Awakened Dreams

Lucy glanced over her shoulder, and looked at her roommate who was already fast asleep in her own bed. She was laying with her back turned to Lucy, and for a short moment Lucy just sat there and looked at her friend. She could see how she was breathing calmly and deeply, and at once Lucy felt a tiny jab of jealousy. It had been so long since she'd had a night of calm dreams, or no dreams at all. Despite that, the feeling of jealousy was quickly replaced by a much nicer feeling. She had begun looking forward to fall asleep, and perhaps, in her dream, she hoped to see him again. She had seen him in every dream as of late, but still she feared that maybe tonight, she wouldn't see him.

She turned her attention back to the mirror in front of her, and while being as quiet as possible she began removing the needles that held her hair in place. The almost purple glow that seeped in through the curtains in front of the window, make her look sick and rather scary. She only had to look in the mirror to see that indeed the curtains were pulled shut, a thing that made her sigh loudly. She very much disliked the purple glow, all of it stemming from the lamps of the building right next to the dorm where Lucy and her roommate lived. Unfortunately none of them had been lucky enough to get a room in one of the dorms outside the city. That was the downside of having been accepted into the only, and therefore finest school in the area. Living in the city was pretty much suicide, unless you knew how to keep yourself out of trouble, and the sad truth was that too few knew how to do just that.

For example there was the story of the straight A student who got in trouble with one of the many gangs, and then went missing for a month, only to be found without the majority of both his fingers and his teeth. Word on the street was that it was his own fault, after all, no one had forced him into his addiction. And he had to pay the gang somehow, obviously, body parts counted as money in their world.

There was also a different tale of the girl who played violin more beautifully than anyone else, and so she got snatched off the street and then sold to an avid fan of classical music. But it was her own fault, she didn't have to stand on the street and play. of course, when a pretty young girl does that, she is bound to get the kind of attention she really does not want.

Thinking about those two unlucky people, Lucy suddenly smiled. Maybe she wasn't the smartest in the world, and she sure as hell weren't good at playing any instruments nor could she put paint on a canvas and make it look beautiful, but she did have one thing that set her apart from the rest of the world. Luck.

Lucy had from her birth been lucky. Not just as in never breaking any bones, or never doing stupid things, she had done that plenty of times. No, she was lucky because every time bad things were about to happen, she was always saved. No matter what, she always managed to find her way out of trouble, and that just made her even more daring. Yes, Lucy was the type of girl who would actually try and poke a sleeping bear, or drive a car off a cliff, while still being inside of it. Just to find out what would happen.

Her smile grew wider, and to her own surprise, she found that she was kind of pretty when she smiled. Usually, she was just one of those average girls who you'd pass by without noticing, but when she smiled like that, she looked very much different from her usual self. She sat and stared deep into her own eyes, looking carefully at them. She didn't knew why she did it, maybe to imprint a memory of herself into her own mind. She snickered and blinked at the girl in the mirror, thinking about her own reflection. Grey eyes, steel grey eyes that always looked so cold and unemotionless, full lips and a thin nose. Pale skin that wouldn't take any harm from being out in the sun, just for a little while, and lastly there was the long dark hair that needed to get cut. Too bad that she enjoyed hiding behind the black locks, avoiding the looks of all the others.

She sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair one last time before getting up and walking over to her own bed. For a second she considered going over to the other bed and crawl in with her friend, but she pushed the thought away almost as soon as she'd gotten it. She crawled down under the blankets, and found that her bed felt much more comfortable than usual. Maybe that meant that she would have good dreams tonight.

She closed her eyes, and just before she was whisked away to the land of dreams, she whispered to the darkness in the room. "I just want to feel the warmth of somebody..."



Jace starred up at the moon like he often did at night. It was the only time he could just sit back and relax and ignore the other people around him. He always had something on his mind. Usually it was the work in the yard, haggle for prices, or his sick little sister. She needed medication and his family couldn't even afford the healer. They were poor, poor, and poor. It wasn't like his Highness cared. Sure, he hate the food they brought in for the harvest but they weren't paid much. The lord's knights often raided them. They took his eldest sister as their prize and he never saw her again. It was safe to say, he hated them all.

He welcomed night and the cloak of darkness it gave. Sometimes he would dream, sometimes he wouldn't. It didn't really matter. Whatever the dreams held, at least they weren't reality and would just go away. If they were good dreams, he tried to call them back or make up day dreams of them. It helped him through the toughest parts of the day. He just kept his mind on those fancies and let his body do the work. His father always yelled at him to get his head out of the clouds, but at least he did the work he needed to do.

He took a deep breath of fresh air as the grass caressed at his bare and slightly sun kissed skin. His raven dark hair caressed his face and his blue eyes reflected cool water. Some people told him hi eyes changed color. He didn't believe them. They said that when his moods changed, his eyes showed it. He guessed that was true. He wore his emotions on his sleeve. It got him into trouble a lot when soldiers came parading down their gardens and destroying their crops.

