Into the Unknown

She awoke from her dream with a start, her nightgown drenched in sweat. It had been so vivid that she felt she was there; so far away from here in a place she could only feel love, hope, and peace all at once.
What was most haunting was the voice that beckoned her from the other side. Tears streamed down her face as Brianna's breathing slowly subsided. James seemed so close to her, she felt if she had just gone a bit further she would have forever been with her love again.

But she knew this to be a widow's crazy talk, a crazy fantasy that would never come true. He was gone─she would never see him again. It seemed like his death was only yesterday. How she longed to be in his arms once more, to feel his breath on her skin, the way his caresses filled her every being and desire. No, there would never be another James. Her one and only gone forever in a moments time with many unanswered questions. Why he had chosen to put that gun to his head, she would never know. It all had happened so quickly.

Laying the children down for bed, she walked to the living room to finish cleaning before her nightly routine. Her husband would be home soon from working the night shift and she wanted everything to be perfect before his arrival. His behavior had proven strange as of late and life had not been easy on him lately. Between working night shift and going to school full-time he had little time for rest. Recently he seemed in a good mood yet had been reminiscing over his past more and more. He'd had a very dark past and would break down on many occasions to her. Often going into grisly details of how abusive his family had been. It always gave her the chills to think about it. Shivering, she quietly passed the time doing dishes and cleaning the floors; humming a tune as she went about.

Around seven he walked through the door, all smiles and hugs. Leaning over, he gave her a big kiss and looked around. "It looks really nice" he exclaimed beaming at her with his soft brown eyes. She followed his gaze to the carpet before gasping and sighing in disgust.
"The kids must have spilled something on the carpet. How did I not see that! I'm sorry sweetie, I'll clean that up right away, I hope it doesn't stain." fussing she crossed the living room to the kitchen, grabbing carpet cleaner and a hot towel. When she emerged she found James gone. Probably to change, she thought to herself.
Leaning down, she sprayed the cleaner on the carpet and let it soak for a while before beginning to blot it up.

Placing the cloth on the floor, she began to clean in a circular motion; scrubbing hard to get it all out of the carpet. To her surprise, James entered the living room once more. Leaning down, he picked her up into his arms and stroked her hair gently.
"I love you Brianna" he whispered softly into her ears. Kissing her forehead, he looked deeply into her blue eyes. “I really do, you’re such a good wife and a wonderful woman." Blushing, she smiled at him and gave him a kiss. "I love you too dear. I'll just be another minute, and then I'll come to bed with you."

Those were the words she would reflect on over and over again. Why didn't she see the warning signs? So many what-if's had run through her head. Countless times she thought of killing herself to join him but knew the children would need her now more than ever.
He gave her one final hug before heading back to the room. She smiled as she hummed a cheery tune. Almost done, she thought as she added just a bit more cleaner to the carpet. "That ought to do it." Sighing, she began to walk back to the kitchen just as the bang she would never forget erupted throughout the house.

"Mommy?" Snapping out of her thoughts, she sat up in bed and turned towards the door.

"What is it sweetie?" Her youngest child, Logan, stood in the doorway rubbing his eyes and wiping away what she suspected to be tears.

" I had a bad dream" he whimpered as he shuffled over to her bed. "Can I sleep in here tonight?"

"Oh, of course you can dear" she exclaimed as she reached out her hand and pulled him up with her.

It had been a struggle just to make it through this far, but she knew as she cuddled closely to her child this was where she needed to be.
Stroking his hair, she felt his breathing become heavy and knew he was asleep. She closed her eyes and cried silently to herself, wondering above all things why he was gone. Her last thought before drifting off were his warm words and soft lips upon hers.

---

Slowly Brianna awoke, the morning light trickling across her porcelain features.
She couldn't help but feel disappointed somehow. Now matter how long time would creep by, she felt as if the weight in the pit of her stomach would never lift.

Careful to not wake Logan, she crept out of bed to start on breakfast before waking Kristen for school. She went through the usual motions, she lived, she breathed and nothing more. Wiping her hands, she walked back to her daughter's room and opened the door. Surprisingly,a very empty and well-made bed awaited her. It looked as though it was never disturbed.

Instinctively she turned for the closet where she was quite sure she would find her daughter.
Sure enough, she found her. Kristen was bent over her desk, her head resting face down into her arms. "Kristen honey?" Reaching down, she shook her daughter softly by the shoulder.

