What Grows in Your Garden?

Chapter 2 - Altered Reality

I opened my eyes. I got up and noticed all around was darkness from where the point I stood. Vast, deep, never ending. Spot light shined on me.

"How nice of you to finally show up."

A figure emerged from the darkness. This figure was in fact me. I knew what was going on

"This... I'm lucid dreaming!" I stated. "I've always heard of it but I've never done it before."

"Oh trust me sister, this is far from a dream." She walked towards me, standing about 4 feet from me.

"There's only one of me, so of course I'm dreaming."

"The only reason you see me in your body is because you're imagining me that way. Try imagining me a different way." She said. At this point, I began to laugh. I have never experienced lucid dreaming, and it's quite realistic. So I did what she told me to do. I imagined something different, someone I know, my mother.

"Well?" She asked. "Did it work?" I open my eyes to see my mother standing in front of me. I almost being to tear up.

"Stop that." She said "I'm not actually her. You know that." It's true. I did.

"Ok.. so if this isn't a dream, how come I'm able to imagine you as anything?"

"It's your mind. We're in your mind." She walked around me. I began to imagine her as myself once again because I couldn't bare to see the image of my mother for any longer.

"That's what a dream is... right?" I question.

"I'm in your mind, you've made me up. This is an altered reality, sister, not a dream. I'm self aware."

I knew I was going crazy. This all sounded insane and I didn't believe one bit. It was a dream. Period.

"Eh, I'm sick of you already. Come back tomorrow night and I guess we can talk more." She began to walk back into the deep darkness, until she stopped.

"I will leave you with one thing. What grows in your garden, Elizabeth?" She walked away, back into the darkness.