"Jace!" his mother called. He gave a small wince and sat up from the grass just as she came to him. "What are you doing, mosing about out here? The hour is late! You need to sleep before dawn arrives. You have plenty of chores tomorrow. Honestly, I don't understand you sometimes. You complain about being tired during the day, but you don't sleep when it is time to sleep! Go to!" she lectured.

Jace gave a nod and rubbed the back of his head with his hand. "Sorry ma'am," he returned and started to head for their little house. Then he remembered something and hurried back to his mother. He gave her a kiss on the cheek before heading to the house again before she had a chance to lecture him some more.

He hurried into his room and fell onto his little bed. He stayed silent for a moment and listened for his sister's breathing. He was always paranoid that she'd stop breathing at any moment. After he was sure he heard her little hiccups, he eased himself back a little more and gave a yawn. He had to go to the shops tomorrow and bargain again. He hated that. At least it was night and he could escape that truth in dreams. Maybe he'd have that dream again.

Recently, he kept having the same dream over and over again. He'd dream of some girl. He could never see what she looked like, but she was always there. He'd run to meet her, but he never seemed able to reach her. He didn't tell anyone about that. Dreams like that were meant for girls, not for men. It was his little abashing secret. With an eagerness that was questionable, he closed his eyes and waited for dreams to claim him.


She didn't know how, but suddenly she was there. At first she had her eyes closed, but then, as she felt a strong gust of cold wind against her skin, she opened her eyes to take in the look of the world around her. At first, her eyes widened in surprise, this was something that was completely new to her. The dream had changed! It used to be the same thing she dreamt, she would stand still, sometimes only for a few seconds, other times for something that felt like hours. No matter how long she stood there, she simply waited patiently to hear one single thing. The sound of footsteps behind her. And then, when she heard that sound, another would soon follow, the sound of him trying to catch his breath as he ran. Both of those noises would get louder and louder, and finally she would try to turn around to see him. She would have a smile on her face, but only until she managed to just see that he wasn't there. He would always be gone when she wanted to see his face.

But this confused her. She was standing on the beach, the sand under her feet felt cold and wet, and even though the wind was strong and cold, she wasn't freezing. Most of the time she didn't feel much in dreams, but strangely, now that the dream had changed, the feeling of the wind and the sand, the salty scent of the sea and the occasional cry of one of the seagulls she couldn't see, although she knew they were there, were completely clear to her. Oddly, she looked down herself, and found that she had changed clothes. When she had gone to bed she had just been in her red pyjamas, but now she was dressed in a strange garment, she wasn't sure if it was a dress, a robe, a cape or a combination of all those things. The arms were big and wide, their colour a cream white. Near the edges of the fabric were dyed a red line, and at the bottom of the sleeve three jewels were attached. The torso of the garment continued down to the ground, and was in the same white as the sleeves, it was folded around her much like a robe, and held in place by a golden pin on her chest. Towards her feet the fabric was completely the same, except it was a deep red colour like the line on the sleeves.

She was confused by this, and the only thing she could think of was what on earth this could mean. Her roommate often tried to decipher Lucy's dreams, apparently since her own weren't interesting enough, but she hadn't been able to come up with anything that Lucy found the least bit satisfying. It annoyed her to no end that she didn't know what the dreams of him meant.

She turned her head, and then repeated the movement to the other side. She had heard a weird metallic noise that had followed the emotion, and it took her a few seconds to realise that it was her hair that made the noise, or rather, it was the combs, clips, pins and whatnot that held her hair firmly in place, in the loose bun on the back of her head. From the corner of her eye she could catch a short glimpse of what she assumed was another pin, one similar to the one in her robe. It was a golden colour, and from the end of it hung three strings, one with a pearl at the end, one with a feather and one with a tiny golden cube.

She closed her eyes shortly, and then opened them again. She wanted to know if she was able to change this dream just with the power of her mind, and found that she was not. The ocean was still blue, and not pink as she had imagined it to be. She didn't know why, but this upset her. She clenched her fist and without being sure why, she yelled at the waves.

"Well, I hate you too!!" Her voice was loud in the otherwise relatively silent area, and at once after she had spoken, she knew that it would've been better had she just kept her damn mouth shut. At once, she realised something else. If anyone was near, she would already have their attention. There was no reason to shut up now. With that in mind she yelled out every single insult, curse, and even remotely angry thing she could think of. Damn the world. Dream or not.

Then, she suddenly felt better. Not that she hadn't been feeling all right before, but now she as beginning to feel good. Really, really good. She turned her body around, something that she hadn't even planned on doing, and spoke once more to the silent world around her. The seagulls couldn't be heard any more. so there was only the sound of the ocean and then her voice.

