April: Dreamer

“So there I was. A car almost runs into me, but I jump over it and yell, ‘What, you couldn’t hit me? Gosh.’ And…”
“Gosh? Really? Even in your dream you say gosh.”
“Anyway…” Paige gives her ‘the look’ and her mother instantly bites her lip trying to stiffle her laugh. “I hoped they wouldn’t turn around to have another go at me. I heard them turn and knew they were coming for me. I turned a corner and the car was soon close to me. I realized I was dreaming and started to think ‘It’s not gonna hit me. It’s not gonna hit me.’ And when the car was finally only inches from me, I turned toward it to say ‘Don’t you do it’ so the car turned away and left.”
Linda tilts her head and frowns. “Huh…”
Paige braces herself for the ridicule that is sure to follow. “Huh? That’s it?”
Linda looks lost in thought for a moment before realizing Paige is waiting for a response. She smiles at her and hands Paige another cup of coffee. “Yes, just huh…”
“Mom, it just felt so real.” She takes the mug gratefully wrapping her hands around it for warmth. “Thanks.”
“I know it was… real I mean. There’s something we need to talk about.” Linda pats the couch and waits for her daughter to take a seat. Paige sits on the other end, curling her legs under here cradling her mug. Linda smiles at her daughter and sighs softly. “So far dream lucidity has skipped a generation… yet here you are.” She sighs a bit more heavily. “I’m sure you’ll have questions but if you’d be a dear, I’d like you to wait until I explain first.”
Linda pauses and waits for a response. Paige looks at her from over her coffee mug rim and nods while sipping. Linda sets her own mug down and turns towards her daughter and folds her hands. Taking a deep breath she starts the tale. “So, some time back, I’m not exactly sure when. It could be as short a time as fifty years ago or it could be as far back as a century or two. No one knows who it started with because it wasn’t until about fifty years ago that one of our family asked questions.” Paige keeps quiet and sips again. Her mother smiles gratefully.
“When I was just a girl I had a nightmare. My mother told me about how her mom would visit her in her dreams. When Mom was troubled with nightmares, Oma would come to help her sort things out and ease her fears.” Linda shrugs and smiles. “So the next time I had a nightmare I looked for my own mother. My mother was there. I ran to her crying for her help. Only my mother couldn’t hear me. She was chased by my demon. I cried for her. I felt so guilty for bringing him to her. Oma Elly came to me and put her hand on my shoulder and told me to tell him to stop. I thought for certain she’d gone mad but I figured it was worth a try. So I did. I pointed at the demon that held my mother and told him to stop. He stopped.”
Linda takes her coffee mug in hand and has a sip before continuing. “When he turned towards me, I realized he was no demon. He was a boy from school. He turned on me and came straight for me. I thought no, this can’t be real. This is just a dream. So I told him it was time for him to go home. Just before he was going to hit me, he stopped again. He sighed and walked away.”
Paige listens intently. “Huh…”
“Huh, indeed.” Linda chuckles, “the reason Mom didn’t see me is she doesn’t have dream lucidity. Oma Elly and I did… or in my case, I do.” She shrugs again. “I figured I’d be having this talk with one of your daughters and not you.”
“So how did you end up in Oma Ute’s dream? Or did you pull her in to your dream?”
Linda stares blankly in to her mug and shakes her head. “I actually invaded my mother’s dream. She didn’t realize I was there because I didn’t let her know I had come. Once the boy went home, Mom’s dream continued as if nothing happened.” Taking another sip her mind travels back to the morning after and how tired her mother looked. “With dream lucidity comes great responsibility. You can’t abuse this gift, Paige.”
Paige shakes her head. “Abuse? How can-”
Linda sighs heavily. “Think about what you’re about to ask. How could you abuse this gift?”
Paige bites her lip, her mind reels with possibilities. “Oh.”
Linda nods. “Mhmm… yes, oh.”