A shared dream (Liliana & Gamb)

[DreamingDaniel]

For the first time since years, Matt had trouble to relax his body enough, to fall asleep. He pushed himself extra hard today during his workout, to be exhausted enough tonight to easily fall asleep. But the last two nights and the dreams he experienced through these nights occupied his thoughts and stopped him from focusing on what he wanted to dream about.

Since he started to learn to control his dreams at the age of seventeen, he experienced the greatest adventures during his nighttime and managed to get more and more often lucid during his dreams. Now, at the age of twenty seven, he was able to control his dreams and become lucid whenever he wanted to. Each day he was looking forward to the end of the day. When the day for most people ended was the time, when it really started for him. That led to him, never having trouble to fall asleep. Quite the opposite, when he set his mind to focus on what he wanted to experience through the night, it was easy to drift into sleep and the dream, that he thought about a moment before.
But since this woman appeared in his dream, two nights before, he had trouble to focus on the details of the dream, he wanted to enter. Instead his head filled up with questions he couldn't find the answer to.

Why did this woman draw all of his attention in his dream towards her? There were always women in his dreams, that was nothing special. And since it was his dream, he although interacted with them often. He even did things with them, he never would have tried to do in real life. He just wasn't good when it came to woman outside of his dreams but since he could fulfill all of his desires in his dreams too, he although never tried too hard to overcome this burden and find a girlfriend.
He had girlfriends before, but it never lasted long. Somehow he never found what he was looking for outside of his dreams. Would that even be possible? When you can create the world as you want it to be, when you can control the people around you and what they do, people in real life quickly get less interesting. This was probably the reason or at least one of them, why his relationships never lasted.

Something must have changed, he couldn't find another explanation why he met this woman in his dream twice in a row and wasn't able to interact with her as he was used to. No matter what he tried, she didn't move when he wanted her to move. She didn't speak when he wanted her to introduce herself to him. She just stood there, looked at him shortly when he started to talk and then vanished. In addition, the place where he found her the last time, was no place he had created. The idea of creating a beach with white sand during a night, to fill the sky up with northern lights and let the water shimmer in the colours, that reflected those of the northern lights was something he often thought about but never was able to create so well. The colours were more intense, the water additionally shimmered in its own shades of blue, as if underneath would be something, that illuminates it. It was beautiful, astonishing and he was sure, that he often thought about it but never in such detail and beauty.

The woman was standing at the edge of the beach, close to the water, looking towards it. She drew all of his attention towards her. His attempts to bring her to do what he wanted her to do didn't work, which made him only more curious. How is that possible? Was his own mind playing a prank on him? It was the only reason that made sense or did his subconciousness wanted to tell him something?

Turning around in his bed, thinking about the dream at the beach from last night, he had trouble falling asleep. He laid on his back, removed the pillow and rested his head with the short blonde hair directly on the mattress. The image of the woman, standing in front of the water filled up his head. So he focused on this image instead of the city he had thought about before. Being able to finaly focusing on only one thing, the beach, he felt his muscles relax and slowly he drifted over to sleep.

He knew that probably one hour went by in the real world but to him it felt as if just one moment had passed, when he opened his eyes and found himself hovering above the beautiful beach with the white sand. The feeling of a cool breeze washed over his face and send a soothing shiver down his spine. Defying gravity and hovering in the air or flying to a certain destination, was one of the things he enjoyed most during his dreams. Like so many other things, it was something he couldn't experience in the real world and he felt his body in ways, he could never experience in the real world.

Slowly he descended from the sky and landed with his naked feet in the white sand of the beach. The sand tickled his feet and was warm, as if it was warmed up by the sun, Though there was no sun. It was night and the northern lights at the sky illuminated the area around him. Covered in a jeans and a grey shirt, he turned his gaze towards the water, where he saw the mysterious woman yesterday.

 

[Liliana]

Dark and bleak, the only to two words to explain her world to anyone that knew Harlow. Slowly, since the age of 8 years old, Harlow has been losing her sight. Year after year the color seeped from her world. Shapes and lines no more defined. She was falling into world of darkness. And she hated it, she was losing hope. No longer was she finding beauty in the world anymore. The only place that she could find even a small amount of hope was in her dreams. Dreams that had become a place of beauty for her. A place to run to from her ever darkening world. Sometimes she would find herself not wanting to wake from the dream. Not wanting to face the dark and depressed world that she lived in. She was a woman of the age of 26. Hopes and dreams she did once have. At a time in her life she wanted to teach and make music. But that dream was taking from her. She wanted to have a family and have someone love her. But who would want to be with someone that would go blind? She tried for awhile to find someone. She gave up after the a few times. They would just look down on her with pity. And she didn't want or need their pity. She got that enough from her family or even herself.

