Thursday, August 24, 2017

Dreams

When you first wake up from a vivid dream, there is a moment in which you don’t realize you’re no longer there. The world around you feels ethereal and disconnected. All the events from that realm feel as authentic as any experience you’ve ever had. In the next few seconds you blend back into reality, and the greater details of the dream are forgotten by the time you’re out of the bed. However, in those first waking moments... your dreams are still real.
...
You are walking through an endless desert. You feel scalding wind and streams of sand tear at your skin. You look down-- your body is torn and tattered like a paper doll. You feel your feet leave the ground as you’re whisked away by the burning tempest. You wake up, grasping at your body, and running your hands down it-- checking for those holes. The skin feels hot, but there are no holes.
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There is a sense of profound solace when you reconnect to the real world.
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Numbing cold. An intense pressure. You are floating deep underwater, the surface a slight glimmer far above. You try to swim to the surface, but never seem to get closer. Your lungs are going to burst. You try to scream, but only bubbles leave your throat. As you wake up you feel your shirt-- it’s wet. You nearly yell out, until you realize it’s not water. Just sweat. You almost laugh. Almost.
...
A wash of relief as the chaos of the dream melts away into the back of your mind.
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There’s been an accident on the highway. A mangle of steel, fire, and fumes. You reach into your pocket and pull out your phone. You try to dial 911, but keeping dialing the wrong numbers. A scream from the wreckage. An explosion. A piece of metal flies towards you. A sharp pain in your head as you fall to the ground. You sit up. You’re sitting in bed. The pain is dull, but still present. You look for your phone on the bedside table. It’s not there. It’s on the floor.
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Often, you wish that you could stay in those moments for just a few minutes longer.
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A cool breeze carries the scent of the ocean’s spray. The water calmly laps against the shore. The sun casts golden light, that warms your skin. A flock of seagulls sound off in the distance. You let out a content sigh as you lay back. You watch the palms sway silently in rhythm to the dance of the wind. The cries of the gulls grow louder, and louder. You look up to see them flying in erratic circles above. Their shrieks continue to grow, until they coalesce into a shrill siren-- you jolt up. You look at the clock. You’re late.
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Less often, you never want to experience them again.
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You’re running. Not sure from what, or where to. You just know that you can’t stop-- no what matter. So you just keep running. You turn around to try and see it. You never see it fully, just incomprehensible shadows. You trip. It happens so fast you can’t even scream-- just brace for the inevitable end. You look up. Dawn is creeping in through the blinds. You check the time. You don’t have to wake up for another two hours. You decide to stay up anyway.
...
However, it’s not just nightmares that you want to escape from.
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You’re sitting in a cafe. You see someone you recognize walk through the door.  It’s an old friend. You lost touch with them many years ago. You smile. They smile back. You talk. You laugh. You promise to meet again. As they start to leave you realize you forgot their name. You reach for your phone so you can add their number-- but it’s not a phone. It’s a clock. You set it down on the bedside table. You try to remember who that long lost friend was. You can’t.
...
Sometimes a dream can be worse than a nightmare.
...

You are lying in bed. You know you should get up, but just want to remain there a few moments longer. You turn over, and embrace the warm body beside you. You feel the warmth glowing from their quietly breathing form. You close your eyes, feeling their heat radiate into you. You reach for their hand-- but touch only sheets, frigid with morning chill. You sit up, and look over. They’re gone. Not gone. Never there. You lay back. The room is silent. You feel cold.

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