The scream shattered his consciousness. It was a woman, terrified; he had to find her and help her. She screamed again, but this time he could place it, by his feet. She must be over the edge of the cliff!
He looked over the edge and saw her, desperately clinging to a small outcrop of stone. He threw himself down on his stomach and reached his arm down to her. "It's alright, I'm here to help." He looked down at her beautiful, tear-stained, fear-filled face. "Just reach up to me."
"John. I was afraid you wouldn't come."
He felt a shock of confusion. "How do you know my name? We don't know each other."
"I know you, John. I know your heart. I was so afraid to be alone. But now, I know that you will follow me." As she spoke, her face lost its fear and even the tearstains faded.
John tried to stretch his arm out further, "I don't understand. Let me help you."
"There's only one way to help me." She deliberately let go of her handhold.
"No!" John yelled in frustration and anguish.
Somehow, as she fell, her soft whisper floated up to him, "Come with me."
With a jerk, John woke up. It had only been a dream...
~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~
"John, buddy, what's going on?"
"Huh?" John looked bleary-eyed at his co-worker.
"Seriously, bud, you've been looking like a zombie for weeks now. It's me, Mike. You can tell me what's been happening."
"Dreams."
"What?"
"I've been having these...dreams."
"What kind of dreams?"
"Well...there's this absolutely gorgeous woman, and I've never seen her before..."
"Ah," Mike nodded knowingly. "One of those dreams." This last was said with a leer.
"No. It's...well, when they started, she was in trouble. Falling off of a cliff. When I go to help her, she lets go."
"Eh...that's rough."
"But, as she falls, she asks me to join her, to come with her."
"Off the edge of a cliff?"
"Yes. More recently, I've been getting there earlier and earlier. We talk on the edge of the cliff, and I think I know where it is. She tells me how important my time here has been--"
"Your time here?"
"--but that it's time to move on and join her."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. This sounds weird John, really weird."
"I know."
"Maybe...maybe you ought to talk to someone about this."
"I'm talking to you."
"I mean maybe you should talk to a shrink."
~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~
John looked around at the area he had only seen in his dreams. "Well, I'm here."
He heard the voice that had become so familiar to him whisper, "Hello John."
"What now?" he asked shakily.
The breathy voice responded, "It is time to say good-bye to this place. Love it, love its people. But it is time to leave it."