This is the Dream: A Novella

┬╖ OTF Literary ┬╖ Stacy Gonzalez рджреНрд╡рд╛рд░реЗ рд╕реБрдирд╛рд╡рдгреА
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4 рддрд╛рд╕ 14 рдорд┐рдирд┐рдЯ
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рд░реЗрдЯрд┐рдВрдЧ рдЖрдгрд┐ рдкрд░реАрдХреНрд╖рдгреЗ рдпрд╛рдВрдЪреА рдкрдбрддрд╛рд│рдгреА рдХреЗрд▓реЗрд▓реА рдирд╛рд╣реА ┬ардЕрдзрд┐рдХ рдЬрд╛рдгреВрди рдШреНрдпрд╛
9 рдорд┐рдирд┐рдЯ рдЪрд╛ рдирдореБрдирд╛ рд╣рд╡рд╛ рдЖрд╣реЗ рдХрд╛? рдХрдзреАрд╣реА рдРрдХрд╛, рдЕрдЧрджреА рдСрдлрд▓рд╛рдЗрди рдЕрд╕рддрд╛рдирд╛рджреЗрдЦреАрд▓.┬а
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Cali Watts is struggling to come of age in a life saturated with indifference. Stealing almost worthless things isnтАЩt helping. Neither is dreaming of the dead.

Her parents named her Calico Watts, a name she hates as much as life itself. Growing up a child of divorce in Weldon Spring, Missouri has left Cali numb, without identity or purpose, sapped of any ambition for the future and even for the one thing all teenagers crave: freedom.

CaliтАЩs mother is not lacking ambition, but itтАЩs all toxic, devoting herself to the level-climbing requirements of a beauty products pyramid scheme called Dream Life. CaliтАЩs father has, post-divorce, found a way to devalue freedom by devolving into a pothead with a girlfriend and secret grow operation. CaliтАЩs best friend, Stacey, has discovered that her own physical attributes are good for some attention from others more worthy than Cali, including, significantly, the Howell High School science teacher.

For Cali, the act of caring about anything has become a challenge. Stealing nearly worthless things from the Ninety-Nine Cent Store has not helped. Fear of failing out of school no longer holds the same current. Alienation and estrangement have become weather.

Two people have punched through the numbness. Taylor Boss, easily the most attractive, well-liked student of Howell High, never had any relevance or interest to Cali. At least, not until Taylor was found naked and shot to death in an old duck shack along the banks of the Mississippi.

Damien Alvarez, the Howell High safety officer has a habit of catching CaliтАЩs eye every time they pass each other in the crowded hall. It may or may not be flirting, DamienтАЩs looks are too subtle to tell, but it is certainly attention. Damien sees her. That matters. It also matters that Damien was the last person to see Taylor Boss alive.

"This is the Dream" is a novella included in a larger work of short fiction of the same name тАУ "This is the Dream" тАУ by Owen Thomas.

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рддреБрдореНрд╣рд╛рд▓рд╛ рдХрд╛рдп рд╡рд╛рдЯрддреЗ рддреЗ рдЖрдореНрд╣рд╛рд▓рд╛ рд╕рд╛рдВрдЧрд╛.

рдРрдХрдгреНрдпрд╛рд╡рд┐рд╖рдпреА рдорд╛рд╣рд┐рддреА

рд╕реНрдорд╛рд░реНрдЯрдлреЛрди рдЖрдгрд┐ рдЯреЕрдмрд▓реЗрдЯ
Android рдЖрдгрд┐ iPad/iPhone рд╕рд╛рдареА Google Play рдмреБрдХ рдЕтАНреЕрдк рдЗрдВрд╕реНтАНрдЯреЙрд▓ рдХрд░рд╛. рд╣реЗ рддреБрдордЪреНтАНрдпрд╛ рдЦрд╛рддреНтАНрдпрд╛рдиреЗ рдЖрдкреЛрдЖрдк рд╕рд┐рдВрдХ рд╣реЛрддреЗ рдЖрдгрд┐ рддреБрдореНтАНрд╣реА рдЬреЗрдереЗ рдХреБрдареЗ рдЕрд╕рд╛рд▓ рддреЗрдереВрди рддреБрдореНтАНрд╣рд╛рд▓рд╛ рдСрдирд▓рд╛рдЗрди рдХрд┐рдВрд╡рд╛ рдСрдлрд▓рд╛рдЗрди рд╡рд╛рдЪрдгреНтАНрдпрд╛рдЪреА рдЕрдиреБрдорддреА рджреЗрддреЗ.
рд▓реЕрдкрдЯреЙрдк рдЖрдгрд┐ рдХреЙрдВрдкреНрдпреБрдЯрд░
рдЖрдкрд▓реНтАНрдпрд╛ рд╕рдВрдЧрдгрдХрд╛рдЪреНрдпрд╛ рд╡реЗрдм рдмреНрд░рд╛рдЙрдЭрд░рдЪрд╛ рд╡рд╛рдкрд░ рдХрд░реВрди рддреБрдореНрд╣реА Google Play рд╡рд░реВрди рдЦрд░реЗрджреА рдХреЗрд▓реЗрд▓реА рдкреБрд╕реНтАНрддрдХреЗ рд╡рд╛рдЪреВ рд╢рдХрддрд╛.

Owen Thomas рдХрдбреАрд▓ рдЖрдгрдЦреА

рд╕рдорд╛рди рдСрдбрд┐рдУрдмреБрдХ

Stacy Gonzalez рдпрд╛рдВрдЪреЗ рдирд┐рд╡реЗрджрди