REM Life Blendy

The Dream Realm Queen

Sleep came to Phanta Hagland easily because the snacks contained a few mild pain killers, and from that his fatigue absorbed what was taken away from his pain. He found himself still in his bed hearing soft melodies of a music box playing at clockwork rhythm. The sun was visible, but so were the stars around and behind it. A few fairies who weren't Ms. Ensley were in the room. Phanta decided to see if the waterfall would still be there if he checked, so he floated out of a window behind him. The waterfall was still there, and lucidity came to Phanta. Remembering that he was dreaming, he looked at the sky of this new planet that burned most in his curiosity furnace. He knelt down and jumped up past a few higher clouds and out of the atmosphere of the planet; it was surprisingly dull minus an ice-covered piece of land near its equator.

"I suppose my impression of this place is the same as early At - where is the moon of this place? Maybe I'll see Seth as a dragon in this dream," Phanta thought to himself as he looked around. He began to wonder what made this moon special where a dragon would eat its rocks presumably for magic, and if his impression of it would be different from the planet. There! He spotted a crescent moon, but it too looked surprisingly bland. Maybe there was something on or inside it where his imagination wanted him to go. Phanta floated to it, and landed on its surface.

"Hi stranger, where are you coming from?" asked a fairy; its shape and face seemed familiar, yet forgettable at the same time.

"From Winland's place," replied Phanta, a few more fairies gathered around him. "Has Seth been to this place? Or does that planet down there have more than one moon?" asked Phanta as he thought of how this planet might have more than one moon and how he forgot to look for others. The fairies quietly buzzed among themselves at hearing Winland's and Seth's names.

"Nay, the place you're in only has this moon, and Seth was here," answered one of the fairies. Phanta was beginning to reflect on how dull yet strange a dream this was becoming, and hoped it wouldn't end soon.

"However you came all the way here, you simply must come with us before you wake!" said another fairy; Phanta couldn't tell if that was how it normally talked or if it was either an excited or mischievous tone.

"I'm unsure there's need for hurry; look how slow his state is," said another fairy.

"Come with us!" resounded the group. To Phanta, none of them sounded malicious, so he followed them to the dark side of the moon. It wasn't dark so much as it was less bright than the other side, for a purple light covered the "air," and a trail of blue light followed the fairies. A variety of ghostly trees littered the area that moved like seaweed underwater, and around them other creatures appeared. Some tended to the trees, some of the humanoid ones looked Phanta's way, and a few of them resembled animals that Phanta saw in his travels from his world to this one. The fairies led Phanta to a bed under a tree; one of them hovered above it.

"This is how you'll meet the Oneiric Queen; she'll see you now," it said, turning to Phanta. "To see her, you'll sleep here, and don't be afraid. While you're asleep, time may feel faster or slower and far different from down at Winland's. Few see her; and considering how far from home you look, you're probably the only one of your people to see her," said the fairy. Phanta began to wonder if he wasn't dreaming despite flying to the moon so fast and seeing what he saw; excitement grew as he reasoned this might be an effect of something in the snacks. He did hear Ms. Ensley say Winland is a wizard after all; he stepped forward and went to sleep in the bed. Phanta found himself looking upwards from the bottom of a clear light green ocean where a cliff rose beside him, and in the distance the silhouette of a mother whale and her calf slowly swam near the surface in the vast distance comparable to a jet airliner in the sky.

"Good afternoon Phanta," said a voice that sounded like many voices. Phanta looked to see where it was coming from, but no one seemed to be there.

"Hello," Phanta replied timidly.

"I heard nice things about you. You met one of mine in your home world, but this time you'll remember us who live in dreams," said the voice.

"Are you the Oneiric Fairy Queen Seth mentioned? - your majestic? - I mean your majesty?" Phanta asked; he felt the voice was amused though no sound indicated so.

"No, the Oneiric Fairy Queen is one who resides in the world you're in now, and though she is a queen, she's bound to that world," answered the voice. "In a way, her kind is among the most privileged and most confined of all who live in dreams."

"Oneiric beings; people who live in the dream lands?" asked Phanta, who was still uncertain where to look. "Are fairies different from other oneiric beings then?"

