Page 6 of In Her Bed
“Lola!”Max called, torn between amusement and alarm.He stumbled after her, the beam of his flashlight bouncing erratically as he tried to keep up.“Come back!Or at least wait for me.”
But Lola ran, exhilaration driving her faster and farther.She knew these woods better than anyone.She dodged low-hanging branches, her breath coming in happy gasps, the thrill of the chase sparking in her eyes.
Pausing behind a thick oak, she watched Max’s cellphone light dance frantically through the trees behind her.“Over here, slowpoke!”she called, her voice ringing with laughter.She flicked her iPhone’s light on and off, sending playful signals that made it easy for him to find her if he only tried.
Max’s voice carried through the night, equal parts affection and annoyance.“I’m going to get you, Wigton!”
Lola grinned, waiting until he was close enough to see the glint of determination in his eyes.She loved how serious he got about things like this—loved how he would always try, even if she always won.At the last second, she bolted again, heading straight for the radio tower.
The game continued, a mix of taunts and laughter filling the summer air.Max was determined but he had no chance.She was fast, and she was focused, and she wanted to win more than anything.As she broke through the last line of trees, the old radio tower loomed large and silent against the night sky.
Lola skidded to a stop, her chest heaving with exertion and triumph.She turned back to the woods, her voice teasing and bright.“Max, you really need to work on your—” Her words died on her lips as she glanced back at the tower.
A chill settled over her, the warm night turning cold in an instant.Something odd was lashed to the framework.
A step closer and she saw that it was a man’s body, its arms and legs spread wide like a grotesque marionette.The victim’s head lolled to the side, eyes staring lifelessly at nothing, mouth open in a frozen scream.
Lola’s cellphone fell from her hand, hitting the ground with a harsh clatter.The flashlight’s beam wavered, then stilled, casting a stark, accusing light on the horrific scene.Lola sank to her knees, her scream starting as a choked whimper before exploding into the night.It was a sound of pure terror, unlike anything she’d ever heard herself make.
Max burst from the tree line, his face a mix of panic and confusion, knowing that this scream had been real.He rushed to her side, eyes following her stricken gaze to the tower.The color drained from his face, and his flashlight slipped from his grip, spinning crazily across the ground.
“Oh my God,” he whispered.
Their carefree adventure shattered like glass, the reality of the dead man’s eyes crashing over them both.Lola felt Max’s arms around her, pulling her close as if he could shield her from the nightmare they had stumbled into.The blinking red lights on the tower seemed to mock their horror, as merciless as the summer stars.
***
Jenna awoke to radio static.As she blinked against the hazy morning light, she turned to see her alarm clock transformed.Instead of the familiar digital display, an old-time radio now sat on her nightstand.Its wood casing gleamed in the early morning glow.Then she felt a familiar prickling awareness and knew she was dreaming.
Fully lucid now, she listened to a hiss of radio static, straining to hear what lay beneath.There—she detected a voice trying to emerge but couldn’t make out what it was saying.She reached for the radio, moving with a surreal slowness.She grasped the knob, turning it in a deliberate attempt to clarify the words.
The radio grew larger as Jenna adjusted the knob, the entire radio expanded until it loomed over her, as large as a house.She strained to control the growing knob, feeling its size resist her grip.Then it suddenly dropped off in her hands, leaving a round hole where it had been.
At this point in her lucid dream, she had a choice whether to investigate this strange space or to turn away.Jenna leaned forward and peered into the hole.The space beyond beckoned with a soft, eerie glow, and she knew was looking at the inside of the radio.As she hesitated, the hum of static more intense now, calling to her like a living thing.With a final glance behind, she squeezed herself through the round opening.
Inside, she felt dwarfed by the vastness, surrounded by gigantic vacuum tubes that towered like ancient pillars, their light guiding her deeper into a labyrinth.The noise was all around her, a buzz and hum that rattled her mind, but she pressed on.
“Hello?”she called, the word swallowed by static.Jenna’s frustration grew as she strained to hear the voice she’d detected earlier.It was still there, but just as an unintelligible whisper.She stood still, listening with fierce concentration, willing herself to make sense of it.
Then Jenna thought she heard words forming: “...the government...it’s them...they’re pulling the strings...only an idiot can’t see it …”
It was the spirit of a dead man trying to reach her, she was sure of that now.
“I’m here to help,” she shouted, her voice mingling with the static in a harsh chorus.She called again to the voice, her steps quickening as she made her way through the strange terrain.
The words grew clearer, a rant about technology and powers that be.Jenna knew she needed to understand it.The voice sounded desperate to convey something vital, and she would not let it elude her.
Finally, she saw him.
A bearded man, wild-eyed and frantic, stood at the edge of the jungle of tubes.He turned to face her, as if startled that she’d found him there.
“Get rid of them,” he shouted, his voice cutting through the static with fevered intensity.“Or you’ll end up just like me.”He clawed at his neck, revealing a bruise around his throat.
Jenna didn’t think she’d ever seen him before, but she did understand what he meant.After all, it was only the dead who visited her in lucid dreams like this one.
“How did it happen?”she asked, stepping closer.
He backed away, paranoia clouding his eyes.“You’re part of it,” he accused, his voice edged with panic.“Integrated circuits, microchips.Thought control.”
