Back to the Dream Page
Chapter 1
Twenty-five year old Mel kept the beat by quietly strumming her fingers on the steering wheel while she hummed along to the radio. As she drove along the winding road that led deep into the heart of Yosemite Valley, flashes of the past flew through her mind. She'd only been here twice before. Once was with her family in the heat of August. It had been pleasant enough, staying at a house in nearby Bass Lake while she got along with her family and spent some time with an uncle who was visiting from Florida. The first time she'd been here though, that was more special for Mel.
In contrast to the oppressive heat of summer, she had been caught in the national park in the coldest winter ever in years. She wasn't frightened. She'd been thrilled at the thought of going away from the safety of home to be with her classmates for six days. She'd missed out on science camp two years before and she wasn't about to let this chance slip by. Mel smiled sadly to herself when she recalled how naïve she'd been then, never hesitating to quench everyone's curiosities of her, the perfect, quiet, intelligent kid they all took for granted. Such a long time ago she knew, but some things still hurt her badly.
Take, for example, how she'd told her cabin mates Nicole and Danielle how she had this huge crush on Don. In a class of thirty-five, there was no such thing as a secret and pretty soon, word had gotten to him. Of course, he'd been suspecting it all along. She'd come in a new student the year before in seventh grade. He was already in a strong relationship with Denisse but that didn't stop Mel from looking. By the year's end, he and Denisse had broken up and Mel was still too afraid to express her feelings. For the next year, Mel slowly won him over with friendship, but that was all. She had hoped in vain that he'd express the same feelings for her. Harmless flirting on both sides led Mel to believe that there could have been something more. Yet high school arrived and they each went their separate ways, only seeing each other twice in the next four years. After that…
Mel shook her head and concentrated on the tricky road in front of her. It had been too long since she'd seen anyone from that junior high, she thought. They'd all changed so much in thirteen years. It was just a reunion, to see how everyone was doing before separating for most likely the last time. Junior high reunions? They had all laughed at the idea when they'd come back from their adventure the first time, saying they should hold one there. Well, here they were for two weeks to see if the years of separation had managed to break apart old bonds or not. They'd missed out on getting together after they'd all graduated from high school and so, when Janelle had finally gotten plans set, they had all jumped at the chance. Late as it was, it was still a reunion. Mel forced herself to be happy. She tried to still the butterflies in her stomach in anticipation of seeing him again and succeeded in frowning. She knew she'd grown up… But why should he have changed his mind after all these years?
It was then as her thoughts jerked suddenly to the present, that she felt something disturbing in the air. As she drove deeper into the valley, closer to the Ahwahnee Hotel where they'd all be staying, Mel felt a familiar, cold feeling surround her and overwhelm her senses. Grim, she added yet another reason as to why Don would never take her. How could she explain that she was a warrior, helping in a quest to save all mankind from destroying itself? He'd laugh, as surely as he had when she'd first tried hinting his feelings to him.
Mel brushed away the depressing idea and forced herself to concentrate. The people she'd spent two years of her life with were in danger here. Somewhere nearby, someone or some people were watching to attack their innocence. It was her duty to protect them. Forcing herself to sit up straighter in the driver's seat, Mel assumed the role of warrior. How could she have known that she was driving herself closer to the start of a dangerous game, one that would trap many of those she thought she didn't care for anymore?