The Dream Pill (1 of 4)

Kevin learns about a special pill from Mark. Kevin's wife is ignoring him.

A frustrated husband ignored by his wife. A pill that can manipulate dreams. Will he dare to take it and risk destroying his marriage?

Kevin is livid at his wife's indifference. But when a long-lost friend introduces him to a dream-altering pill, he senses an opportunity to flee his wretched existence and uncover joy in a realm he controls.

In a world of his own creation, Kevin gets to be with the woman he's always desired. But he soon discovers that things aren't as they seem. As he grapples with the consequences of his actions, he must make a choice that could change his life forever.

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One

Snatching up The Engine like it held the secrets to the universe, I grabbed a pack of my beloved gum and found myself in line behind a mountain of a man. He wore an electric-hued Hawaiian shirt and held a stack of porn mags that could rival a small sex shop’s inventory.

My blood had boiled when Fiona called off our plans, claiming it was for work. It had been her idea to come to the damn mall, as if shopping and having lunch together were a perfect combo. I hated this place. People swarmed together to satisfy their insatiable urge to acquire more things they didn’t need. There was a reason I purchased everything online. And here I was, stuck alone, uncertain of what to do next. Should I get some lunch and hope my mood improved? Or head straight home? At least I would get my magazine before leaving.

The giant ahead of me tossed the porn mags on the counter. “Don’t forget the extras,” he said to the cashier.

The clerk gave a brief nod and rummaged through a drawer.

I leaned forward, desperate for a glimpse of what he held, but the porn connoisseur shifted his stance, blocking my view.

Damn it! What extras could a porn mag have? Faux vagina? A buzzing device? A prophylactic and a rubber glove for the extra-careful masturbator? Better safe than sorry, they say.

Annoyed that my curiosity wouldn’t be satisfied, I looked at the price: $250.

No way.

“Hey!” I pointed to the cash register. “You punched the wrong button by mistake.”

The cashier glared at me but didn’t respond.

“Nah, that’s okay.” The soon-to-be-duped customer didn’t even glance at me.

“Okay? Five porn mags for over two-hundred bucks? It’s your money.”

“These aren’t porn…” The guy turned to see me, and his jaw dropped. “Kevin! Damn. That you?” His face lit up.

“Ah…”

“I’m Mark.” The lack of recognition on my face must have been obvious to him. “Mark Hampton.”

“Hampton?”

“Your old high school compadre. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten?”

I looked closer and saw something familiar about his eyes. Oh yes, I remembered him. He was the guy who was always trying to get me to play basketball—or football, or baseball, or whatever ball happened to be in season. Unfortunately, I had neither the taste nor the talent for sports. Still, he was one of my old friends—for lack of another word.

“You’ve grown,” I said. It sounded ridiculous, perhaps even insulting.

But Mark let out a deep chuckle and grinned at me. “No shit! I’ve nearly tripled in size.”

Was it the same Mark who used to captain the high-school football team?

“Are you going to pay for this?” the cashier asked.

Mark paid with his smartwatch, and the clerk handed him a few plastic packets. Before I could get a better view, Mark made them disappear into his vast pockets. Something I wasn’t supposed to see? Was ‘extras’ a code word for drugs?

I paid for my magazine and gum and followed my old buddy out of the shop.

“What do ya say we get some chow together?” Mark smacked his lips. “I’m starving.”

“Why not? I was supposed to have lunch with my wife, but…” I waved my hand, dismissing the whole thing. “Where do you want to go? McDonald’s?” I picked a random restaurant off the top of my head. It’s not like I knew the damn mall.

“Nah, I’m on a diet. No kidding.”

“What do you suggest, then?”

“There’s a nice veggie spot on the second floor.”

“Vegetarian? Seriously?”

“Don’t start. You should’ve seen me a few months ago. There was even more of me.”

We found an escalator and got onto it.

“So you got hitched?” Mark glanced at my ring finger.

“Yeah.”

“Any kids?”

“We’re thinking of adopting. Then our family will be whole.”

“Lucky bastard.” Mark rested his heavy hand on my arm. “I envy you, man. I’m alone.”

Two

Rico’s Veggie Place was tranquil. Softly flickering tea lights illuminated each table, and a faint melody drifted through the air as customers conversed in hushed tones. The staff, wearing white aprons, glided around the tables without disrupting the peaceful ambiance.

How come I’d never been here before? ‘Veggie’ in the name was the likely culprit. I got why some people abstained from consuming animals: out of love and respect for their right to live. I respected animals for a different reason: the delicious flavor of their meat. But I guess there was no harm in experimenting with… plants.

