The Shadows: A Novel

Paul spends his days at his mother’s house and visiting her in hospice, where she mostly sleeps while he is there. Afterward, he often goes to the local pub, avoiding the house, where he is confronted by memories of his developing friendship with Charlie and their exploration of lucid dreaming. Charlie told James and Paul to keep a notebook, as he and Billy already did, writing down their dreams to look for patterns and get better at remembering them. He also explained how to prepare themselves to dream lucidly, that is, to become aware of the dream and be able to control it.

One day, he sees a familiar face at the pub and reconnects with his old friend, Jenny Chambers, now a published author. He tells her about his mother’s strange behavior and her possession of a book Jenny once gave him, The Nightmare People. Jenny reminds him that although there were some bad times in the past, there were also good times. She dismisses his fears, insisting the past can no longer hurt him and encouraging him to search the house for whatever is worrying his mother.