"If you're there, I'd like to talk to you." She said. She wasn't sure who she was talking to, but she didn't feel alone. She just wanted to know if she was alone there, or if someone else was there too. "I just want to see your face or know your name." She went silent again before saying the last thing. "If you're there, and if it means anything... I'm Lucy."


Darkness. Just a bliss darkness. He always enjoyed that. It was so peaceful and there was nothing there to worry him. He could have swam in that bliss pool for ages. Sometimes, he did, until he woke up anyway. It was beginning to feel like a dreamless sleep, yet, he was fully aware of everything. If this was dreamless, he'd be awake by now without realizing he was in this darkness. Was he still awake? Why didn't he hear his sister breathing beside him?

He opened his eyes slowly and immediately started to blink furiously. It was so bright! Maybe it was morning. Once his eyes adjusted to the light, he looked up at the bright blue sky. It was clear, minus the few clouds. He heard a soft lulling roar. It wasn't coming from an animal though. What roared but wasn't beast? He sat up and looked in the direction of the sound. There, he saw a huge body of water lapping at the shore line. That's when he started to smell the salty, yet fresh air that accompanied a beach. He'd never seen anything like it!

How could he be in a place like this? He'd never dream of this, he didn't know it existed! He was used to the crowded streets, the vendors, the loud cackling of noise and children running around and the smell of waste products being dumped in the streets. This was so much different! There was just so much space and the air smelled so nice. Nothing about the scene before him was pungent. In his excitement, he ran for the water. He wanted nothing more but to feel the cold water against his skin and relax in this bizarre and refreshing scene that laid before him.

He reached the water and it splashed against him. He leaned down and cupped the water in his hands and tried to drink the water. Instantly he regretted it. He spit the water out and coughed. The water tasted like salt! What kind of water was this? He starred down at it until a reflection caught his gaze. A boy was starring back at him. It looked like him, but his garments weren't rags. They were the things a noble would wear. His attire was white and the coughs were around his arms and legs were sewn with gold and made in elaborate styles. He wore the shoulder pads and he not a single bit of dirt was on it.

This dream was just getting stranger and stranger. Then he heard a yell from somewhere around him. "Well I hate you to!" Hate? What did he do? Why did someone hate him? He was just standing there. He straightened himself and looked around. Where had it come from? It seemed to be all around him. Screams and yells accompanied the first and fear gripped at him. Was someone in trouble? He had to do something! He ran in the direction the noise seemed to be coming from and saw a young woman there. For some reason, he couldn't see her face.

Then he realized, it was her. Maybe now he would be able to catch up to her and see her for once! A new excitement filled him and he ran forward to reach her. He ran and ran, and only ran into some kind of invisible barrier. He slammed against it and nearly fell backwards. He shook his head to clear it and looked out at the woman there. He beat at the glass, but he wasn't sure if she could hear him. Why was something always blocking his access to her? Could she see him? Hear him? He could hear her.

"Lucy!" he called out to her. "Lucy, I am here! I wanted to meet you to! I wanted to know your name, see your face..." At least he had a name for her now. "I don't know if you can hear me, but my name is Jace..." Was this really a dream? It was dangerous to think that this was reality, but it seemed like it. He could feel, he could hear, taste. When he had hit the barricade, it had hurt. Would he be able to pinch himself awake? He had to see her face first. He had to meet her.



Seconds after she'd spoken, she heard a voice. Somebody was there with her, she hadn't been wrong. But where was here, where was the person who said that he'd wanted to meet her too? How come his other words explained exactly how she had been feeling about him? It had to be him! She wouldn't let it be anyone else. She turned her head to look down the beach, and as soon as she saw him, her eyes widened in surprise, and then without knowing just why, she felt as if she was about to cry. Just the sight of him made a flooding of emotions take over in her head... But, why couldn't she see his face? It almost seemed like the air in front if his face wouldn't allow her to.

Why weren't any closer than that? She wanted him to be closer, she wanted to be closer to him. She didn't understand any of it, but she knew that even though she didn't know him, she had felt him. In the dreams where she waited for him, she had felt something for him. Without any other obvious choice she moved towards him as fast as she could. She was slowed down by her heavy clothing, and now she damned whoever was at fault for this. She didn't care if it was something created in her own imagination, or what it was, but right at that moment she thoroughly disliked the one at fault.

She was getting closer, and couldn't help but to notice how fast the distance had been shortened. She was almost there now, she reached out her hand, and slowed down, and then her hand hit something invisible in the air. At once she pulled it back, she clenched her fist and held it close to her chest as she covered it with her other hand. She stared at him in confusion, desperately trying to see his eyes, just for a short second. She waited a few seconds as she thought about what was going on. She licked her lips, and then she let go of her own hand and this time, much slower than before, she reached out once more. She was still surprised as she felt the barrier against her fingertips. She had expected it to hurt somehow, maybe even shoot bolts of lightning, but nothing happened. It was just like touching a wall, a cold invisible wall.

