Only In Her Dreams (4 book trilogy)

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*Bryn Holmes, an eighteen-year-old girl who suffers from KLS (Kleine-Levin Syndrome). While she endures prolonged hours, days, weeks or even months of sleep, she experiences what possibly no other patient does. Bryn lives in an alternate reality of her memories. But, when a mysterious boy appears in her world, he has no recollection of his identity or where he is from. Though, her condition is taking a toll on her body immensely, weakening her gradually as time goes on. Can a German specialist cure her disease? And, is the boy in Bryn's mind a coping a mechanism, or is he the key to helping her live?*

## *Prologue*

**Bryn**

Back in the place I always end up while I'm asleep. The cold, chilling water washing over my sand covered feet as I sat on the beach, knees drawn to my chest. The sun setting yet again, and a new day would start once more on the lake house. As the moon began to rise I got to my feet, the sand slithering in between my toes. I stood there a moment longer to enjoy the view, before walking back into my grandparent's lake house, and closing the screen door for the night.

By this time I simply just wait to wake up. I mean, it’s kind of what I always do. I never know if I’ve been asleep for merely days, weeks, or even months. But when I wake, someone is always there beside me, and fussing over me I may add. I walk over and sit in the old rocking chair in the lake house. My grandfather owned it, but that was long before he passed from being unable to quit smoking. The heart disease is what killed him. Six years ago to be exact, and I was only twelve at the time.

And now? Well, I’m 18 years old. I suppose I forgot to introduce myself, didn’t I? I’m Bryn Holmes, and I suffer from KLS, also known as Kleine- Levin Syndrome. It is a rare and complex neurological disorder. I guess you’ve never heard of one with KLS? Now you do. But, I am different from most KLS patients. Yes, I suffer from periods of excessive sleep, altered behavior, and reduced understanding. I do not wake in a confused, distorted, or catatonic state. So what makes me different from the others? Half of my life is an alternate reality made up of my memories.

## *Chapter 1*

**Bryn**

“Bryn, Bryn wake up.” I knew that voice, trying to wake me whenever I had another episode. Though the gentle, soft voice sounded far off to me. In my alternate world, I was still sitting on the beach shoreline, watching the tide come in and then recede slowly, waves crashing. What seemed to be years my eyelids slowly opened, everything coming to me in a blur. As my eyes adjusted to the half-darkened room, I noticed a silhouette hunched over not even five inches from my face.

“Well, good evening sleeping beauty.” My eyes finally focused in on Joselyn's-My cousins- face.

“How long?” I asked, my throat scratchy from not using my voice in awhile. Though I wasn’t quite sure I even wanted an answer.

“Three weeks Bryn, you didn’t miss anything important,” Joselyn said, referring to school. The school that I almost always miss because of my condition.

“But there is something else…” Joselyn started but suddenly trailed off, looking unsure of herself. “Spit it out then woman!” I had risen my head, batting a hand at her in slight frustration.

“Jackson’s been asking me none stop where you’ve been,” she answered, then sat back in the chair nearby, watching my face. “I bluntly told him you were probably having another episode.”

She continued when I didn’t open my mouth to speak, “Then he said, and I quote ‘Fine after she’s done with her so called episode tell her to meet me first thing in the library on Monday.’”

That prick can’t get a simple thing through his thick headed skull. Yes, I may not cuss on occasion, as long as my grandma doesn’t here. I swear though if I were to “accidentally” cuss around her in about 0 milliseconds she’d blow a gasket on me. Does he seriously think I want to talk to him? He can’t be that big of a dumbbell.

Once I assume she’s finished explaining I slowly get out of my desk chair, looking down I notice I must’ve had an episode while in the middle of homework. Well, life sucks don’t it? I turn my head ever so slightly to see Joselyn standing right there. Apparently to make sure I don’t fall over like a fainting goat.

“Let’s go downstairs, at least so your mother can see you're alive,” Joselyn said after a minute of silence as she began to walk out of my bedroom slowly. I quietly trailed after her, watching my step carefully. As we neared the bottom of the stairs, I saw my grandmother come hurrying over as she boasted, her voice echoing through the house “And she lives another day!”.

“Mother please, that was not necessary.” I heard my mom holler back at my grandma as she came into the living room, her eyes landing on me immediately. I watched her practically run to me, pulling me down from the last stair step and onto the actual floor.

“Are you hungry? I made cinnamon rolls.” My mom says, gesturing for me to go to the kitchen which I did, my movements still slow and somewhat sluggish from being asleep for weeks. As I enter the kitchen I see my uncle sitting at the table with a cup of coffee, as usual. Turning his head to the sound of footsteps he sees me, and I watch him stand up and walk over to me.

