Dream Tales

My Memories

Each morning I awake to the same pain. My head is pounding and my brain is scrambling to grasp every ounce of detail that happened, before I opened my eyes. 

The memories, what little I can blend together, are so vague... no odd. The memories are odd: as if I were there, in real life, living in that realm? No, that’s not right either. What I dream isn’t of a different realm, just a different reality or even a possible future. I mean sure, it would have to be a different reality because we all know werewolves, fey creatures and such don’t exist in the real world, or do they? No! Of course they don’t. But then why do humans write about them so often? Why do we dream of them? Why do we as an ancient race have stories dating back to the beginning of time, possibly before the talk of these creatures? Ugh! Shanea, get out of your head. This. This right here is why you wake up with such horrible headaches. 

I turned over and looked at my phone. “ What the... great just great. Why am I always the first one up?” 6am I am awake before my alarm tells me I should be awake. This has become a morning routine for me. At least it has been for the past three months. I mumbled to myself, “ Stupid headaches. I wish I could just punch myself in the head and go back to sleep.” Like that will ever happen. Once I gain full cognitive function and my head stops throbbing at a million miles an hour trying to process my nightly dose of the supernatural, I swing my legs over the edge of the bed and quietly make my way to the bathroom, without waking up my roommates. Company housing is so much fun when you get to share a studio-sized room with another person or 3. I know I shouldn’t complain, after all, I did sign up for this, but with these early morning dreams and having to be at work before anyone else in the room, is a bit annoying. Not only do I have to calm my mind and not let these “night terrors” disturb everyone else, but I cannot let my getting ready for work do so either. So, guess who has to basically get ready in the dark with a smoldering headache? This girl. Life is just great. 

While I’m in the shower, something comes to mind. A memory of sorts. I can’t tell if it was from my crazy dream or if it actually happened. The more I think about it, the more it seems so real. I am sitting at a counter in the middle of an apartment, “Is it my apartment? No, that’s ridiculous, I don’t have an apartment of my own.” A man, a very well built, tall, chocolate, handsome man walked up to me and smiled a smoldering smile that could warm Jack Frost. I smiled back all giddy and anxious. I feel as though I know him. While in the shower, I start giggling the stupid girlie giggles you do when you are feeling someone. “Do I know him? Oh, get a break Shanea, a guy like that would never give you behind the time of day.”

 I go back to the “memory” of the man of my dreams. He puts his warm hand around my waist and comes in for a kiss. I, the me in real life, lean in and face plant out of the shower and onto the bottom floor. “Waaaah! Ooh that was my head.” “What in the... Shanea are you alright?” “Are you OK in there?” “Shut up, I’m sleeping!” Great. I just woke up the roomies with my idiotic attempt at kissing a figment of my imagination. “ Fine I’m fine, just dropped the soap?”I said loud enough for them to hear, but not with enough confidence that even I wouldn’t believe that lie. A mumbled and unison “ok” and “whatever” came from the opposite side of the door. 

Thank goodness they are too asleep to not hear through my lie. I got up, turned off the water and finished getting ready for work. “How I really hate company housing.” I grumbled aloud to myself. “That was so weird. Why in the world would I try to kiss a dream guy, in reality, in my dream? Or is he a real guy in my dream, in reality?” “Nope, slow down, now your confusing yourself. Man, I’ve got to stop doing that and talking to myself in third person. One of these days I will do it in public and folks are gonna think I snapped.” 

Once fully dressed, I head over to the kitchenette area to prep my meals for the day. I’ve put a small bottle of water, 2 PowerAdes, and crackers on the shelf. Once I go into the fridge, I freeze. The baby carrots and grapes seem to mesmerize me, like an aphrodisiac of sorts. I feel like I’ve nibbled on these with someone. Not just someone... him. The man in my dreams, or are they memories. I honestly can’t tell the difference at this point. 

I shake off the thought, but keep feeling as though I’m missing something. The nagging voice in the back of my head says, “look again” the way you seem to read about it in books. I take a quick glance back at the grapes and gasp, spilling most of them onto the floor. The memories, and these I’m sure are memories, come rushing back to me of him, my dream man. My roomies woke up once again, this time not so pleasantly. Pam screams from the far left corner of the room, “Shut the hell up, would ya?!” as she places a pillow over her head. “Arrrgghh” is all Donna has to say from the far right, as she turns over and buries herself in the covers. “What? What happened? Why are we yelling?” mumbled Annie from the lower right. 

My reaction to their reactions snapped me out of my trance. I quickly cleaned up the mess, grabbed my bags and headed out for work.