Chapter Two: Helena

Helena arrived at the restaurant and quickly fluffed her hair in the car mirror. She swiped some gloss over her lips and smiled at her reflection, satisfied with her ensemble. Walking confidently into the restaurant, she stuck a smile on her face and steeled herself for the night ahead.

“Ah, there you are. Wow, you look amazing!” She scrunched her nose at his voice and rolled her eyes before turning around.

“Thank you, darling,” Helena said with a wink as she sat down and reached for the menu. Travis prattled on, oblivious as ever. His praise and adoration were predictable, something she’d heard too many times before. But she’d keep him around as long as he remained useful and ignorant.

“How was your day today?” Travis asked, his smile beaming.

“Not too bad. The kids were a little rowdy, but we managed to get them occupied. They can be such little rascals, but it’s all worth it in the end.” Helena smiled, trying her hardest to make it look sincere.

“Of course, kids will be kids, right? I can’t imagine the patience you all must have, but it’s good work that you do.”

“Oh yes, such a joy,” She tried hard not to scoff. Yeah, if joy was chaos and noise in need of a silencer.

She quickly changed the subject, “How are things over at the lab?” she asked, her heart speeding up. She watched him lean forward, caught in her web of charm and carefully placed smiles. A twisted thrill surged through her. He thought she cared. He thought he mattered. Despite the hidden agenda of this dinner, she found great amusement in his gullibility.

“Oh, you know, more of the same. The analysts are trying to figure out why the dreams are so sporadic and if there even is a trigger. Their research is solid, but we’re having trouble finding and keeping volunteers. Most people are fine with having their brains analyzed, but they don’t always like opening up about the contents of the dream. I guess they get pretty weird and personal sometimes.” Travis shrugged, “but we’ll get there.”

Helena quietly gritted her teeth, ensuring the frustration didn’t show on her face. No breakthrough meant she’d have to keep dating this soft little hack. She’d grown incredibly tired of him, but the stakes were too high. Progress made by Travis and his team wasn’t publicized until much later, but she’d gained enough trust that he’d happily share successes with her - if they were ever successful.

She leaned forward, feigning interest, even as she noticed his guard lowering. Just a little more charm, a little more sweetness, and he’d be an open book. “That’s too bad. If they could just figure it out, it would be so much easier to get information from the other side.”

“I know, we’re all working hard,” He replied, raising an eyebrow as he paused to make eye contact. “Everyone is curious, hun, but we also have to make sure we use the information responsibly. The discovery that there even is another side is only a couple of generations old; we don’t know the long-term implications of making contact or, god forbid, someone going over there. It might not even be possible.”

Helena’s fist clenched harder under the table. She knew Travis was wrong, since a group had already broken through long ago. But she couldn’t say anything when she and The Lurkers were so close to figuring it out. The tight-knit group of rogue researchers were counting on Helena to learn more about the dreams - the most crucial piece of the puzzle discovered to date.

“I think it’s possible. I mean, it has to be, right? They exist, and so do we. Do you think they know about us?” She asked, straightening her posture and keeping her voice even.

“As far as we can tell, no. But it’s hard to say for sure. There’s so little connection and thus far, no contact. And maybe that’s how it’s supposed to be, but that doesn’t mean we can’t study them and their world as much as possible. It’s fascinating, an exact copy of yourself living out their life in another realm. The fact that our dreams offer a glimpse into their lives suggests there’s some kind of connection. It makes me wonder if their dreams are of us, too, but I’m not sure how we’d figure something like that out.”

Helena nodded, making a point of listening and maintaining some eye contact. He rambled on through the same monologue he always gave. He’s so fascinated by the “connection.” It both frustrated and amused her. He never expands his thinking into the possibilities. Let the fool daydream about harmless glimpses; she sought something real—a chance to break through, to rip that connection wide open and climb right in. Helena knew if they could get over there, they’d be free from the trap of this reality.

She knew she was just a shadow, an echo of someone else, bound by their life, their decisions. She yearned for a world where she was more than a mere reflection. She could almost see the other her, the soft, doe-eyed fool that bound her to this twisted plane of existence. The thought made her skin crawl. Helena didn’t just want to find the other side; she wanted that naive, innocent version of herself to be swallowed by darkness.

Dinner finished without so much as a single ounce of new information. Irritated by another wasted night, Helena grew exhausted at the constant pretense that she wanted this bland, boring relationship. “Well, thanks for dinner, Trav. It was a nice little break from the busyness.” She said with the sweetest smile she could muster.

“You don’t want to come back to mine for a little while?”

“I’m so sorry, babe, but we’re taking the kids on a field trip tomorrow, and we’re leaving super early. I want to get into bed and rest up for a long day.”

“Okay, hun, no problem. I’ll call you tomorrow?”

“Mmhmm, sounds good.” She leaned in for a kiss, knowing she had to initiate sometimes.

At least he never gave her crap about early nights when she made it about the “kids.” He was such a sucker for kids and charity; it was laughable.

Her phone dinged as she walked through her front door; she immediately knew it was Shane. He had her schedule memorized for their little espionage project.

“Anything new?” was all it said.

“No, nothing! The idiots can’t seem to learn anything, and they’re short on volunteers anyway, so I guess it’s slow going.” She typed back, fingers flying over the touch-screen.

“Shoot. Well, maybe we can send some willing folks their way. Let me see what I can do.”

“Sounds good. Also, can you write a fake article about some foster kids going on a field trip tomorrow? I needed a reason to come home early.” She accompanied this message with a barf emoji, knowing Shane would get the idea.

“Okay, but you’ve gotta start coming up with less conspicuous excuses. Or just grin and bear it.” She could picture the cheeky grin on his face as he typed that message, and she chuckled, knowing he wasn’t serious. This was all Shane’s idea, and she’d been clear about her zero-tolerance policy for boring sex with unattractive targets. That said, she wasn’t about to end the night with no action, but she would only accept quality.

She flicked through her contacts, debating who she wanted tonight. She smiled as she perused her choices, knowing she had them all wrapped around her finger. Striving to gain some control and have a thrill, she knew who it would be tonight. Once decided, she sent a simple text before heading for the door, knowing she wouldn’t have to wait for confirmation: “Hey lover, I’m coming over.”

She yanked her keys back off their hook and slammed her door behind her, wondering how many more fake, boring dates she’d have to endure.