HOME | DD

Description
Flowers, a hill, sunshine and peace, and me, walking. She's by my side, like the good old days,before she left me. A cloud, idly drifting by in the sky, everything is peaceful. The only sounds are birds, singing short songs of sun and love, and a faint ticking, from my watch. Regular, on time, relaxing, as my mind starts predicting when the next tick will come, which isn't a hard task. Laughing breaks the silence, the peace crumples and is remade, a look around and it's her. Smiling, happy, just like she always used to be.

The dream collapses into nothing, reality forcing its way in, the cold street, the passer-bys marching on to nowhere. The winter wind chilling me, as I realise I must have been stood there, silently, unmoving, for half an hour, longer probably. I look up from the pavement, lightly iced in snow, and realise I'm outside her apartment block again, where I find myself so often after losing myself to my imagination, to the nostalgia. Walking now, towards a Costa or Starbucks, somewhere where I can pay more for a cup of coffee than a jar of coffee in a shop costs.

They're never far away in a busy city, and I soon find one, entering, walking up to the counter, waiting in the queue, and then deciding I don't want coffee, just warmth. I leave again, walking faster now, down the winding streets, across busy roads, dodging cars and trying not to walk into fellow pedestrians. A door, and I stop, it's mine, fiddle with the keys and slide one into the lock. Twist it round, open the door, walk in and undress. A quick glance at the clock, 4pm, perfect time for a nap. I get into bed, and drift off effortlessly.

A lake, large and beautiful, shining in the sun, walking around it. Her face reflected in the water, smiling again, as we hold hands in the morning sun. Trees swaying slightly in the breeze, cool and refreshing, contrasting to the hot, dry sunshine. I hold her close, smelling her welcoming perfume, feeling her soft skin, as I smile, like I used to, before she left me. Sitting now, next to each other, watching the birds diving for food and lazily flying over the water for a few seconds before landing on it again. A bee buzzing, dancing from flower to flower,gathering pollen.

Awakening, in a cold sweat, terrified, emotions racing through my brain, causing confusion. I struggle to remember what happened, where and who I am, and then it crashes back to me. I'm in front of her apartment again, but I can't remember how I got here. I was asleep, and then, I was dreaming of her, and then I woke up here. Somewhere in there I must've gotten dressed as well, because I'm fully dressed for work. I look at my wrist, feeling as if something is missing and then realise it's my watch. I'll have to find out what time it is so I know whether to run to work, or if I have time to go pick up my watch.

Its starting to rain, so I instinctively hurry up. There's a church with a clock on the spire nearby, and if the buildings weren't in the way, I would be able to see it from here. I turn the corner, quickly, nearly bumping into someone. I look up to say sorry to them, and its her, standing there, looking at me, unbelieving. I try to think of something to say, so we're not stood awkwardly facing each other. Apparently she has other ideas, as she looks away and walks off, in the direction of her apartment block. A tear falls from my eye, falling like a raindrop, splashing on the pavement. Another few fall, chasing it, like a bizarre childhood game.

An empty field, two shadows and a hedge, just me and her together, nothing else moving in sight but the grass gently swaying in the breeze. We kiss, passionately, and she steps back, laughing. She walks off, beckoning, towards the edge of the field. She walks onwards, further and further. An hour passes by with just the walking, and me trying to catch up, but every time she speeds up, ignoring my questions. She stops by a lake, and waits for me, to walk round it together. Its still morning, and the trees are swaying in a refreshing breeze. After a while she sits down, and I do too, next to her.

Startled, I wake up, sitting in my bed this time. Undressed as well, everything as normal, but something feeling strange, astray, uncomfortable. I realise that it's my watch, I'm still wearing it, which I never do while sleeping. Hunger, so I get out of bed, and the time on my watch sinks in: 1:30pm, the middle of the afternoon. I should be at work now, but a quick check of the answering machine says no-one has left a message, so they aren't missing me at work.

Does that mean I phoned in sick?

I open the fridge, grab a pack of bacon and some orange juice. Bacon goes under grill, orange juice goes in glass, heat applied to bacon and then it's ready, a normal lunch. I realise I must have the rest of the day free, and the time worries me, because I have no idea what normal people do during the day when they don't have work.

The birds diving for food in the lake, bees buzzing, and she's getting up now, walking onwards, to the hill on the other side of the lake. I keep asking where we are going, and she keeps ignoring me, but smiling, happy. There's a lone cloud in the sky, and flowers blossoming on the hill, all is peaceful. There's a cave, up ahead, and she's ducking into it, so I follow. A tight entrance, and then it opens out into a cavern. She turns and looks at me, laughing, and then suddenly serious. I freeze, and she starts talking, sounding almost as if she's angry. Accusing me of cheating on her, and then liquid covering me, a match flying through the air.

Awakening, paramedics, asking if I'm okay, firemen wandering around. Burning paper falling downwards, and I look up, the apartment burning.

"You left the grill on. You're lucky to be alive. And from the looks of you, something similar has happened before. Maybe you'll learn this time?" says a female voice, and then silence.