Man Of My Dreams

Chapter One: 3 months ago.

Bow in hand, I trekked through the muddy swamp. I don't know what I'm hunting exactly. But it has to be small enough to take down with an arrow. Mama says guns are too loud, they attract too much attention. And we don't like attention. Speaking of Mama, she's probably almost done prepping for supper. Which means I better hurry and bring something back for her to put in a pot or else.

Mama didn't hit me. She did way worse. She would punish me to my small bedroom in our old run down house. Deny me food and freedom. And she never spoke kindly to me. After all, why would she? It's because of me that we have to live out in this swamp. And she never ever let me forget it. I was stepping over a log when I heard movement coming from my right. Something small, I could tell.

I crouched down low and squinted my eyes. There! A rabbit was turned the other way. Munching on whatever vegetation was growing there. I knocked my arrow and let out a slow breath and loosed it. Swack! Bullseye. I crept over to where the bunny lay and grabbed it up. This will do just fine. I tied it to my game bag and began the trek back home.

Mama was waiting in the kitchen when I walked in through the door. "A rabbit," I held it up, its blood dripping on the floor. Mama hissed, "Well, don't let it bleed out all over the floor. Take it out back and clean it." I didn't say anything. I walked through the house and out of the back yard where an old table and wash bin waited for me. I made quick work of gutting and skinning the rabbit. Pissing Mama off was something I rarely ever wanted to do.

I brought her the meat and headed to the bathroom to take a shower. This is my favorite time of the day. Shower, supper, and bed. I know my days are always filled with Mama's hateful words and muddy hunting treks, but at night... At night, I get to see him. I don't know his name, but I know him. Somewhat. I've been dreaming of him for as long as I can remember. I don't know anything about him except for how he looks and that his home is huge.

Marble floors that are always polished and shiny, I don't even know how many feet high his ceilings are, his bed is as big as our run down house, with black silk sheets... I sighed, the hot water beating down on my back. In my dreams, it's always him. Laying in bed, sitting in a library reading, or strolling in a garden at night. I've never seen him talk to anyone else. Never seen him smile or laugh. He just... exists in my dreams. I'm not even entirely convinced he exists outside of them. But he's the only entertainment in my life that I have outside of the swamp and its inhabitants.

I didn't used to enjoy watching him. As a little girl, I found it pretty boring that I dreamed of a man every night instead of fun adventures to the moon or something . I told Mama about it once, but she just grunted something about me getting out of her hair and I never tried bringing it up again. My life is boring outside of my dreams.

I'm not allowed to go into town without Mama. In fact, I've only ever been a few times. And even then I wasn't allowed to speak to anyone. As far as school goes, I know all the basics. Reading and writing, basic math and science. As you can guess, real school wasn't something I was allowed to attend, either. And so that left me friendless, save for a few animals out here in the swamp. A random old dog that was dumped here years ago that I call Stanley and a cat who doesn't like to be touched, held, or even looked at most of the time called Minou. There's also a generation of squirrels who live in our attic. I wouldn't call them friends, though. More like menaces.

I shut off the shower and dried off quickly. Dressing in pajamas and brushing my hair to look presentable for Mama. She didn't like me to be unkempt for supper. Truthfully, I don't know why we stay out here in this swamp or how it's my fault that we do. And I doubt I'll ever know if I don't ever muster up the courage to ask her. Maybe one day. But today is certainly not that day. I can hear her cussing under her breath already as I approach the kitchen table.

"Was it a good shot?" I asked, fixing a bowl of the stew she made. She looked up from her bowl and shrugged, "A little bit of the meat was bruised but not too bad." I released a mental breath. Relieved that I wouldn't have to endure her harsh words while I ate. I was halfway through my bowl of stew when I looked up to see Mama staring at me. Her face was void of that usual hateful sneer. This time, she looked... sad.

That sad look was short lived, disappearing from her face almost as soon as I looked up. We always ate in silence, unless she felt like giving me a verbal lashing. It seemed like tonight she would skip it. I finished my bowl and went into the kitchen to clean up. "Supper was good as always, Mama." I turned the sink water on and began doing the dishes. She didn't say anything back, only sat her bowl next to the sink and retired to her room. Good. I could get done faster without her constant critiquing anyway.

After the kitchen cleaned, I fed the scraps of bunny carcass to Stanley and Minou and hurried to bed. Sleep found me quickly and when I awoke in my dream, it didn't take me very long at all to realize what I was hearing. Moans and whimpers. Was he.... I must be hearing things. I walked fast and rounded the corner of his long hallway where I knew I would find his room. And sure enough, there he was. A woman naked and laying under him. And inside of myself, I felt something I had never felt before. Jealousy.

In all the years I have dreamt of this man, I have never seen him with another man, much less a woman. I could feel my heartbeat quickening and my breaths were becoming short and shallow. For a split second, he stopped and peered over his shoulder. Almost like he could sense me standing there. He's never been able to see me or sense my presence. I needed to leave. Now. I turned on my heel and ran. I ran down the long hallway and out into the garden I had so often seen him strolling through. I sat down on the cement bench near a rose bush and caught my breath. It always feels so real, this place. The emotions I feel here, the cool marble floor against my feet.

I could wake up whenever I wanted. But I wanted to see who the woman was. I wasn't hearing any more sounds after a few more minutes. And soon, I started hearing two pairs of footsteps pattering down the long hall. I didn't hear any voices so I waited to see if they would come to the garden. Not a moment longer and there they stood.

The man of my dreams was tall. He had to be six foot-five at least. With long, shoulder length brown hair that happened to be curly. He was beautiful. But the woman standing next to him... Beauty couldn't even describe her. She had long, straight blonde hair that fell past her ass. Striking blue eyes that shone so bright I could see the light from where I sat across the garden. Tall and slender, she was wrapped in a black robe. They were standing there. Not saying a word.

I pulled my attention away from her and put it back on him. He was staring in my direction. A faint look of concentration across his face. Almost like he was staring a hole straight through me. My heartbeat quickened and I saw his face quirk up in surprise. But I didn't stick around long enough to see what had him shocked. As I started waking up, I heard the woman speak a name. His name.