Part 1 (if you missed it):
Laying here in the dark covered in a cold sweat. The moonlight glowing upon me from the open window to my right. I can see it is almost full as I gaze out to the star-lit night sky. I wipe the sweat from my brow before reaching over to the nightstand for my smokes. With my left hand I bring the pack to my mouth and slide out a cigarette with my teeth. I then produce a match with my right hand and strike it across the headboard post.
I take in a deep first drag before shaking out the flame and tossing the used match onto the floor. As I exhale, I try and materialize her face as best I can in my minds eye. It all starts to come back to me, as it does every single time following our encounter. Her hair a dark, coal like shade that she sometimes wears in a pony-tail. Her eyes a deep, dark shade of Pacific Blue. Her smile is a smile that can bring out the best in any man's heart. If ever there was a face that could truly launch a thousand ships, hers would be it. Yet for some reason she always comes to me. I cannot begin to know why I was chosen or for what reason, yet, I truly do not care. The only thing I truly know is that I love her and that is enough.
I love her and I have loved her from our very first meeting, so many years ago. I remember that night so vividly, even to this day. Before I get to that though, let me explain something very big. Me and this Beauty I am describing have never actually met in the waking world. I have actually never met any woman who has come even close to matching her in any way, shape or form. We meet at night instead. We meet at the same location and we have had many moments through these years. Not only that but we have also both aged together through our dream encounters. We went from adolescent youths, through our peak as young adults all the way up to now. Through all of this, we have never lost one bit of longing for each other. Now let me get back to that first encounter we shared so long ago..
I was fifteen or sixteen and going through a very large heartbreak. My girlfriend at the time had just left me for my best friend and my heart and ambition was completely deflated. I remember laying in bed that night, questioning everything about myself and losing all faith in everything I held dear to me. As I quietly wept in the darkness of my room, I finally somehow drifted off to sleep.
The first part of the dream I recollect is the usual start to all of these precious encounters. I find myself gliding across a brightly lit city at night from a thousand feet in the air. Arms outstretched to each side, I fly through the night while occasionally glancing upwards towards the moon and stars shining ever so brilliantly. I then return my focus to the city below and start my descent. All the while feeling the cool night air brushing against me as I go.
I start to get low enough to make out what few people are out and about this late at night. Finally I am only twenty or so feet from the ground and a large fluorescent sign catches my eye as I float down to the surface. The sign reads "Open Twenty Four Hours" and it is the sign to a diner. My feet touch the ground on the sidewalk to the entrance. I glance into the window before making my way inside and notice all of the retro decor. The black and white tiles, the large jukebox glowing orange and red, and the very long counter top with what must be 25 or 30 stools all the way across the front of it. I enter the diner and hear a loud jingle from the welcoming bells hanging above the entrance.
As I walk up to the bar, I see only two or three other individuals. An older gentleman, maybe 60 or 70 years of age, sitting at the far end of the bar to my left. A young guy, maybe 19 or 20, sweeping in the corner to the right of the front door close to the jukebox. Lastly, I see the cook/waiter, in a white and red striped uniform, wiping off a plate behind the bar to the right. He looks up and with a soft smile tells me to take a load off and he will be right with me in a jiffy!
I make my way to a stool and hop onto it before picking up the menu in front of me. I must admit that through all of these dreams, I have never actually paid attention to what is on the menu. Instead, I notice a few of the different pictures of dishes, a cheeseburger and shake, hot dog and fries, and a big picture of a come float with the words "sure to float your boat" written underneath. So I put down the menu and as the cook arrives and asks me what it will be, I ask him for a burger and a coke. He smiles that warm smile again and tells me "Sure thing my friend, one burger and coke coming right up"! He then grabs a glass hanging from above, drops it into his other hand and in a flash he runs it into the ice tray and pours out a fountain coke before sliding it in front of me!
