Started With An Inconvenient Dream

By A.L Blanks

Avery was gifted with a talent she'd love to give away. However, she can't. By day, she works as a case manager to save one child or reunite one family at a time. By night, her gift haunts her into doing the bidding of others.

Waylor was living the best way he knew how. He's a helluva attorney who aimed to win each and every time. Then, one day in court, he saw her. He accepted the job of protecting her peace while she protected the unprotected. She was what he didn't know he needed.

Yet she is denying them.

Will they find their happily ever after or will she end everything before it begins?

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Write Way Publishing and Writing Services, LLC
• Release date: Dec 5, 2024
• ISBN: 9798218990343

Book preview

STARTED WITH AN INCONVENIENT DREAM

A.L Blanks

This is a work of fiction. Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents in this book are either the product of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Started With An Inconvenient Dream

ISBN 979-8-218-99034-3

Copyright © 2024 by A.L. Blanks

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the publisher's prior written permission.

Table of Contents

ACRONYMS      5

DEDICATION      6

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS      7

CHAPTER 1      13

CHAPTER 2      17

CHAPTER 3      22

CHAPTER 4      31

CHAPTER 5      38

CHAPTER 6      44

CHAPTER 7      50

CHAPTER 8      60

CHAPTER 9      66

CHAPTER 10      72

CHAPTER 11      80

CHAPTER 12      92

CHAPTER 13      108

CHAPTER 14      116

CHAPTER 15      128

CHAPTER 16      135

CHAPTER 17      140

CHAPTER 18      146

CHAPTER 19      151

CHAPTER 20      158

CHAPTER 21      172

CHAPTER 22      177

CHAPTER 23      181

CHAPTER 24      186

LETTER FROM THE AUTHOR      195

ACRONYMS

AF …………………………………………. AS FUCK

BTS………………………………… BE THERE SOON

CP…….…………………………..COLORED PEOPLE

FML …………………………………. FUCK MY LIFE

FYL………………………………… FOR YOUR INFO

LOL…………………………LAUGHING OUT LOUD

MIA…………………………….MISSING IN ACTION

MO………………………………MODUS OPERANDI

          (ONE’S HABITUAL WAY OF OPERATING.)

OBGYN…..……OBSTETRICIAN-GYNECOLOGIST

OMG……….……………. OH MY GOODNESS/GOD

RBF…………………………RESTING BITCH FACE

RIP………………..…. REST IN PEACE/PARADISE

SGT……………………………………. SERGEANT

SYL…………………………..……SEE YOU LATER

TTYL………………………. TALK TO YOU LATER

TOY……………………………. THINKING OF YOU

WTAF……………..WHAT THE ABSOLUTE FUCK

WTF………………………………WHAT THE FUCK

Dedication

I dedicate this book to The Original Blanks Baddies: Mom (LuLu), Wussy (Tiffany), and my Maddie. 

Mom – I received from you my love for reading and writing. I am so lucky that God chose you to be my mother. I wouldn’t be the woman I am today without you. Thank you a million times over with a million tongues. I love you now, I’ve loved you in the past, and I will love you in the future. 

Wussy – My sister and my best friend. You have always been my biggest cheerleader. You are my support and my confidant. I love you more than words can ever explain. Thank you a million times in a million tongues for your encouragement, unconditional love, and friendship. I love you today, tomorrow, and always. 

Maddie – my little surprise. My life was forever changed when you arrived. A change that I am happy that happened. Always remember that you can achieve anything you put your mind to. Never give up until you get to where you want to be. Aim for the stars. Don’t forget your accomplishments on the ride to the stars. 

Acknowledgments

(In my Snoop Voice) I want to thank ME. Thank me for being determined to publish these 49,000-plus words so others can see how twisted my mind and personality are. 

I thank my dad for getting my mom pregnant nearly 50 years ago, for loving me unconditionally, and ALWAYS, I do mean ALWAYS having my back.

(in my DMX voice) Then there was:

Kelvin, Joe, Bob 

TaSheka, LaTia, Tonya

Destiny, Shontel, Dorthalia 

About two Aunties and 

Cam, Brittany, Erica, and Rita, 

Mae, Krystal, Amanda, and Shelia

And as we (Beautiful People) say in Obituaries, A host of friends, cousins, nieces, nephews, readers, and future readers. 

Thank you, God, and all other deities.  I pray you allow me to create many more.  Thank you for making me and blessing my family to see many moons together. I ask for many more, as selfish as that may be.

