io9 is delighted to share a piece of fiction from LIGHTSPEED MAGAZINE with you. Every month, we showcase a story from the current issue of LIGHTSPEED. This month’s featured story is “The Last Lucid Day” by Dominique Dickey. Enjoy! (You can also listen to the story here).
THE LAST LUCID DAY by Dominique Dickey
You find yourself in a dream where your father is submerging your head underwater, causing you to miss a call from Magnolia Assisted Living. The dream combines all your worst memories into one terrifying nightmare, with your father criticizing you for counting on your fingers. Unable to wake up from the dream, you struggle to free yourself from his grasp. The dream always ends with him walking away, leaving you alone in the deep end.
When you finally wake up, drenched in sweat, you realize you’re running late for work. Choosing to call in sick, you decide to head to Magnolia Assisted Living to see your father. As you make your way there, memories of your childhood with your father flood back, reminding you of the complex relationship you shared.
At Magnolia, you find your father in the garden, lost in his own world of numbers and diagrams. Despite the distance between you, you suggest going for a drive, hoping to connect with him in a way you never could before.
As you drive together, memories of your past resurface, highlighting the tumultuous relationship you had with your father while growing up. Despite the challenges, you find yourself drawn to him in a way you never thought possible.
Years pass, and you drift apart from your father, finding peace and happiness in your own life. But when he reaches out to you after your mother’s death, you’re faced with a decision that could change everything.
The story of your father and the memories you share come rushing back, forcing you to confront the past and the complexities of your relationship. As you watch him eat in the passenger seat of your car, you realize that despite everything, there’s still a bond between you that can’t be broken.