She sat by the opened window. The curtains pulled back, she could feel the warm sun on her face. The birds sung, cars drove past and the voices of the people that lived around her mixed with the sounds of the outside world. Every day she would sit here. To feel like she was still part of the world. When she didn't feel that she was. She felt like an outsider. Like she didn't belong to anything in this world. There was no place that she didn't fit anymore. The sun was setting. She could feel it move over her face. Harlow looked forward to the night much more then anything. It was time that she was able to sleep and dream. To go into her made up world. That had become something real to her. She could live in her world of lush and lively colors. That is what she looked forward to each and every day. Not the long drawn out days filled with life. Because it meant nothing to her now.

The closer that time drew for her to go to bed. The man from her dreams entered her mind. Never in her world of dreams had she ever dreamed of another person. She was always alone in her dreams. But when she saw him. It shocked her. Who was that man and how did he get inside of her dreams. For two nights he had showed up at her beach. A place that she always went on hard days. That is when she made her dream world with more beauty. When her world was at its darkest for her. She longed to go back to her white sand beach. To dip her toes in the water and watch the colors dance.

The sun had set, she could feel the warmth seep from the air. Coolness of a breeze tickled her cheek. She felt along the wood up to the top and pulled the window closed. Standing, she could her the padding of paws along the hardwood floor. The brush of Gunner's fur against her bare leg. She reached down to the German Shepard petting his head. With a gentle whine he nudged her hand softly. "I know, time for bed." She walked through her apartment with Gunner nudging her leg to help guide her to her room. There was no need for lights. She couldn't see them anyways. Once to her bed, she leaned down and felt along the smooth cotton sheets. Crawling into bed, Gunner jumping up after she got settled and comfortable. He laid his head on her stomach. Running her fingers through his soft fur, she closed her eyes. The man from her dreams popped into her head. Why was she thinking about him? She might not have been close to him. But even from afar she could see so many questions scroll across his face. Harlow, was able to hide her shock easy enough. Though she didn't linger long after they saw one another. She didn't know what was going on, and she didn't trust what was happening. She didn't do well with change, and that was a big change. Someone that she didn't know, someone that she knew she didn't make. Came into her dreams. And if she was honest with herself, she was scared as to what it might mean.

With a sigh, she squirmed on her bed, trying to get comfortable once again. Gunner grunted and laid on her once again. Trying to clear her mind, as her doctor told her to do in moments like these. She tried to think of her beach. The lush colors, the way that the water moved. The sky alive with the Northern Lights. She loved the Northern Lights. Ever since she saw a picture of them she fell in love. Keeping the man at bay, but still the thoughts of him danced along the edges of her mind. She was curious about him that she would admit. And nothing good came from being curious. It always lead to some kind of trouble. With a shake of her head she gripped a hold of the image of her beach, the water and the dancing lights. Slowly her body relaxed, her mind slowly drifting on the edge of her dream.

She never counted time. There was no sense of time of her when it was dark. She felt the gentle breeze tickled her cheek. The lapping of the gentle waves. She smiled, her dark raven black danced in the wind. Slowly she opened her eyes. The world that greeted her, made her smile grow. So many colors, deep and lush. Purples and blues, greens and pinks. Her world was always night, the colors, always popped and danced against the night sky. Tilting her head back, little bright points of light twinkled. As a child before she started to lose her sight, she loved to lay with her dad and look at the stars. She loved stars so much that she and her dad put stars all of her bedroom walls and ceiling. So she could live in the stars. They glowed each night and she fell asleep in that world, that her and her dad made.

Slowly she walked to the edge of the soft warm sand, digging her toes deeply into it. The warm gentle water played against the ankles of her feet. She felt at peace here. A home and world away from what she lived in the real world. She could stay here and never get tired of it. A bark drew her attention to the side. She smiled, Harlow loved to have dogs around her. He came running down the sand. A sweet and gentle lab plopped down at her feet. Leaning down she petted and loved on him. Gunner wasn't able to be here. This gave her company in her dream as well. An animal that she loved. They were all over the place. But the lab loved the beach. That is when she noticed someone out of the corner of her eye. Standing up she turned to look at him. Storm grey eyes met his gaze. Her skin like that of cream, raven black hair swirled around her shoulders. She wasn't tall, standing only at 5'5" in height. Her body curved like that of a hour glass. Plump red lips, soft and gentle features, on her heart shaped face. She was about to pop out of her dream. But after two days of seeing this man, she wanted to know who he was and why he was in her dream once again. This would make it the third night that she had seen him.

