Dream within a dream
1112 Words
Ira
“Fair maiden?” Ira’s forehead creased as she tried to recollect what she had been reading in the book. Was she dreaming of what she had just read? But she couldn't recollect reading anything about the boat.
The ship rocked and her footing stumbled, so caught hold of Remus’ arm. “I am sorry. I am a little out of my element here. Why does my dream appear so real? And why am I not able to wake up?”
“Because it isn’t a dream. This is my story happening in the pages of the book! My vision had suggested that the fair maiden would be very smart. Is this what you call smartness in your world?” He asked her while he allowed her to hold on to him. He looked genuinely puzzled.
“Cut me some slack, old man! This has never happened to me before and I have known no one else to get into a story like this!” She clucked. Another wave of nausea hit her and sat down on the wooden floor of the deck. “Sorry, I have horrible nausea! Why is this so real?" Ira felt frustrated. Her every sense could pick up subtle signs that she was really there, but logically, she couldn't be in a book. Or could she?
"Why won't it be? Our words create reality. They create parallel universes. They become indestructible in the form of ink and paper! Haven't you ever heard the words whisper to you?"
She shuddered. Those whisperings that would calm her were real! She would have never believed it if she wasn't sitting on this godforsaken boat out of nowhere. If she had somehow triggered this, she also had to get back.
She would want to be stuck on this rocking vessel forever.
"How do I get back into my world?” She asked, desperate for an answer.
He scowled. His angry face made him look more like Liam, bringing a smile to Ira’s face, which turned into an angry frown as she remembered the turn of events that had led her there.
He sneered, “How would I know? It is your power! At least that’s what my vision said.”
She could not keep her nausea down and the Remus guy wasn’t helping. To top that, she was stuck in another world. She wasn't thrilled. Her priority was to get back to the comfort of her own room, have some food and rest. She was drained and exhausted.
And everything felt so real. The taste of the sea on her tongue, the rocking of the ship, the dry comforting breeze against her skin which was getting slightly fresh as the sun continued to go down on the horizon and the stupid hunger pangs.
Remus scrunched his nose and remarked, “you look sick!”
“Rocket science oldie! I am sick to my stomach. Can’t this vessel stop rocking for once?” She held her tummy and tried to get up.
But before she could stand, two brawny arms pulled her up.
This time Remus spoke to his men. “Take her to Diana. She will know what to do”.
The men who held her helped her to climb downstairs and took her to a cabin.
She was greeted by a beautiful woman. “My fair maiden! You are here at last!”
She called out two of her attending maids and gave them some instructions that Ira couldn’t follow.
The two maids took her into another chamber attached to the cabin and helped her lie down on a bed.
One of the ladies got her biscuit and water. “Would you like some meat? I thought of asking before getting it, as you look sick!”
“Thank you for asking. No, I will just have this. “ picking up the hard biscuit and almost gagged on the first bite. She did not want to be rude, but she was sure that if she ate too fast, she would surely vomit. She continued to chew it slowly, thinking of all the food that she missed.
Her relationship with food had been a love hate relationship. She had been so disrespectful about her meals. If she got out of there alive, she would make sure that she never skipped meals ever!
She sipped on the water and continued to eat.
“You may rest after this. We will be on the main deck in the moonlight. You can come and join us if you want to.” The maid with the red hair said.
"Wait a minute! What are your names?" Ira gulped quickly and asked.
The black haired beauty said, "Helena" and the redhead said, "Ophelia"
"Nice to meet you. I am Ira." She chirped.
The two ladies smiled, bowed to Ira and excused themselves.
Once she was left alone, she tried reaching out to Sarena but couldn’t. Then she tried connecting with James. Even that did not help.
The alien taste of the biscuit on her tongue, the constant rocking of the boat, the inability to wake up or get back to her own reality, the unfamiliar faces and not being able to connect with her family finally wore her down.
She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. How am I going to get back home? What will happen now? What will these people on the ship do? Are they friendly or will they...? She fell asleep worrying.
Through the darkness, Ira walked into her own kitchen. Sarena stood in the kitchen talking to her while she sat at the bar stool next to the island. Relief flooded her chest. She knew this magic. Sarena had done this before too, where she would reach out to Ira in her dreams sometimes.
Now Ira was sitting in her own kitchen while Sarena was chuckling, “You did it! You managed to create a portal!”
“What is that supposed to mean and where am I?” Ira questioned. Sarena’s light demeanour was unnerving.
“That I don’t know. I am not in the same place. I am just in your head!” Sarena responded. “You don’t need to be scared, darl. If you created this portal to reach wherever you are, we can work on creating it again so you can come back.”
Ira relaxed a little. She had confidence in Sarena’s abilities.
“Tell me everything that has happened since you went over to Liam’s. You may leave the juicy details out," she winked and continued, "but I want to know everything else.”
Ira nodded and began narrating. She did need a sounding board.
- Writer
