'Sometimes, I wish I had dreams of my own,' Dave thought as he watched the sleeping form of an elderly woman.
Walang kamalay-malay ang matanda na naroon siya sa kanyang silid, tahimik na pinagmamasdan at inaaral ang Dreamscape nito. Dave heaved a sigh and approached the bed, his eyes never leaving the scene above her head. Para bang nanonood siya ng isang pelikulang hindi niya dapat pinapanood.
Sometimes it feels so invasive to watch someone else's dreams unfold before your eyes---and sometimes, they're not the most decent ones---but after several years of living like this, Dave eventually accepted his fate as a Dreamcaster.
"Sana proud si Sandman sa'kin."
Nang mapansin niyang unti-unting nagiging blangko ang mga imahe sa Dreamscape ng matanda, he flickered his hand and started the manipulation. Kasabay nito, nag-reverse ang kulay ng kanyang mga mata.
His irises inverted to a pale white glow while the corners bled black.
Nagliwanag ang pelikula hanggang sa bumalik ang mga kulay at nagkaroon ng bagong elemento sa panaginip ng matanda. This time, Dave added her deceased husband in the scene, sparking a reunion. Kapansin-pansing mas naging relaxed ang ekspresyon ng matanda habang natutulog.
'Kahit man lang sa panaginip, maging masaya siya.'
Nang matapos na ang kanyang trabaho, Dave's eyes reverted back to their original color. Black orbs against a sea of white. Huminga siya nang malalim at sinimulang maglakad papalayo, his footprints leaving a trail of sand.
Alam niyang hindi rin naman mapapansin ng mga tao ang buhanging ito bukas pagkagising nila.
In the morning, it'll be non-existent to them, just like him.
"At saan naman kaya ako pupunta ngayon?" He asked himself. Partially curious, partially trying to dispel his boredom. As much as he loves his job, hindi pa rin niya maitatangging makakasawa rin minsang mabuhay nang paulit-ulit ang ginagawa. Like some kind of stupid routine you're bound to do for the rest of your entire existence.
Kaya tulad ng dati, umikot lang ang gabi ni Dave sa pagbisita sa iba't ibang mortal at pagmamanipula ng kanilang mga panaginip.
"May dinosaur! Mama, tingnan mo may dinosaur!"
Excited na sabi ng isang bata sa kanyang panaginip, almost to the point of sleep talking as a means of translating it to the Waking World. Napangiti na lang si Dave habang pinapanood ang Dreamscape nito. Tuwang-tuwa habang nakikipag-wresting sa isang maliit na dinosaur.
'Sometimes some people have the craziest dreams,' Dave noted and stepped away from the kid's bed.
Sa ilang taon na niyang pagtatrabaho, kabisado na niya ang mga mortal.
He knows that kids would often have more energetic and "out of this world" dreams compared to teenagers who, more often than not, have dreams relating to their careers and love interests. Hindi niya man madalas aminin, pero hanggang ngayon nananatiling misteryo para sa kanya ang individuality ng mga enerhiya ng tao.
And as a Dreamcaster who reads that energy and morphs it to manipulate their dreams, it's something pretty cool.
"One more mortal," Dave concluded after checking his list. Madalas, nakaayos sa isang spreed sheet ang mga ito, pero sa kasamaang-palad, na-lowbat agad ang kanyang laptop.
'So much for human technology. Bakit ba hindi na lang sila mag-imbento ng gadget na hindi nauubos ang battery?'
Knowing that his rants won't do him any good, Dave stepped inside the room of the last person he needs to visit tonight. Agad niyang napansin ang mga obra maestrang nakasabit sa mga pader at ang nagkalat na pintura sa sahig. Dave scanned the room and spotted the girl tossing in her sleep.
Agad na nakapukaw sa kanyang atensyon ang maamo nitong mukha kahit pa mukhang binabangungot na ito.
'Bad energy. I wonder what's keeping her from having peaceful dreams,' Dave mused. But just as he was about to take a look at her Dreamscape and manipulate it, he felt a strange force pushing him back. Ilang sandali pa, nagulat na lang ang binata nang biglang nagbukas ng mga mata ang mortal.
At nang makita siya nito...
"AAAH! MAGNANAKAW! MAGNANAKAW! MAMA! MAY NAKAPASOK NA POGING MAGNANAKAW!"
Huh? That's odd.
"Um..." Dave stepped back, unsure of what the hell was happening. "Hindi mo dapat ako nakikita."
---
BINABASA MO ANG
✔ Dreamcaster
Fantasy"I am a Dreamcaster." "But you don't have any dreams?" "Does it matter?" He challenged. She glared back. "It does." After his mentor's retirement, tuluyan nang pinandigan ni Dave ang kanyang mga responsibilidad bilang isang Dreamcaster. As someone w...
