Dream Journal

Wandering the Lonely Pixelated Road

The trail was nearly dark, the surrounding forest reduced to trembling shadows and cricket noise. I fiddled with my fingers as I took cautious steps along the narrow path, carefully watching the meters floating above my head. My health bar pulsed, glowing and full. Next to it bobbed a golden 0, like a vertical halo. My game score. 

Dragging me along the path was some invisible force like a rope tied around my waist, slowly leading me toward my objective in the field nearby: to kill targets and get a high score of 50,000. To my left, a hill began to swell from the flat forest land. I could see the fork in the trail to the north, where the path out of the neighboring town merged with my own to create the cobblestone road ahead. 

The streetlights to the west marking the beginning of the cobblestone road flickered on like fireflies, marking the beginning of dusk. I pulled the wide, floppy brim of my witch's hat further down over my eyes and drew my arms closer to my chest. The air was brisk at this hour, and the wind whistled through my robes like they were scraps of tissue paper. 

I stepped carefully onto the raised cobblestone road and shuffled my feet. The road spread out before me like a vast river, slicing through the forest to the next town. But it wasn't so simple. I feared an ambush from other players, or mosnters lurking near the edges of the path. I knew this objective would be difficult without a team, but I didn't think it would be this terrifying.

I stopped before the dusty streetlight and lingered beneath its warm yellow glow for a moment. The dark was too heavy and moonless to see anything. The trees waved in the distance. I clutched the sides of my witch's hat so that the gust didn't carry it off. So far, I couldn't see any monsters' eyes glowing at the edges of the road. I took a hesitant step forward, when a distant grumbling made me freeze in my tracks. I spun around, eyes wide, breathing heavy. 

From the fork in the road behind me, a massive dust cloud had risen and a shadowy mass was headed right at me. I backed into the streetlight, my rucksack pressed tightly against the cold metal. If I ran, I might be attacked by something else in the forest. If I tried to return to the town, I'd crash into whatever was coming and initiate a battle. It felt as though my breathing had stopped while it grew closer and closer. 

Then I recognized the clopping of horses' hooves on the dirt. I let out a deep breath and stood rigidly beside the streetlight. The shadowy mass separated into several tinier forms atop horses. It was a team of players. 

I waved vigorously and stepped into the middle of the road. The team leader stared forward through the holes in his iron helmet, his red eyes studying me narrowly as he directed the reins of his horse. He didn't respond to me. I called out a request to join his team, but he only sped at me as though he'd never seen me. 

Their horses leapt onto the cobbles and the team blew by me, their dark robes billowing. They seemed to pass me in slow motion, their faces mocking me. The mage was snickering beneath her purple mask, and the two warriors were knocking hammers and gesturing laughter to one another. I sighed and fell back against the streetlight as they were devoured again by the dark, becoming specks along the horizon. 

I leaned with my back against the pole and slowly closed my eyes, knowing that I'd at least be safe in the light of the lamp. 

I gasped and suddenly opened my eyes, in disbelief that I managed to drift to sleep. Sleepy yellow light poured over the tops of the trees and flooded into the forest. Delicate bird whistles radiated through the grassy green hills behind me, and animals nosed their way onto the cobblestones from the edges of the forest. I smiled and stretched wide, swaying on my tiptoes. 

To my right, I could see the hazy crests of the castle turrets from the neighboring town on the other side of the winding forest. The clouds in that direction hung low, turning into fog at the opening of the forest where the split in the fork began. I glanced up, and sighed with relief to see my HP bar, brimming with liquid white health.