Dream Keeper

Dreams are beautiful to watch when the humans are asleep. Trailing through the sky like blue and silver ribbons of soul and spark, they dance through the air the way that I too, enjoy dancing. Occasionally, if it feels right, I dance with the dreams. Weaving in and out of them, twirling down and up and around them, the silent whoosh of my feathers against the night air to keep me company. Taking care of these humans’ dreams is the most important duty I will ever have. Those of us owls that are assigned the position of Dream Keeper are truly the most fortunate.

My name is Charlie. I am a rather classy barn owl, though those without taste would not notice. I always keep my feathers clean; I hold myself up straight, and I only move in the most majestic of manners.

Along with being such a classy owl I am also a hunter of mice, a dancer, and most importantly, the Peverill family’s Dream Keeper. They provide me with a comfortable life in their barn where I have many mice and a cozy place to rest after all the hard work I do for them.

My family consists of Lydia; the doting mother, Richard; the hard-working father, Natalie; their sassy daughter, and Lucas; the small one. Lucas is my favorite, even though he also provides me with the most work. But I suppose the things you work the hardest for often do become your favorites.

While humans do not know this, owls have been guarding their dreams since the first dream that ever came to be. Our eyes allow us to see the trails that the Great Dreamer sends down to them. However, this ability alone is not what motivates us to guard the dreams of humans. In fact, many humans are so ungrateful for us that were it not for the Great Dreamer’s request, we almost certainly would not have taken on the dream keeper task. You see, working in the shadow of the Great Dreamer, is the Night Monster. A dark and ambitious being that corrupts the beautiful dreams; stealing away the ideals of hope, warmth, caring, innovation, and wonder that dreams provide to humanity.

The goodness of humans comes from their dreams. If their dreams are destroyed, the world will not be nearly as comfortable for them or any other creatures to exist in. So, the Great Dreamer came to us with a request, saying, “Dear owls, only you can see my dreams- only you can protect humanity and this world from despair. If you protect the dreams, I will offer you each a place in my realm when your lives come to an end.”

And of course, the Great Dreamer was correct. Only we could perform such an important task. And who wouldn’t want to spend eternity in the realm of a being who only creates good and beautiful magic? Thus, the owls agreed, opening the path which led me here, to the Peverill’s home and their very cozy barn.

Other animals live in here, none quite as refined as myself, though I have done my best to instruct them when the humans are not present. The sheep named Shayla is the only one who seems to take any part of my lessons to heart. As such, I have appointed her my best friend. Shayla knows of my duties as a dream keeper, and I have entrusted her with the duty of reporting to the messenger ravens that are sent daily by the Great Dreamer, should anything ever go wrong.

Often, I sleep during the day, as I am quite busy protecting the dreams at night. But I like to peek at the humans every now and then when they come in here. They are so fascinating in their mannerisms and behaviors. Even their interactions with one another can be quite entertaining. They are quite different from other animals. I suppose these differences are what make them so endearing.

Richard does most of the chore work, a true “man’s man” as humans would say, while Lydia tends to the animals grooming. Lydia is a tender woman, such a caring heart.

Natalie often waits to come in here until the other humans have left, though it was not always this way. She is now at the age where she must pretend that she knows everything but does not like any of it. Yet, I know that she is not one of the miracle humans who really does know everything at such a young age because I have heard her confiding in Shayla that she is unsure of how to ask a girl named Kate to be more than just a friend.

Finally, there is Lucas- my favorite human. Very small, but with quite a lot to say, he has only been a part of the Peverill family for about a year. Despite this short time, they love him like he has been there his whole life.

The nightmares that try to visit here often come because of Lucas. Preparing to take on the form of the life he had before coming here. Chasing after him so he cannot feel safe. I can feel that tonight may be a rather difficult one for us. There is no particular reason, but my bones are telling me so. My feathers ruffle in anticipation, despite my many attempts to keep them smooth.

It is a bit colder now, the night air smells of smoke and falling leaves, with just a hint of raspberry. Lydia has been baking again and the scent lingers in the same way that love for one’s friends and family always seems to remain.

I glide out of the barn, snatching a mouse on my way out. The satisfying feeling of the crunch of its bones fills my mouth as I eat this most delicious breakfast. Perhaps I should have grabbed two… I am going to need the energy, but I also know that if I eat too much, I will not be ready for the impending battle. Fighting off nightmares is hard work, even for one as practiced as myself. Nevertheless, I shall do my best. For the sake of humanity! For the sake of dear little Lucas.

The beauty of the dreams as they come dancing in is always startling to me. There is nothing quite like this sight. It matters not what the dreams are about, though there are certainly some that do not quite match the beauty of the way in which they are delivered.

Lucas has fallen asleep first, the little blue and silver wisps of tonight’s dream is laced with rambunctious puppies and attempts to race the wind, puppies trailing behind as fast as their small legs will let them.

Next comes Lydia’s dream. I’m sure she fell asleep quickly since the work took her extra time today. The wisps of her dreams are often infused with romance, and tonight is no exception. Her love for Richard is at the forefront of her happiness after all.

Richard’s dreams on the other hand come weaving about with football and brand-new tractors, a satisfying day of work, and providing for his family. He is happiest when he knows they are cared for.

After a time, Natalie’s dream comes dancing through. Her dreams often change these days as she is still learning what is important and deciding what she wants. Tonight though, her dream pulses with hand holding and laughter. The giggles fill my heart with the kind of happiness that I hope is all she will ever know.

I am content for now, knowing that the Great Dreamer has given so much joy to my family this evening. Yet even in my contentment, I mustn’t relax. Nightmares may begin to sneak in at any moment.

