Short Stories

Fog faded forest P1

After i wake up, i usually forget my dreams after washing up or eating breakfast.

But for those that stick with me to this day, they are either fading away with their phantom traces or ever haunting me from the shadows.
Today was one of such dreams.

Penetrating my shoes, i could feel the cold moist soil beneath my soles that squished with every step i took. Every time i scrunched up my nose, the earthy musk of petrichor and moss flared into my lungs. My ears reached far and wide for sounds, but all i could hear was the faint pattering of raindrops falling from the leaves of the tall trees that surrounded me, and the occasional wind.

Whenever i breathed out, the visible clouds from my nose and mouth blurred the glass of my spectacles. And when i breathed in, the cold air stung my nostrils and to relieve the prickly sensation, i covered the bottom part of my face with my shirt, and zipping up my hoodie.

It was quiet in this pale white city of trees...
Everywhere i looked, beyond the trees in every direction and in the distance, it was just whited out. It was neither day nor night. Just a never ending map of tall trees and freezing air.
No matter where i walked, no matter how far i went along the paths, i always come back to this clearing of the forest.

"I keep coming back to this spot.. Did I miss a clue somewhere that's stopping me from progressing?" 'Or do i need to wait for someone?', was what i thought as i continued walking around aimlessly.
It was getting boring getting nowhere, so i picked up a long stray branch and played around with it.

Out of the corner of my eye, i saw him. The one person whom i kept seeing throughout my dreams.. the only one i could trust. To be honest, i dont really know if they were a he or a she.. they never clarified though our time together lasted longer than fleeting kisses. But for today, it was a he.

"You're back again", he said exasperated, running a hand through his hair. I couldn't help but smile sheepishly. " I wanted to see you again." Sighing, he walked towards me slowly, the long brown coat swayed as he moved. "I told you its dangerous to lucid dream. And even more dangerous to see me... What ever am I gonna do with you?" He grinned.

In the moment that he grabbed my hand, we were suddenly in a shopping mall. Not too crowded by the faceless shoppers but also not as empty as that whited out forest from earlier. "Come on," he said as he pulled me onto an ascending escalator. Covering my eyes from behind me, he giggled softly and slowly lead me to his destination. He pulled his hands back, revealing a quaint simple clothes shop.

Could it even be classified as a shop though? There were no displays but for a single shopkeeper and a changing booth, both behind the pink tinted glass that separated us and her.

"Seo, I brought her!" He sung out to the shopkeeper who scrunched up her face at his high pitch. "I'm on 3 hours of sleep, just shut up." "Whatever you wish my queen!", he chirped brightly, shutting up. She only groaned back in response, and pulled me into the shop.

Her knitted eyebrows loosened, her thin fingers pulling down the front of the shirt i used to cover the lower part of my face.
"Freezing isn't it? That forest..." Her hand touched my face, the warmth of her hand against my cold skin made me lean into her, wanting more. But the jealous borrowing eyes of the man behind us cut the time short.

Slowly, we walked into the changing booth beyond its curtains and as we walked along the endless rooms, the tall man still following us. He spoke.
"Soooo... Did you miss me?"

"Of course i did." I said with no hesitation.
His ears turned red though he still had an indifferent smile on his face. Even without expressing it directly, it was fun to tease him.

The shopkeeper came to a stop, the clicks of her heels stopped echoing through the corridor. "If you would step into this room, you will feel much better after you come out. Don't worry, you don't have to do anything. You may stand there with your eyes closed too. There's no need to be scared, we're both here behind this door, alright?" She gestured me to step into the small room.

I glanced back at the man, he nodded encouragingly towards to room. After a hesitant step, i stepped into the room and faced the door and towards them. The two of them smiled reassuringly and that was when i closed my eyes.