Dream Drifting up from a dream, I suddenly realized I was still in the dream, and still dreaming. Usually this is the moment when I feel everything draining away. I’m always sad if it was nice, and, of course, happy if not. But as I stood there this time, nothing changed except my perception. At first I panicked. What if I was caught in the dream? Or, what if my real life was really the dream? But somehow I knew it wasn’t. I looked around, I was in a forest. That was one of the reasons I knew it was a dream since I would never do that in my real life. I lived in the city, had done so all my life and never had any desire to venture out into nature. But this place was lovely. I looked up at the trees blowing in the wind, the air smelled so fresh and sweet. I was on a path and I could see an opening ahead, I knew I was going there, though why had slipped my mind. As I began walking again, I heard a noise and turned. There stood my grandmother, smiling at me, though she had passed away years ago. I ran to hug her, but my arms went right through as if she were an illusion. “I can’t step back into your world now dear,” she said. “Am I in yours? Have I died?” I said, a little panicked. “No, no. You just turned twenty. Time for you to join the family business.” “The family business?” I asked, confused. “You’ll see!” she said, "You’ll love it!" And she shimmered and turned into a huge green dragon. I popped awake. I haven’t slept for three days; I’m never planning to sleep again. I don’t even like pets. |