Unnaturally Beautiful

Chapter 02: Dreams

The ride was short and quiet. Toby helped her carry everything inside. Aaron was still upstairs with Claire, trying desperately to get her to sleep. Lately, their daughter refused to go to bed, despite her tiredness. Toby set the comforter on the couch, the rest Sarah placed on the coffee table. She set the cardboard tube down last, making a point of being careful with it.

“Toby, I have to ask you something.”

“Yeah?”

She wait for him to sit, taking a seat opposite him in a matching recliner, “Why did you draw this?”

He shrugged, “The project was to do a painting of a powerful dream, but you know how I hate painting. I got a hundred.”

Sarah nodded, knowing her brother had exceptional grades in art, “Yes, it’s wonderful. I just… Is this a dream you had?”

Tobias nodded, “I always dream about such things. I guess it’s because of the stories you used to tell me when I was little. Remember? For a while, we both believed them to be real.”

“I remember.” She whispered, feeling scared and a little confused. “The thing is, Toby… I recognize some of the faces in this drawing. I recognize them from my dream. Don’t… Don’t you think that’s a little odd?”

Tobias sat back, a little confused. Was this why his sister had seemed a little rattled upon looking at her gift? “I don’t know what to say. I mean, it was just a dream, right?”

Sarah quickly nodded, “Yeah, it was just a dream. It’s just… Apparently you’re having the very same dreams I had. How else could this be possible?”

“It’s the exact same faces from your dream? You remember?” Tobias asked, interested, curious.

Sarah nodded again, “No doubt. I could never forget.”

Tobias remained silent for a moment before speaking up, “What was the dream about again? All I remember you telling me was there was a huge maze you had to walk through, and it was filled with all kinds of obstacles, and you made friends along the way that helped you, and the whole place was filled with goblins.”

“Yes,” Sarah said, closing her eyes, “That’s it. That’s exactly it. Is that the dreams you’re having?”

“No,” Tobias said shaking his head, “Mine are just of me sitting in the center of this huge, stone room. It’s, like, round and really fancy, and there are these demons or goblins or whatever, and they’re all dancing around me. There’s music, but I can never remember it once I wake up.”

Sarah’s eyes widened a bit, she could remember such a scenario from her long ago dream, “It doesn’t frighten you?”

He looked up with a smile, “No, it’s a good dream. All the goblins are having fun, and I’m laughing with them.”

Sarah stood, glad at least that this wasn’t upsetting her brother, but she still found it more than discomforting. Maybe she’d talk to Aaron about it. “I guess it’s nothing to worry about.” She said, scooping her car keys off the coffee table, “Come on, I’ll take you home.”

Tobias stood, shaking his head, “Nah, I’ll walk.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I don’t mind.” He started for the door and his sister followed. It was just starting to get dark outside. He turned back on the porch, looking on Sarah, who stood in the doorway, “You like it then?” He asked, referring to the drawing. He wasn’t so sure now that it had been such a good idea to give it to her.

“Of course! I love it.” She answered quickly, shocked that he’d even asked.

Tobias smiled, “Good. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

She smiled in return, “I’m not upset. I really like it, it reminds me of old times, when we were kids, and we’d stay up all night talking about my silly dreams.”

He nodded, agreeing. That’s the very reason he’d given it to her. It made him happy that she felt that way, “Good.” He said again, turning again to leave, “See ya later.”

“You’re sure you don’t want me to give you a ride? It’s getting dark.” Sarah called out to her brother who was already down the steps.

He waved over his shoulder without looking back, “Nah, I don’t mind. See ya.”

She waved back, even though he wasn’t looking, smiling at her bother’s retreating form, “See ya.” She whispered, waiting until he’d turned the corner before closing the door.

She could hear Aaron moving around in the kitchen, no doubt getting an evening beer, “Finally get her to sleep?” She asked, speaking of their daughter.

He smiled at her from the fridge as she stepped into the doorway, “Finally.”

