“Here it is,” Daniel said and walked down the bridge. He nodded at the house in front of them and even though it was classical and beautiful just like the rest of the city, Makenna didn´t understand what he meant until she noticed the three snowmen that were standing in front of one of the doors. Two of them were roughly the same height, but the third one was much smaller and they were all wearing red scarfs apart from the largest one that was wearing a hat as well. She was so occupied by the snowmen that she didn´t realize that Daniel was looking at her again, in that peculiar inquiring way.

  “I was eight when I made them,” Daniel said, “It´s me, mom and dad.”

  “I got that,” Makenna murmured and then added. “You never talk about your dad.”

  “I don´t know him. He left us when I was two and I´ve never see him since. My dad knows about me of course but he´s never written me or tried to visit me, not even when…” Daniel stopped, looking like he´d just been about to say something he shouldn´t.

  “When what?”

  “Nothing,” he snapped sharply and she flinched and took a step back and backed further and further away from him. “What is it?” he frowned. “I didn´t mean to scare you.”

  “It´s not you,” Makenna whispered. “Something is coming towards us…”

  In the distance a figure was moving, its feet not touching the snow and it was floating above ground, dressed in a black cloak and a Venetian mask. It was the scariest mask, Makenna ever had seen. It was white, with black, empty eyes and it had golden patches around them but that wasn´t the worst thing. The worst thing was that there was a smile on its face.

  A condescending, evil, torturous smile.

  “We have to run,” she screamed. “It´s coming towards us…” If that thing got a hold of them it would be their end and Makenna felt helpless while panic caused blood to pulse in her ears so loudly she thought she would go deaf.

  “There´s nothing dangerous here,” Daniel said impatiently. “What is it?”

  “It´s behind you, turn around…”

  But he didn´t turn around and when Makenna tried to run she found herself unable to, it was as if something was holding her in place and she grabbed on to the bridge as to not fall down from fear.

  “Daniel, do something…” she begged and her mind went blank but he remained motionless until the figure simply walked passed him.

  “Oh, that thing,” Daniel said casually and Makenna nearly broke down from the adrenaline. “I´d forgotten about them.”

  Them?

  “What is it?” Makenna said between dry lips.

  “Don´t worry, it´s not real. I´ll show you.”

  Makenna turned her head to the side and there it was again. The thing with the mask and the cloak and Daniel put out his arm as if he was cutting something and it just went through the figure.

  “See, it´s completely fake,” Daniel said. “But it can be fun to watch.”

  Fun to watch, Makenna thought doubtingly as the figure walked up to, or floated up on the small bridge. It started dancing around in the snow to a music she couldn´t hear and the black cloak swirled in the air. Perhaps it would have been beautiful if it wasn´t for that mask, which stared at her with those eyes that still managed to pull Makenna in.

  And all the while it carried that same horrible smile. When it finally finished it removed the mask and bowed as if it had received standing ovations. It was headless and it put on the mask again and crossed the bridge to the other side and disappeared between one of the alleys.

  “That…that was unusual,” Makenna stuttered.

  “I could get rid of it, if you´d like?” Daniel said and she shook her head.

  “No, you don´t have to. It´s your dream world, you should keep your creations.”

  “It´s our dream world,” he corrected her.

  “Why did you choose that awful mask? It looked like that thing was going to murder us and enjoy it.”

  “Come on, it wasn´t that bad,” Daniel laughed. “You should be happy that I didn´t choose one of those pest masks. And besides, I´ve always thought it was funny how it keeps smiling even though it´s headless.”

  “Yeah, that´s hilarious,” Makenna said sarcastically. “You can really be morbid sometimes, you know that?”

  “I do now,” Daniel chuckled. “But I´ll try to tone it tone it down for you.”

  “Thanks, I appreciate it,” Makenna murmured and came to think of something. “How come you didn´t turn around when it was coming towards us?”