"Mmm?" came the muffled response.
"Time to get up. I've let you sleep as long as I can."
Groaning, she sat up and stretched before reaching for the mouse and clicking on her email.

"OK mom, I'll be out in a bit"

"Alright, but hurry up, I have breakfast ready, and you've only got 30 minutes until we have to go."

"K" she muttered, her eyes glued to the screen.

Closing the door behind her, she walked to the living room. Logan, like she knew he would be, was at the table eating away, his little legs dangling off of the tall chairs.

"Mornin' mommy" he called brightly as a piece of waffle fell out of his mouth.

Giggling, she gave him a soft pat on the head.

"Morning sweetie."

Shaking her head, she sat down and picked up her book, leafing over to the page she marked the night prior. Peering over curiously, Logan looked at her from around the book.

"Watcha readin'?" he asked in his high-pitched voice.

"It's a book about ghosts sweetie." She said calmly as she turned the page.

"Oh. Aren't you gonna eat mommy? An whats a-" he trailed off as his mind tried to recall the word.

"A ghost?" she finished for him.

"Yeah, whats a ghost?"

Setting down the book, she smiled knowing this was probably not the time to get a little reading in. Logan, like most boys his age, was very curious.
He wanted an answer for everything, of how things worked and often times would tear things apart to look at its insides. Once he started, there was no stopping him.

"Well honey, it hasn't been proven, but some believe that after you die if you hold hatred in your heart or you die and still feel like you need to do something important, you would stay here for a while and look for loved ones, or try to do what it was you thought was important."

"Oh..." he seemed troubled by this, and she knew what his next question would be.

"Do you think Daddy is a ghost?" he asked, his eyes brightening a little.

"Maybe we could see him again an' give him a hug." She knew it was just an innocent statement, but something snapped inside her and she began to bawl.

For the first time in a long time, she let the tears flow and hugged Logan close.
He sat bewildered for a moment, unsure of what he'd done. Reaching up he wrapped his little arms around her and whispered in her ear. "I'm sorry mommy, I dinn't mean to make you sad." Shaking her head, she smiled at him and wiped away her tears. "It's OK sweetie, mommy just misses daddy, that's all." Drying her eyes she looked at the clock and gasped. "Oh no! We're going to be late! And it's the first day of school."

"Kristen! Lets go, we're running late" Brianna called from the kitchen. A muffled response came from the back followed by the sound of a closing door. A few seconds later, her daughter rounded the corner fully dressed and ready to go.

"You look good sweetie, OK guys, let's go!" Bustling around, she grabbed her son's backpack and the keys before shooting out the door.

After dropping them off, she decided to take a little detour along the countryside. The one good thing about living in the sticks was the view of the hills and valleys. Sighing, she turned the car to the right, heading up the narrow mountain trail.
Humming along to the soft music, she relaxed, turning around the bend and moving toward the lake. The water always seemed to calm and rejuvenate her. She briefly closed her eyes as the chorus line started. After what seemed like a second, she opened her eyes. And there he was. A man appeared not ten feet in front of the car, his arms outstretched as if begging her to stop.

Gasping, she instinctively slammed her foot on the brake and turned the wheel to the left. She wasn't entirely sure of what happened next, all she could remember was a loud squealing, followed by the sound of crunching metal. Next came the rolling, the horrible rolling that seemed to defy time and continue on forever. Her body thrashed as the glass cracked and shattered around her. Shards rained across her skin, biting into her delicate flesh and blinding her. Just as she thought there would be no end, she felt a hard jolt to the left, her head slamming against something hard. Her last thought before drifting off was that of her children.

---

"Mmmm" Moaning, Brianna reached for her head before realizing she was pinned. The light invaded her eyes as they began to open. After what seemed like ages, she was finally able to open them. Her brain couldn't make sense of what she saw. Why are the trees growing from the sky? It didn't make sense. Where was she? How did she get here? And why couldn't she move anything except her head? She sat dumbfounded before the gears started turning. That's right, she had just dropped off the kids. She was driving down her favorite road when- what happened? A man. Yes! That's right, a man had wondered onto the road and she had to jerk the wheel to avoid hitting him.

