The Dreamscape

I didn't want to enter her dreams because children's dreams are difficult and wild. Truly, I feared more than that.

I had nightmares. Me! I hadn't had any for years. Now, every time I closed my eyes, I dreamed I am a cat-shape, silky and pale. I find the girl in the dreamscape. She clutches me. I abandon the dream to visit her bedroom in the physical world and stand guard over her sleeping form. He comes into her room and walks through me as if I'm a ghost. I can't stop him-

Night after night, I scoured the dreamscape looking for her. Both anguished and relieved when I didn't find her.

Weight fell off me. Everyone said how "well" I looked.

I tried to find her mother again, but our connection had been weak to begin with and had grown brittle with disuse.

By chance I was passing the local school at three-fifteen, and there she was! I waded over to her through the sea of just-freed children and harangued-looking parents.

My coffee invitation was rebuffed and I felt the last thread between us slip away. Desperate, I bumped the little girl hard as I turned to leave, sending her sprawling. Her mother swore. Crouching, I helped the child to her feet, feeling the warmth of her under my hands, her cry boring into my skull. I wiped her tears with a knuckle. I stood, my apology ignored by both, and turned away, licking a salty drop from my finger.

Maybe it's enough.

I'd never had so much trouble falling asleep as I did that night. I sifted through dozens, no, hundreds of dreams to find her.

Children's dreams being so hard to control meant it'd be hard to control my appearance, and I didn't want her to see me. I held tight to my chosen shape, blinking and purring. I didn't dare leave the dream to visit the physical world. Instead I stayed with her, dreading each moment that her form would dissolve into smoke. But nothing woke her. I dared to hope she was safe. Maybe I could relax, and savour the hunt.

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Word count (excluding note): 366

*Quick Author's Note*

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Pay no attention to the writer behind the curtain: This continues on from previous ones - I'll come back and edit to leave links to those ASAP!

A Year of Stories: I'm writing a story every day this year. This one makes a 66 day streak. You can find all of them in my Index post.

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