The Story of Promiseum - Dream walker

This time he found himself in a small meadow. The grass here was pretty short, just barely over his ankle. There were flowers everywhere, barely sticking out of the grass. Mostly red and yellow patches, with some blue mixed in. A short distance away, there's a wooded area with a small creek running through it. This is just what he needed. A nice relaxing walk to clear his mind. The song of nature was all around him. He could hear the sound of the water rushing by, crickets, frogs in the distance, and the sound of birds singing overhead. All in tune with the wind playing through the leaves in the trees.

If dreams are a creation of the mind, I wonder what I can do, he thought to himself. He never really thought to try. Dreams just sort of flow, so whatever control you do have is usually limited at best. Plus, it just changes as new thoughts enter your head. Okay, he said to himself as he noticed the sun behind him. It took a lot of concentration, but he moved the giant yellow orb to the middle of the sky.

Then just to see if he could, he changed it from yellow to bright red. Then, he changed it to blue, then green, then back to yellow. Suddenly, he had a feeling he was being watched. Trying not to be obvious, he scanned the Treeline. There he was! The mysterious dark figure. He couldn't see what he looked like from that angle, so he turned his head to get a better look. As he did, the figure started to disappear behind a tree.

Then, Danny said, "stop."

He didn't yell it, He didn't raise his voice at all, but that one word seemed to resonate through the air above all other sounds. And everything just stopped! All the sounds, the wind, even some birds in mid-flight. For a minute, there was a look of panic on the man's face. It seemed as if he couldn't leave. So, he just approached Danny with a look of defeat on his face. But somehow, there was a look of pride mixed in.

"Who are you?" Danny asked.

"It's not important. What you really want to know is what I know about you and what I can tell you about your dreams."

"Okay, I'll bite. What do you know about me, and what can you tell me about my dreams?"

"Well, for starters, I see you've already figured out that you can control your dreams," He began. "What you haven't figured out yet, is that you can control all dreams."

"So, I can just go into anybody's dream?"

"Sort of," he said. "But not exactly. When you're asleep, you enter someone's dream by attaching yours to it. Then, they merge into one dream."

"So, that's what happened with Emily?" Danny asked.

"Exactly," He answered. "Didn't you notice; you started in an area outside of Emily's dream that she wasn't even aware of?"

"I never thought of that. Does sharing dreams have anything to do with me knowing how to do things that I never actually learned to do?"

"You catch on fast," he said. "Basically, if it's in the dream, it's yours. If they know how to do it in the dream, so do you."

"Does that mean our dreams are merged right now?" Danny asked.

"No. I'm different. I don't have my own dreams here. I don't have time to explain it right now, but when the time is right, I'll tell you everything I know."

"Why don't you have time to explain?" Danny asked.

"It's a long story, and my energy is too low. I can't stay here much longer."

"Could you at least tell me your name, or what to call you?"

"My name is Lancel Kind, but you can call me Lance."

Then, he was gone. Suddenly, it was as if the dream had been unpaused. Everything came back to life around him, and the abruptness of the sound startled him. I forgot about that, Danny thought to himself. Danny looked up just in time to see the birds fly by again. He could have sworn that he felt them giving him dirty looks. Walking down the newly formed path, he thought about what he wanted to do next. He wanted to talk to Emily. Danny wanted to find out if she could feel the same about him or if she would be willing to try. I guess this would be an excellent time to try an experiment, he thought to himself.

He concentrated for a minute, then he said, "Emily."

"Danny, is that you?" He heard her say.

"Yes, it is,"

"Where are you? I can't see you."

"I know. You're dreaming, and I'm not in your dream. Can I join you?" He asked.

"Please do,"

He turned left, and he was in a backyard. He knew this yard. He played here as a kid many times while growing up. He went through the back door into the kitchen. This is her parents' house.

"Can we go somewhere else and talk?" He asked.

"Sure. But where?"

"Take my hand," he said.

She did, and he led her through the other door. However, instead of entering the living room, they stepped out onto his balcony.

"This is better. Don't you. think?"

"Yes," she said. "I think it's perfect."

The scene here was a late evening in the city. It was just before sunset when the streetlights started to flicker on. The street was empty except for the occasional passerby. Likely on their way home or to the entertainment district for a late dinner and show.

The air was reasonably warm, but there was a light breeze playing across the patio. Adding some liveliness to the scene were two birds playing in the branches of a nearby tree. Darting out, from time to time, in a game of tag. Then swooping around to land back in the tree. Emily liked this dream a lot. It seemed more vivid than ordinary dreams, but dreams with Danny always did. That's one of the things she loved about him. He always seemed to make everything better.