“So, what do you do for a living?” I asked Mark when we sat at a table.

“I’m a private investigator.”

“Really?” I looked him over. “You don’t look like the type who runs around the town with a concealed gun in a holster. I mean, I don’t want to be rude, but you’re not exactly… inconspicuous.”

Mark raked his hand through his tousled hair. “You have no clue how quickly people overlook me after one glance.” A heavy sigh escaped his lips. “Especially women.”

I shifted uncomfortably in my chair.

“But you’re right,” he continued. “I mainly use my computer for work and don’t venture out of my apartment much. I specialize in missing persons investigations. The things you can discover on the net are unbelievable.”

“Missing persons? Is it hard to find someone nowadays?”

“Depends on the type. People are so stupid sometimes. A guy tries to disappear, then uploads his pics to social media while standing in front of a casino in Vegas. What an idiot.”

“Right.” I gestured to the magazines Mark put on the chair beside him. “And these porn mags? Why are they so expensive?”

“They’re not porn.” He grimaced and placed one on the table. It was wrapped in thin plastic. A sticky residue at the top hinted at something once fastened there, but now missing.

“The Dream Lover?” I read the magazine’s title, my eyes lingering on the topless woman on its cover. “How is it not a porn mag?”

“I know, they should change the cover. But apparently, it sells better with this… lady. It’s a manual on how to use the pill.”

“What pill?”

Mark fished a small package out of his pocket, one he’d stashed at the newsstand. He broke the seal and a tiny blue pill rolled onto the table, stopping close to my plate. “You pay for the pill. People keep stealing them, so shopkeepers detach them to keep them safe.”

I squinted at the heart-shaped object. Carved on its side were two letters: DL.

“What is it? New Viagra?”

Three

A waiter showed up, and Mark placed his order.

Unfamiliar with the menu items, I asked for the same thing.

Once the waiter left, Mark inched towards me, speaking in a hushed whisper as if he was about to divulge a secret. “Viagra’s nothing compared to this. If you take it before bed, you’ll have an interesting dream.”

“What kind of dream?”

“Think of the title.” He placed his hand on the magazine. “The Dream Lover. Imagine yourself with the girl of your dreams. And you can do whatever you want with her.”

“You mean, sex?”

“It’s not only about sex.” Mark reclined in his chair, ignoring its moans and creaks, and locked his hands behind his head. His gaze shifted away as if his thoughts had taken him back to the world of his last dream. “It’s like a proper date,” He spoke in a gentle tone. “Sex is just the cherry on top.”

“A date? In your dream? Because of a pill?” I snorted and turned my head away.

I should’ve dismissed his claims at once. But Mark had never been a liar. Yet he could’ve been duped by some sort of scam. And if such a pill had ever existed, wouldn’t I know about it?

I picked the pill from the table, rolling it between my fingers. “So, you’ve used this before, huh?”

“I’m telling you, it works.” He raised his hand as if to swear an oath. “Honest.”

“Hmm… Can you manipulate the dream in any way? Or is it random?”

“Sure you can. Like on an actual date. If you behave, you might… get lucky. But one wrong move—“

“And the girl? Is it always the same one?” I pointed to the glossy cover.

“This one? No. Not that I’d mind.” He gazed wistfully at the picture. “You pick who it is—sort of. Before you fall asleep, you need to focus on who you want to see. Picture her with all the details. You’ll usually succeed.”

“Usually?”

“Sometimes the girl is just similar. I won’t spoil your experience by explaining how it works. But it does, every time. You can enjoy any type of sex imaginable—sometimes even types that are beyond imagination. If you catch my drift.”

“That’s illogical. You can’t dream of something you’re unable to imagine. It’s your mind that creates your dream.”

Mark only grinned.

“Your subconscious must be the reason behind it,” I continued. “Generating scenarios you wouldn’t think of when you’re awake, but secretly wish for.”

He frowned. “The way you talk… Are you some kind of head doctor?”

“I’m a psychologist. But I do research nowadays. That’s why I’m surprised I’ve never heard of these pills.

“Don’t you ever watch the news?”

“Not really. It’s all the same thing.”

“I hear you.” Mark nodded. “At one point, the pills were controversial. They almost banned them.”

“What happened?”

“At the time I wasn’t interested in them, but I heard stories. The pill seldom lived up to expectations.”

“In what way?”

“The woman you got differed from the one you imagined before bed. Or she didn’t appear at all. Men were livid. Women felt betrayed because of the men’s alleged infidelity.”

“Infidelity? How can someone be unfaithful in a dream?”

