Dreamwalkers

Chapter Four

Chapter Four:

                “I remembered a dream.” I said ecstatically to Eli.

                “Yeah, awesome,” he said, completely absorbed in his videogame.

                “I said,” I repeated, mad that he didn’t really respond. “I remembered a dream!” It took a few second for him to respond, but when he did, the look he gave me was almost priceless.

                “You remembered!” Eli asked, incredulous.

                I smacked the back of his head, annoyed with how slow he was picking up on what I was saying. “Yes, you dipstick. Isn’t it amazing?” I almost squealed out of excitement. That’s never a good sign.

                “So, after 17 years of never having a dream or remembering one, you finally had one?” Did he want to get smacked again? He reached his hand up to the back of his head, rubbing it. I swear it was like he was warming it up for me.

                “Yes! Don’t make me repeat myself again, Eli!” He held his hands up in surrender, and I let out a little ‘humph’, crossing my arms and leaning back on my right foot. I never could stand up straight.

                “Just let me ask you one question.” I rubbed my hands together, ready to give him a smack any second. He glanced down at my hands, trying to be inconspicuous, but a wary look came over his face. I let out a slight nod, ready for whatever was coming.

                “What was it about?” As soon as the words left his mouth I went rigid. If I was being honest, I had been so wrapped up in the fact that I had even remembered it that I hadn’t really thought that much about what exactly it was about. Should I tell Eli? The instant gut-wrenching feeling told me no. Besides, he wouldn’t believe me and then I would just end up in a crazy-person place rooming with a 40-year-old balding man who talks to himself. Yeah, I couldn’t tell him the truth, or at least not the whole truth.

                “Oh, nothing all that interesting,” I improvised. “Just some really pretty flowers and some woods and stuff. Nothing really happened, and it definitely wasn’t a nightmare.” I couldn’t get over it. It wasn’t a nightmare, but a dream. A place where nothing bad happens and everything is just perfect and wonderful all the time. I could barely handle the thought. It seemed so surreal, and I felt as if I didn’t deserve to have such a place all to myself for… well, however long it was mine.

                “That’s kind of a let-down.” Eli muttered, disappointed. “I was hoping for some crazy fiasco or some weird take on Jurassic Park or something. Eh, at least it wasn’t a nightmare. Now there’s a first.” He turned back to his game and continued as if nothing had happened. Real great brother he is.

~0~0~0~0~0~

                I stretched my feet out, getting as comfy as possible on the sofa before I started to read. Everyone, and I mean everyone had to be somewhere, so that left me home alone. I didn’t really mind being home alone that much, though I did prefer having people around me whenever possible. Silence bothered me. I was about as comfortable in silence as I was in a laundry chute. I wasn’t.

                Grabbing the remote, I turned the TV onto one of those music channels and let it play softly through the surround sound speakers. I hummed along with the song, flipping the pages as I read. Reading was like an escape from life for me. All I had to do was open the pages and dive in. The world around me would fall away and all my worries and problems would disappear. The only problem with a book, though, is that it ends. And when it ends, all my worries and problems are still there. I mean, I wouldn’t want to get stuck in one forever. I’d never be able to see anyone I loved again, but I always wished that they’d last just a little bit longer.