Dream Girlfriend

The fine line between dreams and reality

"What would you consider a nightmare?

Is it dreaming about something scary that shakes you awake at night? Something so horrifying that it can only exist in your dreams?

Or is it dreaming of being happy with someone you know you can never be with again, because of your own ego, and then having all the happiness taken away when you open your eyes.

Both dreams will leave you in tears, wishing you'd never even slept in the first place. In this line between dreams and reality, only knowing the difference once you wake up, can you keep your balance and see through the illusion casted by your own mind, or will you succumb to the torment in your own safe haven, your dreams."

Asriel closed his diary and sat at the edge of a bridge connecting one side of the city to the outskirts. The bustling road above him occasionally would snap him back to reality as he stared into the sea below him. Seeing the mesmerising waves reflecting the lights of the city from one side and a calm light cast by the moon on the other. The split between the two lights reminds him of the dreams, similar but barely able to tell apart. He knows they aren't real, but he only knows when he wakes up. Opening his diary again, he flips through the pages. The tattered pages of the front is a sign of how long this book has been with him. Since that day on the October 4 years back, he became the free from the shackles and insecurities of his past and found someone for him. Someone who would be there with him and remind him that he doesn't have to go through it alone. Until that fateful August a year ago, this book had turned from the Journal of Happiness to proof that the happiness he once experience was not but a dream.

Asriel took his phone out of his pocket and stared at the black screen, even with the lights dimmed from the distance and the fog of the darkness that comes along with the midnight breeze, the dark circles under his eyes were apparent.

"I guess this is what two days without sleep does to you, huh..", Asriel smiled at himself, trying to fool his own mind to think that he'd move on. But even though he doesn't understand himself fully yet, that smile wasn't going to fool anyone. He continued staring into the reflection, The end of the lips were crooked, the grin slowly faded away as he saw how lifeless his eyes were, only amplifying the pain he was feeling, both physically and mentally.

It was too late to go back to his apartment now, so he just laid down on the cold steel of the bridge and closed his eyes. Finally giving into his own desires. Because he knew no matter how much it hurts, it was the only way to see her again. Asriel heared the whistling of the cars grow weaker and more distant, until it finally stopped.

The vibrations on his phone woke Asriel up from his sleep, his arms were heavy from the long sleep, but the sunlight from the horizon at the end of the sea made it easier raise his phone up to his ear.

"Are you up yet?" Asriel groaned in response. He probably should've at least tried to act that he didn't just wake up, because the tone of the voice at the other side changed the next second.

"Do you want to put off our date to another day? You sound kinda tired..", Asriel bounced up as soon as he heard the disappointment in the voice.

"N- no, no! I've been up all night! I was so excited for today that I didn't get any sleep, that's all!", Asriel tried to redeem himself for forgetting the date. 

"So, do I pick you up this time?" The voice on the other side changed tone again.

"I think it's my turn this time right?" Asriel answered while gathering his stuff from the bridge into the pink bag he brings around.

"Oke, I'll see you at 12?" Asriel looks down at his watch, showing that it's a bit past 10.

"Sure, I'll be there at 12."

Asriel climbed back up the ladders and started walking back to his apartment. It was a small apartment he shared with his roommate, Emile. She doesn't talk too often, so other than her name, Asriel knew her as well as he knew himself. "If she's anything like me, Astrea would probably know her better than I do." Smiling to himself, Asriel can't think about anything other than meeting up with Astrea.

Asriel opened the door to his apartment on the 6th floor and walked straight to his room. In hindsight, there wasn't much to see in the first place. The living room was split by a corridor where the two rooms were. The living room had a sofa piled up with laundry and a TV on the other side, the kitchen was decorated with only the necessities. Out of habit, he'd announce that he's home whenever he would walk by Emile's room since his was later down the corridor. 

"I'm home" Asriel said at a monotone voice and continued on to the bathroom. He washed up and took a shower. Since his room was just opposite to the bathroom, he wrapped his lower half with nothing but a towel and proceeded to walk out. As soon as he pulled the door open, Emile's door that he had greeted for the past few months had finally moved. At the archway stood a girl who looked around the same age. With shoulder length hair and pale skin, her eyes were wide open at the sight of a half naked human of the opposite gender staring her down. But, he couldn't help it. She was kinda cute. The baggy clothes and small physique just added to it. She reacted for awhile and slammed the door shut, knocking Asriel out of his own trance. He wiped his feet on the carpet outside the bathroom and proceeded to get dressed in his room.

He wore something simple, like he always has. A white t-shirt, a pair of jeans and a black sweater that she'd gotten for him. Asriel had a habit of listing things before going out so he doesn't forget anything. Keys, wallet, phone, glasses, watch and ring. Had a nice ring to it, he always smiled to himself. Asriel looked at the clock at it was already ten minutes past 11. He left the room and past Emile's, who's door was once again back to it's original state.

"I'm leaving now" Asriel said, out of habit. Asriel walked by, expecting silence but was caught off guard when the door started knocking back.

This was a good omen, he thought to himself.