Prologue

My first encounter with a spirit happened when I was eight years old. The spirit belonged to a high school student who died in a car accident when returning from a family road trip. 

After dreaming about him for a week, I told Nana about it. 

Nana asked, What is he doing in your dream, Hun?

Nana, he is watching his funeral and glaring at his father and mother.

Nana looked puzzled for a Texas second. Then she

asked, Does he talk to you at all?

No, ma’am, I answered. 

Then Nana said, The next time you see him, talk to him. Ask him what he needs from you.

I glared at Nana like she had two heads and a tail. I remained calm and respectful despite my thoughts. Yes, ma’am. 

About a week later, I dreamed of him again. We

arrived at the funeral. Like before, he looked in the direction of his parents. The eight-year-old me asked, What's wrong? He first looked puzzled, then responded, I miss my family. I know they are sad, but I don’t want them to be. I don’t want my dad or mom to think it was their fault that I died. 

Do you want me to tell them that? I asked.

  He looked at me in disbelief.  You can tell them that?

Yeah, when I wake up.

You aren’t dead like me? he questioned.

No. I’m just dreaming. I smiled.

Would you really be able to tell them that I am ok and I don’t blame them? He said with excitement.

Sure! I’ll tell them the next time I see them.

He smiled and seemed calmer than when he first visited me. 

I talked to my grandmother and told her about the conversation with the spirit. Nana took me to visit his family. At first, I was nervous. I felt like I would get in trouble, and they would believe me.  Then, my grandmother stood next to me and held my hand.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Olgatrim... My granddaughter has something she needs to tell you and your husband. 

The woman appeared slightly nervous. Then she asked, Has Bradley been mistreating this sweet child?

I answered quietly, No, Ma’am. It is something from Christopher. 

She stopped. Tears whaled in her eyes. Umm. Excuse me while I get my husband. Please come sit on the couch. 

The husband walked in with a skeptical look on his face. My granny intervened.

"Mr. and Mrs. Olgatrim, if you don’t know, my

family has a special gift. We are often visited by restless spirits. They need to comfort or send a final message to their loved ones. It seems that Christopher has been visiting Avery. Avery, please tell Christopher’s parents what he wants them to know."

I fidgeted a little on the couch.  Then I started, CJ told me to tell you that he is ok and doesn’t blame either of you for what happened. He wants you to be happy. He said to let you know he loves you and always will.  The last thing he said to tell you was that he'll check on you every now and then.

I stopped talking and waited for them to say something. The mom just dabbed her eyes and quietly cried. The dad was shocked but was able to say, Why do you call him CJ? Did you know him from school?        My granny smiled, knowing that I could answer these questions.  I turned from looking at my granny to looking at the dad, CJ was a lot older than me. We weren’t in school together. He told me to call him CJ. He said it was short for Christopher James.  He said only his family called him CJ.

The father was shedding quiet tears. Thank you, he said. Thank you so much. You don’t know what you have done for our hearts.

Granny stood, and they escorted us to the front door. I smiled and waved as I walked through the door. 

CJ was the first of many spirits to visit me. Some had easy problems to resolve. Others were like Pearly.

Chapter 1

I took a deep breath. 

I knew I was dreaming. 

Everything I looked at was crystal clear, but I wasn’t familiar with the surroundings. 

I stood inside an old Catholic cathedral. The ceilings soared high above my head. The wooden pews had songbooks in the back. The stained-glass windows allowed light to pour inside and paint the walls with breathtaking hues of blues, purples, and oranges.  The painting mirrored the art of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel in Rome. 

I practiced no specific religion but attended mass a few times with a friend from college. So, I was familiar with Catholic churches. Yet this was a cathedral. The grandness of the building ventured on a smaller scale than famous cathedrals. It was breathtaking and majestic. 

Then she appeared. She appeared like she always appeared. 

She elegantly wore a soft baby pink blouse and a tailored misty gray skirt. She also wore dime-size pearls around her neck. She reminded me of a kept wife who never worked a hard day yet lived a good life. She probably was a strawberry blonde in her hay day. Now, her hair looked more platinum grey than blonde. 

My first thought when I had this dream was, How the hell did she find me? 

I knew this had to be against some white people's paranormal afterlife law.

A classy Southern kept white woman disturbing the sleep of a middle-aged Black woman. 

Good evening, dear, Ms. Pearly smiled. I gave her the name Ms. Pearly. She never told me her real name. 