She put her other hand on it too, not that it made any difference, perhaps it was just to confirm the presence of the wall. She looked around once more, thinking that maybe invisible walls had invisible doors too. She was at a loss for words, she didn't know what this meant. It upset her that she was so close to her goal at last, and all she had left to do was to get trough this barrier. But, she didn't know how.

She couldn't help it, her emotions got the better of her again. She was turning angry, and everything about her body language gave it away. Her fists were once more tightly clenched, and she had raised her shoulders just a little. She made an angry noise and turned away, only to look back over her shoulder at him. She took a few steps and like that put just a little more distance between them. Seeing no other option, she suddenly almost jumped back and hammered both her fists against the barrier, which did nothing other than making her feel utterly and completely powerless.

In her anger, she kicked it too, not realising just how horrible an idea that was. Almost as soon as she'd done it, she sunk to the ground, with a pitiful "Oww...!" She glared at the barrier, and then finally she felt like giving up.

She sighed, and now she was just looking at him once more. Slowly, she scratched the back of her head, and then, she got up and walked back so she stood in front of him. She cleared her throat, and then she spoke his name as she did what she had done once before. Calmly, she placed her hands on the barrier. "Jace." She repeated it a few times, almost as if tasting the word, and then she finally said some more.

"Jace. Jace. Jace... Jace ... I want to see you." She leaned her head against the barrier, and spoke the magic word. "Please." There was a sudden gust of wind, and she found that her head no more leaned against the barrier, nor could she feel it on her fingertips. Surprised, she looked up, hoping that it was true, and that she now could see him.

She heard him! She actually heard his voice! He watched as she turned towards him and than ran for him. He hit the wall with his fists again but the wall would not break. What was he supposed to do to get to her? How was he going to break the damned wall? Was there no way he could get to her? Was it all just some cruel joke? He always dreamed about her and being so close to her and now his dreams were mocking him. If his friends knew about this, he'd be the joke of the town but he didn't care.

She reached the wall then and tried to go through it but she hit the wall. She tried the same thing he did and beat against the wall. Nothing seemed to give. Was this what it was supposed to be then? Just to have a glimpse of her and nothing more? He couldn't even see her face. It was all just a shadow. Why couldn't he at least see her eyes? Was that too much to ask? Then she just rested her hands on the wall and he placed his on hers. He couldn't feel her but at least he could pretend that he could.

She started to talk and then the barrier was gone! Just like that! Their hands touched and he gave her a smile. He wasn't sure if she could see him or not. The shadow around her face was beginning to clear. His heart seemed to jump in his throat and he leaned closer to catch her gaze. He reached his hand up to trace her face. He was beginning to see the pale skin, the curls and he caught his breath. Then it was all over.

"Jace!" Someone screamed and he jolted up on his breath. He was gasping and looked around him wildly. His mother was standing right beside his bed and she had a scowl on her face. What had he done this time? He was just sleeping! "Jace you lazy! Get your lazy ass up. It's past sunrise! You were supposed to be up an hour ago to help your father in the garden! You have no responsibility about this house! If we didn't tell you to wake, you'd sleep till past noon! I raised you better than that," she lectured.

It was already late? He was usually up before the crow bellowed. "I am sorry, Mom," he managed to say and hurried to get up. She was still yelling at him. He ran down the steps and grabbed his bowl of cold porridge and swallowed it before he went out into the yard and started doing his duty. He was a little sour as he worked though. He had been so close! he could have seen her face! Why couldn't he have just seen her face before he woke up? Well, hopefully he'd be able to see her when he went back to sleep that night.

He wondered what she had been thinking. He did just up and vanish when he woke up. Did she think it was a trick of her dream? Probably. Would she be sad and angry that she hadn't seen him either? He wished he could just go back to sleep. Upon saying that, he had a mind to whack himself. Real life was important. Not some dreamed up lass. He really did have to keep his head out of the clouds.

She sat up in her bed, gasping for air. She was bathed in sweat, as if her dream had been a nightmare. Her long hair fell donw in front of her face, making it difficult to see anything. why had she awakened, what had gone wrong? She had been so close to him, she had heard his voice, loud and clear, and somehow, she had felt his gaze on her. it had felt so real, the beach, the sand, the waves and the seagulls. how could it only had been a dream? She breathed more slowly, she tried calming herself down, but there was something deep inside of her that wanted to be let out. She tried holiding it back, she tried being quiet, but it was no use. All of a sudden, she let out a beastly roar, and just as she did that, tears began streaming doen her cheeks. She his her face in her hands as she curled up in the bed, sobbing, unable to control any of it.

"Hey, Lucy... What's the matter? Oh, sweety, don't cry!"