In all the times she had driven through town, she didn't remember seeing him, he must have been homeless or a traveler. From what she could recollect, he looked shabby and beaten yet what stuck to her mind most were his eyes. They seemed to pierce through you somehow and speak to your soul.
Why she was thinking of this now, she didn't know. Her mind quickly focused on the situation at hand. From what Brianna could tell, she must have gone through the guard rail and rolled the hill. All the blood had rushed to her head and she found it increasingly hard to breathe. Looking around, she let out a sigh of relief. Thank God! She didn't seem to be in any immediate danger. The car was on level ground, and there was a tree directly in front of her. Then upon further inspection, she gasped.

The tree was the only thing between her and certain death. If the car had gone a little further to the right or the left, she would have...she shook the thought from her mind. All that mattered now was trying to get out. She had no way of knowing how bad the car was, if she was injured, anything. Although she didn't feel pain, just discomfort. I could be going through shock, she had read about these types of things; how people didn't feel any pain until their lives were out of danger.
Wiggling, she tried to move her body. But it was no use, everything had been pinned under the dash; there was no way she was going anywhere soon. Looking around, she checked to see if her cell phone was within reach. After searching for a few minutes, she cried out in frustration.Why is this happening to me? She began to lose hope as the rays from the sun dipped behind the mountain and faded away into night. Maybe it was meant to be. Maybe this is where my life will end. Her eyes suddenly felt heavy. Slipping into unconsciousness, her mind wandered to a happier time...

Looking up at the clock, Brianna let out a sigh of relief. Just twenty more minutes and she could start closing everything down and tell Tony's Pizzeria goodnight...until tomorrow morning of course. They just 'let go' one of the cashiers and she was stuck pulling doubles until they hired someone new. Of course, she knew that was a nice way of saying 'fired'. The guy never showed up, and when he did, lets just say he reeked of a certain home-grown plant. Humming, she walked towards the back to get to the cleaning supplies when the door chime sounded. "Figures" she muttered as she walked towards the front. It always seemed like someone wanted pizza right before they closed. Usually it was just a bunch of stoned frat boys, but on occasion she would have the real pain in the necks who wanted something special.
Walking to the register, she smiled at the young gentleman in front of the counter.

"May I help you?" she asked as he continued to look at the menu. He was one of the most beautiful guys she had ever seen. And when she said 'beautiful' she meant it. Towering over her, stood this radiant being with jet black hair and honey brown eyes that could make you melt into the ground. When he finally spoke, she thought her heart would burst from her chest. His voice reminded her of smooth velvet; his body motions graceful. She almost missed his order, but quickly regained her composure and began jotting it down.

His eyes followed her as she walked to the back to start on his order. About halfway through, she looked up and noticed he was gone. Must have gone out to his car, she thought as she put his pizza into the oven.
After walking the back and checking the bathrooms, she grabbed the cleaning supplies and went to the front. It should be done by now, she thought as she set down her load. After boxing his pizza, she returned to the front; startled to find a single red rose on the counter along with a note: A beautiful rose for a beautiful woman. Giggling, she picked up the rose as he sauntered around the corner.

"I was wondering if you would mind joining me this evening." he purred as she sat bewildered behind the counter.

"O-o-of course I wouldn't" she stammered.

"You were always very beautiful when you were flustered" he said, his eyes boring into hers. Suddenly the scenery changed, the air was so cold she could hardly breathe.
Looking around, all she could see was rippling dark water surrounded by trees. It was the lake they spent their honeymoon on, she recognized it instantly.

"Brianna, I miss you. Come back to me, we can be happy again." he said as he caressed her cheek.

"Oh James, you know I would, but what of the children?" A strong wind blew, causing her to blink for a second. A bridge appeared before her, and the lake now seemed miles below. James was gone. Icicles slowly began forming across the ropes on her side of the bridge; the air from her lungs came out in little puffs. She hugged herself, tucking back a strand of blonde hair.

"James?" nothing. "James, where are you?" Pausing, she strained to hear something. Anything. Then it started, his voice floated around her. It seemed to be right next to her, yet far away at the same time.

"Join me, Brianna." The wisp of his voice trailed just beyond the bridge, hanging gently on the other side. "I need you..." Her foot found its first step onto the bridge. She was shocked and delighted noting a slight temperature change as she did. It seemed the further she went, the warmer it became. She roamed further on, majestic hills and crystal clear water sparkled in front of her; beckoning with their beautiful call. Lost in the moment, she closed her eyes, feelings of nostalgia washed over her leaving tender memories in its wake. She could be with him again, feel him with her again. God it was bliss.  Halfway across, she stopped. There was something she was forgetting. Something important. Flashes of memories began to flood her mind, and she instantly felt ashamed and guilty. This was her happiness, but what about Kristen and Logan? Who would take care of them?