"Yes boy, oneiric fairies are ones who live in the dream realms and the physical world, but are confined to the dreams they're close to. Though all oneiric beings can visit and walk among the physical worlds, oneiric fairies are the only ones who can physically interact with them to a point. In fact, most who remember meeting oneiric beings remember oneiric fairies. Other fairies can see oneiric fairies and interact with them, but others must use magic to do so," the voice went on, gradually sounding feminine as the color of the ocean turned to blue. "Visions of self reflection, the past, present and future, desires, and nightmares; these are some of the things we who visit you see, but not all who meet us remember. My realm extends to all who dream," said the voice. "I'm also in the physical world, yet different from the fairies because I have a loosely physical form. I am a black hole, but here I manifest in dreams."

"I suppose sleep plays a large part of life, but why am I here to see you?" asked Phanta, who'd be bowing to whoever the voice was coming from if he could see it. "I'm still just a kid, and as nice and mysterious as this place is, I'm unsure I want much more to do with it," he continued with a budding feeling of uncertainty. Specks began to appear in the ocean.

"You traveled from one far side of my physical reach to its opposite, and that caught my attention, since other black holes orbit me," replied the voice. "And one who was in contact with one of mine no less; I'm curious what the Sapphire Star has in mind for you."

"Are you referring to Winland? Is Winland a star or something?" asked Phanta.

"Yes, though he appears as an old man, Winland is an embodiment of a blue star from one of my neighbors. He is far from home like you, though his purpose here is his own curiosity," said the voice. "Your purpose here is not so different. Unlike the stories you read and see in movies, young foreigners do little in the world you're in."

"Still, if I'm meant to do anything here, should I wake up soon? I'm loving this dream, but I must've been asleep for a long time now, and don't you have important things to do?" asked Phanta.

"Time here is nothing to worry about. In my realm, time goes as fast or slow as I deem so," said the voice as the specks in the ocean brightened and twinkled like stars. The whale and her calf disappeared from sight, and rocks from the cliff fell to the ocean floor beside Phanta. Behind one of the fallen rocks appeared a door, and a strong current brushed past Phanta and moved the rocks out of the way.

"Before I awake, can you show me the place my city borough visited before it was recalled back home?" Phanta asked.

"That and more," said the voice. Phanta grinned and opened the door, and a great current carried him far away above the ocean floor. Specks passed by similar to snowflakes against a speeding car's headlights in the dark. So great was the current that the whale and her calf came back into view and disappeared again behind Phanta in seconds, and Phanta reached the surface of the ocean and onto an island. When he looked back at the ocean, its water wasn't so clear and his home city was on land across from his tiny island. The surrounding land looked familiar to Phanta, but it wasn't the current surroundings his home city occupied. Phanta was intrigued, but not enough to want to stay long while dream time passed. "Behold: the planetary exodus of your home as it happened," said the voice. The city sank below the water and a light Phanta had never seen before flared upwards. The water around the city became transparent in the dream, but it felt like it wouldn't have been if Phanta was seeing this when it actually happened. The city seemed to dissipate with the light as its beam moved to an angle away from the sun, and all that was left was a few buildings that some of the residents built during the city's temporary stay.

"That's an eye opener for the city infrastructure. I learned about it and how it works in school, but I've never seen it happen before," said Phanta. "Is this an account of how it happened from people who were there?"

"Yes, it was sad for a few of mine who stayed there too," answered the voice. "Let's move on." Phanta looked around, and the sky became a deep dark blue while the ocean became transparent and brighter as if it absorbed the brightness from the sky. The water became mirror-like, and seagulls called in the distance. The whale and her calf arrived and breached near the island, so he walked over to them.

"Do people often ask to stay in dreams like this?" asked Phanta.

"Sometimes, but most of the time they know oneiric beings usually won't let them remember meeting, so they enjoy it as much as possible," said the voice. Phanta dove under the water and swam with the whales for a long time. They passed underwater cities, sunken ships, and coral reefs as well as various sea life, and the water became clear again. They passed more cities, but Phanta noticed a few clouds above the ocean floor too.