“You didn’t analyze her or anything, did you?”

Aaron laughed, “No, there’s no reason to.” He said, taking another beer from the fridge and approaching his wife, “Our daughter’s wonderful.”

She smiled, accepting the offered beverage, “I have a question.”

“What?” He snaked his arms about her waist, holding her close.

“Is it odd for two people to have the exact same dream?” Sarah’s smile was gone then, this was really bothering her.

Aaron leaned back to look at his wife’s face to be sure she was serious, “Why do you ask?”

Sarah sighed, “It’s just… It seems Toby and I are having very similar dreams. Well, I don’t have those dreams anymore, but I used to, when I was a teenager, and now he’s having them. It’s so strange.”

“Oh, are these the stories you used to tell him when he was little?” Aaron asked, remembering someone having mentioned this before. His wife had been described as having a very lively imagination as a child.

She nodded, leaning into his loose embrace, sipping from the beer in her right hand.

“It doesn’t sound strange to me. You did tell him these stories as a child, that’s probably what’s fueling his dreams now.” He answered honestly, a bit surprised to see that his wife was in deep thought, “This is really bothering you, isn’t it?”

She shrugged, “It wouldn’t, except that… The drawing he gave me… I recognize some of those faces from my dream. Those very same faces. How is that possible?”

Aaron tried not to smile, “How long ago was that? Can you really be positive?”

Sarah didn’t answer, because quite honestly, she couldn’t be positive. Was she being hasty? Imagining things? Coming to conclusions too swiftly? That was possible. It had been quite a few years since those days. Had Toby’s drawing simply conjured up old memories, tying them in with his piece? Maybe so. Sarah realized suddenly that she was very tired.

She nodded, “Yeah, maybe you’re right.”

He smiled then, noticing that his pretty wife was sleepy in his arms, “Bed time then?”

Sarah nodded again, and together, they went upstairs.

……………………………..

Days and then weeks passed and Tobias was glad his sister was back to her normal self again. For a few days after her birthday she’d still been a bit shaken up by his drawing and her old dreams and what not. Now things were good again. She was cheerful and excited, especially after receiving news that she was to be in another play, not the leading role, but a very important part none the less.

Tobias didn’t tell her his dreams were happening more frequently, that there was more to them now.

He really hadn’t thought it that odd when she’d mentioned that he was drawing images from her long ago dreams. Okay, it was a little weird, but in a cool, who cares kind of way. He figured he was just drawing things she herself had described to him so well when he was younger, that maybe she wasn’t quite remembering the faces from her dreams properly, it had been some time ago. Now he wasn’t so sure.

It had always been as he’d said before. He dreamt of being in the center of a massive, stone room that was circular and rather beautiful. There would be goblins of all shapes and sizes dancing about him, some roughhousing, others getting into various acts of mischief. He was always happy and laughing, and there was always music, someone singing, but he could never remember the song once he woke.

Now, however, there were other dreams too. Not long ago he’d dreamt he was being held in a man’s lap, and they were sitting on a stone window ledge. In the dream he was young, a child, he wasn’t sure how old. He did remember quite clearly that the man holding him was wearing a lovely white shirt with large, intricate sleeves, and he was holding out these strange clear orbs. At first he’d thought they were glass, but then the man would reach out as if to release a bird into the sky, and the orb would float out into the air like a bubble. One after the other he’d do this, and the bubbles would float into the distance, shimmering in the evening light all the while. He’d wake then, frustrated that he hadn’t seen the man’s face. Who was this person he dreamt of holding him?

And recently there was another. They were all strangely vivid, seeming real. He always woke a bit confused, feeling as if the things in his dreams had really happened, but this recent one, it went above and beyond all the others. He just knew it had happened, felt it in his gut. This wasn’t a dream, it was a memory!

