Chapter Three

By Steven Lee


Olive Eyes!

Why did Kim always end her dreaming with the vision of the the blond with the olive eyes?  Not a night went by in these last two weeks where she did not have a dream about her.

"Damn it mystery woman!  Some night you and I are going to talk!"  she said aloud.  But she knew it was pointless.  Every time, right before falling asleep, she told herself she would say something to Olive.  Yes Olive.  Might as well call her that.

"Great.  Now I'm giving names to my dream characters!"  What would her shrink say?  No.   No...
Not telling the shrink any of this.  It was hard enough getting through his sessions without bringing up her dreams.

"So when did you first feel alienated from your parents Kim?" Dr. Gustufson would say.

Let's see...Since before I was born?  But she couldn't say that.  It wasn't her fault she never felt like part of her family.

The girl with the olive eyes.....

"OK.  Think about something else.  It's time to get started with your day!"

So Kim got out of bed.  It was the same old routine.  The floor was cold as she shambled to the bathroom.  The image in the mirror didn't give her any reassurance this morning either.  She looked like a FREAK.  Like usual.

It wasn't that she was ugly.  No not ugly.  Just not attractive.  She didn't frighten children or anything.  But she was PLAIN PLAIN PLAIN.  No one gave her any notice at all.  I'm as good as invisible!

She did her business, and thought for the nineteenth time how much she wanted her bathroom lock back.  She washed her hands.  Looked around and remembered they had taken away her razor too.  Well, her legs would just get that much more hairy again.  Chewbaka legs!  What was it, two weeks now.  Yah.  Two weeks.   

"Are you OK in there?" her mom's voice came from downstairs.  Come on.  Don't I get some time to do my business without her checking on me.  Like I've only been awake a few minutes!

"Yah!" she shouted back.

She flushed the toilet and washed her hands and tossed her clothes on the floor and got in the shower.

The warm water cascaded over her.  This was her favorite part of waking up.  Kim felt herself relax.

Olive.   

Not quite!

WHAT!!!!!

Kim spun around, opening her eyes full.  Her heart was beating.  She looked around the curtain.  The bathroom was empty.  But she had heard something.  She knew she did.

Grasping the shower knobs, she shut off the water and stood motionless; listening with all her might.

Nothing.  No sound out of place.  She could hear the drip of the water in the tub, the background noise of the rest of the family downstairs eating breakfast, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Screw this.  I'll be a little dirty today!  She yanked the towel off the rack and quickly spot dried herself.  In seconds, while wrapping the towel around her and tucking it under her armpits, she left the bathroom and went back in her room.

In two shakes she threw on her old clothes from yesterday and turned to look at her closet door.

Get a hold of yourself!  You are freaking out over nothing!

Cautiously she reached out and started opening her closet door.  But the door wasn't her closet door.   It suddenly looked out of place.  Instead of the flat slats and accordion panels, it transformed itself into a solid, old, wooden door, with an old brass knob.

She closed her eyes hard.   Waited.  Opened them up again.  Her closet door was back.

WTF?

She closed her eyes again.  Opened them again and looked.  Same old closet door; but a yellow piece of paper was sticking out of one of the slats.

Was that there before?  

Slowly she reached out and took the piece of paper.  She couldn't help but notice that her heart was pounding so very hard.  She was out of breath.  She felt anxious, and she was grinding her teeth.

So perhaps I do need a shrink?  What is wrong with me?

There was the paper.  Waiting to be read.

Kim turned the yellow paper over and read:

     From Olive,

     By the way.  My name is really Keah.  I need your help.
     No.  You are not going crazy.  But yes, keep going to your counseling sessions.
     No.  Do not bring this up to Dr. Gustufson.   He would not understand.
     Yes.  I am the girl from your dreams.

     Now that we have the formalities out of the way, I need your help.

     Have you ever thought about working at a summer camp?

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