Four

The waiter brought our meals, and Mark hid his magazine and the pill.

I eyed my plate skeptically, my nose crinkling at the foreign smell. Nothing appeared familiar, as I studied the exotic hues and texture of my food.

“You should try it.” Mark scooped up some of the yellow mush on his plate. “It’s unlike anything you’ve ever experienced.”

I forked the substance that resembled meat and popped it into my mouth. Surprisingly, it had a real meat-like taste. “It’s not too bad.”

“I meant the pill.”

I gave a short laugh. “I don’t know. Is it FDA approved?”

“Who cares?” Mark devoured his food like a starving canine. “Nothing has happened to me, and I take it almost every night.”

“Every night? You must be dishing out lots of money. Does the missing persons’ business pay that well?”

“Money’s not an issue. Availability is. It’s getting harder to find it anywhere, though the woman’s edition is easier to buy.”

“They’ve released a women’s edition?” I raised my eyebrows.

“Why do you think women stopped complaining about cheating?”

“Right. Is it any different from this one?”

“The cover features a shirtless guy, but the title’s still the same.”

“And the pill?”

“It’s pink.”

“Blue for men, and pink for women? How original.” I speared a strange-looking vegetable on my fork. It had to be a vegetable, right? We were in a vegetarian restaurant. “Have you ever tried it—the pink pill?”

“No way. I’m not too keen on ending up in bed with a guy. I love women too much. But I heard they’re making an LGBT edition.”

“Right.” I carefully tasted the weird vegetable. It was… okay.

“The best thing about it…” Mark furrowed his brow. “Not that it matters in your case. You’re still looking good. Fit, athletic. Unlike me.”

“Oh, come on.”

“It’s true. I’m well past my ideal weight. But in those dreams…” His face lit up as if he were already dreaming. “I look like I did back in high school, perhaps older, but still.”

“So you can change how you look in the dream?”

“I don’t do it on purpose. It just happens that way.”

While we ate, I pondered over Mark’s words. So, the pill not only allowed you to choose your partner but also change your appearance in the dream.

A few minutes later, I finished my meal, and the waiter brought my coffee.

“Perhaps you don’t even realize you want to look different,” I said, taking a sip, “but your subconscious does. And your dream reflects that.”

“Tell you what.” Mark’s face broke into a silly grin. “I’ll give you one.” He put the magazine in front of me, placing the pill on top. “Consider it a late birthday present for all the ones I missed.”

I scratched my head. “I have nothing for you in return.”

“Nah. I mean, sure, I’d love to have a gorgeous wife like yours, but that’s not something you can give me. She is gorgeous, right?”

I pictured Fiona’s curvaceous body and nodded.

“You don’t need the pill, do you? You two having sex every night?” There was a sour note in his voice.

I thought of the times Fiona refused me, saying it was her period, a migraine, or that she had to wake up early the next day. “I can’t complain.”

He heaved a sigh, then guzzled half the juice from his glass, letting out a loud belch afterwards.

“Still, things change,” I said. “We’ve been together since college. I love her, of course, but other women do exist.”

Mark lowered his voice. “Have you ever… you know?”

“Are you asking if I cheated on my wife?”

He reclined in his chair. “Cheated is a big word.”

“No, never.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Never even felt like it?”

I averted my gaze.

“Hah!”

“I love the tranquil atmosphere at home.” I felt compelled to explain. “If Fiona ever found out, it would be the end of me.” I grasped my cup.

“But?” Mark’s eyes kept delving into me, seeking a chink in my armor.

“But I’m still a man.”

Five

Two stunning women with olive complexions and dark hair that hung loose and glossy down their backs to their curvy buttocks passed our table on their way to the bathroom. They looked like twin sisters, though the way they held their hands suggested something else. The white skirts they wore were so short, it almost seemed like they were trying to show off their taut, toned legs. The material of their clothing hugged their lower bodies.

My gaze lingered on them, my heart racing as I tried to imagine the intensity of being with them simultaneously. Would the pill allow me to make that happen?

Mark’s eyes were ablaze with unbridled longing. His gaze followed the young couple, who soon disappeared behind… a wall of misty dreams. An eternity seemed to pass until he returned his attention to me.

“I knew this woman…” I fiddled with my coffee cup, trying not to spill its contents over the table. “She was a fellow researcher living in another state. We worked on side-by-side projects, so we talked a lot online. When we finally met at a conference…” I smiled, recollecting that time. “Well, nothing happened. I mean, she was brilliant, way smarter than me. And funny. Pretty, too. We teased each other, but I was with Fiona, so…” I shrugged. “Since then, I’ve been thinking of her from time to time. My Miss Zeigarnik.”

