Dreams and Shadows (The Aylosian Chronicles Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

about him that made him seem familiar, a type of paternal soulmate. A day never passed that Col didn’t welcome a friendly discussion with him, making him sometimes wonder whether his homeless friend displayed such warmth to everyone, or whether he treated Michael with special attention. But he didn’t care. A quick chat would always lift his spirits – even today when his mind was preoccupied with other matters.
    Michael’s walk was brisk as he reached the first brief stop on his day’s commute: the Church of St Peter. He paused in front of the corner of the building that housed the stained glass image of the Virgin Mary and her son. He didn’t need to go inside as he knew well the image, and a quick look confirmed that from the outside of the building it was impossible to see what picture the stained glass formed – certainly from the distance of the pavement where it had been so clear in his dream.
    Thoughts of his unknown mother were already too near the surface and so he didn’t dwell outside the Church, but quickly started again to his next stop.
    The morning rush hour had already begun, and so his journey slowed as he got nearer to the shopping precinct. Streets he needed to cross filled with cars, and travel on the pavement grew increasingly frustrated by the growing crowds of people. The knot in his stomach wouldn’t allow the urgency of his dream to fade, and the delays caused by the seething masses built an unwanted irritation within him – an annoyance that didn’t subside until he finally got to the shopping precinct and to the clock.
    He paused a dozen paces from it, noticing carefully the hour hand pointing directly at the twelve. From where he stood, the minute hand was pointing to the five, but he began to walk around the outside of the clock and the minute hand appeared to move with him as the black tiles that were inlaid in the pavement aligned at one angle, and then at another, depending on where he stood: to six o’clock, seven o’clock, and so on as he slowly continued his circuit.
    When he reached the far side, he walked to the middle of the clock face and stared at the twelve. The hour hand was still pointing there as he knew it would, but from this position none of the appointed tiles aligned to show a minute hand. And there was no scorch mark anywhere to be seen that would evidence lightning.
    Okay, he thought, that’s the second one . He started to walk towards the alleyway that from his dream he knew would be directly in front of him, but stopped as soon as he gazed ahead. The alleyway was there, but there were no black gates. There were no gardens. He had been sure they would be there. The Church and clock were real , he thought to himself. Why not the gardens?
    He stood staring for a moment, when he heard Beth, “What ya doin’ Michael?” she called, her Welsh lilt sounding like a song in the morning sunshine. “Stood here all alone like you’re lost.”
    “Hi’ya Beth,” he called back. Beth worked with him in the library and would be on her way to work too. Michael was suddenly surprised at how long he must have been examining the clock if it was nearly time to start work, but a quick look at his watch told him that he still had a few minutes.
    After a moment, he realised Beth had lived here for longer than he had and would know the area better. “Do you know what’s behind that alley?” he ventured, “Are there any gardens there, do you know?”.
    He was still looking at the alley, so he didn’t see the surprise on her face as she replied, “How on earth would I know what’s behind an alley? What do you think I get up to at night that I would know about alleys, you silly boy?”
    Her voice was more playful than annoyed, though, as she continued, “Anyway, you can see the roofs of the houses just down there, so there can’t be any gardens, can there?”
    Michael realised Beth was right as he saw the orange roof tiles where there would have been treetops if his