Dreams

By Daniel Shadlow

Have you ever had a dream that was so real that you felt that it was? Follow Daniel J. Wilcox as he travels from dream to dream trying to find his real life. As you read through the pages, the story jumps from one dream world to the next, sometimes returning back to a dream world to revisit.
He meets a pair of twins who travel through dream worlds as one would travel to different places on vacation. Their names are Jill and Heidi. They follow Dan from one dream to the next and try to help him find his way back to his real life.
He is a police detective in one dream, a WWI fighter pilot in another. He also is the commander of a moon base in still another dream. The characters not only change occupations but also eras in time and age groups.
The longer he stays in these dream worlds, the more unstable he becomes mentally. By the end, you might ask yourself if what you are reading is real or just a dream. But you will never know until you finish the book, or will you?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 4, 2015
• ISBN: 9781514430286

Daniel Shadlow

Daniel Shadlow was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington and graduated from Franklin Pierce High School in 1978. In his life he has been a busboy/dishwasher, a residential insulator, a forklift operator, a foundry engineer, a medical transportation driver, and school bus driver. He now lives in Rangely, Colorado, with his wife, two dogs, and a cat.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Have you ever had a dream that was so real that you felt that it was? When you woke up, there was that brief moment between sleep and being awake, that split second when, as you rub the sleep out of your eyes, you do not know where you are, and you are not really sure if you are awake or still sleeping. Welcome to my world.

My name is Daniel J. Wilcox. When I was young boy I had dreams just like every other young boy. Dreams of being a police officer driving along, policing the neighborhood in my police car. Or maybe a fireman riding in a shiny, red fire engine with a Dalmatian named Spot. Or even a soldier in the army.

Then in my early teenage years my dreams seemed to be a bit more realistic. I would wake up sweating as if I had really been running from the enemy or in the cockpit pumped with adrenaline at the thrill of shooting down the enemy in aerial combat, or what fighter jocks called dogfighting.

I never knew what I was going to be doing with my life. I guess that is why I have done so many things. Yet I have not accomplished anything notable in life. I have never amassed much wealth. I still live paycheck to paycheck, if you can call it living. So what have I done with my life?

My first job was busing tables at Maverick Steak House in Tacoma. I moved up to dishwasher, and then began to train as a prep cook. That ended when the restaurant burned down and I lost my job. I often wonder if I would have learned to be a short-order cook if the restaurant had not burned down. Or was that all just a dream?

My next job was insulating homes at West Coast Insulation. I went to school with the owner's son. My brother-in-law worked there, and that is how I got the job. It was three long years of hard work. During this time my first marriage ended. If that was a dream then it had to be a nightmare.

About a year later I went on a date with Debbie. She was so cute. Her face lit up every time she smiled. We were married by the justice of the peace, a.k.a. the judge. We have been married now for thirty-one years. Shortly after marring Debbie, I went back to school to learn drafting/engineering at Clover Park Vocational Technical Institute. After finishing the class I got a job at Atlas Foundry and Machine Company.

I started driving a forklift for the engineering department. I also helped them mark the patterns and began learning about what they did. They sent me to a gating and risering class where I learned about the flow of molten metal and what happens while it cools. I eventually was promoted to the title of foundry engineer.

However, the foundry was sold, and the new owners and management started making changes to modernize the foundry. That caused a cut in production of 30 percent. They had hired three college-educated foundry engineers right out of college. One of them was really smart when it came to foundry work. He eventually quit to go to a foundry in eastern Washington. He was in charge of running the whole foundry. The two others were college-educated idiots and didn't last. So what started out as a dream turned into a nightmare for sure.

Then one morning I woke up with that eerie feeling that I was still in my dream. It was so real that the effects of my latest dream were still affecting my body and my life, even though it seemed as if nothing had changed. It started during the last Friday-night football game against our crosstown rivals. We were down by three points in the fourth quarter. It was third and six with forty-two seconds left on the clock.

I was not a star player, but I was good enough to be used to run plays in from the sidelines. Although the plays were never to involve me. That night, Coach sent me in with the play I formation right, 42 flip. It was a short pass to the halfback as he swung out to the right side. My position was wide receiver, weak side, which happened to be the left side on this play. I was to run up field and hopefully pull the defense with me, keeping the defensive players from crossing the field to make the tackle. The wide receiver on the right side was to run up field and clear a lane for the halfback to make the first down.

It didn't happen that way. The defensive cornerback ran past the wide receiver and toward the halfback. The defensive cornerback left me alone and blitzed the quarterback. The quarterback could not throw the ball as he was supposed to. The play faked nobody, and before the halfback, Tim Horton, was in position, the defense was on him. Our quarterback thought quickly and threw it to me. I was so surprised I almost let the ball slip through my hands. I caught the ball against my legs and stared at the guys on the sideline. They were yelling at me and pointed down the field.

I started running up field, and to my surprise the closest defender was ten yards away. As he was getting close to tackling me, he slipped and fell to the ground. Because I wasn't the fastest guy on our team, Jim Johnson, our quarterback and one of the fastest runners on our team, passed me up after I had gone twenty yards.