“Funny name.”

“What?” I chuckled. “No. I named her that because of the Zeigarnik Effect.”

“What’s that?”

“A Soviet psychologist, Bluma Zeigarnik, figured out that unfinished or interrupted tasks are more easily recalled than completed ones. Our relationship didn’t move past flirting, so she’s kind of like an unfinished task for me.”

“You wanted things to go differently with her?”

“Maybe.”

“That’s perfect.” His face lit up. “You can see her in your dreams.”

“It’s not the same.” I looked away, thinking of the last time I saw her. “You ever wonder what would’ve happened if you did something different?”

“All the time.” He flashed his teeth at me.

“Sometimes I regret my decision back then, but I didn’t want to risk ruining it with Fiona.”

“Would you now?”

I ignored his question, lifting my coffee cup in a silent salute to Miss Zeigarnik’s memory.

“Is it a betrayal if you have sex in a dream?” Mark asked. “You think Fiona would be mad at you for that?”

I considered Fiona’s likely reaction. “No, I don’t believe she’d be angry at me for that.”

“There’s your answer. The pill is perfect for you.”

Even though it was tempting, I wanted to say no. Instead, I made a ridiculous noise, like a schoolgirl giggling at her crush.

“If you’re still on the fence,” Mark said, “why not buy her the special ladies’ edition? Make her day.”

“I don’t think so.”

“You scared she’ll find it too enticing?” He nudged the magazine closer to me, his smile taunting. “Mind made up?”

I scowled at the glossy mag. “Only the pill, please. I don’t want Fiona to—“

“No problem.” He whisked away the mag, leaving only the pill in its place. “You don’t have to read it. Just take the pill before you go to bed and let your thoughts drift to that special someone. Sound good?”

I gazed at it for a moment. Would I have the courage to attempt it?

“Gotta run.” Mark took the waiter’s bill from the table and dropped some twenties.

“Allow me.” I went for my wallet.

“Next time.” He rose and extended his hand.

I shook it.

“We have to do this again. I’m looking forward to hearing about your dream.” He winked at me. Then he passed me his business card. “Here, if you ever wanted to locate anyone. I’m extremely proficient at it, you know.”

six

“Sorry about today,” Fiona said when I stepped into the bathroom. She sat in front of the mirror, applying moisturizer to her face, wearing only panties.

“I was deeply disappointed when you didn’t show.” I walked up behind her and placed my hands on her arms. “Stuck in the damn mall. Alone.” I didn’t see any reason to tell her about Mark. “But you can still redeem yourself.” I tried to reach for her breasts, but she wiggled free.

“I’m on my period. I can’t.”

“I don’t mind.” I replaced my hands on her arms and started to massage her neck. “Remember when we were in Paris?”

“That was a different time. I didn’t care about the mess.”

I backed off and squatted next to her, forcing myself to look only at her face. “Last time, it was PMS. Now it’s your period.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean…” I stared at her perky breasts as warm memories filled my mind. I almost forgot what it was like to caress them, to feel them in my hands. “When will you fit me into your schedule?”

“For sex?” She screwed the lid back onto her moisturizer and returned it to the dresser. “You take all the fun out of it when you nag me like this. Can’t you wait for the right moment?” She grabbed her tweezers, muttered something about a stray hair, and plucked one from her eyebrow.

“I’ve been patient for weeks.” I watched how her breasts jiggled with her every move. “And even when we did it, you seemed distracted.”

“Distracted?” Fiona gave me an ironic look, holding the tweezers as if she wanted to stab me in the eye. “Distracted how?”

“I mean—”

“Do you want me to moan and cry ‘yes’ with every thrust of your dick? Like those girls in porn flicks?”

I clenched my teeth. “I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that you’ve changed.”

“You mean I’m not a teenager anymore? Well, you’re still acting like one.”

“Can’t I have regular sex with my wife? Like everyone else?”

“What do you know about everyone else? You avoid visiting our friends. Where do you get this information? The internet?”

“They’re your friends… And I don’t enjoy seeing them because they’re fucking boring.”

“Is it my fault you don’t have a bunch of guys to hang out with? But if you listened to my friends, instead of being so self-centered, you would’ve noticed their sex lives aren’t perfect either.”

“If that’s what you’re going to say to excuse yourself…”

She rose and moved closer to me. I braced myself for an argument, but her expression softened. She took my hands in hers. She looked gorgeous with this worry in her eyes. “You think I’m avoiding sex?”

“Are you?” I held my breath, my heart pounding in my chest.