Hey, I dryly responded. 

I hated these dreams. When I woke up, I was tired and unrested.  But there was nothing I could do to stop them from happening.

Oh, my dear. Don’t be such a sour puss. She smiled.

I noticed for the first time that she had a hint of a Southern accent, but it was not from Texas, where I live. It was more like a Georgia Southern bell accent. She sounded like she would say phrases like I do declare!  Or Oh my while gripping her pearls

Not being sour anything. I just want to know what I can do for you, I asked with a dryness that matched the Sahara Desert in the daytime. You’ve been visiting me for months and still haven’t told me anything. 

Ms. Pearly just looked at me and smiled. I thought, ‘She must be a low-minded spirit.’        I giggled at myself. 

Dear…. she started with a knowing look. "It

isn’t polite to speak ill of the dead."

She stunned me. How in the hell did she know my thoughts? I knew this was a dream, which made her telepathy weird even in the dream world. 

Ms. Pearly added, "Dear… Spirits/Ghosts,

whichever you choose to call us, know all, see all, but don’t tell all. She continued, We tell you living enough to make you wonder, she waved her hand dismissively.        Ms. Pearly, I called her, hoping to coax her into telling me her real name. What can I help you with? What do you want me to know or someone you know to know? You can’t keep showing up in my sleep for us to have pointless conversations or staring contests." I sighed when I finished, praying my alarm clock sounded to wake me up.

She threw her head back with a gutty laugh. "They

told me you would be a hoot. I just had to see for myself." 

They? 

Did she say they? 

Was there some Phone a living Hotline where the dead could pick and choose who they bother? 

Then I thought, I really wanted to curse my mom and grandmother for this that they gave me.

Ms. Pearly and her comments further showed me that God has a sense of humor and only listened to half my prayers. I prayed that this gift, as my granny described it, would skip me. 

Hell, Twins skip generations. So why couldn’t this

gift? 

I tried to pinch myself to wake up. 

My energy level was too low to deal with Ms. Pearly today. I had a court hearing in a few hours. I needed to focus on that instead of an indecisive spirit.        Pearly spoke, pulling me out of my attempts to wake up, My name is Wonda Paddison. Remember my last name. You’ll know why I’m visiting soon enough. She finished with a gentle smile. "Court will be a breeze.

Trust yourself and your judgment."

Pearly patted me on my shoulder just as my foghorn alarm sounded. 

I groaned as I snoozed my alarm. I needed at least 15 more minutes. 

I closed my eyes, trying my damnest to go back to sleep, but it never came. 

My mind ran a hundred miles a minute with everything Ms. Pearly talked about and the court hearing in about three and a half hours. I needed to focus on my job instead of Ms. Pearly. 

I hoped and prayed that I could ignore her enough that she would go away. So far, that plan has failed gracefully.

Pearly or Wonda came into my dreams at least once a week and has been coming into my dreams for the past six months. 

Tonight was the first time she spoke. 

Previously, she smiled and looked like a white debutant which annoyed the hell out of me. She took us to one or two places: the Catholic church or a house. I had yet to find out whom the house belonged to or why we were there, but it seemed to be her favorite place of the two. 

I washed my face in slow, dreadful motion. I tried to place Pearly in the back of my mind. She was a nonfactor. I focused on the task at hand: court—my least favorite part about my job of protecting the unprotected.

Court hearings, specifically termination hearings, meant dealing with an opposing attorney. I thought attorneys were soul snatchers.  In my mind, they hunted down people at night, stole their souls, and were able to walk amongst the living during the day. It’s a harsh description for a profession, but I didn’t see how they could have an actual soul from a divine being. 

If I thought about it hard enough, I’m sure most people felt the same about my job. They would probably say that we were child snatchers. We snatched children away from their families for profit. Or so most thought. Especially those for whom the Agency sought termination of their parental rights. 

All Agency employees would be millionaires if we had a dollar every time we heard those words about our Agency or other agencies like ours. Sadly, we were mediocre employees trying to save just one child or reunite one family at a time. 

Chapter 2

AVERY

Court turned out to be uneventful. 

The final hearing, which I was stressing over, was reset. 

The mother decided that her attorney didn’t like her and wasn’t responding to her phone calls or text messages. She requested the judge appoint her a new attorney. 

Judge massaged his temples and asked, Are you serious right now? His facial expressions gave his announces away. 

The mom responded, "Yes, Judge, sir. I got a bunch of