“Hey kid, how ya feeling?” He asks, and I have to crane my neck to actually see his face because he’s so tall. “Fine,” I reply, my voice scratchy, not sounding like my own just yet. As my uncle sits back down, taking a drink from his coffee cup I sit in the chair beside him. My mother came not even a minute later, setting a plate of cinnamon rolls in front of me.

As I was finishing off the plate, I hadn’t noticed my mother sitting across from me, hands folded on the table. It seems that whenever she does that she always has something important to tell me. I pushed the plate over, finished when my uncle suddenly reached over and squeezed my hand in this larger one. Okay now, I was beyond confused.

“Bryn, I have some good news,” I looked up as my mom spoke to me, she was somewhat smiling even. “I think we’ve found what we have been looking for,” she adds, gripping my hand in hers now.

“What are you talking about?” I ask, then look at my uncle. “Do you know what she’s talking about?”

My uncle smiles before answering, “Yes, I know what she’s talking about. She’s saying that we may have found a specialist who can help with your disease.”

“Really?” I say, looking between them both in surprise and half disbelief. Someone who knows what I’m going through? Who knows of my condition? I’m somewhat wishing this is only a dream and that my uncle didn’t just say that it was even possible for me to get cured.

“Yes, and tomorrow we’ll go in for an appointment to get this all figured out.” my mom says, with a giant smile on her face. Well, if this will help my so called disease. So be it.

## *Chapter 2*

**Cory**

I lay on the beach, it was dark out and I assumed it was late at night. My eyes snapped open, facing the night sky, I rolled over. The waves were crashing along the shoreline. I sat up, dusting sand off my clothing. Where am I even? I thought as I got to my feet, completely confused and apparently alone.

As I tried to process where I was, I could feel what seemed like blank, empty holes within my memories.

*Who am I?*

*How do I not remember myself?*

*Did something happen to me that I can’t even recall?*

I turned around, noticing what looked to be a lake house. I walked up the beach and up the steps, knocking on the screen door. When no answer came, I slowly opened the screen door, entering the lake house. Closing it behind me I stepped into the small sized kitchen, taking in my surroundings with confusion and in an unconventional way.

Walking further into what looked to be the living room, I spotted what seemed like a journal and went over, picking it up. And on the cover, I read the name, Bryn Holmes. So I am not alone here? I wondered as I sat on the couch, staring at the journal. Leaning back against the couch, the journal resting in my lap my eyes drifted closed. So, I fell asleep, hoping that maybe a girl named Bryn Holmes would somehow come and explain to me who I was and why I was here.

## *Chapter 3*

**Bryn**

That afternoon at 4:15 pm, my mom, uncle and I sat in the waiting room of the hospital for my appointment. "Bryn Holmes," a nurse's voice rang out as we all looked over, standing we followed her through a hallway.

"Another appointment?" The nurse asked, turning her head briefly to look at us. "Yes," my mother answered, as my uncle squeezed my shoulder for a moment. We continued on, going left and right until we were directed to Dr. Willis' room. We entered the room as the nurse departed, off to help other patients I assumed.

"Good, you're all here come in." Dr. Willis said, with a smile on her face. I swear I don't think I've ever seen her not smile. My mother and I took a seat at her desk, while my uncle stood off to the side of us.

"So Bryn, you are aware of the specialist you will be sent to correct?" Dr. Willis asked, looking directly at me. I only nodded. "Good, but before we can give an A-okay, I just need one more observation of you overnight," she added.

"Okay," I said, a bit nervous. Of course, who wouldn't be nervous if your doctor stuck a nightcap on your head with electrons attached to it?

"Excellent, we will start the observation at 8:00 pm, Madison I'm sure you remember how this lake house?" Dr. Willis said, looking at my mother now who half smiled and nodded.

"See you back here at 8:00 Bryn," She added, turning back to her desk which was our signal to go. We all walked out, and got in the car, driving home for now before having to go back in less than 4 hours.

* + -

Well, time flies. By the time I noticed we were back at the hospital, as I sat in one of the observation chairs, doctors shuffling around me and jotting things down on their papers. Dr. Willis came in, with a metal tray that held a single syringe. It was what they always used to help me fall asleep and dream, so they could get better readings of what I experience in my world.

"Ready Bryn?" She asked, walking over with the syringe in her hand, as the doctors had all dispersed from the room leaving it to be just us two. I nodded as she punctured a vein in my arm, injecting the stuff inside me.

