Short Story Wednesday #7- Dream Diary (Part 2)

Dream Diary (Part 2) 

Emma felt something tug at her neck. She clutched the necklace that John had given her. A force akin to gravity sucked her. She felt her body travel through the vacuum of time. The shadow disappeared. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. The grey ceiling filled her vision. Reality hit her. She felt the bedsheets. She crumpled them between her fingers and held on. Her breath was jagged. Her pupils dilated. She was sleepy and energetic at the same time. Her mind was numb with thoughts. 

The sound of the alarm clock faded. She picked it up and turned if off. It had been ringing all morning. She glanced at the wall clock. It was three in the afternoon. She overslept again. She rubbed her eyes. Her dreams were merging with her reality. With every passing day, she found herself being sucked deeper into the dream. Alpha was calling out to her. It filled her dreams and reality. She had to go there. Her eyes fell on the large piece of aluminium at one corner of the room.

The Dreamscope was large and bright. Colourful lights went off on its surface. It recorded her dream. She looked at the television screen. She turned it on. Her most recent dream filled the screen. She saw the splendid cliffs made of crystal. The sky was beautiful and vibrant. Stardust glittered like a million diamonds across the surface of the pink sky. Her eyes feasted on the visual extravaganza. She saw the shadow more clearly now.  It was shaped like a human male. It stood slightly taller than Emma. It wore a cape and a dark red suit. Its voice was deep and hollow. Emma felt a deep connection with the shadow. She tried to hold its had but her heavy hands slipped through its translucent fingers. Her heart pounded. She was very close to becoming one with the shadow. She looked at the television screen. She was at Level 4. She remembered John’s words. It was time for them to meet again. 

She typed an e-mail to John in a state of trance. She glanced through the pages of research material that she had collected. She wondered if she would ever complete her thesis. It didn’t matter anymore. She wanted to be free from this world. She wondered what the challenge that John spoke about was. She didn’t feel any discomfort or pain during her dreams. 

John arrived the next morning. He was drenched in water. His eyes looked through the water droplets at Emma’s weak form. Emma opened the door wide and let him in. He went straight to the Dreamscope.

“So you’re at level four already, huh?” he asked. He examined the Dreamscope. He turned it on. He spent a few moments glancing through a highlight video of Emma’s dreams. The Dreamscope showed that she was at Level 4. 

“Have you experienced anything strange?” he asked, his voice rising with curiosity.

“What do you mean by ‘strange’?” she asked.

“Can you see the shadow in your dreams clearly?” 

“No, not yet,” she said. “I see his form clearly but our hands don’t meet.”

“Hmmmmm…..” John scratched his chin with a thoughtful expression etched on his face. 

“Is something wrong?” Emma asked, her eyes looking at John with concern.

“Do you remember what I told you last time?” he asked. His eyebrows were raised.

“You told me something about the ultimate challenge,” she said in a low voice.

“And?”

“And, I don’t know I’m there yet.”  she said. “My dreams have gradually become my reality. I spend more time in Alpha than on Earth.”

“You said you saw the shadow clearly. What did he look like?” John asked.

“He was tall. He was male and he had large hands.” she said. Her eyes fell on John. John stood slightly taller than her. His hands were large. They reminded her of the shadow in her dream. She inhaled sharply. Her eyes met John’s. Her hands clutched over her heart. Her eyes widened.

“Bingo.” he said. "You passed the challenge." 

She walked towards John shakily.

“What does this mean?” she asked. Her body began to vibrate. 

“Everything you saw was a dream,” he said. She recognised the hollow voice clearly now. She looked into his eyes. The ceiling began to spin. The room disappeared. It was replaced by a vacuum that shone in the seven colours of the rainbow. Emma’s eyes hurt. Her mind was numb with questions. 

“I-“

“You called me here,” John said. “Your dreams are vivid. Your desire to transcend space sucked me into this world. I had to wait until your body and mind were ready to leave. You’ve made incredible progress. Now, you are ready to join me in Alpha.”

His hand extended to her. Emma looked at it in a state of shock. A sense of calm came over her. It was time to leave. Her concern transformed into a smile. She took his hand. This time, they met. She felt the warmth of his palms dissolve the weight in her body. They were one. The scenery around her changed. She was sucked into the rainbow coloured vacuum. 

Together, they arrived at Alpha. It was everything she imagined and more. The colours were brilliant. The scenery was pervaded by a sense of calm. Everyone smiled at her. She wouldn’t be interrupted by the alarm clock anymore. Reality was a distant dream. She was here now. 

She was home. 


-P. Wish