The Return, (Paperback)

<p>For as long as she can remember, Dream has been... dreaming. Very vividly. She saw how her childhood dog died two days before he actually did, so she had plenty of time to prepare herself-her words. She's been to plenty psychologists and sleep specialists, but they all say the same thing. Nothing to worry about. So, her parents gave it to God. And nothing happened. She's grown used to it by now. She sees a face, sometimes hears a name, and then whatever happens to that person. Murder, the lottery, a death in the family, etc. You name it, she's seen it. She pays the dreams no mind because she can't control or stop any of them all the time. It's out of her hands. But on one holy night, she sees a man. Limping. Crying. Bloody. Yet this time, she can't see a face.</p><p>The skin around my left thumb was chewed raw and I was squeezing my hand into a fist in an attempt to get the small trickle of blood to stop. Mama sat in front of me, her palm facing the sky and the three pills too. She held a glass of water in her other hand. </p><p>"Mama-" </p><p>She interrupted me swiftly, "Come on, Dream. You have to drink your pills, baby. Else you won't sleep,"</p><p>My shoulders fell forward as I sighed and reluctantly moved my hand forward and took the pills from her. She gave me a satisfied smile, the skin around her wrinkled eyes crinkling, "I know you hate swallowing pills. But you wanna sleep tonight, don't you?"</p><p>"I guess," I shrugged before I threw all three back and swallowed down large mouthfuls of water, the sensation of the round, hard pills slipping down my throat pushed a gag forward but I successfully swallowed it down with the water. </p><p>"Great job," she took the glass from my hand and pressed a kiss against my forehead. She floated out of my bedroom, and I was utterly surprised by her ability to still care for me even though she was high out of her mind on pills. </p><p>I pulled my dog, Lilith close to my chest. The pitbull groaned in protest but when I kissed her head, she sighed out contently and snuggled against me. The moonlight shone into my bedroom past white curtains, the lights a dull white against the light pink carpet. </p><p>I stared at the same spot for hours. </p><p>Maybe I should tell mama the pills don't work anymore. </p><p>Neither do the hallucination pills. </p>

• The Return, (Paperback)
• Author: Barb Stewart
• ISBN: 9783806623079
• Format: Paperback
• Publication Date: 2026-06-26
• Page Count: 316