//------------------------------// // A Dream Worth Remembering // Story: A Dream Worth Remembering // by Buck Swisher //------------------------------// I had sensed it for a while. It had always felt like there was something else there, something more than the temporary warped characters of my dreams. Something that was clear, standing apart from the other fodder that occupied my subconscious at night. Yet tonight, it was different. Instead of a normal dream, it felt like this one had a purpose. It was a forest, similar to the forest I had explored and played in when I was a kid. I felt a strange sense of calm, which mixed with my hazy feeling of unease. I looked around. The grass was shiny, dew reflecting off of a bright full moon overhead. I couldn't escape the idea that I wasn't alone. "Is anyone there?" I called out. A little way ahead of me it emerged, the thing I had sensed for so long but had never seen. It was a horse, with wings and a horn. It's indigo blue coat furthered its look of an elegant mythical creature. As it neared, I noticed its mane was flowing, sort of like a gentle stream. It was dotted with white specks that looked like stars. "Hello," I said. The creature looked real, like I could reach out and touch it. I resisted the urge. "Hello, human," it replied. Its eyes, a bright turquoise, gave me a searching look. "Do you have a name?" I asked. The creature smiled. "You may call me Luna." "Luna," I repeated. "My name's Dean. Are you the thing that's been in my dreams?" "Indeed," Luna replied with a small nod. "They quite intrigue me, I must admit." Something about Luna's gaze made me feel like I was a creature she had been wanting to study. "How?" I questioned, confused. "My dreams are pretty meaningless, just a bunch of random stuff. I usually don't even remember them." "However, as the Princess of the Night, I tend to visit a lot of dreams. Thus, I remember them." Another small smile, warmer than the last. "Why do you watch my dreams?" I asked. "I'm just like all the other humans. How come you picked me?" "But you are not like the other humans," said Luna. "Your dreams contain parts of your life that have been hidden away from your memories, or even parts that have yet to take place." I thought about Luna's words. It did feel, in the rare occasions that I remembered them, like my dreams were lost memories. But dreaming the future? There was no way my mind could do that. "I can't dream the future," I said, voicing my last thought. "It's impossible." "Perhaps you haven't realized it yet," said Luna. "But as I said, I tend to remember dreams much better than most." "So, you can see when stuff from my dreams happens in real life?" I asked. "Sometimes," said the Princess of the Night. "You do have an intriguing life, Dean. Your mind is a wonder, even I have yet to understand it myself." "But..." I couldn't wrap my head around it. "How? How is my mind different?" Then a new question came to the front of my mind. "Have you been watching me my whole life?" "It has been a while," Luna replied. "But I don't believe it has been that long." "Is that why you watch my dreams? Because you see something in me?" I was beginning to wish that this conversation had happened sooner. "Possibly," replied Luna. It felt like she was only telling me so much, and wanted me to piece together the rest on my own. "Can you...see my future?" It felt weird to ask, but with what I had already been told it might not have surprised me. "I'm afraid I cannot." Luna gave a small laugh. "Though I would not wish to regardless." "How come?" "I prefer to think that future is better left in the future." "Yeah, I guess so." I looked down at the ground. I was barefoot, something I hadn't noticed. Seeing this detail also reminded me that this was a dream. It felt so real I had easily forgotten. "Are you real?" I couldn't help but ask. If this was a dream, would I forget all about Luna come tomorrow morning? "I do possess a physical form," said Luna. "Though it is likely you will not see it." "Are there more of you? That watch dreams?" "Not that I know of." I paused for a while, thinking of what to say. Then, the burning question emerged. "Will I see you again?" Luna's presence made me feel safe, like nobody could touch me while she was there. I didn't want to wake up. "Only time shall tell," said Luna. "But I do indeed hope so." "Yeah," I said, looking up at the moon above. "Me too." Without warning, everything began to fade. The dream was becoming less and less clear. Luna's face began to dissipate before me, and I could feel myself being pulled from the forest. Bright sunlight filled my vision as I opened my eyes. I sat up on the edge of my bed, looking around at my half-organized room. I thought about what had just happened. I had met a completely alien creature. I had spoken to it, and it had told me things I never knew I wanted to know. I could picture the forest, the moon, and Luna. It was incredible, the kind of creature she was. That something like her could even exist. I blinked a few times, and stared at the floor, trying to bring my dream back into focus. I thought about what Luna had said in response to my last question. "See you soon, Luna," I said to myself. I got up and began to start my day, brushing my teeth, getting dressed, going off to work, the same old thing. It was tiring, going through the same routine every day, but regardless of whether or not this day would be different, I had something to dwell on, something to be happy about. For the first time in a long while, I had remembered my dream.