The voice resounded throughout her, a voice she knew so well. She turned, and moved her hands from her face. "Maria!" She said, almost as if she had forgotten all about her roommate. The beautiful Maria sat down on the side of Lucy's bed, a smile on her face. "Morning," she said as she used her sleeve to wipe the tears from her friends face. "Was it him again?" She then said, looking at Lucy like she would yell at her if she refused to tell her. that was just the type of person Maria was. There was no keeping secrets from her, you couldn't hide from her, because Maria just knew. she could pierce one's sould with a single glance and the strenght and authority she carried herself with made everyone respect her. Yes, Maria was he type of girl you'd just think had a perfect life, and Lucy had thought the same right until she had gotten to know her.

They say that perfect people always have a shady past, and in Maria's case, that was the only way to describe her history.

But still, she just pulled Lucy into a warm embrace, wrapping her friend in a love that was so like that between mother and child. She stroke Lucy's hair while she explained about her dream, telling her every detail she remembered, and in fact, the dream was surprisingly clear in her memory. "He said his name was Jace." She said, finishing the description of the dream, and him too. "Come on, get in your uniform" Maria just said, glancing at the clock hanging on the wall. Lucy followed her lead, and almost screamed again when she saw what time it was. "Oh nok, we're gonna be so late!"

Maria walked to the door, laughing. "Correction: You're gonna be so late."

Minutes later both girls exited the room, and like so, they were on their way, laughing and goofing around. If she could just not think about him, perhaps it would be okay anyway. Plus, the exams were soon, she would have to focus on school, and not some guy she'd dreamed up.

When the sunset on the day, Jace finished up his work and walked followed his father into the house. It seemed as if his father had forgiven him for sleeping in late that morning since he had done good work once he was up. He sat at the table with his family and joined in their prayer before the meal was served. This time the meal presented was cornmeal with milk and honey. He and his father ate the food as if they hadn't even chewed. Working the fields did wonders to make you hungry all day.

Once he had finished his meal he helped his mother feed his sister and a few other chores around the house since his sister was too ill to do them and tucked her into bed. He took a quick bath and fell into his bed exhausted. He stretched out his back and felt the satisfying crack. He closed his eyes with a little too much eagerness. He had been so close into seeing the lover of his dreams the last time. Maybe he would finally be able to see her this time. One could only hope. For a moment, he forgot his embarrassment of dreaming up a lover.

When Jace had finally slipped off into the dreamworld, Jace was in a garden. Everything was just green. The trees were monstrous and the ground was covered in the green of grass and bushes. Berries sprouted from some of them and he ventured to try some of them since it was just a dream. Oddly enough, he could feel their texture and once in his mouth, could feel the bitter sweet taste of each one. These dreams were always so real. He could feel, smell, taste, everything. It was so strange, but he loved every minute of it.

Jace looked down at himself but his clothes hadn't changed this time. He was wearing his shirt and pants that he would always wear out on a days work. It made his smile fade a little. He didn't want her to see him in these clothes. He was a peasant and nothing screamed poor more than the way he looked. How had he been wearing the clothes of a noble the night before? Was that something conjured up by some idle fancy? He shook his head and started to walk through the trees.

He had never seen anything so green before in his life. It was gorgeous! A smile formed on his lips again and looked around eager. He couldn't wait till he found his love. She had to come to him at one point. He hoped it would be soon. He didn't want to wake up again before he saw her face. This time, he just had to see it. Maybe he wouldn't be so restless if he just saw it once. Just once.

"Lucy," he called. "Where are you?"

The day had passed by in slow motion, she had been completely unable to focus on anything, and in all of her classes, she had just been staring out of the windows, not looking at the sky like most others did, but instead, she looked at those passing by outside. There had been an old lady with a tiny dog, and frankly, she had only thought that people like that existed in movies. Then there had been one of the always present neo-punks, a relatively new, or rather, a relatively newly reinvented style, that made no sense at all. Then a guy named Marcello, whom she only knew from rumours.

No matter how much she tried, she was unable to get them off her mind. If she wasn't thinking about them, she would think about him instead. Him and the ocean, the clothes she had worn, his voice, her anger when she couldn't get to him. She had a hard time understanding why she had gotten so angry over it, he was just a dream, but even so... She just couldn't stop thinking the same thoughts over and over again. The people trying to get through to her pretty much all had to give up. It wasn't possible to have her participate in a conversation if she actually had to say something.

Much to her dismay, this was one of those days where she had classes right until just before supper, which meant that she wouldn't be able to do anything that day besides going back to the dorm, and finish all the homework the teachers had assigned. If there was anything she hated, it was things like that. During dinner, her roommate, Maria, came and sat down opposite from her, and then Lucy finally seemed the exit the haze she had spent most of the day in, and wake up to the real world. "Hey! Lu, focus!" Maria had said, snapping her fingers right in front of Lucy's face. She had then just blinked her eyes once, and then looked at her friend with a face that showed nothing but confusion. "..What is it?" She asked, watching Maria sit down. The other girl then grabbed her fork, and jabbed it into a pile of pasta on her plate, the little mountain of food completely covered in ketchup.

