Dreams, and Strings
By Fin
Note: this a real dream that I really had and I'm writing this just after waking up from it. Enjoy.
I needed to escape. That thought was the only thing on my mind as my dream started. I did not know who or what I was running away from. All I did know was that clinging to my back was the pony Fluttershy, and something wanted to harm her, and that just could not do.
I was in a familiar setting in my dream. A private high school surrounded by forest and farmland. I had most of my schooling done there. Strangely when ever I dreamed of being trapped it was always there and the exit was always the same. The drive-way going though the forest and the field of a farm leading to the main road, and it was always riddled with traps or something or other.
As we ran down the drive-way I glanced at the pony clinging to my back for dear life. She had on a glum expression. She know something was out to get her. I felt like I was the only thing that could protect her.
We soon came to the first obstacle in are path to freedom. There in the middle of the drive-way was a white briefcase tied to strings. A obvious tripwire if I ever saw one. My mind came to the conclusion that it was a bomb of some sort, but I didn’t have time for such matters. Quickening my pace I jumped over the tripwires with ease, and continued on.
Then we came across something that made me start to choke back tears. There sitting in the middle of the road, was my dads suitcase. I knew it was his, and there was no mistaking it. What ever was after us had gotten my dad. I walked past and did not look back for fear Fluttershy would see my sadness.
I slowed down and soon came to a stop looking at the sight before me, strings everywhere lay before me. It was like a web of tripwires all across the road though the fields surrounding it. The farther in the more complex it became. Glancing at Fluttershy she was strangely quite the entire time. I came to the conclusion that maybe she was to scared to speak. She was after all a very timid pony.
I had started to slowly weave my way though the string careful not to get tangled in any of it. As I started to ponder what the string was connected to I accidentally brushed my foot against one. In the distance I heard a yelp in pain. My mind started to buzz. The yelp sounded like my dog, and I felt Fluttershy cringe on my back. Who ever was behind this was a heartless monster that if I was given the chance I would pound into the ground.
Looking to where the yelp came from I saw a distant farmstead in the middle of the field to the left of the driveway. There was no way to get there. The strings were everywhere in the field. Shaking my head as I turned back to driveway the situation was no different. I had been in this situation before in dreams. Luckily unlike the field the driveway leading to the road had a fence going along it that was taller then most of the string. balancing in dreams I find is way easier then in real life. Jumping onto the fence Fluttershy and I soon made it to the road in good time.
The road, what I thought was going to be my safe haven turned out to be just another challenge. Like the drive way before me strings stretched past the road tied to trees, and fence posts. These strings however looked more like they were meant to get you tangled in them then tripwires.
Looking at the obstacle before me I asked Fluttershy if she had any ideas. She sadly remained quite, and shook her head. To the left of the road was farmland and to the right were pine trees with low hanging branches that threatened to overtake the road, but had been trimmed so cars would not hit them. As I Pondered how someone was able to block-off and booby-trap a public road inspiration struck. Glancing back to Fluttershy one last time to make she she was holding on tightly, I jumped to the nearest branch and started going down the road Tarzan style.(heh dreams, Am I right?)
As I swing from branch to branch I could not help back glance back at Fluttershy to make sure she didn’t fall, or lose her grip. What I saw gave me joy. Fluttershy who had been the pit of sadness this entire time had the slightest smile on her face as we moved though the trees over the road. She must have been having fun, and I was starting to as well.
Though it looks like the fun was coming to a end as the trees started to thin, but luckily it looked like the strings were thinning too. Letting go of the last branch onto the road we traversed the last of the strings coming up to a farmstead. With a house and some RV's.
I was getting a strange vibe from the house and decided to just walk past when the door swung open and I girl rushed out to my surprise.
.
“Hay did you get here though all that string?” she questioned.
I nodded in response and replied “Ya do you know who set this all up?
She just shrugs and said in a cheery tone “Nope just appeared out of nowhere”
I that put me on guard, things were just not adding up. looking around I saw one of the RV lights quickly go off. Glancing at Fluttershy she too had a look of worry.
I decided to ask “Are you telling the truth?”
Here is where I wish I could say is where we salved the mystery of what was going on, but sadly it looks like that would not happen. My dream had ended abruptly, and I was slipping into consciousness. I felt my mind go a mile am minute with new information. It was a dream, no a nightmare, and I had woken up, but in doing so I had left fluttershy to fend for herself in that nightmare all alone.
I did the only thing I could do focus and try to finish the dream with ah happy ending. I know I was to determined to truly fall asleep and continue the dream where it left off. So I finished it with what imagination I had on hand with my half asleep mind.
I had dreams like this before. A vivid dream where I suddenly realize that it is in-fact a dream and I was to wake up soon. Knowing this I needed to act fast before I truly woke up and there was no going back.
I removed Fluttershy from my back and look at her.
“I'm sorry I put you through this Fluttershy” looking at her I could not help but feel sad.
“This is only a nightmare and I am the dreamer, and it is here that you do not belong.” I said as she looked at me confused.
“Its time to go home Fluttershy” and then I did something I have only achieved so few times. I took control of the Nightmare and focused solely on getting Fluttershy back to where she belonged.
I was once told that it was possible to control your dreams and bend them to your will. I have only achieved this in vivid dreams when I realized that I am dreaming. Even then it dose not always go as I wanted.
I focused solely on Futtershy getting home. That was my one true goal before I awoke. I saw Fluttershy before me started to fade, and as she did she smiled.
“Thank you...”
And then she was gone.
And then I woke up.
I as I write this wander if that ending was me truly dreaming or something I just made up in my half awake half asleep stat. When I look back at the memory of my dream and the ending they feel like one memory too me, but something in the back of my mind told me to write this, and I am writing this after just waking up while the dream is fresh in my mind. I feel by writing this that it makes the ending I had the one true ending in my eyes, and I can't help wander that in another world Fluttershy could be waking up from a strange dream.
After all nightmare is not really a nightmare if there is a happy ending , and to me happy endings are the best endings.
-Fin