She pulled me closer, the familiar scent of her perfume making me lightheaded. “I’m sorry. I know I haven’t been giving you enough attention. It’s just… between work and everything else going on, it’s been… stressful recently.” She stepped onto her toes and lightly kissed my forehead. “It’ll get better, I promise.”

I nodded, unconvinced.

She walked to the sink. “Just don’t push it.” She leaned forward and began washing her hands. “Exercise restraint.”

Restraint? Right. I fixated on her shapely buttocks, only half-hidden by her panties. They urged my dick to slide between them and…

“Can you pass me the towel, please?” Fiona snapped me out of my trance.

I flung it at her back, blocking out the teasing sight.

“What are you doing?” she growled, catching the towel before it fell to the floor.

“Clearly nothing exciting tonight,” I muttered and left the bathroom.

seven

“Cuddle?” Fiona suggested when we lay in bed.

We always slept naked, unless Fiona had her period. So today, she had stayed in her skimpy panties, which didn’t improve the situation at all. When a woman dressed close to nothing asks you to cuddle, cuddling is the last thing on your mind. Unless it happens after sex.

But Fiona had told me sex was off the table, crushing all my hopes for something between us tonight. I didn’t see any reason to give her anything now.

“I want to sleep,” I snapped, turning my back to her.

“But I wanted to be the little spoon tonight.”

“I’m not in the mood.”

“You’re punishing me for what happened in the bathroom. Or is it still about the mall?”

“I’m not punishing you,” I lied, fighting the guilt that surged inside me. But I shifted closer to her, feeling the warmth of her body radiating through me as she nestled against my front. I reached for her breast, but she blocked my attempt and trapped my hand.

Only my stupid dick didn’t get the message.

Fiona adjusted her position, trying to accommodate my eager appendage. “I want to sleep.”

“Tell it to my dick.”

“Yeah…” Her breath eased. “Can’t you just… handle it yourself?”

I stiffened, but for a different reason than my dick.

Handle it myself?

“I need a piss.” I pulled away from her body.

She didn’t even twitch. Amazing how quickly she fell asleep after she put her head on the pillow.

Handle it myself?

Fiona lay still, her chest rising and falling slowly with each breath.

A weird thought came to me. What if I…

Hell no! What was I thinking? Was I so desperate that I’d contemplate taking advantage of my sleeping wife?

My cheeks burned with shame as I raced to the bathroom. Not to do what she’d suggested, no fucking way. I needed to cool off.

But ‘the problem’ solved itself. Not only women could be put off by something their partner said. Men were sensitive too. And even if I still had a hard-on, I’d refuse to ‘handle it myself’ because my beloved wife told me to.

Staring into the mirror, I scowled at my reflection. Miss Zeigarnik would never have acted like that.

And then it hit me. I had the pill from Mark! With the forced shopping in the mall, Fiona complaining about her job, and all those little things that bugged me the whole day, I completely forgot about it.

The pill. I could handle it myself, but in the way I chose.

I dug the pill out of my pants pocket and returned to the bathroom to inspect it under the better lighting. One side of it had a hint of pink, though blue was the most prominent color—a boy meets a girl. It made me chuckle. If everything worked out as planned, I’d be having fun with Miss Zeigarnik, not my uncooperative spouse.

I placed the pill on my tongue and washed it down with a few gulps of tap water.

Then terror surged through me.

What had I just done? I’d accepted the words of a man I hadn’t seen for years without looking into it first. I had no idea what was in the pill. It could have been poison. Or a drug that had the potential to make me an addict right away. What if it irreversibly altered my brain?

I shoved three fingers deep in my throat, ready to vomit it up, when I realized: I was a pathetic coward. I had no reason to think Mark lied. And even if something happened to me, Fiona would be the only one to blame. She was wrong for treating me like a mere roommate.

Oddly reassured by this twisted logic, I returned to our bedroom. Fiona’s snoring filled the room, so I rolled her over, and she quieted at once. Her heavy breathing assured me of her deep sleep.

I was going to see Miss Zeigarnik tonight. Even if it were just a dream made up of my memories, it would still feel real to me if Mark’s words were true. And it was time to stop using this stupid nickname. Her name sounded so much sweeter—Diane.

The consistent cadence of Fiona’s breathing was soothing. I closed my eyes, reflecting on my recent meeting with my beautiful colleague.

We were at a hotel bar during the last conference. Diane sat beside me on a tall stool and laughed at my jokes, even though they weren’t all that funny. I could make out her jet-black hair cut to just above her shoulders and that sweet grin that seemed to start in her naughty eyes—twinkling with the promise… of something special… happening between us… that night.

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