"They're telling me that you've been spacing out all day. How many times have I told you that you need to focus? You know they're gonna kick you out if your grades drop." Maria said, in a motherly tone. Lucy just smiled and chuckled at her friend. "Sorry, I can't help it!" She told Maria. "I just can't stop thinking about you! You know how much I love you!" Lucy then continued, a huge grin on her face, completely giving away her poor act. The two girls then joked on, laughing and forgetting all else but their brief moment of free time with each other.

Later, they were both back in their room, talking of all the things teenage girl so often discuss, meaning, nothing important. At all. Lucy had managed to forget the night, until Maria looked up at the clock and announced that it was time to get some sleep. Lucy was slow to change, and didn't feel like going to bed. What if was there, and then gone again all of a sudden? Would she then spend another day trapped in her own thoughts. That was one of the last things she wanted, for truly, not only were her thoughts pretty damn boring, they also got very depressing from time to time.

None the less, she crawled into her bed, and soon got comfortable. She waited for herself to fall asleep, and before long, she opened her eyes, to the sight of a green garden. The thick scent of flowers and plants filled her nostrils, and since it had been long since she had last seen something even remotely close to nature, this was a very welcome dream. She took a few steps through the grass, and immediately realised she wasn't wearing any shoes. She looked down herself, seeing that she was dressed in the clothes she had fallen asleep in, a thin white tshirt, and a pair of satin shorts with an odd print of cavemen with clubs on them. "Oh shi..." She mumbled, then suddenly interrupted by another voice, one she knew. She raised her head, and then, without thinking took a few steps forward.

"Here!" She called back, knowing that it was a stupid reply, for who in the world but her knew where 'here' was. He couldn't be that far away, he had to be close! She thought as she moved again.

What was wrong with him? The more he walked around calling her name, the more he felt like an idiot. Here he was, in the middle of some weird dream world calling out his 'lover' who again, was only a dream. He should be sleeping to get rid of his exhaustion and not focusing on these idle fancies. Why was he always dreaming of her anyway? Other boys dreamed about their wishes of a better life, what they could be and what they could do. Him? He dreamed of a girl who didn't exist! It made no sense to him!

He shook his head and sat down on a log. He was confusing himself and he was probably walking in a circle anyway. Why did it matter? He wasn't going to get anywhere anyway. Dreams didn't go that way. If his parents found out he was chasing a dream girl, what would they say? He should be chasing around work and thinking about girls somewhere down the list far from the priority section. Besides, why a fake girl? There were plenty of lasses around the village that were pretty, hard working, and knew their place in the world. Dreams did nothing for you.

Feeling like a fool all over again, he stood up and called out her name again. He was in a dream. He might as well see what would happen next, right? He wandered through the tangled mess of the brush and continued to call her name with a little less faith than he had originally. At one point, he gave up hope of finding her but called out her name just for the sake of hearing something. The silence of the place was beginning to get to him a little. Not even reality was this silent. He should have at least heard some animals. The only thing he heard was his footsteps.

Then the call reached him. It was another voice. He stopped in his tracks and looked up. It was Lucy! So she was in this dream. He gave a small smile and called her name again and waited for her to give him a sign. Once he had one, he walked towards her. He tried not to rush and reminded himself that Lucy was just some dream girl he had conjured up at one point in his life. Yet, when he found her, his heart leaped again and he gave her a smile. He walked forward and this time, no barrier was there to stop them from meeting and he could actually see her face. She was beautiful.

He smiled again and reached out gently and caressed her cheek as if he were afraid she would vanish into smoke and leave him behind all over again. She didn't. She felt so real. Her skin was soft and warm and her eyes were captivating. He couldn't help but stare into those eyes. How could a dream be this lifelike? He looked down at her clothes and blinked a few times. It was so weird. He had never seen someone where those type of clothes before. He tried not to stare and looked back up at her face.

"Hello Lucy." he began.

Suddenly, he was there, right in front of her, and there was nothing obscuring him. He moved to her, and despite what she had expected, he touched her, he stroke her cheek, and never before had she experienced anything like it. There was a warmth, quickly followed by an overwhelming sense of belonging, a sense that told her that this was right. It was just right. He felt as real as the grass underneath her feet, he looked real too. How could something like this be a dream? She no longer was sure of what was happening, why this strange dream made her happy beyond measure, but it didn't matter to her, because he didn't feel like a stranger. The thought that the entire dream was just ridiculous, and that it was nothing but a mockery of herself, an evil trick played on her by her own mind shortly flashed by inside her head, but almost before it had been thought, she had pushed it away, far away, for she didn't wish to think like that. She would much rather just savour the moment.

She was torn between focusing solely on him and being extremely self conscious, since, if anything, the last outfit she'd want others to see her in was the one she was currently wearing. But he looked kind of odd, now when she was able to look away from his face. She hadn't ever seen clothes like his before, and there was something about his body, the way he walked and just the impression he gave, hinted that this boy of her dreams weren't from the same place as she. Of course he wasn't he was just a dream. Maybe she had seen him in a movie or something like that? It had happened before, to just about anyone she thought. Dreaming about a movie, that is.

