FINDING MARY

Chapter 6-The Dream

Chapter 6 — The Dream

I woke up before sunrise.

For a moment, I didn’t know where I was.

My breathing was heavy, and sweat covered my forehead. I slowly sat up and looked around the room. Everything was exactly where it had been the night before.

Mary was still asleep on the other bed, curled beneath the blanket.

But something felt different.

I looked down at my arm.

Slowly, my fingers moved toward my shoulder.

The wound was gone.

I pulled my shirt aside and stared at the place where the wolf had bitten me.

There was nothing.

No blood.

No swelling.

No scar.

Just normal skin.

I touched it carefully.

Nothing happened.

I pulled my shirt back into place and sat silently on the edge of the bed.

Then the dream came back to me.

The forest.

The darkness.

And the wolf.

I closed my eyes.

I could still remember everything.

In the dream, I wasn’t watching the wolf.

I was the wolf.

I could feel the ground beneath my paws. I could smell the wet earth and hear the wind moving through the trees. Every sound seemed sharper. Every movement felt clearer.

I had been running through the forest when everything suddenly changed.

I was no longer outside.

I was trapped.

Metal bars surrounded me.

I tried to escape, but I couldn’t.

Then I saw him.

A tall figure dressed in dark clothes stood on the other side of the cage.

I couldn’t see his face clearly.

He was holding a small glass container filled with a strange liquid.

He came closer.

I tried to move away, but there was nowhere to go.

He grabbed me.

Something sharp entered my body.

Pain exploded through me.

Then another injection.

And another.

Different liquids.

Different needles.

Different kinds of pain.

I could hear the man saying something, but his voice sounded distant.

Then the dream changed again.

I was running through the forest.

But this time, I wasn’t alone.

I saw myself.

Not the wolf.

Me.

Samuel.

I was standing among the trees.

The wolf stared directly at me.

Its golden eyes locked onto mine.

Then it attacked.

I tried to run.

It chased me.

I could hear its breathing behind me.

I turned around.

The wolf jumped.

And just before it reached me, I saw its face.

It was the same wolf that had bitten me.

I woke up.

My eyes opened wide.

My heart was pounding.

I pressed my hand against my chest and tried to slow my breathing.

“It was only a dream,” I whispered.

But even as I said it, I didn’t believe myself.

I looked at my shoulder again.

The wound was still gone.

A strange thought entered my mind.

What if the dream wasn’t really a dream?

I shook my head.

“No.”

I stood up and walked toward the window.

The first light of morning was beginning to appear.

Outside, everything looked peaceful.

Normal.

Nothing like the forest from my dream.

I took a deep breath.

Then I heard movement behind me.

“Sam?”

I turned.

Mary was sitting up in bed, rubbing her eyes.

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing.”

She looked closely at my face.

“You’re sweating.”

“I had a bad dream.”

She immediately became concerned.

“What kind of dream?”

I hesitated.

“I don’t remember.”

Mary frowned.

“You’re lying.”

I smiled weakly.

“I’m your older brother. I’m allowed to lie sometimes.”

She shook her head.

“No, you’re not.”

I laughed softly.

“I’m fine.”

“You always say that.”

I walked over to her.

“Look at me.”

She did.

“I’m fine.”

She sighed.

“You’re impossible.”

“I know.”

She smiled despite herself.

A few minutes later, we heard a knock on the door.

I looked at Mary.

She looked at me.

Another knock followed.

I walked toward the door and opened it.

A man in a neat suit stood outside.

Behind him were several others carrying boxes and packages.

“Samuel?”

“Yes.”

“Good morning.”

He smiled politely.

“We were sent by Prince Adrian.”

I stared at him.

“By the prince?”

“Yes.”

He stepped aside.

Several people carried the boxes into the room.

Mary’s eyes widened.

“What is all this?”

The man smiled.

“Your morning provisions.”

I looked at the boxes.

Food.

Drinks.

Fresh clothes.

And several packages I couldn’t immediately identify.

“You don’t have to do this,” I said.

“The prince insisted.”

I could barely believe it.

After everything he had already done for us, he was still thinking about us.

The man handed me a thick envelope.

“And this is for you.”

I opened it.

Inside were several documents.

I began reading.

My eyes widened.

They were merchant records.

Names.

Locations.

Types of goods.

Estimated prices.

Trading routes.

Contact information.

Everything I needed to begin my business was there.

The prince had done more than simply promise to help me.

He had already prepared the path.

I looked at Mary.

She was smiling.

“He really wants to help you.”

I nodded slowly.

“He does.”

The man handed me another envelope.

“And there is one more thing.”

I opened it.

It was an invitation.

My eyes moved across the words.

Prince Adrian requested my presence at his estate.

But there was something else.

He wanted me to meet his father.

I read the invitation twice.

“His father?”

The man nodded.

“The prince believes it is important that you are properly introduced.”

I looked down at the invitation again.

A strange feeling settled inside me.

I couldn’t explain it.

After the dream I’d just experienced, part of me wanted to stay away from anything unfamiliar.

But Adrian had done so much for us.

He had given me an opportunity when I had almost nothing.

He had treated Mary with kindness.

How could I refuse?

I folded the invitation carefully.

“When do we go?”

The man smiled.

“Whenever you are ready.”

After they left, I returned to the table and spread the merchant documents in front of me.

Mary stood beside me.

“So, this is really happening.”

I smiled.

“Yes.”

I picked up one of the papers.

For the first time, my dream of becoming a merchant didn’t feel impossible.

It felt real.

I looked at the invitation again.

Prince Adrian had opened a door for us.

And I was ready to walk through it.

I just didn’t know where that door would eventually lead.