  “I just wanted to make sure that you didn´t freak out and hurt yourself. And I know there´s nothing dangerous here. I´ve told you that but you don´t seem to believe me.”

  Makenna ignored his accusation.

  “Was it you who prevented me from moving?”

  “Like I said, I didn´t want you to get hurt.”

  “Fine, but don´t do it again, ok?” she said. “I didn´t like the way it felt.”

  “As you wish. I won´t,” he said stiffly but then he nodded up at the sky. “Have you ever sailed in a gondola?”

  “No, but I´ve…” Makenna didn´t get to finish her sentence until they were seated in the gondola. Just that they weren´t rowing on the canal, Daniel was rowing above the rooftops.

  “You´re full of surprises,” Makenna said and he shrugged, looking smug. “Can´t say a guy has ever done something like this for me.” She watched her hand motion through the sky. It was warm and not like she imagined a real sky felt like.

  “I get why you love this other world.”

  “I don´t love it,” Daniel said suddenly. “Not anymore.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He ignored answering but then he did something which turned all of Venice upside down and when Makenna looked up she could see the rooftops, canals and gondolas above her head and below her was the stars and the moon.

  “Are you trying to distract me?” she asked, with one eyebrow lifted.

  “Just one of my many tricks,” he said and Makenna forced a smile.

  She didn´t really like this. The way that he had moved the whole world upside down by just blinking. There was something unnatural about it and to her surprise she found herself wanting to wake up and she put her arms around her.

  “I something wrong?” Daniel asked coldly and she shook her head.

  “No, I´m fine,” she said but she felt uncomfortable when he stared her down like that. It felt like he wanted something from her and that he would ask for too much and that she would be unable to give it to him. Makenna wished that the night would end and that she would be back home, which was a stupid thing to wish for because everything that she could dream of was here.

  She looked at Daniel and she could tell that he wanted to ask her something, maybe what she was thinking and so quickly she said.

  “Are there some places in the dream world that you can´t control?”

  “No,” he said and he was serious. “You know I can control everything.”

  “Have you ever lost control?” she asked curiously. “And felt that the dream world was controlling you back.”

  “Never. The sleepwalker decides the dream, not the other way around.”

  “Good for you,” Makenna said and chills went through her. “I can´t imagine what it would be like if it did. It would be like the dark place, right?” She let out a worried laughter.

  “What do you know about the dark place?” Daniel said and his voice was rigid. He had been so different with her in the park earlier that day, allowed himself to be vulnerable but now he seemed to have had it erased.

  “Nothing, you never talk about it. I don´t even know what it is.”

  “You don´t need to know what it is.” “

  “But I want to know,” she insisted and he smiled a little. “Tell me what it’s about.”

  “Let’s just say it was something that caused me a great deal of suffering,” Daniel murmured. “But don´t worry about it, because it won´t cause suffering anymore.”

  “What´s it like in the dark place?” she asked but he shook his head, not wanting to answer. A thought crossed her mind and she gave Daniel an excusing smile. “It would be a little like your paintings, huh?”

  “What is your obsession with the paintings?” Daniel drawled. “I thought that was old school.”

  “It is, it was just thought,” Makenna said.

  “Nothing is ever just a thought. Everything you see around you is based on my thoughts. Like that figure you saw. It doesn´t exist but I made it exist.” Daniel said and his beautiful eyes were cautious and then he suddenly added.

  “I´d like to give you an early Christmas present.”

  “Why does it have to be early?”

  “Because I may have some things that I´ll need to take care of.”

  “So, you won´t be here?” The thought of Daniel leaving sent a slight shock of panic through her but she did her best to not let it show. Makenna didn´t want him to know how much she cared about him and she wasn´t sure why. Maybe she was holding back, because she thought that she would lose a part of herself.

  “Will you just let me give you your gift?”

  “All right,” she said and stretched out her hand and he laughed.