"Hi." She started, still not anywhere near able to form a useable sentence. "..Jace." She then tagged on, smiling as she spoke his name. Slowly, she raised her hand, she then stopped, and hesitated, for what is she got disappointed? What if it was just like the other dream where he had just gone away, faded and shattered as soon as she had tried to reach him? She didn't want that, although she wasn't sure why. Her mind was a complete mess, and it was hard to make any sense at all out of her thoughts, but if he just stayed there, maybe just for a little while, waking up wouldn't be so bad.

She then moved her hand to touch his face too, but she only just moved her fingertips over his skin. She was still too afraid that she would ruin everything. She moved the tips of her fingers along the back of his nose, down to his lips and then his chin. It was amazing, if she didn't know for sure that she was asleep and dreaming, then she would have thought it absolutely real. Without thinking about it, she started giggling as she let her arm hang down by her side again. She couldn't decide if she should feel as comfortable as she did, or if she should just force herself to wake up, because if this dream went on, she could easily get lost in it, staring at him unwaveringly.

But then she couldn't hold the question back anymore, she wanted to know, she had to know. If she didn't it would just get one her nerves the next long while. "Why do you feel so real?" She muttered, looking up at him.

Lucy looked just as stunned as he was about the whole thing. For some reason, that made him feel a little more at ease. At ease? Was that really what he was feeling at the moment? He decided not to think about that. He was just going to get himself confused with everything. She was just so beautiful. She was here, in his dream, and yet she felt like something more. He had never seen a girl liker her before. Her clothes were odd. He had never seen a woman wear what she was. They wouldn't have been allowed out. Was that what she wore to bed? Even then, that we knew his mother always wore a cheap nightgown. Lucy looked a little richer. Damn. Even in his dreams he was reaching higher.

Lucy greeted him in return and reached out to him. She hesitated and for a brief moment, Jace thought that he was going to wake up and everything would be back to normal. For the first time, he really didn't want to wake up. All of his worries and his fears in the real world were nothing now. All he cared about was getting to know the mystery that was Lucy. He offered her a smile and then she finally reached out fully to touch him. She traced his face and it was hard not to laugh. He was tempted to kiss her fingers as they crossed against his lips but he hesitated. Was that moving too fast? Oh for crying out loud! It was just a dream!

Then her question startled him. Why did he feel so real? That was the very same question he had thought about her. Why would a girl he made up in his dream say that to him? He was the real one; not her. She was just a piece of imagination, right? Now he was getting even more confused. What was he supposed to respond to that? He didn't want to be rude. He wanted to kick himself. He was acting like he would if he were in real life and faced with a girl. That wasn't a pleasant thought. he was kind of awkward about it. he didn't know what to say to her. Did he look shy? He didn't really want to be known as the shy one.

"I was going to ask you the same question," he finally stated. "You're just a dream. I always see you at night when I go to sleep, so you have to be just my imagination, right?" He wanted to slap himself. That wasn't a very nice thing to say, but he did need answers. "But... you feel so different and you are so much different than what I would imagine. In a good way!" he tried to amend. He was failing at it. A small blush crept up to his face and he looked away. Why was he so unstable with his emotions?

A wrinkle appeared between her eyebrows as he spoke, for she was definetely not liking what she was hearing. She suddenly grew tense, even though she didn't know why. Lucy balled up her fists, raised her shoulders a little, her body language completely giving away her mood. She glanced around, and avoided looking at him, not sure why it had hurt when he had doubted that she was real. But still, him saying what he had said, it almost sounded like he was the real one out of them. As if he too, every night would lay down to fall asleep, and then dream of her. Why was that such an unsettling thought, she wondered, as she crossed her arms over her chest. She wasn't cold, but still, felt like she was freezing. She looked at her feet, both of which had suddenly grown very interesting.

"You're wrong." She said, ignoring what else he said right at that point in time. "I'm real." Then finally, she looked at him again, running one hand through her hair, so when she moved her hand down beside her again, some of her long hair was left hanging down in front of her face, yet, she just left it there, so unlike her usual manners. Normally she couldn't stand anything obstructing her sight. She was disappointed that she had ruined the good vibrations, the nice mood from before, absolutely having to ask. She should just have kept her mouth shut, and been happy that she had even got to meet him again, see him, and even feel him. Why did she always have to go and ask about everything, why did she always have to know?

And why did she always have to blame herself? It was a stupid habit, a useless quality, and never did anything good. She sighed lightly, and then decided that if it did not do anything good, if it could not be used for anything, she would get rid of it. Somehow. "I wake up after dreaming of you. I breathe, and I am real. I talk to people every day, I have friends, I have Maria." That she said, still insecure. She was sure she was real, but oddly, having somebody tell you that he believed that you were just his dream, was not only slightly heart-wrenching, but also a little reality distorting. What if he was right, and she was just a dream? What was it that chinese philosopher had said about butterflies and dreaming? She could not remember, not right there, when she needed it.