"I'm sorry for interrupting your dream," he started. "There is something important I want to discuss with you, and I don't feel like I can wait."

"It's okay," she said, "you're always welcome in my dreams."

"I'm glad to hear that. Now that I know that it’s your dream I’m entering, it just didn’t feel right being here without your permission. So.

"Danny!" She interrupted. "We've been best friends for as long as I can remember. There's no reason to be awkward about dreams, conversations, or anything else. You know I love you, so quit stalling and talk to me."

"That's what I want to talk about," he said. "I love you too. And when I say that, I mean I'm in love with you. I don't want to lose or change our friendship. It will always be the most important part of our relationship. However, I want more. I don't mean to sound selfish, but I want everything you have to offer. I want to hold you in my arms, to kiss you, even start a family someday."

"I know," she said. "And I feel the same way, but I don't want to make too many changes at once. We should just take one step at a time."

"You're right. There's no need to rush. Can I take you on our first romantic date this Friday?"

"I would love that.”

"Does that mean I can kiss you?" He asked hopefully.

"No, I don't want our first romantic kiss to be in a dream!"

Then, she disappeared. As soon as Danny woke up, his door flew open. It was Emily. She ran across the room, jumped onto the bed, and kissed him. It was a deep passionate kiss. She didn't kiss him out of lust, but it wasn't out of friendship either. As soon as she kissed him, he knew that she loved him as much as he loved her. Then, she just melted into his arms.

“That was the best wake-up call I ever had. I'm going to stay here more often,” Danny joked.

She just laughed and kissed him again. He never knew just how much he would enjoy having her in his arms like this. By the time they got up and got ready, Robert had already finished his breakfast. Danny was just finishing up making breakfast, and Emily was hanging on his arm with her head on his shoulder. When Robert came back in to grab his keys, he noticed them.

"What's up with you two?" he asked.

"Danny asked me to be his girlfriend," Emily said. "We have a date on Friday."

"It's about time, bro," he said as he walked out the door.

Danny made the store hours eight to one Monday through Friday because his biggest focus is his lawn/home maintenance business. But his hand-crafted furniture is his biggest moneymaker. It's also his passion and favorite hobby. He dedicates Wednesdays just to his furniture craft. Today he decided to finish up a little early. After two o'clock, he gave Emily and Robert enormous bonuses for the very successful grand opening.

Robert was working on a major cabinet project for one of their biggest clients. And Emily was with her mother shopping. Emily gave her the news and told her about the date and how she had "nothing to wear." Danny was catching up on paperwork. Suddenly, he experienced the strangest sensation. It was like falling down and being pulled up at the same time. Then he thought he heard someone speak.

"Danny." The voice said.

"Lance, is that you?"

"Yes, it's me," the voice said. "Listen to me. That strange feeling you just experienced was caused by medial energy from the dream Vail." Remember that energy. Now concentrate on that until you feel it again." He instructed. "When you do feel it, concentrate on it becoming a door. Do you have it?"

"Yes,” Danny answered.

"Good, now let go," he said.

It felt like he was falling as soon as he did, but it was more of a shift sideways. He was still in his office when he looked around, but now Lance was sitting in his chair.

"How did you get into my office?" Danny asked.

"This isn't really your office," he said. "You're in the vale of Dreams."

"I fell asleep?" Danny asked.

"No," he said. "You're physically here, just like me."

"How is that possible?" Danny asked.

Looking around, he couldn't see any difference. Suddenly he noticed a bobblehead of himself on the desk.

"Basically, you shifted your physical form into pure energy." Lance said, "I'll explain it all some other time. The important thing is that you're here, and when you are here, you're not in a dream. You are the dream. There are certain advantages to this oversleeping. I'll tell you some, but you'll learn more with experience."

"Okay, I'm listening," Danny said.

"First, the veil of Dreams is where our spirit comes to recharge our life force while we sleep. When you come here physically, you are instantly recharged."

"Does that mean if I come here every night, I don't ever have to sleep?" Danny asked.

"Exactly," Lance said, "even if it's just for a minute."

"What if I come here from time to time, but I still want to sleep?" Danny asked.

"It doesn't matter. You can still sleep whenever you want," Lance said. "You're different, Danny. You don't have to come to the veil of Dreams at all to be recharged. So, you don't even have to be tired to sleep."

