The Dream: Lydia's adventure

Soñador

Soñador

New member
This is a story I have been working on for a while now, and I thought I'd post it here for people to read. Enjoy!


Prelude
Lydia grunted as she peeled off her mud-caked overalls and grimy cotton work shirt, dumping them into a nearby laundry basket. She sighed. It had been a long day. She would take her dirty clothes to the laundry room after the long, hot shower she had been looking forward to all afternoon. As the warm water rinsed away the dirt and grime Lydia could hear the pounding of rain on the roof above the thrumming sound made by the shower. She finished and slipped into a pair of clean flannel pajamas. Clean. It felt so good to be clean.
Lydia left the light on for a little girl who had been waiting at the door. She would brush her teeth at the kitchen sink tonight, other people would need to use the bathroom. As she fetched her things and prepared for bed, Lydia ran through the events of the day in her mind.
She had woke to the sound of pouring rain on the tin roof of the farmhouse. A glance at the clock on her nightstand told that she was almost lake for milking chores; she leapt into her clothes, dashed downstairs to swallow a biscuit for breakfast, and donned her rain gear before she slopped her way across to the barn. As she ran she had seen Aunt Martha shaking her head at Lydia through the kitchen window.
“Mornin’.” She greeted Mr. Rhodes as she entered the milking parlor in the back half of the barn.
“Mornin’ Lidie. Miz Martha have coffee ready?”
“Yup. Boy, it’s really comin’ down out there.” Lydia knew she wouldn’t have to wait long for a weather forecast.
“Hurricane. It rained all night, and it ain’t gonna let up. Looks like we got ourselves some flood weather.”
“Where do ya want me?” A cow bellowed at the far end of the milking parlor.
“Number 23 over there needs attention.”
“Gottcha.” Lydia’s mind was hardly on her work. A flood? She hoped Rhodes was wrong this time; though he never had been before. Their house and barn were high enough to be out of danger from flooding, but what about people lower in the valley? The thought of it had made her sick.
 
Last edited:
Thank you. :) Here is more, but be warned: this is the last of what I actually have in the computer, the rest is in a notebook, waiting to be typed up.


A sound in the entryway to the kitchen snapped Lydia out of her thoughtful daze.
“Yore niece is a right hard worker, Martha. She shore has a way with animals.”
“She takes after her father. Always loved the farm, he did.”
“Don’t know what I would’ve done without her today, Martha. She’s a wonder.”
Lydia blushed. “Well, ‘night Martha. I’ll be back bright and early.”
“Goodnight Mr. Rhodes. Be safe out there, ya hear?”
Lydia gathered her things and headed up the stairs to her room, her tired muscles ached in protest. I don’t think I’ve ever done so much in one day. She thought. She and Rhodes had just come in for breakfast that morning, after the milking was done, when a neighbor had called to ask for their help. The creek near his farm had swelled to the size of a river and he needed help herding his terrified cows to safety. They had also helped several families pack up some of their belongings and move in with folks living on higher ground, and build a makeshift corral for some sheep that refused to be herded home.
A couple of the families had come here to the farm, to get away from the flooding that might happen during the night. Sudden peals of laughter came from the five or so people bunked down in their living room. Aunt Martha had another six people stowed away in spare rooms.
Lydia fell onto her bed and tugged the covers up to her chin. Ahhh.....glorious sleep! Lydia reached out to turn off the light, but before she did, she let her eyes linger on a photograph that sat on her nightstand, as she did every night. Her mother, father, and older brother Daniel smiled at her from behind the glass of the wooden frame. Her family. The family she had barely known.
Daniel had a heart condition that required him to be taken to the hospital fairly often, and sometimes quite suddenly. Because their farm was in a rather remote area, the closest hospital was in the next county; across the mountain. The mountain road had been covered in ice that night and Daniel desperately needed to get to the hospital. She was four years old at the time, and she had gone to live with Aunt Martha and Uncle Charles on their dairy farm after the accident. When Charles had died from cancer several years before, Martha had refused to leave the farm. She and Lydia ran the farm with the help of Rhodes, the hired man. They had been like family to her, yet she longed for a real family.
Lydia flicked off the light. She needed her sleep. All she wanted now was to sleep. To sleep away the storm raging outside and the aches in her tired body. She drifted off, little knowing that a greater adventure was yet to come.
 