Talking the first step, she walked up from the water. The lab beside her. She was nervous to even walk up to this man. But she had to know, there had to be a reason he was here and in her dream. Her hips gently swayed as she walked. Her heart pounded against her rib cage the closer that she got to him. The dog feeling it moved closer to her. Once she was standing in front of him, a foot away. She didn't dare to go any closer to him. Not until she felt a little more at ease with him. Her voice like that of sweet and gentle music. "Its you." She said softly. "You have been in my dreams for days now. I don't know why that is." She wouldn't say her name, not now at least. Her storm grey eyes met his gaze, having to tilt her head back to do so. "I don't understand." All different thoughts and feelings scrolled across her face. Trying to work out what was going on and why he was here. She whispered softly, "Who are you?"

 

[DreamingDaniel]

There she was again, standing in front of the water and looking towards the ocean. She was beautiful, really beautiful which shouldn't have been a surprise to him since all the woman inside of his dreams were beautiful. In the end it still was him who created them so it was logical that they all would be beautiful in his eyes. That at least made sense.
Remembering that it didn't worked, to talk to her during his last two attempts, he decided to try a different approach this time. So he just stood there and looked at her in front of this incredible background. ''It is so beautiful.'' The words left his mouth before he even thought about them.

From the distance he saw something running towards her. It was a dog, more precisely a Labrador. He remembered Kira, the dog of his parents that they got shortly before he was born. As a kid he spent every moment possible with her, he loved her. She always was looking so sad when he sat at the table and was eating something while she sat next to him and was hoping, that he would drop some of his food. Which of course happened accidently quite often to the dislike of his parents. His parents always said, that all Labis are the same, their main focus will always be food. If that although would be true in his dream?

His new approach seemed to work since she didn't vanished until now. To his surprise she even turned around and walked towards him. The way she walked was gracefull and had something hypnotizing to it. She stopped when they were still a bit apart and started to ask him questions. All people in his dream are a product of himself, they knew him as well as he did, so this was the first time, that a character from his dream asked him something about him. Maybe this is another trap and she would vanish as soon as he starts to speak.

With his height of nearly 6,5'' he was a good bit taller than her but she showed no signs of being afraid of him. She rather seemed curious. As he looked at her once again, he saw that the Labi was still by her side. Maybe he should focus more on him and not on her. This was as good of a time as any to test his theory. He thought about dog biscuits in the pockets of his jeans and reached into the pockets on the back of his jeans where he found a dog biscuit.

Kneeling down, he held the biscuit in front of him and he instantly got the Labis attention. ''Would you like some treats?'' The Labi came over to him and allowed him to stroke his fur on his back and on his head as long as he gave him a biscuit. ''You really remind me of Kira.'' he said abstinently.

Still looking at the dog and caressing him he answered her questions. ''Don't you already know who I am? I am Matt. You were on my mind since we met two days ago and I was looking for you. You are something new here in my world. So, who are you?''

 

[Liliana]

Harlow watched as the the lab went happily to the man that had treats. The dogs tail wagged happy at the attention for the man as well. She couldn't help but laugh a little bit at the dog. The lab was a lot like Gunner that she had at home. He loved treats and any attention that he got from her. She did miss him, but she knew that she would see him when awoke from her dream. That was if he didn't wake her up with sweet and wet kisses, and the nudging of her head. Watching the man interact with the dog. He seemed to like dogs as well. She would admit to herself that he was handsome, and any man that loved dogs as much as she did, was good in her books. Though she didn't know this man at all. And it still bothered her that he was once again in her world.

He was much taller then she was, handsome and his eyes. No Harlow, don't even think about that. With a shake of her head, her eyes popping up. Tilting her head to the side. "Know you?" Shaking her head. "No, I don't know who you are." Matt..that was his name. She liked the sound of his name. His world? This was her world not his. "Me?" There was something going on here. It bothered her to say the least. "I'm..." She paused for a moment. Did she tell him her name? Would this come back to bite her later? She had no idea. But she knew that she was safe in her world. "...Harlow."