"You'll wake up soon, and before you leave Winland's, would you mind leaving your pocket knife under one of the tree's roots?" asked the voice. "There's a tree in the place where you saw Seth near a ledge. Its stump is away from the ledge because the ground under it eroded, but its roots still cling to its side and grow deep into the mountain side."

"OK, I will," said Phanta. He felt gravity grow on him, so he swam onto the mother whale's back, and it carried him further. They came to a beach beside one of the cities where there was another body of water under the ocean. The whales dove towards the water of that place and soon they dove underwater again, but that water was darker and grew more so.

"It was nice meeting you in person, Phanta Hagland. Sometime later you'll meet the one who visited you in your world; take care and be well," said the voice. Phanta closed his eyes and woke up in the bed on the moon; the oneiric fairies crowded around him.

"How was it?" resounded the question in the group.

"It was amazing! Are you oneiric fairies then? How does interacting with other fairies work down there on the surface? Will I get to meet the oneiric fairy queen too?" asked Phanta with brightened eyes and an uncontrollable grin.

"We'd love to talk with you more, and we could if you want, but I'm afraid you won't remember us much," said one of the fairies with a dampened smile.

"That's a bit of a downer, but I'll remember the oneiric queen though, right?" said Phanta.

"Definitely with her you will," the fairy replied. Phanta couldn't remember if he elected to talk a bit more with those fairies afterwards, but he found himself being escorted by them back to Winland's place. They seemed to fly faster than when he floated to the moon, and as he started to wake up in his bed, he began to wonder if those were fairies who took him to the bed on the dark side of the moon. Phanta noticed the music box that was playing on one of the nightstands, but it wasn't playing anymore. Sunlight peered into the room as Ms. Ensley flew into the room.

"Good morning Phanta," Ms. Ensley greeted cheerfully.

"Good morning, is it morning now?" asked Phanta.

"Yes, you all slept through yesterday and last night. Your wounds healed well too," said Ms. Ensley. The other kids were beginning to wake up, and Heather, who was already up, walked into the room. Conversation ignited among the kids; most of them talked of their dreams and meeting fairies who live in dreams and places their dreams took them to. The four dogs walked here and there to kids who called to them every once in a while, and Winland entered the room.

"I'm happy to see that you all enjoyed your rest. Breakfast is ready downstairs, and you'll find you'll no longer need your bandages. Ms. Ensley, if you please," said Winland. Phanta looked at Winland with a deepened sense of awe and wonder as he remembered what the Oneiric Queen said about him. Ms. Ensley accompanied Winland as they went downstairs talking while the kids took their bandages off and brushed their teeth, still abuzz about last night.

"So neither of your dreams started in the room?" Phanta asked Grant and Jonathan.

"No," they both replied.

"Mine started in a train somewhere snowy," said Grant.

"Mine started in an old-fashioned ship with huge sails, and a Ferris wheel at its stern," said Jonathan.

"That's interesting," said Phanta; he learned that no other dream started in the room they fell asleep in. The smell of breakfast reminded everyone of how hungry they had become, and all who remembered meeting oneiric fairies periodically looked from side to side wondering if they were still there with them. For the breakfast itself, many selections of pancakes, French toast, omelettes, and porridge lay sprawled about and filled the room with delicious smells. Coffees, teas, and other drinks accompanied each of the dishes. Those who sat nearest to Winland asked many questions about his magic, studies, and those who sat nearest to Ms. Ensley asked about her pixie friends and any other friends she might have, what it's like being small, being able to fly, if she shared in Winland's studies and magic, and what it was like living with a wizard. The food rapidly disappeared at first.

"Wow! It's a nice change in pace not hearing everyone complain how hungry they are!" said Heather.

"I know right? It was almost as grumbly sounding as your group," said Ms. Ensley with a chuckle.

"How are you doing? Are you homesick at all yet?" David asked Brav.

"No, not at all yet. It's nice being around the wizard and the fairy; it's like mom and dad are here. I kind of thought I'd get a little homesick after the fight, but no. I like it here," replied Brav.

"Yeah, I feel the same way," said David, "I saw you and Ralphie get along yesterday; glad you two made up."

"Like pleasing a teacher's kid," said Brav, who caught a feeling of guilt like catching an egg trying not to break it. "But a cool teacher's kid," Brav added.