Now he was out in front blocking for me. Two defenders came up, and he took them both out but went down with them. I cut right to avoid the pile and then cut back up field. I was running at an angle toward the sideline when I heard footsteps. I glanced over my shoulder, and one of the defenders was running me down.

As he closed on me I slowed down and the defender didn't. We were almost side by side when he reached out to grab me and began to fall, so I reached out and stiff-armed him. I spun around as he went to the ground. I ran upfield again, and I was nearing the goal line. Just inside the ten-yard line another defender dove for my legs. I jumped out of his reach and lunging body and ran into the end zone.

We won the game 28 to 24. Inside the locker room it was crazy. Someone shook up a bottle of pop and was spraying everybody. When it was over most of the guys wore their uniforms into the shower to rinse the pop out. After showering, some still celebrated by whipping people with their towels. I showered quickly, got dressed, and got out of there.

As I came out of the locker room and headed for my car, there was a small group of people there. As I got closer I realized they were sitting on my car. They were mostly my friends with the exception of a few girls. That was new and never happens to me. One of them was Pam Robertson. She was the girl of my dreams. I had a crush on her since the seventh grade though I was too shy to say so.

She asked if I was going to the drive-in where everyone hung out after the games, especially when we won. I had not planned on it, but I was not going to tell her that. I usually went home and hung out with my friends. I was so flabbergasted that she was talking to me that I was going wherever she wanted to go. If I could only say what I was thinking. My friends all said, Let's go! so I told them to get in.

That is when Pam asked if she could ride with me. I was so shocked that you could have knocked me over with a feather. I just blushed and opened the door; she slid right in. I got in behind the wheel and started the car. This was too much to believe---Pam Robertson was sitting right next to me in my car! How we got to the drive-in I do not really know. But I do know that I drove to the drive-in with Pam sitting right next to me and a stupid grin on my face from ear to ear.

I didn't know what to say or do, so I just drove. Pam reached up and turned on the radio. When she brought her hand down she placed it on my leg. This was more exciting than the football game. I tried to act cool and lifted my right arm up and over Pam's head and rested it on the back of the seat. She reached up and pulled my arm onto her shoulder.

When we finally got there the place was packed. I pulled into one of the last parking places left. I got out and held the door open for Pam. When she got out and took my hand I nearly wet myself. Pam Robertson was holding my hand! I was in heaven! We walked hand in hand across the parking lot. I had to borrow two dollars from my best friend Justin so I could buy Pam and me a shake. It turns out that she likes strawberry shakes, the same as I do.

After two hours the crowd began to disperse. I drove my friends home and was left alone with Pam in my car. Yes, Pam Robertson was in my car! I was dropping her off last. Did I plan it this way? Or did she? I drove to her house and pulled into her driveway. She reached over and turned the engine off.

I had fun tonight, Dan. I'm glad that we won the game, and it was great to see you catch that pass and run all the way for a touchdown.

Yeah, it was fun and it felt great to catch that pass, but I have to tell you I enjoyed myself more spending this time with you.

That's so sweet and also good to hear. I was hoping that we could get together.

You were? Really? Because I have had a crush on you since the seventh grade.

You should have said something back then. I liked you too.

You did?

I just couldn't seem to get up the nerve to say anything.

I know. I have had that same problem.

So what are you saying?

I . . . Well, I . . . Well, Pam, would go out with me and be my girlfriend?

Yes, I will.

You will? Really?

Yes, really. I like you. Is that so hard to believe?

Yes. Well, kind of.

Just kiss me before I change my mind.

So I kissed her. Then she reached up under her cheerleader's dress and removed her garter and hung it on my rearview mirror. I took off my class ring and slid it on her finger. We kissed again, and she got out of my car because the front porch light came on. That was her dad's way of saying that I was there long enough. I watched her as she walked to the front door and opened it. She turned and waved as she went inside. I started the car and drove home.

When I woke up the next morning, the day seemed somewhat brighter. The sounds of life that I thought of as noise were now sweet sounds to my ears. I stumbled into the bathroom to wash my face. I looked at myself in the mirror, and I was not the young teenager in my dream. I was a young man with stubble on my face.

I ran down the hall. I had never seen this living room before. There was only one bedroom, and it was mine, but I didn't remember the furniture in it either. I got dressed and went to the kitchen to get something to eat. I guess Mom isn't going to come over and cook me breakfast. I watched Dad make coffee, so I gave it a go. So I sat down with a cup of coffee and my newspaper; however, the coffee was not as good as Dad's. I can't believe that I read the newspaper now? Imagine that---I read the newspaper like my dad.

When I was done I folded the newspaper and rinsed my cup and put it in the dishwasher. As I walked down the hall to my bedroom I noticed a picture on the wall that I didn't remember. It was of me and Pam all dressed up for the prom. I don't even remember going to any dance, let alone the prom. Has my dream come true and changed my life?

I hurried to the living room and grabbed the first photo album I came to. I opened it up, and normalcy was once again restored to my life. Most of the pictures were of my friends and me starting in fourth or fifth grade. There were some of my family and me around the same time.