She was looking for her? This got her even more curious about him. She sat down in front of him, her legs crossed as she sunk into the sand a little bit. Wanting to see his eyes when they spoke to one another. This was the first person that she would actually be able to see their eyes, while talking to them. And she didn't want to pass up the chance for this. So she was going to enjoy it before she went back to her dark world. "Matt..." She started to speak once again, making a motion to the beach around them with her hand. "This is my beach. I've never had anyone here but myself and the dogs. You are the first to ever be in my world. And I didn't make you. I never make people." Crap, did she say to much already?

The lab licked Matt's cheek. "You were looking for me." That was more of statement then a question for him. The tips of her fingers played the sand slowly. "I'll have to admit I was shocked the first time I saw you. You were the first person I have seen in years. And even the second time we saw each other." She wasn't about explain why that was. He would just be another person to show pity to her. And that was the last thing that she needed. "I don't know why you keep showing up in my world Matt." Leaning her head down so she could get him to look at her. "Would you please look at me? I'm not going to go poof again."

She had done it the last two times. But she wanted to for the first time in a very long time. To actually talk to him. Mostly she kept to herself in her real life. There was no reason to make connections with others. Because they would all just leave her in the end. Just like her mother did. After Harlow's mother found out that she was losing her sight. She didn't want to have a daughter that would be blind one day. She wasn't perfect enough for her own mother. So why have others leave her in the end. The only one to stay and help live in a world that was black was her father. He did everything he could for her. Taking to her other doctors. But with every doctor that they went all told them the same thing. She would go blind never to see again. It was hard on them both, more so on Harlow. She cried many nights, falling into depression. Her father was right there by her side. He wouldn't ever leave her. He loved her to much. And she loved her father very much for it. When he was gone she would lose the only person that really loved her. But she still had him, no reason to add more worry to all the other things she worried about.

 

[DreamingDaniel]

The feeling of the Labis tongue on his face made Matt laugh and brought back so many memories from his childhood with Kira and how she showed her affection the same way. He returned the show of affection by caressing her right behind her ears and he laughed even more, when the Labi started to twitch with one of its rear legs. If he would have to guess, he would say that the Labi was a girl. Maybe she was a reflection of his subconciousness about Kira?

When he was done caressing the Labi, he too sat down on the sand with his legs crossed and the dog laid down by his side. He could understand why the dog would be in his dream but her? He had no clue. Harlow? He never heard that name before but he liked it. It was fitting though, he didn't know who she is, so it made sense that she had a name he never heard before. There was a muster in that girl, he didn't knew her, had no clue why she was in his dream and had a name, he never had heard before.

''Hello Harlow.'' he said while he kept his focus on the Labi and caressed its belly. The dog turned on its back and allowed Matt to caress her there. His suspicion was confirmed, the dog was a female, she was his memory of Kira. He tried to swallow down the lump that started to build in his throat when he thought back to the wonderful time he shared with Kira.

She never had people in her dreams? He is showing up in her world? At least she was still there and talking with him, that was something though her words made absolutely no sense. He returned his gaze to her while he kept on caressing the Labis belly. Her face could only be described as beautiful with grey eyes which emphasized her natural beauty even further. Her gaze was filled with curiosity and warmth. She looked directly into his bright blue eyes and it seemed, as if she didn't allowed him to look away. And he didn't wanted to. For a moment he forgot where he was.

This was his dream but she claimed it to be hers. This was the beach he so often had thought about and she said that it was hers, that she is here normally alone, just the way, he had always imagined it would be when he thought about this place. Could it be? It was the only possible solution. His own mind must have decided to play a prank on him and show him a reflection of himself in the form of a female body. At least his mind had enough taste to give her a body, most people in the real world would only dream to have. The whole situation was still confusing but he decided, to play along. It's been a while since he didn't was the one, who was responsible for everything that had happened in his dream. In addition, if she was a reflection of himself, then he knew, that this would be fun.

''So you won't just vanish again? That is good, you really left me wondering about you during the last two nights.'' His gaze remained on her and though she said, that she wouldn't just vanish, he still expected somehow that she would just disappear as soon as he talked to her directly. But she didn't, she remained where she was. ''So you are here often? And there are never people around? Isn't that getting lonely real quick? I mean, if this is truly your world, then you could just let someone appear, right next to you.'' He felt the Labi moving at his feet, she stood up, moved over to Harlow and laid down right in her lap, demanding some attention from Harlow. ''What is her name?''