Disruption: Amanda J. Wilde, #0.5

By Savanna Redman

Nothing is ever as rock-solid as denial — or as threatening as change.
Just one week ago, Amanda would have described her life as perfect.

Against the odds, life finally matched her lifelong desire to feel settled; comfortable in a great relationship, living together in a charming apartment in a historic district of Chicago, a new job at a quality firm — even the frightening nightmares and premonition dreams had stopped. And the icing on this perfect cake; an adopted rescue dog named Sunny.

When tragic events shift her life's trajectory, her nightmares and dark premonition dreams return.
These dreams never lie, but understanding their twisted symbolism requires rooting around in the past and a damaged childhood, a place she tries to avoid.

I understand why most people ignore their dreams. I just can't. They won't let me.

 

 

 

 

The Amanda J. Wilde series in reading order.

 

#1  Disruption (short read - prequel)

#2  Tumbling Down (novel)

#3  Refuge (novel)

#4  Asylum (novel)

#5  gifts from the gods (a short read)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nereid Press
• Release date: Feb 2, 2021
• ISBN: 9781945517068

Book preview

DisruptionTitle Page

Contents

Welcome to Amanda’s World

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Tumbling Down

First Novel in the Amanda J. Wilde series

Chapter One

The Premonition Dream — Year of My Death

Chapter Two

Twenty-Five Years Later

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Also by Savanna Redman

DISRUPTION

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A Short Story

Amanda J. Wilde Series

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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Copyright © 2015-2021 by Savanna Redman

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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of quotations in a book review. For more information, contact: Nereid Press. [e-mail]

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Disruption / Savanna Redman

First Edition: 2021

E-Book – ISBN 978-1-945517-06-8

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SavannaRedman.com

Welcome to Amanda’s World

"Normality is a paved road:

It’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow on it."

Vincent van Gogh

Chapter One

Butterfly and Ouroboros — Amanda J. Wilde Series by Savanna Redman

Sunny nudges my hands away from my face and whines, disappointed that I’m slumped on the couch, reading a letter for the hundredth time — crying like it’s the first. She nudges again and stares into my eyes as if saying, ‘I’m here. You have me. Let’s go for a walk. That always cheers you up.’

I read a lot in those beautiful-brown eyes, with their long lashes and perfect eyeliner, more than some would consider sane.

The blue ink of Pascal’s tidy script swim across the linen stationery, I blink to calm the swirling current, loving his poetic words, aching for them to be true. It’s a love letter that ends with a goodbye. We had five magical years. I believed we would grow old together, living the life I’ve always wanted; a normal life.

I believed too much.

Now, I imagine him sitting in a Paris cafe, sipping an espresso and charming the waitress, while I’m sitting here in Chicago, expecting a foot of fresh snow by morning, gutted by the physical evidence of his infidelity, feeling stupid as shit for not seeing it coming, and maybe worse for believing in someone completely.

I bury my face in my palms, wishing I could go back in time a week, just one week, that’s all I’d need. Warm breath puffs against the back of my hands. I peek through my fingers to see her face, inches from mine. She barks and looks down. I follow her eyes; her leash is on the floor beside my feet.

I rub my face hard and take a deep breath, blowing it out like a sad, deflating beach ball at the end of summer. Sunny, we are not going for a walk. You’ve been out already.

She leaves with a huff. I slump to read his letter just one more time and realize I have it memorized. ‘Amanda, if we don’t have trust, we have nothing. You should know I’d never do this...’

You say you wouldn’t. But eyewitnesses swear to it, the woman you slept with admitted it to my face, and the shit I found in your car—

Sunny barks. Her warm breath hits the back of my hands again.

I leave for a weekend training seminar, and you go and have a sleazy affair!

She forcibly nudges my fingers away from my face with her nose. She’s never been this demanding. Even when she needs to go out, she will sit patiently by the front door with an expression she knows I understand.

Poor girl. She just misses Pascal.

I should have sat down and heard him out, and really listened, but I was too hurt.

Now I can’t — even if I wanted to.

It’s too late; the damage is done.

I rub her cheeks and scratch her chin. We’re not going. It is freezing out there. Now, go lie down, please. I’m not in the mood to play.

She backs up and sits facing me, stares a long moment, then barks at my feet. I look down. She’s brought my running shoes. She barks again with an extra loud Woof! as if shouting, ‘I said we’re going for a walk! It will do you good. Now get your damn shoes on!’

She stubbornly sits, watching my eyes, waiting.

This isn’t about her needing to go out.

She’s worried about me.

I stare into her eyes, she stares back with eyebrows scrunched in her I-know-best look.

I blink first and pull on my shoes.

She smiles, picks up her leash, and prances to the door.

My yellow lab is saving me from myself.

I’ve spent two days in bed, my head under the pillow, shattered, my emotions running to the extremes of anger, hurt, self-pity; I even called in sick with this flu, something I’ve never done.

My rescue dog is rescuing me.

I grab my coat off the hall tree and clip the leash to her collar.

As we step off the porch, Sunny turns left, heading toward the dog park. She has that happy Labrador swing to her hips. Pleased, I’m going along with her plan. She glances up at me as if making certain we are of one mind, then falls back to a perfect heel.

The sun is going down, draining away the day’s color. Winter’s cold grayness permeates everything around us and seeps into my soul. A sick wave of premonition slips through my gut.

I’ve only had the dream twice.

Standing at the corner crosswalk, waiting for the pedestrian signal to change, a man wearing a backpack steps around us, placing a foot on the edge of the curb like a starting block.

Sunny wags her tail at him, sniffs the air, glances up to my eyes and leans lightly against my leg. I’m still