Letting my body relax, I saw my mother come in, followed by my uncle. I smiled at them, though to me they were becoming a blur, sleep trying to steal me away. As I tried fighting the stuff Dr. Willis injected, I felt my uncle grip my hand as he spoke softly, "See you soon kiddo," with that, my eyes closed. My own reality made in my head replacing the reality I was just in.

* + -

I was back on the beach, but this time I was confused. What I saw below me, leading to my grandfather's lake house were footprints in the sand. Who else was here? Or is here? I thought, following them to the back steps of the lake house. Slowly, with caution, I opened the screen door and gingerly stepped inside. I paused, listening for any type of movement.

Hearing nothing, I continued on and into the living room. I stood there, looking around until my eyes landed on the couch. And what was on the couch. There, my journal sat, in a boy’s lap. He looked asleep though as I watched his chest rise and fall with each breath silently.

He looked the same age as me, maybe a year older or so. As I was about to walk over and wake him, the boy’s eyes snapped open. I stood frozen as his gaze jerked over to me standing there. So, I spoke first, with my voice quiet I asked: “Who are you?”.

## *Chapter 4*

**Cory**

“Who are you?” she asked. The truth? I had no clue as to who I was. “Are you,” I paused, holding up the journal to her. “Bryn Holmes?”. She didn’t speak for a bit until she finally answered, “Yes, now back to my question. Who are you?” Bryn replied, repeating her question from not even a minute ago. “That’s the problem, I don’t know who I am. I don’t know why I’m even here.” I said, sounding unsure of myself.

“Are you like me?” she then asked, as I strained to hear her because she had spoken in a near whisper. “I don’t know that either,” I replied, putting the journal down on the coffee table.

“But, that's why I’m here. I need answers because I can’t wake up. I don’t know how.” I said after she hadn’t answered my first comment. I watched Bryn walk away and over to one of the windows, looking out it.

“I have to wake up soon,” Bryn said after a moment of silence. “Wake up? But what is this place?” I answered, looking around the lake house.

“It's my grandparent's lake house, I always end up here when I'm asleep.,” she says, turning to stare at me, almost studying who I was.

“What do you have then?” I asked, watching her quietly. “I have KLS, it's rare,” Bryn adds, facing the window once again.

“Oh,” I don’t comment after that. After a few seconds, Bryn begins walking away from the window and out to the screen door. I jump up and follow, as I yell over the crashing waves “Where are you going?!”.

“Back to my body,” Bryn replies as she looks back at me. Then, almost like magic, she slowly fades, disappearing from this strange, screwed up reality that I’ve somehow been tossed lake house. “Will you be back?” I ask, watching her fade away.

“Yes,” I can't hear her voice anymore, but she mouths the word silently as she vanishes completely. Leaving me alone once again.

## *Chapter 5*

**Bryn**

As I slowly slipped away from my alternate reality something felt off. My veins felt cold like ice was being carried through them instead of my blood. I felt stuck in the chair like something was keeping me from getting away.

Something trying to keep me under, to keep my eyes shut. So I could drift away into sleep. Never to wake again. As I forced my eyes open I was horrified by what clung to the ceiling above me.

There, clinging to the ceiling, staring at me with black, eyeless sockets. A shadow. The shadows had followed me here, and it wanted me to sleep. And stay asleep, I watched as it gave me a sinister smile.

As I regained my senses I began thrashing in my seat, screaming for Dr. Willis, my uncle, anybody. The shadow crawled down the far left wall, slinking over to me it hissed “You need to sleep Bryn..”

I didn’t want to though. So I kept screaming, as the door to the observation room was thrown open Dr. Willis came in along with another male doctor I did not recognize. Just when they appeared, I felt something jagged and sharp slice across the spot where my shoulder and collarbone met. I bit my tongue to keep from screaming as I could feel blood dripping from whatever wound the shadow had given me.

The male doctor ran forward and I noticed how his hand lit up, glowing. Like fire. His hand went up, and the shadow was diminished to ashes immediately. My uncle ran in first, then my mother who looked like someone had shot a gun at her to make her run.

My mom practically slid across the floor, crouched beside me as she cupped my face in her hands. I stared at her, fear shimmering in my own gaze as my eyes went darting around the room, hoping another shadow wouldn't pop up. Dr. Willis hurried in, looking at the wound the filthy thing left upon me. She nodded and before I knew it my uncle swept me off my feet bridal style and dashed out of the room with me in his arms.

As I lay in his arms, I felt like something was wrapping itself around my brain, and slithering in and out of different parts of it. I couldn't quite place it until I looked obliviously up at the ceiling, the shadow clinging as it hissed "Sleep tight.."

