They told us it was a gift. A gift from mankind to humanity, where people could save their beautiful dreams on a slim, silver card. Dreams we long to relive every day of our lives. They talk about it like it was our second mission on earth. Although I can't even tell what our first mission was.
“No more forgotten beautiful dreams,” they wrote on its pack.
“Dreams are meant to be re-lived over and over again,” they added.
But in all these. They never talked about the bad dreams. The nightmares we didn’t want to remember. Nobody thought of it. It was as if we were brainwashed to wish for the good always. Or was it just psychology playing tricks on mankind?
Until one day.
I was just stepping out of the house. The urge to grab a quick bite was so high I couldn't resist. I was going to stroll down the street to the nearest fast food to pick up some pastries when something glinted beside my gate. A dream card.
It had no name. No label.
I scanned my surroundings to see if the owner was around somewhere and must have dropped it mistakenly. I looked to my left, then right. But nobody was there. Nothing but just still silence, the kind that makes you hear the birds chirp interwoven with the voice of the wind.
I bent and gradually, I slipped the card into my back pocket. I was going to find the owner and return it.
Usually, I wasn't the type that snooped on people's business. Not to talk of sneaking into their dreams. But curiosity to identify who it was that must have lost a cherished dream card compelled me that night, after dinner, to connect the card to my old card reader.
I watched as it blinked twice and the screen came alive. The colors slowly moved across the screen. Like someone had thrown different shades of paint on the screen. Colors like a play from Disney.
Then it came the loud, shrill, and deep panting. Like someone was drowning in their breath.
I leaned back in fear and adjusted myself on my seat. Then I watched as a child ran across the screen, frightened, battered, and barefoot. He was in a foggy forest. It was as if an invisible smoke was hiding him from his fears. Then I saw shapes with shadows, like creatures from the underworld chasing after him.
I blinked. That didn't look like a beautiful dream. It was a nightmare. I thought to myself. I was getting frightened too, like the boy in the dream
I continued watching as the boy kept running. Then he tripped and fell. It was as if the screen tilted and fell to his face. Jis eyes were wide open, filled with something more than fear. As if he recognized the shadows.
Then I heard him whisper in fear. Begging. "Please, stop! Stop haunting me. I'm tired."
Immediately, my screen went blank. It was all darkness.
I watched as a prompt blinked on the screen:
“Replay dreams?”
I reached for the power button and switched my TV off. Then I yanked the card off and stared at it. I was sweating already. Then I dumped myself on my couch. The silence in the room was drowning me. I got up to skip the card back to the drawer when a knock came at the door.
I froze at first. Then with all the courage in me, I got up and walked to the door. I opened it, and there stood a man, slightly disheveled, with eyes too sharp. He glanced at me, then at the card in my hand.
“You watched it,” he said, his voice low but steady.
I didn’t answer at first. I just stared at him with questions in my head. "How... how did you...?
“I tracked the cards last sync to this place." He cuts in.
I shook my head of the fear building up within me. I didn't mean to. I just... I was trying to know who owns it,” I stammered. “I was going to return it.”
He quickly grabbed it from my hands before I could have it over. He turned to leave but stopped halfway. “They told us it was meant to record beautiful dreams. But all I've ever gotten is my nightmares. Night after night. That boy you saw… that’s me.”
I listened quietly, unsure of what to say.
I opened my mouth to speak but my throat felt dry. “Why didn't you write to them or return it?”
“I tried several times. But speaking of my nightmares would only ruin their organization. Besides I'm the only one out of many who records his nightmares,” he said. “No one will believe you. I guess not everyone finds themselves lucky in life like others." He turned and walked away this time for good.
Stories about dreams are always interesting and difficult to realize. One of the recurring fears of all people is precisely dreams, whether they come true or not.
Congrats! You did it!
I really liked the concept of dreams on cards; it's a very eye-catching element and a very original idea. Like everything, it always has its pros and cons. The man experienced the dark side of the cards.
Thanks for sharing your story with us.
Excellent Saturday.