He then turns to his left and heads back into the kitchen. I pick up the soda and take a drink and it is hands down the best Coca-Cola I have ever tasted in my life! Before I know it, I am down to the last drop. Before I can even look up to ask for a refill, I see a plate being placed in front of me with what looks like a cheeseburger straight from an advertisement. Steam rolling off the top of it and an aroma that brought every single tastebud in my mouth completely reeling! He looks at me and says "Enjoy it my friend!" and follows that with his quick hands one more time as he refills my pop for me before heading back into the kitchen area.
I then consume the entire burger and soda in what seemed like one second. I cannot believe how amazing they both taste. As if my whole life I had been eating nothing but tasteless mush in the shape of food. I had no idea that you could actually taste anything inside of a dream. This entire moment so far was absolutely perfect. As I sat there completely full and satisfied, the cook came back through the door once more and before I could say a word he says "I see you enjoyed everything my man! Don't worry about anything, this one was on the house! I'm glad you enjoyed it and if you find room for dessert just give me a holler! We've got the best Apple Pie the next 5 cities over".
I told him I really appreciated it and he smiled and said "I Know" and then he went back into the kitchen. I then sat back on the stool and took in all that was going on around me and I smiled very deeply. After a moment or so I then heard the jingling of the door bells but I didn't even bother turning around. I could make out light footsteps behind me, followed by a quarter falling into the jukebox. Following this I hear the song "Lightning Strikes" by Lou Christie start playing and the footsteps coming closer from behind.
Finally I turn around as this person makes it to the bar at my right. My heart drops and I almost fall out of my stool when I see her face and her eyes locked with mine. It was something I have never felt before. If love at first sight does exist then it isn't even strong enough of a term to describe what I was feeling! This was something on a whole other level. It was as if my entire existence was now complete by this girls presence. She smiled at me as she sat back on her stool and then pulled her purse up and sat it on the counter in front of her. That was the first time I laid eyes on her and what follows was the best night of my entire life..
To Be Continued..
Part 2 (if you missed it):
Our eyes met and she stared at me as if we had known each other before now. I could feel myself blushing so I turned back to my plate. I overhear the waiter asking her what she wants to eat. She ordered a waffle with syrup and butter. How simple, I thought. Such a breathtaking woman to come in and order something so simple. A few minutes pass by and the waiter finally returns to my table. “You need anything else Bubba?” I tell him that I am stuffed and thank him again for the amazing meal and hospitality.
He smiled and said “Anytime.” He turned to walk way and stopped. He peeked back at me and in the slightest whisper said “Are you ever gonna talk to her?” I laughed it off and said “What do you mean?” He smirked and said “There ain’t a soul in here that didn’t see the way you looked at that girl when she came in.” “Was I that obvious?” I said. “Bubba, I know a crush when I see one” and walked off.
He was right.. and he was wrong. I didn’t just have a crush. I had something out of this world. Something had come over my body that I had never felt before now. My heart raced with excitement and my knees trembled with nervousness. I could feel my hands sweating and it made me more nervous to walk over to her. What if she wants to shake she hands and my hand is all sweaty? What if it grosses her out and I instantly strike out. All of these what if’s and doubts, finally I took a deep breathe and decided I was going to do this.
I bump my knee as I stand up causing the silverware on the table to rattle. I hear quite possibly, no.. most definitely, the sweetest little giggle I have ever heard. I turn to see her looking at me and she is smiling. I smile back and say “I’m guessing you heard that?” With an even bigger smile she says “Yes I heard it, you’re ruining my song I picked!” I knew she was joking so I laugh a little as I slowly walk over to her. As I walked towards her the room started to get a little fuzzy and I could feel my heart starting to race. I thought to myself “calm down, you are dreaming, stay here.” I had trained myself to do this to reach the point of lucid dreaming. I wanted to remain in a dream to try controlling it.
Usually I would wake up once I realized I was dreaming, not this time. I could feel my heart slowing back down and the room slowly became clear again. I had never stayed in my dreaming stage until now. I made it to her table and smiled nervously. I said, “I’m sorry to ruin your song, let me make it up to you.” “How do you suppose you’ll do that?” She said with a smile. “I have this spot I go to on the beach, let me take you there. There is a full moon tonight and I know the perfect place to go see it! I promise it will be the most beautiful thing you ever see.” She thought for a second, “Well for starters I don’t even know you and secondly, what about my food?” I said, “Sure you don’t know know me, but can you ever know someone without first meeting them? Hello, my name is Austin.” I held out my hand and laughed a little. She laughed back and while shaking my hand said “Ok Mr. Austin, my name is Lauri. So now that we have met, what do you suppose we do about my food?”
