Shattered Illusions

Chapter 4

~Nyx~
Dreamworld

I like this place! Calm, soothing, outdoors. I lean against a tree, close my eyes and listen to the water trickle over the rocks. I can feel the presence of the dreamer without even looking at them. When I do the air in my lungs stops moving when I see the brown haired woman sitting next to the creek. I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding at the realization I had been hoping to see her again. She turns to look at me and it takes her a second to recognize me, faster than last night.

“Nyx?”

“You remembered.”

She seems just as surprised to see me. I walk closer and sit down next to her.

“I have to say I like this place better than the last two.” I comment.

She seems confused.

“Is this a dream?” She bluntly asks.

“Yes.” I study her reaction.

“What?”

“It’s just that most people don’t notice they are dreaming.”

She looks around us. I try to take it all in like it's the first time to see what she’s experiencing. The atmosphere is almost too perfect. There is a hum I can feel on my skin. It’s different from the real world.

“Do you often dream like this?” I ask her.

She shakes her head. “Only a couple times now, well, ever since you showed up.”

One of my eyebrows shoots up.

“This is the third night in a row I have been in your dreams.” I state.

“Do you usually dream like this?” She asks.

“Yes and no, I don’t dream.” I bluntly state, it’s complicated.

“What do you mean you don’t dream?”

I sigh, why not tell her. She won’t believe me anyways, they never do.

“For as long as I can remember I get pulled into other people’s dreams. I’ve never experienced a dream of my own creation. I’ve never seen the same person more than once either. Until you.”

I can tell she is nervous. Neither one of us says anything, both taking in this new knowledge. I can tell she has a lot of questions but I really don’t want to get into it all. It would just be a waste of our time here.

“Was yesterday really your birthday?” I break the silence.

“Yes.”

“Happy belated birthday.” I smile at her.

“Thank you.”

“Did you get the birthday of your dreams?”

She leans back, more relaxed, and thinks.

“No, I actually didn’t do anything for my birthday.”

“Really?” I ask, surprised.

“I just relaxed at home and had a nice dinner with my parents.”

“Did they get you anything?”

“Not really. We don’t really do gifts.” she shrugs. “I usually just get money or they take me somewhere like a concert.”

“More into the experience than things. I get that.”

“I did get this.”

She raises her arm up to show me something but freezes when she notices it is not there.

“Huh, weird, I never take it off.”

“What?”

“Oh, my charm bracelet. Austin got me a new charm for my birthday but the whole thing is gone.”

I shrug. “We don’t always look the same way in the Dreamworld as we do in reality.”

“Do you look different?” She asks me.

“I’m sure I look just as different as you probably do. The Dreamworld has a certain…glow to it.”

I don’t know. I think I look pretty much the same but the dreamworld is strange. It wouldn’t surprise me if a dreamer saw me differently than I do.

“I’m not sure why this has happened but it was nice to meet you, Little Bird.”

She squints at me.

“Why do you keep calling me that? I hate nicknames.”

I  smirk. “More reason to call you it.”

She smiles and shakes her head at me.

“Will I see you again tomorrow night?” she asks.

“I don’t know. Like I said before I’ve never seen a dreamer more than once and now I have been pulled into your’s three times now. I have no idea what will be next.”

I can feel her fading away. Everything slowly becomes duller and more distant; she is waking up.