Late Night Journeys

Every night she looked forward to drifting away into sleep. It just felt so comforting. Curled up within her blankets - tangled in her sheets, buried deep between her pillows. There was that moment before she finally completely fell into the dream, when she felt light as a feather, as if only her sheets were keeping her from drifting up to the ceiling. It was that small window of time that she felt most at ease. She no longer was within herself, trapped by her body - her mind was just about to be let free, but she was still present, aware. It was only fleeting though, a few seconds at most, before she fell completely in, down the rabbit whole, into the dream.

Anything could happen once she let go and fell. She could become a captain of an old ship, parting the waves of the seas, traveling from continent to continent. A great dancer, performing on the largest stage in the world. Maybe she was at a movie with the cute boy from third period who lived down the street. Each time it was something different. She had no say. It was all up to her mind. Of course she had tried to control it - thinking hard about something in particular as the waves of sleep washed over her, concentrating on a place or person she wanted to spend the night with. There were those times she thought she had done it. She could feel it in the back of her mind, as she was drifting away, see the person's face, hear the sounds of the place, but it all didn't matter. Once she fell, she no longer had control. She'd have to wait until she'd wake up to remember what had happened.

It wasn't remembering the dream that was her favorite it. It was when she was in the dream, right before she'd awaken. For a brief second, she was aware of where she was, who she was there with, what she was doing. Then off in the distance, something would happen. Sometimes it was a noise, a wafting aroma, or a change in pressure. So slight that she wouldn't otherwise notice it if she hadn't been in a dream. Once she felt it, smelled it, or heard it - she would smile, knowing what was coming next.

Within seconds, she was zooming through the dream world at speeds she couldn't comprehend. Colors blurred together, shapes morphed into long streaks that stretched forever, sounds became one massive audible blob. She was moving so fast. Nothing could touch her as she flew by. She felt invincible. Each time was different. Sometimes she'd be traveling for what felt like a lifetime, other times it was quick, over in a matter of seconds. But each time, it ended the same. Right before her eyes would open, welcoming her back to the world, ending her journey, she'd burst through the window that was above her bed, shattering it's frame. Right then, everything would stop, letting the moment breath. Shards of  glass hovered around her, chips of paint stuck to her skin, sunlight poured into the room. She'd hang there for just a second, suspended by some unseen force, before falling into her bed, opening her eyes, awakened from her sleep.

There truly was no better way to wake up.

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