Just as she said that, a bag was sat on her table. The waiter said “I already boxed it up for ya and the tab is covered.” She turned and said “Well I guess it’s your lucky day! I will come to this secret spot you talk about but only if you drive and I can eat in your vehicle!” “Sure you can eat on the way, let’s go before the moon starts to rise!” I walk ahead of her and hold the door open as she walks out. We get outside and we walk up to my motorcycle. She stops and says “Where is your truck?” “Who ever said anything about a truck?” I said as I buckled my chin strap on my helmet.
“You have got to be joking” she said. “There is no way I’m getting on that thing!” I laughed and replied “Oh come on, you’re going to make us miss the best part.” She thought for a second and finally said “Ok fine. I will ride it but under one condition.” “What’s that?” “You can’t go over 30!” I smiled and said “I promise I won’t go fast, let’s go!” I helped her strap her helmet on and we both loaded onto the bike. I said “Hold on tight back there. I wouldn’t want you to fall off!” She wrapped her arms around my waist as I fired up the bike. That was the first time she ever gave me butterflies. I put the bike in gear and we headed off into the darkness, except we weren’t riding..we were flying.
To Be Continued..
Part 3 (if you missed it):
We glide ever so smoothly across the brightly lit city. We are thousands of feet in the air and I feel more free than I have felt my entire life. I can feel the tickle of clouds touching my face as we zoom through them. I look back at Lauri and her eyes are shining as she stairs up at the big full moon. I smile and tell her we are almost there. I can feel something between Lauri and I so I reach back behind me. I touch something warm and soft, I am a bit startled. I suddenly remember that she never ate her food.
I pull my hand back around to find syrup on my finger tips. I hear that cute giggle again behind me and I feel her lean towards me. As I lick the syrup off of my fingers she rests her chin upon my right shoulder, a perfect fit. I can feel her breathe against the back of my neck and at the bottom of my ear. She softly whispers “I have never seen anything so beautiful.” I look in the rearview mirror of my bike and her eyes meet mine. I respond with “Neither have I.”
The bike starts to soar through the air a bit faster. The stars turn from twinkles to streams of light. The clouds fade away and the blues and purples of the night start to swirl around us. She is holding onto my waist again and her grip tightens as we move faster and faster. We were no longer flying through the night, we were flying through time. The bike was headed in no direction, we were just going. I release my hands from the handle bars and the bike continues forward.
We were moving so fast that the entire world around us had become a blur. My heart is about to pound out of my chest as I reach for her hands. I grab them ever so softly and with caution. She laces her fingers in between mine and I feel her slide forward on the seat. I can feel her entire body against me. There is no longer anything between us and I can feel the heat of her body flowing into mine. I feel an energy like no other flooding through me as our bodies become one. The stream of lights slowly fade back into stars and the smell of the ocean enters my nostrils as we start to slow down. We had reached my secret spot.
The bike glides low enough to make out a small island which is maybe the size of a football field. The island is covered with bright green grass and really nothing else except two extremely tall palm trees. The trees have a small wooden swing between them. We land gracefully on the sandy beach and come to a halt about 20 feet from the swing. I tell her this is the spot and we both step off of my bike. I keep the bike switched on so that some music can play. I can hear the lyrics of a song singing “I am an island in the middle of the sea, you are the moonlight, come rise upon me” as we walk away from the bike. “How perfect” I think to myself.
As we are walking over to the swing she grabs my hand again. This time, she holds it as if she will never let go of it. We make our way to the swing and I ask if she would like to sit. She responds with “not yet, let’s stand by the water.” It’s so peaceful as we stand there and it doesn’t feel dreamlike at all, it feels so real. I feel as if my heart is beating to the rhythm of the waves crashing onto the shore. Thousand of stars, along with the gigantic full moon light up the sky. I can see for miles out into the ocean and there is nothing.. just Lauri and I. There was an ever so soft breeze blowing that blew her hair over her face. I reach up and tuck it back behind her ear and she looks at me with those big blue eyes and says “I have to tell you something.”