In it he was, again, sitting in a man’s lap. The man was dressed as before, only this time his shirt was black, and Tobias was turned sideways, he could see more of him. The shirt was undone at the collar, hanging open to reveal a small expanse of smooth chest. They were watching something similar to TV, only it was a sphere, one of those glass orbs, cradled in an intricate stand of carved… Metal perhaps? Out of the corner of his eye, Tobias could see wisps of blonde hair on a black clad shoulder. He wanted to look at this man who was holding him. Who was he?

He noticed then that the images within the orb were familiar. He looked more closely to see that they were watching none other than Sarah! This was complicated and confusing and just about pulled Tobias from his dream, when the man began to speak.

“Look Sarah, is this what you’re trying to find? So much trouble over such a little thing, but not for long. She’ll soon forget all about you my fine fellow. Just as soon as Hoggle gives her my present. Then she’ll forget everything.” The voice was smooth and masculine, and as he spoke, he shifted the young Tobias about somewhat.

None of what the man said made much sense to Tobias, all he recognized was his sister’s name. He didn’t get much of a chance to think on it anyway. For as the man finished speaking, they looked at one another, face to face, and rather close.

That’s when Tobias woke, sitting up in his bed, breathing hard. Who was this guy? He was utterly gorgeous. Long, wispy blonde hair, fair olive-toned skin, a menacing yet entirely sensual smirk, and those eyes… They were mismatched and held more emotion behind them than those of anyone else he’d ever met.

In an instant he’d jumped from his bed, turning the light on and snatching up his sketchbook as well as a nearby pencil. It was rushed and a bit messy, but in a mere matter of minutes he’d managed to capture the man’s face. It wasn’t as glorious as it had been in his dream, but it was enough so that he could remember it. Maybe he’d try to perfect it later.

A week later, having had the dream a couple more times, he began working on a painting in his art class, a painting of the strange, beautiful man. It was difficult, but it gave him an outlet. He wasn’t able to tell anyone about these dreams, the pent up confusion would drive him mad if he didn’t just get it out. And so his painting blossomed, a large canvas, mostly dark colors, the man’s black shirt the darkest. Thus his fair skin and hair stood out starkly. The teacher claimed the contrast was lovely, Tobias agreed.

The expression was the hardest. In the end the smirk had come out a little too evil perhaps, but Tobias decided it was the best he could do considering his unreliable source. The dream came inconsistently, and though he sketched like a madman upon waking, he could never quite catch the perfection of the man’s beauty.

It didn’t take him all that long to finish it, nearly a month. While the other students completed a multitude of other assignment, the teacher graded him daily on his progress, that way he didn’t fall behind with his grades. That he could have cared less about. What amazed him was that he wasn’t having as much difficulty as normal when working with oil paint.

Of course, he got a hundred on the assignment. Unlike his others, he couldn’t roll this one up in a tube, he’d have to carefully carry it home. So, he’d asked Sarah to drive him.

………………………………...

Sarah watched her brother approached, the large canvas wrapped in an old sheet and held carefully beneath his arm. The hall was nearly deserted. No doubt he’d waited a while so it might clear, ensuring a safer journey for the painting.

“Wow, that’s really big.” She said as he came closer, opening his locker and tossing in a textbook and a tattered binder. She was dying to see his latest work of art but knew better than to ask here. He didn’t like it when students grouped up and asked him all kinds of question like how he did it and what not.

“Yeah, hope you don’t mind driving me.” He said, locking his locker with a metal clank and rising, ready to go, his painting held with both hands now.

“Don’t worry, it’s no trouble.” She said with a smile, hitching the strap of her over-stuffed satchel higher on her shoulder as they exited the building, starting for the teacher’s parking lot.

Tobias noticed his sister’s forced smile and the way it faded as they walked, “What’s the matter?”

She unlocked her car, avoiding the question, “Will it fit in the backseat?”

“I think so.” Tobias said, opening the back door and sliding it in after finding the right angle. He then climbed in the passenger seat, not noticing that she’d successfully distracted him until they were on their way down the street.