  “It´s not that kind of a present,” he said. “And it´s not much but...” He didn´t finish the sentence and then he said. “Close your eyes.”

  Makenna did as he asked and felt a strange tingling behind her lids. When she opened her eyes again, there was immense darkness around them but she thought she could distinguish some pine trees far away in the distance.

  “Where are we?” Makenna asked and Daniel who still hadn´t opened his eyes told her to close them again.

  “You can look now,” he whispered and she was standing in her own kitchen with Daniel right beside her.

  There was a strange light in the room, sepia colored which reminded her of old photographs. And when she looked out the windows, there were no trees or other houses, only that same sepia light.

  “What is this?” Makenna asked, because Daniel had been wrong. She didn´t like this at all.

  “I thought that maybe you wanted to see him.”

  “Who?” Makenna said and a lump formed in her throat.

  “He´s in the hallway,” Daniel murmured and before he even finished his sentence, Makenna rushed out.

  “Dad,” she shrieked when she saw her father on his two legs, walking around about to go up the stairs. He looked like his old self, strong and healthy but there was a confused expression on his face like he was barely aware of what was going on. She started crying when he hugged her and told her things she didn´t understand.

  “Mack, is that you? I´ve been trying to find you for so long.”

  “I´m here, dad,” she snorted. “It´s Mack, I´m here.”

  “I keep hearing your voice and your mother´s, but I can´t find you. The house is always empty and I´m searching, I´ve searched everywhere…”

  “Dad, we´re with you,” Makenna cried. “We miss you so much.”

  “I miss you too and I´ll find you, I just don´t know where your voice is coming from. But I´ll find you when I can reach…,”

  And then he was gone. As was the sepia color and Makenna was now on the front porch of her house.

  “No, no, no, where did he go?”

  Daniel was right next to her and he had a grave expression on his face.

  “I´m sorry,” he said. “That was all I could manage. I wish I could´ve given you more time.”

  Makenna tried drying her tears.

  “What exactly was that?”

  “Your dad´s in a different place, a kind of dream you could say. Not like when you or I dream but another one.”

  Makenna started crying even more and she didn´t care that Daniel saw her like this. She wanted him to hold her and when she automatically took a step towards him, he backed away and she remembered that she wasn´t allowed to touch him in the dream world. He looked at her sympathetically and his hands twitched.

  “I wish I could comfort you.” His voice was rough and then he whispered. “Did I make a mistake? I thought it would make it easier on you, if you could see him. Was I wrong?”

  “No. You weren´t wrong, but what did he mean by that he was trying to find us?”

  “Your dad is trying to find a way to reach the surface and come back to you.”

  “Will he?” Makenna said and she was afraid of what Daniel would answer.

  “He will. You just need to be patient.”

  “Thank you,” Makenna sobbed. “Thank you for doing this.”

  “I would do anything for you,” Daniel said firmly. His eyes were unreadable and he took a step down the stairs. “But don´t ever thank me for it.”

  With those strange words still lingering in her head, Makenna woke up.

  Chapter Eleven

  In the weeks that passed they entered the dream world together and each time was better than the previous. They hung out at the ship wreck, ran across the Great Wall of China and sometimes even jumped off it and rolled down the hills with adrenaline rushing speed. They watched the northern lights and Daniel couldn´t help but to show off and create images and words with all that green light.

  It was magical, an enchanting spell that mesmerized Makenna until she began to think that the real world was a poor imitation of the one in their dreams. She couldn´t believe how she the first time had found the dream worlds lack of details unsettling, because it wasn’t. The dream world kept them safe and yet they could explore and create as much as they wanted. Or Daniel was actually the one who created. She mostly just admired it.

  They spent nearly every hour together, both when they were awake and when they were asleep. Makenna´s friends began to disapprove, even Jacinda and Flora.

  The girls had just had gym class and while Flora and Jacinda had eagerly punched the tennis ball, Makenna who had loved tennis her whole life had mostly thought about what it would be like if the ball had been a star being bounced from side to side. Maybe she could ask Daniel if they could try something like that the next time.

