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Meet Gaby, a fifteen-year-old who harbors a peculiar belief: her soul leaves her body when she drifts off to sleep. In the realm of dreams, she experiences vivid, larger-than-life visions that stretch the limits of reality. These extraordinary dreams unfold on a grand scale, feeling more tangible and substantial than mere figments of the imagination.
When tragedy strikes and Barclay falls into a coma following a devastating car accident, Gaby's nocturnal odyssey takes an unforeseen turn. Each night, under the eerie presence of a lemon tree, Barclay and Gaby encounter one another in the realm of dreams. Their connection transcends the boundaries of the physical world, linking their destinies in ways neither of them could have anticipated.
However, as Gaby's grandmother falls gravely ill, she finds herself in a hospital room filled with unfamiliar faces, including a comatose boy lying next to her beloved relative. Initially unaware of Barclay's identity, Gaby's dreams take a sinister turn once recognition dawns upon her. She realizes that saving Barclay and guiding him back home is now her paramount mission.
As Gaby ventures deeper into the mysterious and perilous realm of dreams, she must confront her own fears and unravel the dark forces that threaten to consume them both. Armed with determination and unwavering resolve, she embarks on a perilous quest to rescue Barclay from the clutches of the unknown.
What My Soul Does When I Am Asleep delves into the heart of horror, seamlessly blending elements of supernatural suspense and spine-chilling thrills. Brace yourself for a gripping narrative that blurs the boundaries between dreams and reality, plunging you into a world where the unimaginable becomes tangible.
Why I have been waiting to see him all day, I do not know.
Although I recognise everything about him, I feel unsure as he walks toward me. It is strange how I recognise him, but I cannot remember where I know him from. I also feel a strange need to come back here every night, and to never let him go.
He stops in front of me and says, “Hey.” His hand reaches out to me, and the touch of his fingers against mine sends a thrill through me that reminds me of winter’s first snowfall, of the safety of home, and sunbeams dancing between the branches of a tree. I know his name as well. Barclay. Barclay Thomson. Gently he pulls on my hand and urges me to sit next to him on the grass. The grass feels a little damp under me as I settle myself down onto it and cross my legs in front of me. His shoulder brushes against mine as he looks at me sideways and smiles. “Tell me about your day.”
Even though he is smiling, he has a worried look in his eyes, and I am a little afraid to know the reason for his fear. It is as if I know what it is, but also as if I have somehow blocked it from my memory.
I must have shown these thoughts on my face because his brow furrows as he squeezes my hand. ‘What’s the matter?’
“I don’t really know. I feel afraid. As if there is something waiting for me just around the next words. I know it seems strange. It is as if I know this is only a dream, but yet it feels so real. You know how they say that whatever happens to you in your dreams cannot kill you, but I have this feeling it actually could.” I glance across my shoulder nervously. There is a slight hill behind us without any dark shadows or anything threatening. All the colours around me are bright and vivid, so how can anything evil be lurking in this field? Yet it feels as if someone or something is watching me.
“It’s okay. Don’t worry,” he assures me. “We’ll be okay, for now.” He nudges me. “I enjoyed the party last night. You?”
I look back at him. “Where did you go? One moment you were there and then you were just gone.”
“Had to go. My body needed to use the bathroom.”
I chuckle. “Very inconvenient.”
“Very,” he whispers as he leans closer to me. His hand comes across his body and settles on my shoulder. I glance at his lips and a small smile plucks at the corners of his mouth.
My upper body shifts slowly.
He keeps his lips hovering above mine for a second, two seconds, three.
I look into his clear, light blue eyes. An eerie eye colour, which makes his eyes always appear more open and wider than normal. I would spend a year’s allowance on contact lenses to have eyes like his.
Our eyes connect and then as he looks into my eyes, as his lips settle onto mine, a feeling of inexpressible happiness and warmth rushes through me, and my hand reaches up to him. My hand folds around the nape of his neck as he intensifies the pressure of his lips against mine. I want to part my lips under his, but shyness stops me. I am too scared to intensify the sensation I am feeling. I am too shy to make the first move.
He lifts his lips from mine but remains close to me. The tip of his nose nudges against my cheek. “Good night.”
I try to pull away from him even further. “What do you mean?” I murmur.
“I did not get the chance to say good night last night.” His lips smile, and then he kisses me again as I am about to smile. My lips are already a little parted.
He is all I think about when I am asleep. I spend my nights with him, even if during the day I forget I even know him. We are two souls connected in such a way that being with each other is like feeling safe and protected. I feel as if being with him, I can be me and still be loved unconditionally. I wonder why love is only equated to hard work and what effort a person is supposed to put into it to make it last. When two souls come together, then surely love should be easy and uncomplicated.
My name explodes from his lips. The desperation in his voice is infectious. Why have I waited so long to feel the softness of his mouth? His hand slips from my shoulder to my waist and he pulls me closer to him.
My body presses against his. Confidence rushes through me as I lift myself onto my knees before I lift my one knee across his legs and sit down on his lap. Our lips never part, not even for a second. I move my hands to cup his face in my palms, as his face is lifted up to mine.
At fifteen, my experience is limited, but there is no time to see beyond this moment. Everything about him bewitches me. When I open my eyes, all I can see is his beautiful face beneath mine.
He opens his eyes slowly to reveal a sad gaze. “Gaby, where do you spend your days?”
Tracing my finger along the side of his face, I say, “I wish I could find you.”
Publisher : Fiction for the Soul Books
Date : 19 May 2015
Language : English
Paperback : 184 pages
ISBN-13 : 978-1393637462
Reading age : 13 and up
Dimensions : 5.5 x 0.46 x 8.5 inches
With a passion for the macabre, Stephen Simpson weaves tales of terror that explore the darkest depths of the human soul. From the eerie and suspenseful to the downright terrifying, Stephen Simpson has crafted a unique style of horror that has earned a devoted following amongst fans of the genre.
