All We Know Is Falling
Day Nineteen: Dreamer.
I knew that I was lost. I knew because people were telling me. You look lost, they were saying. I know I do, I would say back, but how can I be lost when I’ve got nowhere to go? They would disappear then, into a huge crowd. The odd person would come out, saying that I was lost. One person came out and told me where to go. They told me there was a place for people who were lost like me.
This person, they took me by the hand. I think it was a girl. I wasn’t sure because he face was blurred. Well, it was blank. She just had a shape there. They spoke through minds, which meant they could and would read my thoughts, so I had to keep my mind blank too. I had to stop thinking, which was hard. It was getting more and more difficult, and I was struggling now to keep up with the woman in front. Her feet were getting faster and faster, and she was getting more frantic. Eventually, I lost her. She disappeared too, into the crowd. Life was easier in the crowd. I hated being in it, but I could tell that everyone else found it better, because they tried to pull me in.
One little boy came up and hugged my leg. It hurt slightly, but I wasn’t sure why. I looked down and jumped back when I saw he had a face. He didn’t speak, just took my finger in his small hand. He pulled me away from the crowd, and he took me to a park. It was lovely. It was sunny there, unlike where the crowds were; those places were full of fog and smoke. They hurt my lungs.
This park was clean. There were people here with faces. I knew some of the faces. One of them was my old best friend. One of them was the recently buried Chris, who looked healthy and well. He waved at me. I waved back.
I wondered around the park, and saw that there were many people here that I knew. Ivy was here, my old boss, the police officer that had questioned me that night, Lisa. I stood in the centre of the park, in a little circle that the little boy drew around my feet.
Before I could do anything, places in the park started to crumble. People that I didn’t know ran away.
First the police officer went, taking with him a building that looked like my house. My old house.
The little boy was drawing another circle next to me. In it appeared empty shoes, just simple black ones.
The ground rumbled again and Ivy and the bench she was on fell down. A pair of trousers filled the shoes, but nothing was on top of them. I frowned at the little boy, who was laughing.
Next, my boss fell down, and with him went a huge building made out of green notes. Some of the notes fluttered out, and landed by my feet. The little boy bent down, picked them up, and pocketed them. I felt a lump in my throat. What was going on?
As soon as my boss was gone, a shirt appeared, neck less and armless.
Another rumble, and Chris fell. His smile faded, and he was gone. The ground was disappearing more and more around me. A body filled the shirt and trousers, but no face was present.
Finally, there was a loud cracking noise, and Lisa fell. There was only one space left now, the centre. The boy was stood there, and right before my eyes the faceless figure turned into Sean. The little boy pulled on his arm, and whispered in his ear. He smiled, and looked at me, smiling wider.
I frowned, and the little boy tugged my arm too, pulling me down to whisper in my ear.
“Sean loves you Ian. You depend on him at the moment.”
With that, the little boy clicked his fingers, and I woke up.
Ian woke up cuddled up to Sean, who was smiling in his sleep. He leaned up slightly and looked over Sean’s shoulder, seeing that it was two in the morning. He snuggled back down.
Even though in some ways his dream had been horrible, it had still been his best dream so far. He cuddled Sean closer, kissed him on the cheek, and whispered “I love you”. With that, he fell back into a sleep, this time dreamless and comfortable.
Sean was awake, but he kept his eyes closed until he felt Ian fall back asleep. He breathed a deep sigh of relief, knowing that Ian was getting much better. No nightmares tonight, just proper sleep. Sean fell back asleep too, and the couple slept soundly, smiles on their faces. It had to be getting better.It couldn’t get much worse.
If Sean was honest, he was scared. He knew that, for some reason, everything around Ian was falling. He didn’t know what was going to fall next, and all he had to do was hope that Ian and him weren’t going to fall apart with the pressure.
This person, they took me by the hand. I think it was a girl. I wasn’t sure because he face was blurred. Well, it was blank. She just had a shape there. They spoke through minds, which meant they could and would read my thoughts, so I had to keep my mind blank too. I had to stop thinking, which was hard. It was getting more and more difficult, and I was struggling now to keep up with the woman in front. Her feet were getting faster and faster, and she was getting more frantic. Eventually, I lost her. She disappeared too, into the crowd. Life was easier in the crowd. I hated being in it, but I could tell that everyone else found it better, because they tried to pull me in.
One little boy came up and hugged my leg. It hurt slightly, but I wasn’t sure why. I looked down and jumped back when I saw he had a face. He didn’t speak, just took my finger in his small hand. He pulled me away from the crowd, and he took me to a park. It was lovely. It was sunny there, unlike where the crowds were; those places were full of fog and smoke. They hurt my lungs.
This park was clean. There were people here with faces. I knew some of the faces. One of them was my old best friend. One of them was the recently buried Chris, who looked healthy and well. He waved at me. I waved back.
I wondered around the park, and saw that there were many people here that I knew. Ivy was here, my old boss, the police officer that had questioned me that night, Lisa. I stood in the centre of the park, in a little circle that the little boy drew around my feet.
Before I could do anything, places in the park started to crumble. People that I didn’t know ran away.
First the police officer went, taking with him a building that looked like my house. My old house.
The little boy was drawing another circle next to me. In it appeared empty shoes, just simple black ones.
The ground rumbled again and Ivy and the bench she was on fell down. A pair of trousers filled the shoes, but nothing was on top of them. I frowned at the little boy, who was laughing.
Next, my boss fell down, and with him went a huge building made out of green notes. Some of the notes fluttered out, and landed by my feet. The little boy bent down, picked them up, and pocketed them. I felt a lump in my throat. What was going on?
As soon as my boss was gone, a shirt appeared, neck less and armless.
Another rumble, and Chris fell. His smile faded, and he was gone. The ground was disappearing more and more around me. A body filled the shirt and trousers, but no face was present.
Finally, there was a loud cracking noise, and Lisa fell. There was only one space left now, the centre. The boy was stood there, and right before my eyes the faceless figure turned into Sean. The little boy pulled on his arm, and whispered in his ear. He smiled, and looked at me, smiling wider.
I frowned, and the little boy tugged my arm too, pulling me down to whisper in my ear.
“Sean loves you Ian. You depend on him at the moment.”
With that, the little boy clicked his fingers, and I woke up.
Ian woke up cuddled up to Sean, who was smiling in his sleep. He leaned up slightly and looked over Sean’s shoulder, seeing that it was two in the morning. He snuggled back down.
Even though in some ways his dream had been horrible, it had still been his best dream so far. He cuddled Sean closer, kissed him on the cheek, and whispered “I love you”. With that, he fell back into a sleep, this time dreamless and comfortable.
Sean was awake, but he kept his eyes closed until he felt Ian fall back asleep. He breathed a deep sigh of relief, knowing that Ian was getting much better. No nightmares tonight, just proper sleep. Sean fell back asleep too, and the couple slept soundly, smiles on their faces. It had to be getting better.It couldn’t get much worse.
If Sean was honest, he was scared. He knew that, for some reason, everything around Ian was falling. He didn’t know what was going to fall next, and all he had to do was hope that Ian and him weren’t going to fall apart with the pressure.