"I have memories, and I have a past. I have a family. How can you be so sure that you are not the dream? That you were made up by me, that you are my poltergeist?" She then asked him, raising one eyebrow. Strangely her disappointment and annoyance had been transformed into curiousity, she was giggling inside, for this was truly interesting. She knew she was not a dream, so he had to be. Odd to be questioned by her own dream.

Oh man, this was getting worse. Now his dream was questioning him about how real he was. He had to be real, but what she was saying was kind of freaking him out. She was so sure that she was real and she had even started giving him lists of things to prove that she was real. It couldn't be true. She had to be lying or she had to believe it was real. Wait, what? Now he was totally confused! He had never heard of anything like this before.

He rubbed his face and starred at her. Their little happy moment had given way to debates and philosophical wondering. This was not something he was expecting to encounter in his dream land. What happened to kicking back and relaxing when you slept? Now he had to sit here and figure out what was going on. How could she be real? He was real! He had a life! He woke up from dreams and went on living. She had said the same thing. How could they both be real and yet still be here in a dream world together? This was so confusing! How many times had he said that already?

Jace backed up a little and sat down on a rock that was nearby to think things through. He was giving himself a headache. "But... I am real to. I have a family to wake up to, a sister to care for. I have fields to tend with my father and taxes to pay. That can't all be fake... could it? What am I if not real? What are you if you aren't a dream? You say you're real, but I am real. How can we both be real? I could have sworn this was a dream, that you were a dream I made up. You were my secret that I hid from everyone," he voiced half to himself.

He ran a hand through his hair and starred at the ground. Could it be possible that they were both real people, dreaming up a dream and somehow in the same place? It was a bind blowing idea. He couldn't believe it. He wouldn't believe it! That was witches talk! That was what people started talking about if you were crazy! He wasn't crazy! Was he? No, if he was crazy he couldn't tell what was reality. He was having problems with that now. Great. He was crazy. This couldn't be happening. This could not be happening!

"How can we be here if we are both real? It doesn't make sense. I know I am not a dream. You know you aren't a dream. We can't be each others dream..." he said trying to convince himself. He kind of wanted to just wake up now and see his family just to make sure that he really was alive. "How can we prove that we aren't dreams?"

She had followed him as he had walked the few steps to the rock, he had sat down on, but instead of sitting down beside him, she sat down on the grass in front of him, looking at himm unwaveringly as he spoke. She hadn't interrupted or answered any of his questions, since she wasn't sure he was actually talking to her at all. He could might as well be talking to himself or his invisble friend. She had no idea if he had one of those, but he looked wierd enough to have one. She tilted her head at his last question to her, and didn't need to hesitate or think before she answered.

"Why do you need proof? You said it yourself, you know you aren't a dream, and I know I'm not a dream. Isn't that enough for you?" For some reason, it was for her, she didn't anything but his word for it. If she was real, he could be as well. Right? She moved a little closer, and then smiled at him. "Don't bother with the details!" She grinned. "None of that stuff matters anyway." Lucy then continued, not looking much more serious. She didn't feel like being all grave and wondering about things she didn't know the answer to anyway. She also severely doubted that they'd find an answer to it by sitting around and repeating the same questions to each other. It was also a waste of time, if such a thing existed in this dream.

She begun feeling awkward sitting there, and already felt quite restless. She wanted to move around, she wasn't good with just sitting and chit chatting. Something had to happen. She looked around, her gaze wandering from place to place constantly, not staying in one place for more than a few seconds. Finally, she fixed her attention on him, hoping that her thoughts would settle, but they just didn't. She pouted, and was about to talk again, when she heard a noise from the shrubbery a few steps behind her. She looked over her shoulder, and didn't see anything unusual at first, buth then she heard it again.

"You hear that?" She asked Jace as she got to her feet again. She turned her back to him, and took a few steps forward. Suddenly, there was a quick snapping sound, and before she could realise what had happened, it felt like her body went numb, starting with her stomach. She fell to her knees, and as she looked down to find out what was going on, it dawned upon her what had just happened. The snake in paradise had found her, and then shot her. "Motherfuc..." She mumbled before falling to one side, the last thing of that dream she felt, being the grass, that almost felt like needles now. Before the darkness completely enveloped her sight, she thought she saw someone wearing a pair of black boots step closer to her, but she could easily have been mistaken.

Then she opened her eyes, and almost jumped out of her bed. At once, she saw that the green garden was gone, and that she was back in her room. She put her hands over her stomach, and then sighed a sigh of relief when she found no wounds at all. "Oh god..." She whispered, as she leaned back, and ended up staring at the ceiling, wide awake, and unable to go back to sleep.