Excerpt from Destiny Lane by Melanie Toye
In ancient times, it was believed when a person went to sleep their soul left their body. They then lived in another world, while their body on Earth rested. The person lived two lives, one in the physical body and one in the mind.
This is my story, except this is not the dark ages, this is now. I am unsure whether to be completely terrified or excited that I am experiencing this rare insight into another realm.
It took me a while to understand that my dreams were in fact reality. I was living in two worlds, one on Earth and one in another universe. I wanted something different from my life yet I did not know what that ‘something’ was. I started accepting that this was the normal way to living. This was all life would offer, nothing more, nothing less.
Until one evening I was watching television. It was late and a great fear came over me. I felt desperate for more. I could no longer accept that this life was enough. I felt there was no more to give or receive. I felt sick to my core. I knew that this path I was on was not for me. But what was? I tried different career paths and went on various dates with men, all of which ended in heartache. What was left for me? What did I need to do to feel fulfilled?
I turn up the Alicia Keys CD playing in the background and let it wash over my soul. Music is what keeps me from becoming an emotional wreck. Music is what helps dull my thoughts and rekindles a light in my heart. I know deep down that soon I will have to face the big questions of my existence, but not yet. No, not yet.
My eyes grow heavy. I find myself in an eerie, dark place.
“Sara,” a deep voice calls. I look around squinting through the thick fog. Too afraid to speak, I stay silent in the hope this person will go away. “Sara,” the voice booms. My body shakes in fear.
Completely terrified I stammer, “Who are you and what do you want?” The fog surrounds me and the thought of feeling blind is near. Then in a sweeping movement, a rush of wind pushes hard against me. My eyes flash open. I look around. I am in my bedroom. My heart is racing. I breathe to calm down.
The dream felt incredibly real as all nightmares do. I walk to the living room and try to dull my thoughts by watching television. Even with the distraction I cannot seem to shake the feeling. I am terrified.
I pick up the phone to call my girlfriend and work colleague Michelle, yet decide against it. The joys of living alone. I turn on my laptop and search for new talent. I work in the modelling industry, not as a model, I am a talent head-hunter. Sounds glamorous, it’s not. Fourteen hour days, auditioning plain looking wannabes, actually that is largely the case.
I am always on the hunt for new faces. As much as I love my job, I dislike my boss Larry, who is lazy and smells.
What is disgusting, stomach purging really are the desperate women who sleep with Larry to get ahead in their career. We do one shoot with the skanky tramps and never use them for a job again. Was it worth it girls?
Mode Appeal is an upmarket modelling agency. Many of our clients deal directly with me to view and book our models. Larry was gifted Mode Appeal through his mother’s retirement plan. She was ninety when she signed over the deed for Larry to take over. Larry could not wait to get his grubby hands on the profits earned by the business.
It is early morning and I feel wide awake. It’s too late to go back to bed and too early to go to work. I select one of my favourite workout videos. Half way through the workout, my body feels energised and I fast-forward to complete the warm down. My eyes naturally close as I sit cross-legged on the floor. In a restful trance I fall asleep.
I lock eyes with a man. His blazing brown eyes look deep into mine. “You again, you must stop dreaming of me,” he demands in a low yet urgent voice.
In shock, I blink and he is gone. Only a mere mist remains in front of me. I wake up, tempted to go hide in bed but scared to fall asleep, I have a shower instead.
I rush through my morning routine, selecting an outfit in minutes. Tie up my hair without bringing a brush to it, hoping to pull the messy but sexy look off while somewhat not caring if the effect works or not. Too tired to pour cereal into a bowl, I grab a muesli bar instead.
I get in the car and realise I have forgotten my bag. Back inside I grab my bag from the bedroom, run back outside and hit my head as I enter the car. I sit in the car for a moment, my shoulders hunched over as I rub my head. I click the garage remote and hear two loud beeps from a car parked behind me. I check my rear-view mirror and see Michelle’s car. Gratefully I slowly exit my car and walk over to Michelle’s passenger side. “Jump in missy,” Michelle yells from the half opened window.
I hop in and see Michelle looking over me. “Wow, I am glad I came to pick you up today.”
“Why?”
“You look like the living dead,” Michelle says, unafraid to hold back on what she is really thinking.
I pull down the passenger’s mirror and close it just as quick. Michelle is right, I look horrid.
Michelle takes a detour, parks the car in a side street to get our coffee. No words are spoken as I drink my coffee in silence. With the tiredness, strange dreams, sore back and neck from sleeping on the lounge, I am in no mood to think or talk. Michelle senses my hibernation and turns up the music on the radio.
We soon arrive to work and in no rush I step out onto the pavement. I am in no excitement to attend work but I have nowhere else to go. We walk in and I see the glaring eyes peering over the tops of computer screens. I yawn and sit at my desk.
The office plan is nothing flash. Larry wanted an open floor plan so he could see everyone, though he claimed it was the latest trend. I am not a fan of the layout. I can hear five consultants at any one time on the phone. No meetings with clients or models are allowed here because it’s a cheap set-up that oozes tackiness.
I look at my meetings planned for the day, then down at my now empty coffee cup. How am I going to get through the day feeling like this?
Larry walks past and my nose twitches at the stench that follows. I return my focus to my daily planner. I discover I have one hour’s freedom before any major meetings or deadlines I have to meet. I place my head on my desk and close my eyes, if not for a moment. My eyes open and I lock eyes with the man in my dreams. Aware of my surroundings, fear washes over me as the black fog surrounds me again. “Where am I?” I almost scream.
“We are in the in-between.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I cannot let you enter Destiny Lane, it’s too dangerous,” the man warns.
Read more of Destiny Lane at one of the below online stores:
Buy here-
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/482059
Apple:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id1067819086
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https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940046212921
Everand:
https://www.everand.com/search?query=9781310473678
Gardners:
https://www.gardners.com/Search/KeywordAnonymous/eBook?Keyword=9781310473678
Kobo:
https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/Search?Query=9781310473678
Odilo:
https://marketplace.odilo.us/opac/?query=9781310473678
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Also if you are a beginner in crocheting, you may appreciate reading my ‘The journey of crocheting for beginners’ ebook by Melanie Toye. You can purchase here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1808619
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