"Well that's-" David started. "Never mind. Try not to make us have to fight Jonathan or his outfit again," David concluded. The less risk of setting off Brav's "fun" side the better, even if David somewhat enjoyed it.

"Everyone, can I have your attention?" said Heather, and the group quieted.

"You might've noticed none of you met the Oneiric Fairy Queen, and that's because she came to my dream last night!" started Heather. "-Yes yes, it was super nice and fun and all, but I'm going back home soon," continued Heather as whispers rose in the group. "I came here with friends of mine before you all, and I got to stay a bit longer than they did. I got to help guide you here, and now that you're here it's time for me to go back home. Please enjoy your time here! This is a marvelous place, so please help each other and be patient when hardships come. And Wesley, I'm sorry for the confusion," said Heather. Soon afterwards, they finished eating and Heather, Rose, Wesley, and Dremmer helped clean up, though not much help was needed. David, Timothy, and Brav talked a little with Jonathan, Ralph, and Estrella about school-related things before and after their fight, and Phanta, Connor, and Grant talked with Heather about her stay, advice on anything that might help them, how often she got to meet and stay with Winland and Ms. Ensley, and how her friends returned to their homes.

"How long did you guys stay here?" asked Grant.

"I'm not sure; we learned that years here are a few weeks different from our home. In fact, there's a few hours difference in a day here compared to home, but I might be from a different... place than where you're from. Winland said we should be the same age as when we first came here," said Heather.

"Did anyone get hurt or die here?" asked Connor.

"A few of us did get hurt, but not badly. You should still be careful here; it's unclear if any permanent injuries you get from this place stay with you back home," said Heather.

"Have you ever heard of the Oneiric Queen?" asked Phanta.

"Well, yes, a long time ago. I had a dream where I talked with a fairy who said I might've met her, but I don't remember it. If I did, it was so long ago I don't remember many details," said Heather. "Two of my friends said they met her, and it was unlike any other dreams they had before."

"Hm, also do you have an extra shirt? These aren't my normal clothes and, if possible, I want to cut this hair so it'll grow back evenly," said Phanta.

"Sure thing! There's a razor around here somewhere and a spare set of clothes from one of my short friends, and I think you'll grow into them soon. It'll have to be quick because I'm set to leave in a little bit," said Heather. Heather fetched the razor and a bar of soap and shaved Phanta's hair outside, and gave him a flannel shirt and blue pants. They were a loose fit on Phanta, but many other kids wouldn't have noticed since many typically wear a size larger than their own size. Afterwards, Winland and Ms. Ensley led the group back to where Seth appeared, and Heather bade her goodbyes to the wizard and the fairy. Not much else was said to the kids, since Heather hadn't known them long, and confusing Rose with her friend didn't count for much. Phanta found the tree the Oneiric Queen described, and planted his pocket knife under its roots below. He didn't use it in the fight with the dogs because sticks had a longer reach, and he didn't want to lose the knife at the time.

"What are you doing Phanta?" asked Ms. Ensley.

"An oneiric being told me to leave this here," replied Phanta.

"Ah, I heard you weren't here - here when you guys went to sleep," said Ms. Ensley as she fluttered to his shoulder. "Did one of the dream fairies take you somewhere?"

"No, well, at least in my dream last night I went to the dark side of the moon," said Phanta. "I can't remember how I got there, but I fell asleep again in the dream, if that makes sense." Ms. Ensley's eyes widened.

"I want to talk with you more about this later, but for now let's see Heather off OK?" said Ms. Ensley with a tone balanced between concern, curiosity, and excitement. Heather was still talking with Winland when the two returned to the group, and soon afterwards Ms. Ensley transported Heather away in the same way the group arrived in the mountains. After the fog lifted, Winland led the rest of the group back.

"What's with you? Forget something?" Timothy asked David.

"I. Forgot. To thank. Her. For helping me in the fight with the dogs," David said at length. "I feel bad."

"Come to think of it, you didn't bother asking her name before, didn't you?" asked a smirking Brav. David held his forehead with his hand.

"None of us did," said Timothy.

"Shame," said Jonathan as he stepped beside David. He proceeded to hand David his fishing club, and David turned to him.

"What's this?"