A Traveling

She knew the difference between dreams and traveling since her beginning. It was an understanding that had always been a part of her. Could all people have this gift, this power, if they understood eternity and what our souls really are?

Her dad had this same ability. The first time he realized it had been passed down to her was when he took her to the botanical gardens. She was shaking and stayed close by his side. Gripping his hand, she refused to let go. She loved flowers, what was wrong?

"Dad, I've been here before."

He looked ahead to the cottage style shed they were approaching as she trembled with fear. He got down on his knees to be eye level with his sweet, innocent child and held both of her hands.

"Tell me what you've seen, Barb. It's okay." His gentle smile made her feel safe.

Little Barbra Anne began to tell him about how she'd been here before, in a dream, but it wasn't a dream, it was real. She knew all the details of what was inside the cottage shed and was rattling off details so fast, he had to tell her to slow down and breathe. He convinced her to have a look inside to see what she had already seen in her travels. Now he knew as they peered into the window together, She had in fact traveled here.

He explain to his sweet little Barbarella that she was given a precious gift. Told her it was nothing to fear. Encouraged her to learn to live through her subconscious freedom.

That's when their adventures began. They would go explore the Sequoias, Rollercoaster rides, places to this day she still hasn't been in her waken walk of life. To her, it was magical. Something she longed for, no longer feared. Never did her parents have a problem getting her to bed.

Now, it wasn't something she could control. It just happened, and not as often as she liked. As she grew older, it didn't happen near as much. Oh how her soul yurned for more. But the gift, it drifted from her and had become a rarity.

Her dad had warned her not to talk about it with others. "They won't understand, and you'll sound crazy, sweetheart. You have to keep it to yourself or it'll be taken from you." Though his advice confused her, she trusted and obeyed her father. He was never wrong.

Years had passed and so had her father, and life went on..

And as real life went on, she had met a man, Christopher, online. He lived near her favorite past traveling grounds. She was now considered a southerner. They were very far apart, but only physically.

He was not her type at all, far from what she would normally entertain. He was special though, different and intelligent. He challenged her. Made her look at herself , and this bettered her. They spend hours and hours on the phone in the beginning, eager to be together, to know one another on a deeper level. They played out fantasies that could have been made reality. She actually believed him. She opened herself up to him, exposed all her vulnerabilities. Was he finally the one to make all her wildest fantasies come true? Ha. Girls and their silly fairy tales...

No. He pushed her away. He had learned enough to know that she too, was not his type. No one could ever he be his type. He still loved his ex-wife. So, it was decided they could only ever be friends, not bewed. He wasn't going to come meet her in person.

She couldn't shake this nagging connection to him, though. If you know, you know. There was something there, but what?

Then it happened. You see, she had learned from experience that people could call her to them if they thought about her enough. Because they were not bestowed the same gift she possessed, they never knew she was there. These were the only travels she got to go on nowadays. No more adventures, only callings, and Christopher had called out to her.

...

She looked around. Everything was so dark. It's not usually this dark. She was cleaning up someone's huge mess and planning someone's else's Halloween party. It was never her mess or her party, but none the less, she carried on with her work. Over her shoulder, he stood, watching her every move. She could feel him there, but she didn't acknowledge him. He followed behind her, putting random things in a grocery sack. When she was behind the counter, he cornered her. He awkwardly handed her the bag, and she started ringing up the oddities.

"Have we met before? " He almost whispered. He spoke so softly.

She froze. She knew that voice, but it wasn't his usual confident tone that made friends everywhere he went. That wasn't the loud and dominant salesman pitch she had grown use to. Why did he sound so shy? He knew her. She knew him.

She slowly drew in a breath and even more slowly raised her gaze to meet his. All the darkness subsided, giving way to the olive green of his energy. She had that same energy. They were the same.

"Christoph...."

...

"No! Go back, go back, please go back! " she agonized. Stupid phone, stupid text. Too late, she was awake now. She looked at her phone. It was him. There he was encouraging her to be more ambitious again. She was too busy trying to be a good Christian and stop lusting after the man that loved another. She didn't want to get hurt. She laughed at herself. She always did what she was told. She was submissive like that. She always listened to everyone but never to herself.

Later that day, she couldn't resist. In a text, she told him she'd seen him in a dream. "Were you looking for me? Did you see me? " There was no reply. "Great," she thought to herself, " now he thinks I'm crazy, and I don't blame him. " Her dad had warned her not to tell anyone about the traveling, so she couldn't elaborate her odd questions. Oh well, que Sera Sera.

...

"I'm hot, sticky, sweet. From my head to my feet, yeah" Def Leopard played in the background. Smoke and cheap perfume filled the air. There he sat. They were in the champagne room of a gentleman's club, alone.

He knew her sinful struggles, her passionate physical cravings. He smirked when he asked, "Is this what you want, Barbie?" Slowly caressing his manhood, he knew what she wanted, but did he have what she needed?

If it was going to be one of those adventures, she may as well enjoy it, right? She turned away from him and began her seductive dance just as the song changed. "I've been waiting, for a girl like you..." Foreigner set the tempo for her hips. She tried to let her body do the talking, but no, this wasn't what she wanted. She stopped and turned to him.

"No, actually, this isn't what I want. Sex is easy, I want love. But you're the one that called me here. What exactly is it that YOU want Chris?! Why did you call me here?!" she blurted out before she could even stop herself.

"No, my dear, you're the one that called me here. "

...

The shock wave that cuncussed her soul slammed her back into reality. There she was in bed, alone, mind racing, heart pounding and quietly panting. Was he a traveler too?

Then her phone rang. And rang. And rang. She knew it was him.

"Hello? " Her voice shook.

"You ready? I'll be there tomorrow night. Be ready. " There was the voice she was more familiar with.

"You mean like in my dreams? In person? What do you mean, are you serious? I.."

He cut her off. " You mean, 'our dreams? ' no, I'm coming. Be ready. " Then he hung up.

She couldn't sleep, no way, no how. She thought of John Wayne, "Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway. "

And so their story began...