It was just like all the other dreams. The forest spread out in all directions. Light filtered down in a few places, but shadow hid most things from view. He was walking toward a break in the trees, the place he knew lead to the lake.
This time the dream felt different though. The world seemed more solid. And unlike all the other dreams, he wasn't seeing the world through someone else's eyes. It felt like he was really there.
He stomped his feet as he walked and felt the shiver of impact travel up his legs. Experimentally he pinched himself and felt a flare of pain.
The trees ended, and he saw the lake. Not wanting to fall, like all the others he had seen, he stopped, looking down. The lake was surrounded on all sides by a steep bank, and ringed with trees. There was a small wooden house hanging slightly over the edge almost exactly opposite the place he was standing.
Not knowing why he did so, he started to walk around the lake, towards the house. There were no sounds except the occasional call of a bird and the gentle lapping of the water against the shore. It was peaceful in a way that directly opposed the things that had happened there.
Within a surprisingly short amount of time he arrived at the house. He knocked once, then waited.
The tiny man from his dream opened the door. At first he seemed surprised, but then his face broke out into a grin.
"It's you! I've been waiting for you. The mistress wants to meet you."
"The mistress?" He asked. This dream was getting weirder and weirder.
"Yes. She told me you would come. I just didn't expect it so soon... But anyway, follow me boy. She won't want to be kept waiting."
Obediently he followed. When he was awake, he always avoided following the orders adults were always giving. But, since it was a dream, he felt there was no harm in just going along with it.
The little man lead him down a path that navigated the slope of the lake in such a way that he never felt in danger of falling. He remembered how the tiny man always seemed to show up when someone had fallen in, and figured he must have been using this path the whole time.
Soon they reached the shore of the lake. The man stopped, standing quietly.
"I thought you were going to introduce me to your mistress?" He asked, after they'd been standing for several minutes.
This time the dream felt different though. The world seemed more solid. And unlike all the other dreams, he wasn't seeing the world through someone else's eyes. It felt like he was really there.
He stomped his feet as he walked and felt the shiver of impact travel up his legs. Experimentally he pinched himself and felt a flare of pain.
The trees ended, and he saw the lake. Not wanting to fall, like all the others he had seen, he stopped, looking down. The lake was surrounded on all sides by a steep bank, and ringed with trees. There was a small wooden house hanging slightly over the edge almost exactly opposite the place he was standing.
Not knowing why he did so, he started to walk around the lake, towards the house. There were no sounds except the occasional call of a bird and the gentle lapping of the water against the shore. It was peaceful in a way that directly opposed the things that had happened there.
Within a surprisingly short amount of time he arrived at the house. He knocked once, then waited.
The tiny man from his dream opened the door. At first he seemed surprised, but then his face broke out into a grin.
"It's you! I've been waiting for you. The mistress wants to meet you."
"The mistress?" He asked. This dream was getting weirder and weirder.
"Yes. She told me you would come. I just didn't expect it so soon... But anyway, follow me boy. She won't want to be kept waiting."
Obediently he followed. When he was awake, he always avoided following the orders adults were always giving. But, since it was a dream, he felt there was no harm in just going along with it.
The little man lead him down a path that navigated the slope of the lake in such a way that he never felt in danger of falling. He remembered how the tiny man always seemed to show up when someone had fallen in, and figured he must have been using this path the whole time.
Soon they reached the shore of the lake. The man stopped, standing quietly.
"I thought you were going to introduce me to your mistress?" He asked, after they'd been standing for several minutes.