At a red light, he brought it up again, “So, are you going to tell me what’s wrong?”

Sarah smiled, a real smile, couldn’t pull one passed Toby, “Yes, I’m fine. Just a lot on my mind, you know?”

After receiving a confused expression from her little brother, Sarah laughed, explaining, “Just little things. We’re having more trouble getting Claire to sleep at night, I have this play now, and it’s hard to find time to memorize my lines, and school-”

Tobias interrupted her, “And you’re still thinking about the drawing I gave you, aren’t you?”

“I am, but really, it’s not bothering me. I’m just tired, too much at once.” She answered, completely honest.

Tobias nodded, unbuckling his seatbelt since they were near his house.

Sarah parked the car across the street and cut the engine, “So, you going to let me see it?”

“I don’t know. Maybe that’s not such a good idea.”

“What do you mean?” Sarah asked, getting out of the car as her brother did.

Tobias sighed, “Not yet, okay? I want to have it framed, and I’m going to hang it in my room. You can see it then, okay?”

She got the distinct feeling that he was trying to protect her from something. Had he painted an image of the goblins? Another image from her long ago dream? She found herself thinking on it more often than ever nowadays. Every time she recalled some other detail, something that made it seem all the more like reality than dream.

Tobias walked around the car, “Please, Sarah. You have too much going on right now anyway, like you said. At least wait until after the play, when I have it hanged the way I want it. You can see it then, okay?”

She sighed, deciding that maybe he was right on this. She could wait, she had other things to be concerned with. It wasn’t healthy to obsess over this silliness. Whatever he’d painted, it was surely lovely. She’d wait to see it.

Sarah nodded, “Okay. You got it then?”

“Yeah. See ya later.”

She raised her hand in a small wave then got back in her Honda, watching as he crossed the street and climbed the steps before she started the engine.

…………………………..

On the drive to the city, Tobias reflected on his latest dream. This one had been short and sweet, far from the realistic feel of the last one. This one was more dream-like, a fun one like the first had been, goblins all about in various states of mischief. Again, he was sitting in the man’s lap. He noticed there were black gloves on the man’s hands, a strange coat draped over his shoulders, the same white shirt with the large sleeves.

There were two things that stood out this time. One, there was a large, crescent-shaped pendant hanging from the man’s neck, resting on his smooth chest. A splendid silver thing, the points of the crescent pointing down. It shined and caught his attention.

The other thing was a name. While the goblins hurried about, laughing and talking and generally making noise, the man spoke, “He’s a lively little chap. I think I’ll call him Jareth. He’s got my eyes.” It was said in amusement and caused the goblins to laugh out. Jareth. That was the man’s name.

Tobias tried not to think on it as they arrived at the playhouse. This was Sarah’s night.

“It’s not as large as the other’s is it?” His mother said, looking about the theater.

“What’s important is that the seats are full.” Said his father, making a note of the fact that the seats were indeed filling.

Tobias tried to ignore his parents. Though he loved them, they tended to drive him mad. They traveled up and down several isles before they found their seats, three together in the second row, right in the center.

Settling into his seat, Tobias noticed a young man looking his way from several seats over. He was all smiles and suggestive looks. Tobias did nothing to encourage the young man. Last thing he wanted was to be hit on in front of his parents.

“Friend of yours?” His mother asked, obviously noticing when the young man continued to stare.

Tobias sighed, shaking his head no.

“Karen, just ignore it. You know how these city kids are.” His father said, trying vain to speak softly, his deep voice carrying none the less.

The young man giggled across the way and spoke up, “I see. After the play then!” He called.

Tobias didn’t answer, just gestured that the guy turn around and leave him be, which he did thankfully.

The lights dimmed and music began. Finally.

The play was a comedy about a man trying to have a successful relationship despite the constant interference of his mother and four sisters. Sarah was playing the eldest sister, the one closest with the main character. She played her part well, a bit judgmental in the beginning but warming up to the man’s girlfriend in the end. All in all it was good, very entertaining. Not the best Tobias had seen her in.