Snapping out of her trance, Brianna turned the other way and ran. "I'm so sorry James, I can't." She whispered. The temperature became cooler with each step, the air crystallizing before her very eyes. Beautiful lights blinded her vision. Blue then red...blue then red...blue...such beautiful colors; followed by a horrible noise. An eruption of crunching metal, then suddenly she was lifted. Floating away into nothingness...

Snapping awake, she saw a man looking down at her, his warm green eyes filled with concern.

"Are you alright, miss?" He asked. All she could do was garble out a yes, before closing her eyes again. They felt so heavy, her whole body felt as if it weighed a ton. Before the blackness consumed her, she felt his strong hand grasp her shoulder. "Your going to be OK, don't worry." That was the last thing she remembered before the world disappeared once more.

---

Rubbing his temple, Michael sat in deep thought across from her. His world spinning in uncontrollable thoughts and worries. The nurse had just started the IV when he arrived. Luckily, he had thought ahead enough to look through her purse and find her driver's license. It was easy after that to fool them into thinking he was her boyfriend. Brianna Nichole Whitley, the name of an angel and the looks to go with it; long, blonde hair that flowed down to her waist, pouty pink lips and porcelain skin.  He had the sudden urge to reach over and hold her. To tell her everything was okay. This was insanity, he hadn't said but a few words to her. He didn't even know if she was married or had a boyfriend. But somehow in that brief moment her eyes opened, she seemed to connect with him on a deeper level than words. He knew it was crazy but he just felt it. He sensed somehow that fate had brought her to him. More importantly, he didn't notice a ring. What most troubled him was how he stumbled across her. So strange how it happened, yet somehow, he knew he had been...needed..

--

Waking up that morning, Michael had done nothing out of the usual. He got up, ate breakfast and headed out to work. Getting home around six-thirty, he sighed as he walked through the front door and set his keys on the counter. Reaching into the refrigerator for some o.j., he played his messages. Nothing out of the usual, just his sister Valerie calling to see how he was doing.Another hum-drum day. After drinking his fill from the carton, he placed it back into the fridge. He turned and walked upstairs to his room to change. If it was one thing he hated, it was suits. After changing into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt an odd thought crossed over him. You haven't been running in forever. Not since her. He shook the negative thought from his mind as he made his decision. After all, he couldn't let her rule his life. She's happy now, why can't I be?

Putting on his running shoes, he went out the door and didn't bother to lock up. He felt safe in his house; after all, he didn't have any neighbors for at least a mile, maybe more. He used to enjoy running; the feeling of his legs pumping, his heart pounding, the warm breeze in his face. He used to run all the time; with Jennifer. The name sent chills down his spine every time he thought about it. Inevitably it just invoked rage and heartache and he hated to think of it. They had spent many evenings in the outdoors running under the stars and talking for hours. She always loved to talk about the stars. Shaking his head, he pushed on. It's over now; there was nothing he could do about it. He knew deep inside that one day it would end, she had rich blood and wanted nothing more than to live in the city and shop. Didn't stop it from hurting though. He preferred a simple life under the stars. In the end what it all boiled down to was cold hard cash.

Rounding the bend, he decided to take the mountain trail on the left that led up to the main road. Sure it was a bit out of the way, but the scenic route sounded good right now. He needed to get his mind off of things. About halfway up, he noticed a road he hadn't seen before. That's odd...I don't remember seeing that. Stopping, he stood with his hands on his hips looking down the path. From what he could tell, it ran parallel to the road, then bent slightly upward towards the old mountain trail. He hadn't gone up there in years, of course, he usually went from the opposite end, then the main road. From there he would jog back to his house. He was glad at least that she had left him the house. It had taken him a long time to find a place that suited him. He was always attracted to secluded places. Places far from the reality of the real world; It was his safe haven. This one, in particular, had been perfect. It sat just at the bottom of the mountain, nestled back about four acres away from the main road; away from everything and everyone. "You can have your city Jennifer, but for me, it will always be this."

