Dream Theatre Hollow Years Novels & Stories

Whatever happens, we face it together. Relief washed over Levi instantly. He grinned like an overjoyed puppy, curling into my arms before leaning in and pressing a soft kiss against my lips. That night, I had a dream. I saw myself being dragged back to the Grant family estate. Silas had prepared a wedding gown for me, forcing me into a marriage I didn't want. Vivian sat in a chair with an eerie smile. My hands were tied, so my struggles were useless. Despair settled deep in my chest—I could already see the miserable fate awaiting me.

TIFE OKUWOBI. ONE THOUSAND YEARS ONE THOUSAND YEARS. Copyright©2020 by Tife Okuwobi. All rights reserved. No part of this book maybe used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. Address at ayooluwapelumiolorunlolope@g***l.com. TIFE OKUWOBI. ONE THOUSAND YEARS ONE THOUSAND YEARS. Copyright©2020 by Tife Okuwobi. All rights reserved. No part of this book maybe used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. Address at ayooluwapelumiolorunlolope@g***l.com.

Dad's younger brother, Liam Graham, leaned back in his chair with a smile. "What's gotten into you? Did something set you off, or did you have another fight with your dad?" I told him the flat-out truth. "I just realized it's been five years, and while the cost of living and rent have gone up, my salary hasn't budged an inch. Five years ago, I had two offers in my hand—one for nine grand and another for ten grand. Mom told me to work for you, claiming we're family; you won't shortchange me.

Stacey’s POV: “Liam, tell me this is all just a sick prank.” I tried to fight back the tears welling up in my eyes. “Tell me I heard you wrong or something.” I ran up to him and held his hand in mine, begging against all odds that there was some sort of reasonable explanation for this nightmare. We spent six years together as a happy family. Although the last two years have been kind of sloppy, it still was enough to get to this level or warrant a divorce.

The tough decisions were Helen's to make. The following day, Chloe strode into the office and handed in her resignation. When she got home, she began to sift through the mountain of photos that chronicled the trio's shared history. Over twenty years of friendship had produced album after album of memories. Childhood games of house with Andrew and Stephen, middle school award ceremonies, college road trips... Each photo brought the past to life, as if she could step right back into those moments. However, those days were gone, and they did not matter anymore.

Jade The Hollow was not a place. It was the negative space between realities, the echo of every story left unfinished, every promise whispered and almost broken. It breathed in the dark and shimmered at the edge of memory, waiting for someone brave—or desperate—enough to cross its threshold. It was a feeling—weightless, endless, memory-drenched and constantly shifting. Sometimes it felt like falling through water and sometimes like standing in sunlight that never quite warmed the skin. Time here was elastic, stretched thin over the bones of longing.

If this dream comes true, in two years, there'll be a celebration in Deep Woods right before Christmas. My new problem wasn't waiting two years. It was me not wanting to wait two years. Yes, I cried hearing that Tristan's dead, but I have been warned he's not dead. However, what I needed to understand was, am I supposed to seek him out? Desire says yes, common sense says no, and my dream says he'll appear.

“No my child, open your eyes like you are trying to see for the first time. Closing your eyes closes your sight within her mind and yours.” When I opened my eyes expecting to see her, I saw that I was stuck within a white hall with a few gold doors, red doors and black doors. “Good my child”, I heard her voice echo through the halls. I turned around trying to see her but she wasn’t there. “The gold ones represent her favorite memories. Red means her intimate ones and black means her dreadful ones”. I nodded my head and looked to the right where I saw a golden door. “Choose a memory for now and open it”.

Nora had noticed it before she could explain it to a density to the light, a pressure at the base of her throat that wasn't quite anxiety and not quite awe. "Have you done any research?" Demi asked, her voice lower now without her seeming to notice. "Everything publicly available." Nora paused. "Which isn't much." "I found a forum. Humans who'd attended previous years, posting anonymously. They weren't allowed to name the institution but they described it." Demi was quiet for a moment. "Most of them said it was the best year of their lives." "Most of them." "Yeah." Demi ate the last of her apple and set the core neatly on the bench beside her. "Most."

Her eyes were red as she begged. "Honey, Wendell Jackson said he'll only sign the contract if you do this. If he doesn't help, our company will go under. Didn't you see how he was acting at the party? He's not afraid of anything right now. We just have to play along." The costume in my hands felt like a thousand-pound weight pressing down on my heart. I clenched my teeth and tried to keep myself calm. "Jody, why did you lie to me about our marriage five years ago? When did you first start thinking about killing our daughter?"