She continues with “I have tried to reach you so many times before tonight. I always see you and just before I can make it to you, you disappear. At first, I didn’t pay you any attention, I thought you were just someone in my dreams. That was until you kept appearing. I kept seeing you but you would never see me. I started to see everything that you go through. I see that your heart is broken. I see that you keep to yourself everywhere you go. I see that you are full of love and so much adventure, yet you never share it with anyone. I have searched for you when I am awake and I am unsure if you even actually exist. The only time I have ever seen you is here, in this world. I don’t know what any of this means.. or who you are.. I know this will sound crazy but.. I just feel like I am supposed to.. be with you”
I stood there in silence for a moment. Everything she had just said to me, it scared me. It was as if she knew everything I was going through but tonight was the first time we had ever even met. I honestly had no idea what to say. She stepped closer to me and stood in front of me. She grabbed both of my hands, looked up at me and asked what I was thinking. To be honest even after everything she had just said, all I was thinking was how badly I wanted to kiss her. I said “Do you really want to know what I am thinking?” She whispered yes as she stepped a little closer. I released one of her hands and softly grabbed her chin and pulled it up towards me. As our lips were about to meet I could feel her breath on my bottom lip. Our lips touch and I feel what I can only describe as a shock surge through my entire body. I open my eyes and see my ceiling fan spinning in a circle, I was awake.
To Be Continued..
Part 4 (new):
The next few times that I was asleep, I searched for Lauri everywhere. I couldn’t find her. I was even more depressed now than before. I had met literally..the girl of my dreams and now she was gone. I couldn’t listen to a song without thinking of her beautiful smile. I longed for hearing that sweet voice again. I went an entire week, putting every single bit of energy in my body into dreaming. I could lucid dream with ease now but I still could not find her. Nine days after meeting Lauri and searching everywhere for her, I finally found her.
I was walking along the same beach where we had last been together. I was dreaming and could go anywhere in the world, yet I chose to stay right here. I had been here every night for the last week, just waiting for her. I was standing there looking out into the ocean and could barely see anything. The sky was dark and not a star or single piece of the moon was visible and then I heard her. “Well look who it is” she said. I turn around and instantly all the darkness around me was lit up by her presence.
She slowly walked over to me and I could feel my heart starting to race and I was having to remind myself to breath. “Where have you been? I have searched everywhere for you” I said. She replied with “I have been one step behind you. It was just like before, every time I would almost make it to you, you would vanish.”
I wasn’t wasting any time this time. I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to me. I held her tight but softly. I look into those big blue eyes and she smiled. “Did you miss me or something?” she said as she kissed me. I was surprised at first, but I kiss her back and our lips fit ever so perfectly together. I didn’t wake up this time. She grabs my hair on either side of my head and pulls her lips deeper into mine.
After about two minutes of what was by far the most intense kiss of my life, we finally stop for a breather. “I have to know, are you real?” I say. She laughs and says “What do you mean am I real? I’m here aren’t I?” “Yes you are here, but are you just part of my dream? Do you actually exist in real life?”
“I was going to ask you the same question” she said. “I am very real. My name is Lauri Harrison and I live in Orlando, Florida. I am 16 years old and I love surfing” she said as she kissed me in between every other word. I reply with “I’m Austin Smith. I am 16 years old and I live in Savannah, Georgia. I actually like to surf too.” She says “Hmm, I don’t believe you! I’m going to have to see some verification.” I laugh as I pull out my wallet. “You know Savannah is only like 6 hours from Orlando. We could actually meet in real life!” I say. I hand her my license and she looks it over. She says “Oh you were born June 25th nin-….” “Yeah 1993” I said. “What were you 92? 94?” She looks up with a very confused look on her face. She pulls out her license and hands them over to me. Her birthday reads February 23, 2293. If this were real, she would been born 300 years after me..
To Be Continued..