  “You never hang out with us anymore,” Jacinda complained as they were getting out of the shower. “You´re always with Daniel and I get it, but it´s like rude and obnoxious…”

  “Jacinda´s right,” Flora said sensibly. ”It´s good for you to spend some time apart. Guys don´t like girls who are clingy.”

  “I´m not clingy, we´re just close like that.”

  Jacinda and Flora just didn´t understand what was going on. They didn´t understand that there was this whole, other secret world out there and for each day Daniel grew more and more important to her. Whenever she didn´t see him, his eyes or hear his hoarse laughter it started to feel like she was detoxifying and there were some days when she could barely remember her life before him. Her old life was nothing compared to this new one.

  “Yeah, we got that,” Jacinda said and then she turned around and pointed accusingly at Makenna. “Wait, do you love him?”

  She made it sound like it was something forbidden and the question threw Makenna off guard.

  “I don´t know,” Makenna answered and zipped her jeans. “In some ways maybe, but I just…I don´t know if I fully trust him.”

  “What do you mean?” Flora said with wide eyes. “You think he´s cheating? With who? You´re the prettiest girl in school.” She threw a quick glance at Jacinda who lifted a perfectly, winged eyebrow. “Apart from Jacinda, of course.”

  “No, it’s not that,” Makenna snorted. “I just sometimes feel like he is one person one minute and another person the next.”

  “In what way?”

  Strangely it felt like a betrayal to talk about Daniel in any negative way to her friends. Makenna had a feeling like she and Daniel were one person sometimes and that any wrongdoing to him was a wrongdoing to her.

  “Just that one second he´s this caring, loving, funny guy and the next he´s angry and moody and acts like I´m his possession.”

  “Sounds interesting,” Jacinda said and smoothed out her hair in the mirror. She picked up a can of hairspray and sprayed her black curtain until it glistened like the night, making Flora cough from the fumes. “I don´t like guys that are bland.”

  “He´s certainly not bland,” Makenna muttered and Jacinda turned around and gave her a motherly smile.

  “Don´t be too hard on him. I think he loves you, maybe even adores. I can tell by the way he looks at you.”

  “You can?” Makenna said and Jacinda nodded.

  “Mhm, he looks like he both wants to protect you and eat you alive.”

  Makenna laughed a little but Flora gasped.

  “I wish Hugo would look at me that way,” she whispered to her friends surprise and then she smiled nervously. “Has he ever told you that he loves you?” Flora quickly said. Makenna shook her head.

  “Not exactly, he hasn´t actually said it.”

  “Maybe he´s afraid you won´t reciprocate.”

  “Maybe,” Makenna agreed and Jacinda walked over to her and put her arm around her shoulder and her patchouli and rose scent felt comforting.

  “You´ve been a little too eccentric for my taste, lately. Why don´t you bring Daniel to the beach party? We´ll all be there and we can all just hang out. I´m sure he´ll like it.”

  “I´ll ask,” Makenna said. She doubted Daniel would like to go to a party but when she asked him he agreed to her surprise.

  The party was to be held down by a beach close to the woods. It was hardly ever used since it was covered in rocks instead of sand but the secrecy was perfect for a party. A couple of small fires were lit, making a crackling sound in the night and everyone were drinking, dancing and laughing.

  Daniel held Makenna´s hand as they walked but he had barely said a word to her the whole time. She´d really put in an effort tonight, wearing a white dress with a black belt and she´d ignored bringing a warmer jacket and instead chose to wear her light pink coat. The ends of her hair were softly curled and her favorite mauve lipstick nailed the look.

  “You look nice,” Daniel just said absently when he saw her and didn´t notice her scowl. The circles under his eyes were deeper and sometimes she thought she could see him shaking involuntarily, but it was over so fast she couldn´t be certain.

 

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