Dreamscape Read Online Free PDF Page A

spiders, no crumbs, no mouse skeletons. Plugging it in, she carefully pushed the lever down and peered inside. A few seconds later, the wire filaments turned red, burning off any dust inside. With no flames or sparks declaring her newfound toaster a fire hazard, she dropped the two halves of her bagel in the slots and pressed the lever again.
    Checking the time on her cell phone, she added honey to her tea and reviewed her list out loud to herself. “The internet provider opens at eight o’clock.” She checked the time on her cell phone. “Okay, that’s five minutes from now. The cleaners should be here at eight-thirty.” She’d have them clean in here first, that way when the movers brought her boxes, she could spend the rest of the morning organizing her kitchen. “The movers should be here by ten o’clock.” She let out long a breath, glad she’d taken the time to pack and label carefully.
    She’d have them put the majority of the kitchen boxes right in the pantry to be sorted box by box later. Then she’d pack up the Mason stuff she didn’t plan on keeping. Her first run-through last night suggested more than half the stuff in the kitchen would be going to Goodwill. Her bagel popped up golden brown. “Wow, that works better than my modern one.” Lanie scribbled a quick note to see if an appliance repair place might be able to replace the cloth-wrapped cord so she could continue to use it without being afraid of starting a fire.
    When she was finished with her breakfast, she assessed the walk-in pantry. She planned to tackle the pantry after she called to get the internet up and running. Ancient boxes of Jell-O and several tinned spices she knew were now sold in plastic containers sat alongside a tin of eighteen-year old crackers and four crocks in graduated sizes that might have once held flour, sugar, coffee, and loose tea. Alongside sat a large, cylindrical Quaker Oats box that mice had gotten into only God knew how many years before, and an empty two-pound Chase and Sanborn coffee can. She’d brought new shelf liners and scissors with her.
    Determining if she should run out to the car for the shelf paper and scissors now or later, she looked at the clock on her cell phone again. “Later.” Ben’s brother Wally was coming to get the hot water heater up and running soon, but she’d still have to heat water on the stove for the cleaning crew. If she were lucky, there’d be a bath tonight without having to lug hot pots up the stairs. A slight frown furrowed her brows. No, he’d have to flush the tank and refill it. There wouldn’t be hot tap water for at least another day.
    Marveling at his being able to touch her and elicit a response, Jason sat across from Lanie as she ate her toasted bread and sipped her tea. Good Lord, with the morning sun lighting her like a pre-Raphaelite painting, alive or dead she had to be the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen. His appreciative eyes watched as she stood before her mirror and plaited her long raven hair into a thick and lustrous braid left to run down the center of her back.
    When she dressed for the day’s work in lilac pantalets and small white stockings, torn blue trousers and an overlarge man’s shirt, with no brassiere, he found himself getting hard again for the third time in one hundred and twenty years. The third time in less than twenty-four hours, as a matter of fact. Imagine that.
    * * * *
    Everything was falling into place. By three o’clock in the afternoon, the cleaners had finished the entire main floor and planned to return the following morning to do the upper floors. The internet would be on by Friday, as would her landline. The new appliances would be delivered as soon as the plumbing in the small room off the kitchen was done. Lanie sat on the bottom step with her legs resting against the banister, her steno pad filled with projects already scratched off the list. Her well-marked crates and boxes had been divided up and stacked