As I flipped through the pages things were as I remembered, until seventh grade. I had pictures of me playing baseball on the junior high school team. I didn't turn out for baseball, not in junior high, nor in senior high school. I grabbed another photo album and opened it. On the very first page there was a picture of me in ninth grade in a letterman's jacket with a letter for football and baseball.

As I turned the page things became more and more unreal. In ninth grade there were pictures of me in a car. It was a white 1963 Corvette Stingray. I remember that my older brother Roger had one and that he had asked me if I wanted to drive it, but I didn't. At that time I'd never been behind the wheel of any car, let alone a Corvette Stingray.

The picture showed me behind the wheel. To top that, there was a girl sitting next to me, and for some reason I think that her name was Jane. Were we dating? I don't know. If we did then there should be more pictures of the two of us together. And sure enough, on the very next page, there we were sitting on the front porch together.

I grabbed another photo album and opened it. There I was in my letterman's jacket except it was of me in tenth grade with a letter in baseball. Things were getting really weird now. I picked up the telephone and called my mom.

Hello, Wilcox residence.

Mom, this is Dan. Something's going on here, and I need to ask you some questions.

Go ahead, dear.

Did I ever bring any girls home?

Why do you ask?

I just need an answer.

Yes, you did. I think the first one was named Jane. There was also Pam. I couldn't forget about her. You and Pam were so good together. It's a shame it ended the way it did.

Thank you very much, Mom. You are a big help. I'll talk to you later. Right now I have to go. Bye. I love you.

So if someone is playing a trick on me, they also got my mom to play along. I kept looking through the albums, when, to my surprise, there was a newspaper cutout of our high school football team. The story was of the night that I dreamt of. I had caught the game-winning touchdown pass.

There it was on the front page of the sports section. Somehow my dream had changed the past, and now things were not as I remembered them to be. I picked up the photo album and turned the page. There were a lot of pictures of Pam and me. It seemed that my life was revolving around her. There were pictures of us at the ocean, at the park, up at the mountain, even skiing. I never skied in my life; I was too afraid of breaking my neck or at least a leg.

Then it hit me. What did my mom mean when she said that it was a shame that Pam and my relationship ended the way it did? After work I'll go over to my mom's and find out. Work? I have a job? Where is it that I work, and what do I do?

I went out to my car hoping that there would be some clue of where I work. In the driveway was a 1970 Corvette. I own a Corvette? When did I get one of those? I opened the car door and climbed into my Corvette, and there it was. The red and white garter that Pam put on the mirror of my car in my dream. It was hanging from the rearview mirror of my Corvette! I do not know how long I sat staring at the garter, but when I finally came to, I searched the glove box. There was an ID card in the glove box. It was of me taken five years ago. I guessed that I work there. I went back inside and finished getting ready for work. I locked the door of my apartment, got in my Corvette, and headed for work.

When I got to work everyone looked at me as if I was a stranger. Even the security guard asked me why I was there. I tried to tell him that I worked there. He looked at me as if he had never seen me before. I told him that I have only been working there for the last five years. He was not going to let me in, so I went to the front office. The people in human resources would know who I was. I went inside and they asked me what I wanted. They didn't even remember me. Finally someone called my name.

Dan, what brings you down here?

I turned and there was Bill Humphrey, a friend from school. Well, more of an acquaintance than a friend. Bill, can you remind these people that I work here.

I would if you did. You have never worked here a day in your life.

What do you mean? I have been working here for the last five years. I even have an employee ID card with my picture. Or have I been dreaming the whole thing?

What are you talking about? This ID card is for visitors seeing the big V in the corner, the word 'visitor' across the top, and no picture of you.

What do you mean no picture? When I looked at it before . . .

See? No picture. Besides, after high school you went to North Carolina to play baseball. You worked your way up the ranks and would have made it in the major league, but you blew out your arm. Don't you remember?

I think that I would have remembered something like that.

Did you hit your head again or something? Last I heard you got a job with the police department. You had better go to the hospital and get checked out.

Yeah, I think you're right. Everything has been so weird this morning. Thanks, Bill. I'll see you later.

I got into my car and drove away. I didn't know where to go. I ended up at my mother's house. My sister and younger brother were there. If nothing else I should get some answers here. As I walked into her house, I called out, Mom, it's me---Dan. My mom came out of the kitchen and gave me a hug. Karen and Ron followed her out. We all said hello and sat down.

So what brings you here?

I need to ask Mom a few questions.

Do you want Ron and me to leave?

It's not necessary. You might even help. I am having a real hard time remembering the past from seventh grade until now. When I woke up this morning it seems that my whole life has changed, and I don't know why.

Have you been sick lately?

No, Mom, I haven't felt sick at all. In fact I have never felt better. When I called you this morning and we talked about Pam, you said something that I don't understand.

What don't you understand?

Well . . . Ah . . . this is going to sound strange. You said that it was too bad that it ended that way. What did you mean?

Come on, Dan. Everyone knows what happened.

If you don't mind, I'm talking to Mom. Why don't you and Ron go and do something while I talk to Mom.

"Why don't you