Dreams and Dreamlings

Chapter 5- Home... I Hope.

                As we entered the old dusty mine, a wild gust blew past us and almost knocked us off our feet. It was a good thing I found a gnarly root to hold on to that was sticking out of the compact earthen walls of the mine. Amy held on to my arm when the gust blew and covered her eyes with her other hand.

                “This doesn’t feel right.” I mumbled.

                “It never does.” Amy said while brushing off the dirt on my shoulders. “We just have to push forward. That’s how we do things while we’re here. It’s how we survive.”

                The way she said that made me shudder; to think that people can actually lose their lives here. One mistake can send me on a one-way trip to oblivion. One false move and everything will be over. Nothing will be left. No parents, no friends, no Olivia. I could end up becoming some other traveler's weapon if I died early. I had a feeling I'd be reborn as something lame like a rubber mallet or a frying pan. I tried not to think about it too much.

                I concentrated on the path ahead of me that was visible under the dim lighting of the mine’s lamps. The path looked like it’s been used before. I could see traces of footprints. They were really faint but they were definitely footprints. I saw that Amy noticed them too.

                “Maybe Nikolai came through here.” I said, “He probably entered this domain and landed somewhere else.” 

                   Shoot. I should've just kept my mouth shut. The last thing I wanted was to get Amy's hopes up and there I was doing just that. Stupid.

                “Hmm… Maybe.” She said as she forged on, her eyes fixed on the path in front of us. 

                The tunnel ahead stretched further into the hill for God only knows how far. I could hear that Amy was already panting. And I hated to admit it, but I was also getting tired. I hadn't noticed how fast we were walking.

                “Hey, why don’t we rest for a while.” I suggested.

                “Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing.” She said, “My legs are aching.”

                As she set down her backpack, she took out two small canteens filled with water and we sat beside each other leaning on the wall. I chugged down the water in an instant and stared blankly into space. Amy could see that I was spacing out.

                “What’s on your mind Remy?” Amy asked.

                “Everything,” I said, “I feel as if someone just took my head and screwed it on backwards. I don’t know what to think anymore.”

                “Yeah, I know how you feel. Obviously.” She said sympathetically as she stared at the dimly lit lamp above us. “But you’re luckier than I was when I first became a traveler.”

                Her statement suddenly sent a jolt that coursed through my body. I’d forgotten that Amy was alone when she woke up in the Dream Realm a couple of months ago. I ended up wondering how much more scared and confused she was compared to how I was feeling. I hadn’t realized how lucky I was. I was taking my luck for granted. And yes, I was lucky despite having to encounter more than one dreamling during my stay here in the Dream Realm.

                “It’s just crazy,” I said, “The Dream Realm? Dreamlings? All of it sounds like a bad joke.”

                “You’re just going to have to accept everything as it is, Remy.” Amy said as she placed her hand on my shoulder. “The sooner you do, the sooner you’ll be able to keep up with whatever’s happening. That’s just the reality of things... Well, our reality.”