There was no point in fighting it, so my eyes fluttered, falling closed as someone yelled "Bryn stay awake!" but I couldn't. I had no choice, the shadow wants me to sleep, so I shall sleep.

## *Chapter 6*

**Cory**

I was roaming aimlessly through Bryn's grandparent's lake house, not knowing when she'd be back or if she would come at all. So, I went up the stairs, thinking I may as well try and figure out what my name is at least.

As I neared the top step I saw something long and skinny resting up against the corner of the wall. I crouched level with it, noticing the sharp, arrowhead tip. It was a handmade spear. That's when I felt something in my brain seem to click in place, like some sort of memory.

A sharp pain pierced my skull, forcing me to grab blindly onto the stair railing to keep steady. Once it passed after several moments, that was when I realized something. Something that was a crucial part of my life. *Cory,* I thought. *My name is Cory.*

## *Chapter 7*

**Bryn**

I was back in my world moments after I slipped asleep. Though I was now in the kitchen of the lake house, again wondering where the boy was or who he was for that fact. I slowly reached up to where the shadow had clawed me, my fingers trailing tenderly over the deep marks.

A chill ran down my spine as several scenarios popped into my head about all other things the shadow could've done worse to me.

I shook it off rather quickly, walking into the living room, my journal still on the coffee table untouched. But no sign of the boy. Shrugging I went to the staircase, seeing him crouched near the top looking like a statue.

“Hello?” I asked, watching as his head turned to face me, his baby blue eyes locked onto my green ones. That's when he whispered the one thing I wouldn't think he could ever remember again.

“My name,” he said, standing as he slowly descended the stairs towards me “I remember my name.”

“You remember? What is it?” I asked, practically wanting to know it now as bad as him.

“Cory, it's not much but I remember that it is Cory,” he replied, as he now stood in front of me. We both seemed to be studying each other lake house we have somewhat met one another officially.

“Do you remember anything else?” I asked after neither of us spoke. “No, not yet at least,” he answered, as he examined my face quietly. “Well,” I started before clearing my throat briefly. “Cory is a start.”

“What do we do now?” Cory asked, looking around the living room. “I got an idea,” I replied, grabbing his hand I dragged him up the stairs and into my grandparent's room. “Why are we here?” he asked, taking in his surroundings as I pulled my grandpa’s old guitar out of the closet.

“You know guitar?” I said, holding the instrument out to him. “Yes as a matter of fact I do,” he replied taking the guitar from my hands. I watched as he sat at the edge of the bed, slinging the guitar over his shoulder and adjusting his grip on it.

I walked over and sat by him as he began testing out some of the strings. What do you know? He did know how to play guitar. Then I heard him begin playing a song which I quickly recognized as *Hurt* by *Johnny Cash.*

“You like Johnny Cash?” I spoke softly as he was playing it. “Yeah, I do. At least I think so.” Cory replied, continuing to play the song with the guitar pick in his grip. I sighed, slowly leaning my head against his shoulder, humming the song to myself as Cory began to reach the end of the song, slowing his movements completely.

Once he finished he turned his head, seeing my cheek on his shoulder. He didn’t look bothered by it at the very least I don’t think. But, as soon as his gaze trailed down my face and landed on the spot where the claw marks from the shadow remained. I knew all hell would possibly lake house.

## *Chapter 8*

**Cory**

I stared at the deep, jagged looking marks that went across where her collarbone and shoulder met. I felt anger rise inside me realizing that the shadows had found her, and tried hurting her. I watched as Bryn seemed to almost back away from me, I looked up confused with her reaction.

Though, when she pointed I looked down noticing my hand was glowing.Like literally glowing. It looked almost like it was fueled by fire. I clenched my hand shut, but the glow remained within my palm.

“I-I don’t know what this is..” my voice trailed off as I saw Bryn crouched by my hand, almost examining it. She softly opened my fist, revealing the fiery glow in my palm. It seemed to almost trail up through my fingers from the center of my hand.

Then she stood abruptly, looking outside the balcony sliding door. I followed her gaze, my brow risen in confusion. “What is it?” I ask, watching her.

“I have to go..” Bryn trailed off, looking uncertain if she really wanted to go again. She then turned to me, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“I’ll find you, Cory. In the real world, I will find you no matter what, you deserve to know where your body is and how you can wake up,” she said as her very form began to fade into the air once more.

I watched her fade away completely, and I was left in this lake house. Knowing nothing of myself but my first name.

## *Chapter 9*

**Bryn**

WIP