush with the ground.

  “Thanks,” Melissa remarked when he was finished.

  “No problem,” Matt replied. He knew Melissa didn’t really need his help, but he felt it would have been rude not to offer.

  When her tent was complete, she disappeared inside for a moment and then returned with a flashlight in her hand.

  “Where are you off to?” Matt asked, wondering if she was going to try and find the petroglyphs even though it had started to get dark.

  “I need a little privacy before I go to bed,” she replied diplomatically.

  “Oh,” Matt said in an embarrassed tone, thankful that the darkness would conceal his reddened face.

  A few minutes later Melissa reappeared and said, “Good night boys,” before retreating into her tent.

  “Are you sure you will be able to sleep without knowing where the petroglyphs are?” Matt asked jokingly.

  “I want to find them, believe me, but it’s just not practical to search for them in the dark. If I go to bed early, then I can get up early and look for them.” Melissa replied.

  “Okay, I’ll see you in the morning... good night then,” Matt added.

  “Good night,” Melissa replied.

  Matt sat quietly in his tent waiting for Greg to make one last call before going to bed. Then when he saw him disappear behind a large group of boulders Matt snuck over to his tent and put Mr. Crawly on Greg’s pillow. Then he tiptoed back to his tent and waited for Greg to reunite with his long lost buddy.

  “Holy crap!” Greg screamed as he ran out of his tent with his pants half off. Matt burst out in laughter for several minutes.

  “That’s not funny you jerk!” Greg yelled back. “You and that damn spider are going to pay!”

  Matt continued to laugh as he went over and retrieved the spider from Greg’s pillow.

  “Don’t come near me with that!” Greg scolded as he kept his distance from Matt and Mr. Crawly.

  “It’s just a piece of rubber,” Matt remarked.

  “I know, but do you have any idea how real it looks in the dim light,” Greg asserted.

  “That’s the beauty of it,” Matt answered.

  “I will get you back, that’s a promise!” Greg declared in an authoritative tone as he cautiously reentered his tent.

  “I know... I would expect nothing less,” Matt conceded as he returned to his own tent. Then he sat there awake for a little bit to make sure Greg wasn’t planning any immediate retaliation. Once he was satisfied that Greg had gone to sleep, he pulled the flap closed and went to bed.

  Chapter 2

  A brilliant flash of light followed by the slow rumble of thunder woke Matt in the middle of the night. After laying there for a moment, he decided to pull the flap of his tent open and see where the storm clouds were. As he looked on, a couple of flashes of light pierced through the darkness, highlighting the desert valley to the west. Intrigued by the ribbons of lightening, he repositioned his pillow so that he could watch the storm through the opening. Each time a bolt zigzagged its way to the ground, it momentarily revealed the dark thunderhead from whence it came. Matt looked on for a while, but little by little his eyelids grew heavy and slowly started to close. When they were little more than narrow slits, a bright flash of light revealed something unusual in the distance. Matt’s eyes popped back open and he stared intently in the direction of the alkali lake. As he waited impatiently for the storm to light up the valley once more, it seemed to taunt him by flickering anemically in the distance. After fighting to keep his eyes open for a few more minutes, a gust of wind blew the flap of his tent closed obscuring his view of the valley below. Matt sighed, and then rolled over and went to sleep.

  His dream seemed to pick up where reality left off. The next thing he knew he was standing outside of his tent staring into the darkness. In the distance a faint glow caught his attention. It seemed to be calling out to him, and he was drawn towards it. His fears were subdued as his subconscious assured him it was all an elaborate dream. Free to investigate from the safety of his mind, he continued towards the glowing object unabated. It didn’t even matter to him if none of h
is dream was real, because he believed that dreams could reveal aspects of truth. If nothing else, it served as a playground for his imagination and allowed him to experience things otherwise unobtainable in the real world.

  As Matt drew closer to the object, he noticed it was shrouded in a haze that seemed to emit a wavelength of ultraviolet light so subtle that he could barely perceive it. The mist irritated his lungs and smelled faintly of ozone. His chest resonated as a low frequency seemed to be emanating from somewhere inside the craft. Despite the unnatural sensations he felt, Matt was not afraid of the object and he stepped closer to it. Through the mist he could see it shimmering even in the darkness as its surface reflected the surroundings like a mirror. Matt paused for a moment as the hair on his arms and legs began to bristle. Then he slowly reached out his hand to touch it. A mild static shock caused his fingers to quiver as he felt the ship’s radiant surface. Then he felt lightheaded and suddenly everything went blank. A few moments later he woke up feeling disoriented and nauseous. Once his head cleared, he staggered back to his tent and collapsed onto his sleeping bag. While pondering the meaning of his dream, he slowly drifted back to sleep without realizing it.

  The next morning Matt was awakened by the sound of Melissa pawing at the side of his tent and growling like a bear.

  “There aren’t any bears in the desert,” he said in a sleepy voice.

  “I know. I was just having some fun and wanted to see if you were awake yet.”

  “Yeah, I’m getting up, just give me a few moments,” he responded. Then as he glanced down at his wrist to check the time he noticed it was gone.

  “Where’s my watch Greg!” he demanded as he shuffled around the tent looking for it.

  “I didn’t take it,” Greg replied in a voice of genuine honesty and concern.

  A few moments later Matt emerged from his tent with a look of frustration. “Has anyone seen my watch? I can’t seem to find it.”