Acting on impulse, he turned to the left and started down the overgrown path. It was obvious it hadn't been used in years, it was choked with weeds and bushes, even the trees leaned into it a bit. It continued on for quite a lot longer than he originally estimated, but the extra jog couldn't hurt. After all, it had been quite some time and he was feeling oddly energetic. Finally, the road slowly began to show its face and man was he glad for small favors. Reaching the top he stopped to catch his breath before feeling it. Something wasn't right. The air had a static charge to it, like that feeling you get before it rains, yet this was somehow different. It almost felt like something was calling him, pulling him closer to the road. Lifting himself over the railing and checking both ways, he trotted across the street then stopped dead in his tracks. He took one look at the road and gasped. Tire marks skidded across the road sideways followed by a huge break in the railing at the bend. He stood gaping before realization hit. What if they're...? He tried to shake the thought as he made his way toward the break. This is no time to just be standing around. Gathering his courage, he slowly peeked over the edge.

Sitting about 50 to 60 feet down was a car turned upside down and pinned on a single tree, the only thing between it and the huge drop below. So lucky, a couple more feet and... Quickly he pushed the thought aside and began to make his descent. A little more than half-way down, he had to start running, the hill became steep and it took everything he had not to fall. Then a blessing happened, the earth slowly leveled out until he was able to walk normally to the car. It was in pretty bad shape, the top of the vehicle was smashed way down, and the driver's side was wrapped pretty far around the tree. He stood for a moment, unsure of what to do. Then slowly he approached the vehicle preparing himself for the worst.

Pulling his cell phone from out of his pocket, he dialed 911 and reported his location, his name, and what he had found. Then hung up, not waiting on the operator's response.

"Hello?" he called to the car. "Is anyone awake? I've called an ambulance and they will be on their way shortly, so just hang on." He said this more for his piece of mind, than theirs. From what he could tell there was no one visible in the car; which led him to a more horrible thought. What if they were thrown out of the car, or worse, impaled on one of the trees? Looking around, he saw nothing and decided to forget the idea as soon as it came. Taking a deep breath, he walked over to the passenger side and peered timidly into the car. At first, he spotted nothing. All the seats appeared to be empty, then his heart skipped a beat as he stared at the driver's side. Turned upside down, her entire body was pinned under the dash. The door smashed into the side hadn't made it easier on her either. There was no way he would be able to get her out himself. He tried once more to call out to her, but to no avail. She was knocked out cold. Then he heard the most joyous sound a man could hear in a situation like this.

Sirens. Blessed sirens.

The ambulance arrived with the fire department and soon they were hacking at the doors to try to get her out. Finally, after what seemed and eternity, they were able to get her out. He had been right alongside them, working hard. After cutting her free, they were able to safely remove her out from under the dash. From what he could tell, nothing seemed to be broken. But then, he wasn't a doctor either. Just as they had almost completely pulled her out and onto the stretcher, her beautiful eyes opened for the first time. A beautiful shade of blue-green stared up at him in confusion.

"Are you alright, miss?" He asked, his voice filled with worry and concern. Looking up at him, she smiled and a soft "yes" escaped her lips before her eyes rolled back into her head again.
"Your going to be okay, don't worry." Again, he couldn't help but think that he was saying this for more his reassurance than hers. Going back to the car, he was surprised to find her purse and wallet still intact. After digging for a few minutes, he found what he was looking for."Brianna, huh?" What a beautiful name.

---

His life had been pretty dull up until now, he'd just gone through a bad divorce. Not only had she taken just about everything he owned, but to put the final blow on things, Jennifer had run off with his younger brother, Scott, to California. Probably promised her fame and fortune, he mused. Though when he thought about it, no two people belonged together more. She wanted luxury, he had given her just that. Sure, it seemed like everything was going good at the time. In the end he knew she would be working harder than ever to support that bum."Good riddance" he muttered under his breath. He had sworn to never get involved with a woman like that again or any woman for that matter; hadn't even thought about it.Until now. All he could think about was Brianna and what it would be like to kiss those soft, pink lips.. A soft moan to his left snapped him out of his thoughts. Immediately he felt ashamed, here this woman was laying injured, broken and alone and he was thinking of kissing her.

Moaning, she slowly opened her eyes. Where am I? She thought as she looked around in confusion. She had woken from such a wonderful dream. Her and James had been dancing under the stars. Beautiful music surrounded them as they seemed to float across the land and the sea. After that, he held her as his hands gently moved through her hair. "I love you" he cooed as he nuzzled her ear with his nose. "James..." she muttered as she turned to find startled green eyes staring back at her.