“Thank you, Great Dreamer, for the visions of joy you bring my family this night” I whisper to the stars “I will do whatever I must to protect them.” As these words escape my beak, a feeling of warmth spreads through me. I know that the Great Dreamer has heard me, and that the feelings of gratitude are mutual.

Nightmares do not come loudly; they flow in softly- twisting around the dreams the way a snake will slowly strangle its prey. They move like strings of black sand, bringing corruption with their eerie silence. It is only when they are threatened that they become loud. Blooming into hawk-like shapes, attacking with their talons out first. Why they always start our battles the same way, I will never know. Though I suppose the predictability of it does offer me some comfort.

The nightmares take the form of hawks when disturbed, because much like the Great Dreamer made a deal with us owls, the Night Monster made a deal with the hawks. I do not know the details of it, but hawks are proud creatures and I imagine the Night Monster used that against them. Now, once they die, their spirits are forced to live on. Defending the little black streams of corruption sent here by the Night Monster.

As I fly around these beautiful dreams, my feathers begin to ruffle of their own accord. I quickly turn my eyes to the direction the dreams are coming from and there I see it. The first trickles of a nightmare gleefully making their way around Lucas’s dream. I swoop back to the barn and call to Shayla, waking her. “Shayla! They are here again. Remember what I asked of you?” Shayla looks at me bleary eyed, “I remember Charlie, I’ll make sure to get that owl pellet to the next raven that comes by. But you be careful, you hear? This barn will fall apart without you,” she bleats out sleepily. I nod at her briefly, then take off into the darkness.

I have a nightmare to destroy.

My talons out in front of me, I throw myself right into the black trail weaving into my dear Lucas’s dream. I can feel them sinking into it, and once I have enough of a hold, I pull with all my might. The black trickle pulses angrily, then tears itself from my grasp. More blackness follows it, swirling into the ever-familiar hawk form. I dodge out of the way just in time to avoid getting hit with that predictable first strike. As it passes me, I quickly latch my talons onto it’s back and lean forward, using my beak to go for the spirits eyes. I feel bad for a moment, whatever happened, the hawks did not deserve this. But I shake it off, I have a job to do.

The nightmare hawk screeches angrily as my beak connects with the soft area. Unfortunately for me though, this one knows what to do. Instead of pulling away from me, it throws its weight into me, pushing me through the night sky. I let go with my talons and take the tumble, if I come out of this with some distance between us, I may be able to get the upper hand. As the world around me spins while I fight to right myself, my stomach burns with fear. Losing control of where you are going so high in the air is frightening for even the bravest of owls. Should the wind blow the wrong way, we may not be able to recover.

Blindly, I right myself. Once I have my balance again, I see a blur as the nightmare hawk comes at me again. I dodge just in time, feeling the rush of wind made by its wings. I must think quickly. If I make the wrong move, I won’t win this fight. I do not know why the Night Monster is so determined to corrupt Lucas’s dreams, but each nightmare he has sent has been stronger than the last. In my prior experiences, he has often given up.

The hawk rushes back towards me, I use a single flap of my wings to propel myself upward just as it reaches me, I then allow myself to fall- crashing into its back as gravity pulls me down. I can feel it buckle beneath my weight. A successful maneuver! I sink my talons into the hawk once again and begin to pull it in circles as together we fall. Down, down, down. The ground is approaching quickly, I must keep an eye out. Feet turn into inches, inches turn into centimeters, and I let go, attempting to bring myself out of this spinning fall in time. But the hawk is determined to bring me down with him. He grabs my leg with his talons at the last second and together we crash into the ground.

The nightmare hawk crumbles into black sand as it is destroyed, and the sand then seeps into the earth, returning to the darkness. Because I was upright when the hawk grabbed me, my leg took most of the hit. I cannot move it.

Luckily, I am not far from the barn. I look up at the dreams, safely making their way to the humans. They are safe. I have done my job and Lucas will not have nightmares on this star filled evening.

I open my wings slowly, ensuring that they were not damaged. After a close inspection, I use my good leg to push me off the ground. It is a low start, but my wings are still strong. I fly back to the barn and over to Shayla’s stall. She is sound asleep again. I do not wish to wake her, so I move slowly, but I am hopeful that when my family comes to the barn tomorrow, they will notice the state of my leg and might offer some assistance. I nestle up next to my best friend and close my eyes as the sun begins to rise.

A few hours pass and a messenger raven hops in before the Peverill’s. I explain what has happened and ask that he deliver a message to the others. I will not be able to stop the nightmares alone in my current state.

Once the raven is off, Lydia is the first in. Shayla begins calling out to her, attempting to get me some aid. As Lydia walks over and sees my leg stuck out and crooked, she exclaims loudly “Oh my! You poor thing! Whatever could you have done?” She then turns and begins running to the house. I can hear her calling for Richard as she goes.

Eventually, I find myself being held gently in a towel as they drive me to a place they call “The Animal Hospital.” I am not sure what that is, but they say that I will receive help there. It is nice to be so close to the humans I have guarded for so long. Their presence comforts me, and they each take turns gently stroking my head.

I know that it will take time for my leg to heal, but tonight an owl named Amber will be arriving. She will help to guard the dreams until I have fully healed. I am content. The dreams will be safe, and I will be treated.

I can feel that a much larger battle is coming, but for now I must rest and prepare. This battle may have something to do with the Night Monsters determination to reach little Lucas after all… But for now, we are safe. The dreams live on and us keepers will continue to do our part. Until the Night Monster’s terrors come to an end, and we are no longer needed.