The house was dark. The air was cool. The air conditioner hummed in a soft timbre. The only source of light was the blue moon, illuminating through the window and onto my face. I couldn't help but stare at it on this sleepless night. Imagine the wonders behind that big blue circle staring at us all night. What was behind it? Science? Religion? Astrology? My mind made up all types of fantasies as it drifted off into a different land, the land of dreams.
There I stood in the desert, in the middle of an invisible line that divided the light of the sun and the deep darkness of the moon. I was alone. The place encaptured the beauty of both opposite sides. Accompanying the blue moon in the darkness were bright stars painted with the galaxies of space, while accompanying the sun in the light were the most beautiful clouds and pink skies that would put the greatest artists to shame. Which one should I venture to? I picked the darkness of the moon as I wouldn't want to suffer a death like Icarus. A white horse flew down and landed next to me, blowing sand to my face. Its wild eyes stared at me, encouraging me to climb on its back. I trusted it for some unknown reason. The constant feeling of always about to fall made me anxious as we flew away to the darkness, yet the sensation of flying was the most enchanting feeling in the world. I see the stars and the moon slowly drawing closer and closer as the exotic land below me started getting further and further away. In only a split second I realized that I landed on the moon.
A light blue hue danced on the surface and covered my feet. I walked around a little bit and when I turned back, the white pegasus was already on his way back to Earth. Like an alien I walked around the Moon aimlessly until I heard a little voice from under me. "Ouch," it said. "Sorry?" I replied, "Who is that?" I looked under yet I saw nobody there. The rough sand under me suddenly felt hot and the light blue aura around it changed to a darker shade. I walked and looked back yet it was still just a pile of gray sand. "I am the Moon," the voice echoed, shaking the ground from under me. "Whoa," I said, "You can talk?" "In a dream, yes I can. Sadly, I can't in the real world," the Moon replied in an undertone of sadness. "Why?" I asked. "A dream is not limited by human dimensions. In a dream, your soul leaves the body and ventures in its true form. In your true form, the possibilities are endless and you can see the world as it truly is," the Moon said. "So all of this is just a dream?" I asked, "Am I currently in my bed right now?" "This is a dream," the Moon wistfully replied, "But all of this is real. I can see you on Earth right now." "Wow," I replied, in awe of what I just heard. My mind couldn't fathom all the possibilities and all the questions I have for this strange entity. Strangely, I could understand everything it said. "You must have a lot of questions," the Moon said in a light-hearted tone, "Take your time." "Who created all of us?" I asked. The Moon laughed and the ground suddenly shook hard from under me, "That is a secret you're not ready to know, kid." "Then what can I know?" I asked back. My body suddenly felt light like a feather. To my surprise I was flying mid-air. "Let me take you to my friend," the Moon's voice echoed through the air.
I was floating through space, guided gently by a tug from an invisible force. In this journey I saw the other planets and the stars. I saw the multi-colour hues of the different galaxies and the different contrasting colors of foggy-like clouds that painted it. I saw the colossal stirring force of the black holes. I imagined how wonderful it must be to live in this magical place yet how scary it must feel like to do so. It was so quiet, so empty. Everything felt so big yet it pales in comparison to the entire space we were in. I just felt so small. We finally reached a yellow ball of light covered in violet and pink clouds that extended to my reach. Moving closer I felt an energy surging through my veins, like an adrenaline rush after a thrilling experience. "This is my friend Hugh," the Moon's invisible voice said, "But you humans call him Polaris." "The North Star?" I exclaimed, "I read about you in the book my Mom bought for me!" Hugh's deep voice laughed in a warmth similar to the heather on winter nights. "I have a question," I said, "Are there aliens?" The both of them stayed quiet for a while but Hugh finally answered, "Let humans be humans. Let aliens be aliens. You don't need to know the answer. If there are aliens, and I'm not saying there are, you have different instincts, different types of consciousness. You have different paths and goals. It's like roads diverged, like that poem by that guy Frost."
"How about-" I asked again, before Hugh interrupted me, "Look kid. There are many things humans don't know, and sometimes it is better that way. You humans are interesting creatures. I see you destroy and do wretched things. But I also see you grow and unite. You are powerful forces beyond your understanding." I listened to Hugh and even without seeing his face, I could feel the emotions behind his words. "I'm sorry," I said.
Suddenly the whole scene shifts. I was back on Earth. I was standing on a green field with a clear view of a transparent lake, reflecting the chaotic beauty of space. It was pitch dark, yet I was able to see. "I've seen this before," I whispered. "I know," Hugh's voice echoed from behind me. His human form was someone I recognized from the photos in my house. It took me a few seconds to piece the puzzle together, it was my late grandfather. His white suit and his vigor made him look strong despite his age. "Where is Bradley?" I asked. Hugh pointed to the sky where a big blue moon watched us motionlessly next to the thousands of stars and the thousands of hues of colors of the galaxy. "I'm here," the sky seemed to rumble as Bradley's voice echoed through the air. "You've seen this in your dreams before," Hugh commented. "How can I forget? This is the most beautiful view I've ever seen in my life," I said in awe, unable to let my eyes off this view. "We don't have much time left. I want to tell you a few things before I go," Hugh said hurriedly. "Why are you in my grandpa's body?" I asked, "I never even knew him."
"There are many things you don't know. Just know this, dreams are real. In ways you don't understand, all of the universe and everything in it is alive. You're a good kid Alex. If you ever feel alone or sad, just look up to the stars and know that we are always guiding you, even in ways you don't understand. You're never alone. When you grow up, and I know that you will become a strong and kind man, don't forget to do one important thing," Hugh looked at me with fatherly eyes. "What is that?" I asked. "Keep dreaming. That is the hardest thing to do in a dark and cruel world," Hugh smiled at me.
His words unexpectedly stung and touched my heart. I cried and hugged him, "Visit me from time to time." From a distance, I could hear my mom's voice, "Alex! Alex!" "Remember us Alex!" Bradley's voice rumbled. The scene faded away and I opened my eyes. The familiar scent of my room filled the air. My mom's face looked down on me, "Wake up. It's time for school." She wiped a tear of my cheek and said in a softer tone, "Why are you crying?" I looked around in disbelief at what I just witnessed, "I just had a beautiful dream."
It really grabbed my attention
What a great piece of work !
~irene