Scattered Dreams & Dragonflies

The fruit, the dog and the home

I looked ahead at nothing but the same repetitive image: a wide-open space filled with fields upon fields of green. Relaxing to most, an oasis of fruitful nurturing to the eye of those looking to rest. To me, however, it was a taxing view. I felt heavy, as did my hands. I had been pulling a heavy wooden cart for some time along a straight path, with nothing but grass around me. I could feel the wind, but within its caress, I felt nothing. I felt the subtle sun amongst the clouds kiss my skin, but I did not enjoy it. Taxed heavily by every moment amidst this beautiful oasis, I felt miserable. My cart held giant pieces of fruit, all matured and at the perfect point to eat. It was my intention to take them somewhere, but the thought of that destination escaped me.

After a few more steps, I finally saw a house in the distance. I arrived at a colorless home with a vintage style. It was not necessary to touch it to understand the craftsmanship of the wooden walls and its immediate environment. Suffice it to say, I took a minute to admire it. Still, I was tired and needed a place to rest, at the very least to relieve myself. With the intent of searching for a bathroom, I approached the house's door. As I did, with every step, I could feel the sun behind me increasing its intensity, and with it, my urgency increased as well. Quickly reaching for the door, I instinctively kneeled and put my hand underneath the small rug at the foot of the door. To my surprise, there was a key underneath that, with little to no effort, opened the door for me.

I opened the door slowly, the creaking only serving to heighten my unease as I ventured into an unknown home. I was greeted by the sight of a small dog, just a few steps from the entrance. The dog was covered in black, mixed with dashes of darkened caramel and beige. Its eyes were a pale green, topped with a hint of brown in the middle. I stood there idly as the dog refused to take its stare from me. Who could blame him, right? I was a stranger venturing into his territory. If anything, I would expect him to be, at the very least, alert. I began to take a few precautionary steps towards the dog, but my advancement was halted. Within moments, I found myself retreating as the dog immediately chased me out of the home. Its vicious bark was one I could not explain, but with every loud roar, I felt my whole body shake with fear. As quickly as I could, I ran outside and closed the door behind me.

With a heavy thumping sound, the door closed. Following that, an even stronger thumping sound occurred. It was the dog, who, instead of accepting my retreat, proceeded to attack the door in an attempt to get to me. Quickly, I grabbed my cart, picking it up by the front and began to reverse it to leave. My eyes, however, never abandoned the house entrance. With every passing moment, the dog continued to chip away at the door, tearing parts of it rather effortlessly. It wouldn't take more than a minute for the dog to completely tear through the door at this pace, so I had to leave immediately. As I backed up, I heard a noise from behind my cart that caught my attention. In a matter of moments, two cars collided head-on with each other. I remained frozen as the cars crashed, stopping in their tracks. As soon as they did, I attempted to pull my cart away from the impact area. Within moments, smoke started to rise, and soon the fire took center stage as the cars became entirely engulfed in flames. I felt cornered, unable to go through the cars that had now blocked my way. At the same time, the vicious dog had managed to completely break through the door. The dog looked at me for a short moment and then charged towards me, prompting me to hit the floor and brace for impact. I waited for a bite that never came. The attack completely halted in its tracks—no smell of smoke, no warmth of fire around me. Surprised, I opened my eyes to find myself standing in front of my childhood home. I had no idea how I got there, no clue as to what had transpired. However, in that moment, I understood that something unusual was happening, something beyond common logic or reasoning. Still, realizing what I had witnessed prior, I thought about those caught in the crash behind me and wondered if they were alright and alive.

Turning around to face my home, I saw a man. Someone I had never seen before stood a few steps from me, on the sidewalk right in front. Without so much as a thought or questioning who he was, I ran towards the faceless man and proceeded to hug him. As soon as the hug was over, I found myself surrounded by my immediate family. In a matter of moments, we started talking and sharing laughs.

It was good to be back home... then I woke up.