Last edited:
Okay, here is more:

Part 1
Lydia tossed and turned in her sleep; she was in the middle of a strange dream.
Everything was blurry. Lydia was running, laughing. It was raining. She could hear the voices of other people around her. As the world around her came into focus, Lydia saw that she was with a group of people from her church. Now they were running up the stairs to an impressive building, and inside; out of the rain.
Lydia knew what was going on now. She and her friends were in Germany on their tour of Europe. Today they were visiting a museum, the building they had just entered. It was an odd museum; it was divided into two parts: one part (the largest) was for the adults, and the second part was for the children to play in. Museum workers watched the kids while the adults enjoyed looking at things that would have bored the children in a matter of minutes.
Much to her chagrin, Lydia was told that she must stay and help the museum workers keep an eye on the children in their group. Lydia was insulted. I’m fifteen, for heaven’s sake! Those museum workers over there don’t need my help to do their job!
And they didn’t. Not wanting to get lost in search of her older friends, Lydia wandered listlessly around the room, exploring every nook and cranny in her boredom. That’s when she found it: a section of the wall that could slide open and shut, with another room behind it. Lydia guessed it was meant to be a secret; looking at it from several feet away, you would hardly believe it was there.
She glanced over her shoulder. She knew she shouldn’t be doing this, but she was bored and curious, and it was probably just a storage room anyway; it wouldn’t hurt to slip inside and take a peek. Good, no one is looking. She shoved the panel open wide enough for her to fit through. With one last look over her shoulder, she stepped into the room. Instantly she let out a cry of shocked surprise. What is happening to me?!


Everyone had finally gotten settled in for the night and Lydia’s aunt Martha was on her way to her bedroom; it was two hours past her usual bedtime. She had been coming up the stairs when she thought she had heard Lydia cry out. She stopped to peer into Lydia’s room to make sure that Lydia was alright, but the girl appeared to be sleeping peacefully. Martha shrugged and continued on to bed.
 
Last edited:
OMG!!!

You can't leave it there!!!

That's not fair!!
Please update when you can Lee.....................................................................................................................................now would be good!:D
 
This is fun!!:p

But I'm not torturing you on purpose (Or maybe I am,<jk), I don't have more to post yet. I'll try to do it soon. :D
 
What exactly happened in that moment Lydia was never able to really figure out. She felt a force, like a giant wave or a gale wind rush over her. In a minute it was over. The strength of it had been terrifying and Lydia went into a state of shock.
Trembling and gasping for her breath, she reeled against a doorway and clung to it. She felt as if all the air had been knocked out of her body. She knew she was going to pass out. While just trying to keep herself conscious, she didn’t notice that the world around her was too bright to possibly be the secret room in the museum.
“Ayiera, are you alright?” Lydia heard a male voice on her right. She lifted her head to see a man looking at her with intense concern written across his face.
“No.” She managed to gasp out. “No.” The room around her was spinning. She started to fall.
She felt strong arms around her and she clung to the man as he half carried her to a chair and sat her in it.
“Mrs. Schander! Mrs. Schander come quickly!” He yelled. He turned to Lydia and shook her gently. “Ayiera, can you hear me?”
She nodded weakly. “Yes.” She had gotten her breath back now; she still was dizzy and light-headed. Her lungs felt like they were on fire. She heard a lady running toward them.
“Ayiera! Ayiera are you alright? Speak to me!”
“I’m fine mum.” Her mouth was awfully dry.
“Darlin’ you’re whiter than the walls! What happened?” But Lydia couldn’t speak. She heard another person enter the room. Before Lydia could see her, the lady she had just called mum sent her to fetch the doctor. As the woman questioned the man; Mr. Bacht, Lydia’s mind began to clear. Why did I just call that lady Mum? That woman isn’t my mother! And yet why does she sound so familiar? And this room. This can’t be the place I just walked into. It’s way too big! It looks more like the old gym at my school.
“Where am I?” Lydia voiced her last thought.
“Darlin’, we’re here at the school, where we all live now. Me, you, and your three sisters.” She sounded really worried at this question. “Aleina has gone to fetch the doctor.”
Who is Aleina? That name sounds so familiar, but I know I haven’t heard it before and I don’t know who she’s talking about! Why am I wearing this dress? I wasn’t wearing it a few minutes ago! Why do I keep thinking this woman is my mother?! A new thought chilled her to the core. Maybe I’m not the same person! O God! What if I’m a different person? She couldn’t stand it any longer; Lydia began to weep uncontrollably. She was weak, tired. She hurt. She couldn’t figure out what was going on. Once she started crying it was almost impossible to stop. Someone carried her to another room and laid her down in a bed. Presently a doctor came. By that time Lydia had nearly cried herself dry and was calm enough to let him examine her.
He left and returned with a small, round cake and a tin cup with water in it. He had her eat the cake and sip the water between bites. It tasted funny, but she ate it anyway. When she had eaten it all he left again to talk with the lady, just outside the door.
“How is she doctor?” She sounded like she’d been crying.
“Mrs. Schander, I think your daughter has suffered a nervous breakdown. I don’t think it’s very serious, she just needs plenty of rest.”
“They’ve kept her at the mill for three hours overtime every day this week. I knew it would be too much for her, she’s the only girl in her labor unit.” She sniffled.
“I honestly thought she would have been able to handle the load; she’s the strongest person in your family. Makes sense, her being adopted and all.” The Doctor paused.
“What should I do for her?”
“I’ve given her something to make her sleep. See that she isn’t disturbed and let me know how she is when she wakes up.”
“And we can pray.”
“Absolutely.”
Lydia heard their voices fading away. She was too drowsy to think about what she had just heard, and she soon fell into a deep sleep.
 
Back
Top