Dreamcatchers

Prologue

The first thing he remembered was it being warm. Warmth that spread throughout his entire body, like the light of a lantern reaching even the darkest corners. It was similar to the tingle of a shiver, but somehow the opposite. This shiver didn't leave him feeling empty, but instead safe and comfortable. The light of the lantern spread from his core, the sensation reaching every limb, every fiber of his being. He felt almost as if he was floating, floating away like he was a lantern himself, that someone had sent into the sky.

He lingered in this feeling for a moment, bobbing and swaying gently in the breeze. He couldn't remember the last time he felt at such peace. But at the same time, he couldn't remember much of anything. All he could focus on was floating. He didn't care where he was, or where he was going. He would float up, up, up until he was in the stars, and he could no longer breathe. Up until the atmosphere burned his body away into a shower of light that someone would wish upon, thinking he was a shooting star.

But then something hit him. He wasn't truly floating. No, this movement felt more as if he was drifting. So, he wasn't a floating lantern after all. He was one of the lanterns that drifted on the water. Instead of bobbing and swaying in the breeze, he bobbed and swayed gently in the waves. Yes. This felt more right. The waves carried him into the unknown and turning. Every now and then he felt a dip in elevation, but then the waves would carry him back up.

Somewhere along the way, he couldn't really remember when the waves of the water had transformed into something grainy and soft. No longer bobbing, he was hit with a sense of grounding. Still, he didn't want to move. He longed for the waves to surround him again, sweep him back into the water to float like loose debris. But the water only licked at his legs now, encouraging him to open his eyes. When he did, a bright light flooded his vision, and he closed his eyes in shock.

He decided to wait then, to let his other senses come back while his eyes adjusted. To just lay here and breathe and take in the environment. He took fistfuls of the earth in his fingers, letting it slip through his grasp. He listened to the voice of nature. Crickets, chirping loudly as they call to each other. The whir of the wind as it sweeps through every tree and blade of grass, lifting every leaf and fallen petal. The fragrance of the petals that had not yet fallen mixed with the scent of the humid air. The taste of his own mouth on his tongue felt thick and sluggish. And finally, the darkness of his eyelids as he shielded himself against the unknown light.

When opening his eyes again, this time he found that it wasn't as bright. Replacing the bright chaos was the dim glimmer of a sky covered with clouds. This was his chance. Pushing himself up to a sitting position, he found that he faced a marsh. All around him, large willows surrounded him, swaying as the cool breeze flowed. The long leaves were lush with life, flowering with milky yellow and white flowers. To his back was the water, which pooled in from a larger body somewhere beyond. And meeting it was a cold mixture of sand and mud. Mushrooms grew in clusters here and there, and a variety of bushes and plants were scattered in the overgrowth.

Now more conscious, he was suddenly aware of a dryness in his throat. Gently shaking his head to ward off any remaining drowsiness, he turned himself around to face the water. His limbs had felt as if they had been asleep for ages, and now weren't his own. Dipping his hands into the water, he first cleansed off the grains of sand. Then cupping the water up between his hands, he drank slowly. The cool water soothed the aching of his throat.

Staring into the reflection of water before him, he was struck with the beauty of this place. He noticed now willow trees that enclosed the area seemed almost purposeful. As if nature itself decided to create this small haven. And then he noticed something else. Complimenting the white and yellow flowers, was the reflection of the stars and moon in the water. The clouds that shaded the night sky before were gone, and the moon shined in all its celestial beauty; Like its own yellow flower in the sky itself.