When the lights came on again, the crowd gave a standing ovation. The young man who’d been flirting with him earlier came to stand closer, “My name’s Jake. Want to go do something?”

Before Tobias could answer, his mother spoke up, “No, he can’t.”

Jake frowned playfully, “Do you always let your mother tell you what to do?”
Tobias shook his head, not in answer to his question, but in disappointment. Why wouldn’t the guy just give up? He went with the best way to get rid of him, “Sorry, I’m already in a relationship.”

Jake frowned again, this time it was real, “Long term?”

Tobias simply nodded.

Jake nodded as well, sighing as he turned and left.

Before his parents could start asking questions, Sarah came running up, throwing her arms about her father, “You guys!” She exclaimed, pulling back, her face lit with excitement, “I don’t you were coming tonight!”

“We wanted to surprise you, honey.” Doug said, squeezing his daughter’s arm in a show of affection.

She nodded, “I just hate that you had to make the drive. You should’ve got with Aaron, he could have driven.”

“But didn’t he come opening night? We didn’t want to bother him. Besides, we wanted to surprise you since we missed it.” Karen said, handing Sarah the small bouquet of red roses she’d been holding since they’d left.

“Oh, thank you.” Sarah said, accepting the flowers, “I’m just going to change out of these clothes, and I’ll come with you. Maybe we can eat out somewhere before we head back.”

Before they could answer, Sarah was hurrying off, holding her dress high off the floor so she wouldn’t trip, her character having been one to wear old-fashioned, ankle-length dresses with wide ribbons tied about the waist.

…………………………

They chose a rather large Italian restaurant that Sarah claimed was popular because formal dress wasn’t the norm. Indeed, upon entering, they found that everyone was wearing jeans and shorts and T-shirts. This pleased Karen to no end since she insisted on dressing up when going out, and at the moment, she didn’t consider her attire proper for a nice restaurant.

Tobias rolled his eyes and sat in the far corner of the booth. He told his sister he thought she’d done extremely well in the play, but didn’t much get into the conversation. His mind was preoccupied with other things. Jareth. It was such a unique name.

…………………….

“How about you ride with me on the way back?” Sarah asked her little brother as they exited the restaurant.

“Sure.” Tobias quickly agreed, preferring his sister’s company to his parents’.

She laughed and let their parents know before starting for her car, Toby following. She’d noticed how distant he was at dinner. Something was bothering him. As they got in and buckled up, she thought of all the possibilities. Her brother had never worried over the kids at school, none of which liked him too much. He was a loner. Maybe he was having girlfriend problems? That made Sarah laugh to herself. She couldn’t imagine her brother liking any of the girls at school, but it was a possibility. Toby was sixteen after all.

She pulled out first, her parents following her. The sky was black, starless, and the lights of all the cars and the city were rather lovely, “So, what’s up?”

“Huh?” Tobias asked, pulled from his thoughts.

“Come on. You’ve been spaced out all evening. What’s bothering you?”

He shook his head, turning to look out the window, “It’s nothing.”

“Are you sure? You hardly said a word at the restaurant. Were you even able to pay attention to the play?”

Tobias turned to his sister at that, “Of course. I loved the play, you did really good.”

She smiled, “Thank you, but it didn’t seem like you enjoyed it that much.”

He shrugged, “Romantic comedies like that just aren’t my thing. You did really good in it though. The audience was on their feet.”

Now Sarah was blushing, “Okay, okay… Thank you. But I was asking about you… There’s something bothering you.”

Again Tobias shook his head, “Really, it’s nothing.”

“Okay, but you know you can talk to me about anything, right?”

He nodded, “Yeah, I know.”

The rest of the trip was made in relative silence. Sarah turned the radio on once they left the city, filling the car with mild eighties music.

To be continued…

Still going too slow? Sorry! It will get going… Eventually. I promise! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! Review and let me know! Thank you!