A dream.

I'm lying, on my stomach. My head embraced by the pillow. And my eyes are open.

The room is dark, and the moon cuts through the window to speckle the ceiling with silver. The lights become pools which gather to become a ocean of liquid metal. Suddenly I realize my bed is the bottom of the pier, and I fall into the ocean, the liquid metal enveloping me and the world too bright, to live.

I wake up.

It was all a dream. I want some cheery cereal. But actually I didn't buy any cheery so I'll just eat the salad from last night. I head to the kitchen, the salad is on the bar. I should've put it in the fridge. The fridge is open, and from its lighted interior I can see the salad. Black leaves, as if pulled from a jungle blend, move up and down. Inhaling and exhaling, the salad is breathing and I hear its breath; a dry rasp. I pick up a fork and plunge it into a leaf as it screams and bleeds and I shove it into my mouth.

I wake up.

I search for the light, I turn it on. My old dog Playdough is lying in bed next to me, on the covers. His tongue dangling and dripping as if he had been running recently. Playdough has been dead for 8 years and I ask him why is he dead and here now? Playdough tells me that- Mother- Is coming, and I should hide my magazines. I get angry, I pull his tongue it falls to the ground, and it starts... Dancing... I watch it, but there's a scratching at the door as it bends inwards. Mother, is here.

I wake up.

I know that I am dreaming. My body floats above the bed and I want to tell it what to do but my will is heavy, like syrup and it drowns me. My body shines and loses its distinction like a wasp in amber. My limbs move with heaviness, I need to slap myself in order to wake up. Once I wake up I will not be dreaming any longer. I will be awake, the sunlight will touch me and by that pain I will know that I am alive. I slap myself. Twice. I keep on slapping myself. Nothing happens, I give up. I get out of bed I go to work. My boss is ordering me around, I work hard. I need to get the project in by friday.. I meet a girl, she has red hair and a scar on her chin. We fall in love. We have several children. One of them has scales on her armpits but I say nothing. The years pass. We cut down the tree in the front yard because it's too old. I'm too old. My grandchild is holding my hand, petting it. Her face looks familiar.. I- Dated her in highschool. There's a clenching fist within me...

I die.






I wake up.