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“There’ll be a little distortion of reality.” Will’s voice remained placid. “Just go with it. Don’t fight the feeling. You’re in a good place, and you’re safe with me. Let’s do some cleansing breaths like we’ve done in the past.”
Doug immediately started. In through the nose. Hold. Out through the mouth. Just as things were beginning to settle down, odd shapes, mandalas of sorts began floating through his brain.
“I’m seeing shapes,” Doug briefed Will.
“Again, perfectly normal,” Will chuckled. “Did you know our brains are actually doing geometric gymnastics all the time that we’re not aware of?”
“That’s cool.” Doug was accustoming himself to the colors and feeling a lot more comfortable with them.
“Give it all time to settle in, then let your mind wander. We can talk about what comes up, or I can help clarify your awareness of things.”
Doug understood the concept. He’d never been a big one for daydreaming, but when he did, it normally relaxed him. He felt his body decompress, and his shoulders melted like they were becoming one with the soft fabric underneath him.
Relax… Relax…
He pictured a large dog in the field he’d mentioned earlier, growling angrily.
“Whoa. I think I might…” Before he could get out any more words, he saw Pixie patting the huge dog’s head, and the beast’s aggression turned to pleasure as he preened under Pixie’s gentle fingers. The mutt flipped over to squirm on his back as Pixie rubbed his belly.
“Where are you seeing now, Doug?” Will asked.
“A field,” he said. “And a dog. With Pixie—”
“You want to walk me home?” Pixie asked the pup.
The dog scrambled to get all four feet underneath him, then bowed down to her. “I’m going to sniff the grass,” he barked.
“Maybe you’ll smell Harlan,” Pixie replied happily as she skipped ahead.
“If I find him, I’ll bite him,” the dog roared.
Doug laughed. “The dog’s talking. He’s protecting Pixie.”
“That’s good,” Will answered, but didn’t distract Doug from his dream.
The beast raced to the spot where Doug remembered the car had been parked, but instead of a white Impala, there was a green Datsun amidst the weeds.
Doug whimpered. “Lotus.”
He suddenly wanted to leave the dream.
“It’s okay, Doug. You’re safe. I’m here.” Will’s voice took him away from the field, and sent him back to seeing shapes. His nasty mother was no longer in his vision, and Doug felt a little better. But he knew she was lurking if he let himself go back.
“Doug? Are you still seeing your mother?”
And just like that, the dream-field returned.
“Yes,” Doug swallowed, but his throat wasn’t working all that well. “She’s getting out of her car.” He grew agitated, but his mind seemed mired in the vision. He felt a sob in rise his throat where the lump had been.
“It’s okay, Doug. She can’t hurt you. You’re safe. She’s only a dream”
“I’m not,” Doug cried out. “I’m not safe. She’s coming for me.” Doug reached out a hand and found Will’s, grabbing it and holding on. If he’d touched Will like this at any other time, it would have been the cause of his panic, but now, oddly, it settled him down. Will, his good friend, was here. “You’re here,” he warbled, just to make sure.
“That’s right. I’m here. I’m not leaving you.”
“She’s putting me in her car.” Doug gripped Will hard and wriggled uneasily as the illusion continued, and…
It was suddenly pitch black.