"What else?" Danny asked.

"Well, typically, when you enter the veil of Dreams in the physical form, you create a doorway. If you just leave, you automatically return to the last one you entered, taking you back to the point you were in the physical plane. Having more than one door means you can choose where you exit. If you have multiple doors, you can even use the veil of Dreams to cross from one to another instantly," he said.

"This is all very interesting. But why did you bring me here to tell me this?" Danny asked.

"Because you're in danger." He answered. "There's a group of scientists that want to exploit this power you have, and they'll stop at nothing to get what they want. You have to be prepared, and this is the best I can do for you."

"You've been coming to my dreams for as long as I can remember," Danny said. "Why wait till now to tell me this?"

"I have no choice," he said, "I fear they're close to finding me. And if they do, they might learn about you."

"Then, why come to my dreams at all?" Danny asked.

"Again, I have no choice," he answered. "I am weak and fading. Without dreams, I drift through the veil, fading faster. Your dream field is the only energy powerful enough for me to hold on to. It also helps sustain me."

"How do I even know this is real?" Danny asked.

"Follow me," Lance said.

Then, he turned and walked out the door. Danny stepped out the door behind him. Instead of being in his Workshop, they were on the patio where he took Emily.

"You have allies everywhere," Lance said. "They will each reveal themselves when the time is right. Another advantage of coming here physically is that you can talk to Essentials."

"What's an Essential?" Danny asked.

"Essentials," Lance said, "are lesser spirits that live in the veil of Dreams. They are a great source of information and can help you in other ways. Sing, Song," he called.

The two birds playing in the tree the last time flew over and landed on the rail.

"Danny, meet Sing and Song," he said.

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Danny," Danny replied. "Likewise," they said in unison.

"I remember you two. I'm sorry that I froze you in that dream," Danny said. "I really didn't know it was going to do that."

"That's really nice of you to say," Sing said. "Yes, we appreciate it," Song added.

"By the way Song said, there seems to be an Essential missing. Gary said that he might have been kidnapped. I believe his name was Jonathan," Sing added.

"Thank you both," Lance said. "Now it's time to go."

"No problem," they both said as they flew back to their tree.

"You still didn't answer my question,” Danny said,” How do I know any of this was real? And how do I get back?"

"That’s two questions,'' Lance said. “Here, take this. It belongs to somebody close to me. You will know what to do with it when the time comes. To get back. Find your door with your mind. Now take all that energy you gathered inside of you and feel it move to the very front of your being. Now push!" As soon as he did, he felt everything shift again.

He opened his eyes, and he was in his office at his desk again. Did I fall asleep and dream all that? He asked himself. Wait! Something was different. There was some kind of energy that seemed to fill his office. Is this the door he was talking about? He asked himself. Then he realized there was still something in his hand. It was a simple heart-shaped locket with a rose etched on the front. It wouldn't open, so he left it hanging on one of the key hooks by the door as he went out.

Before he knew it, Friday evening was here. He has been looking forward to this moment, ever since he asked Emily out on a date while he was in her dream. He got her some flowers and was waiting in the living room for her to finish getting ready. He was thinking about how surreal this seemed. Even though he was fully aware of her womanhood and how beautiful and desirable she was. He never imagined having a romantic relationship with her. Up until sometime in the past few months, he just saw her as a sister. When did it change?

And then there she was! She did her hair, her makeup, her nails, wore her new dress, she even had new shoes. She was perfect. Absolutely beautiful! But it was all lost behind that smile. It was a smile of true happiness and love. At this moment, if an angel descended from heaven, they would hide in shame from the beauty before him.

“You look absolutely beautiful tonight,” Danny said. “I'm the luckiest man in the world!”

Now Emily saw it again, in that look in his eyes, the way his breath caught the moment he saw her, even the way he watched her move. There was no doubt that he loved her as much as she loved him. She walked across the room, kissed Danny on the cheek, and took his hand. They walked out the door and down the stairs. When they got to the alleyway, they turned to the right and went out the front sidewalk gate.

The date couldn't have been more perfect. Danny and Emily enjoyed dinner at that new five-star restaurant, watched a show they both liked and ended the date with a walk through the park. After they got home, they just cuddled on the couch and continued to talk. He had never been so happy. After a few hours, they decided to call it a night. Danny walked Emily to her room, where she gave him a goodnight kiss and closed her door. Danny went back to his room. He never saw her so happy. That was the perfect ending to the best night of his life!