The second I closed my eyes I could tell something was wrong. Everything seemed more real than before. I knew what it was. This was that thing all my friends kept telling me about what was it called? Ah yes lucid dreaming. I’m in full control here. The first thing I did was dream up a sports car, and drove around at full speed for a while. After that I decided to become an all-star basketball player. I was having so much fun I didn’t even notice how long I’d been asleep.
I woke up 45 minutes late for school! I got up, got dressed, brushed my teeth and ran outside. Sitting in the driveway was the sports car from my dream. That’s weird, I thought, I drive a beaten up station wagon, where the hell did this come from? I didn’t have time to ponder at this, so I grabbed the bike instead.
I got to school over an hour late, and got a referral for it. Great. Just what I need. Class drug on for the rest of the day, same old boring school. Until the assembly. “We have a special announcement for one of our most loved students, Bradley Wiccerson!” Immediately I was astonished. No one even knew me, let alone thought of me as most loved! “We are happy to announce that we are issuing you a $50k athletic scholarship for basketball!” Everyone clapped and cheered, but something was very wrong. I’d never touched a basketball in my life. I was too scared of getting hurt. I immediately thought of my dream. Could this really be happening? I had to test it.
Time passed quickly, and I was in bed before my parents finished with dishes. I immediately went into the same dream state as before, but this time I thought things through, in much greater detail. I dreamed up the sports car again, but this time with racing tires, tinted windows, dice hanging on the rearview mirror, and the registration in my name, underneath the center console. I also dreamed of Allison Whitman, the most popular and gorgeous girl in school, as my girlfriend of 3 months. The last thing I dreamed of was a piece of paper on my nightstand that said, “it worked, this is really happening”.
I woke up to find a piece of construction paper on my nightstand, and immediately got excited. I opened it slowly, but to my disappointment, it was just a letter from mom. “Off to work early honey, make IT a great day today okay? Yesterday they WORKED me to death, but THIS time, I’m going to make sure they aren’t so hard on me, so hopefully if today IS a good day, I’ll be home REALLY early, so I can make sure you eat a home cooked meal for dinner. I love you, text me if anything exciting starts HAPPENING at school. Mom.” That’s weird. Why would she randomly capitalize words like that? She must have been in a hurry and didn’t notice. I look around for the paper I dreamt up, but I couldn’t find it anywhere. Oh well. I guess it was just a string of random luck for me.
I ate my cereal in peace, took a shower and got ready for school. When I walked outside however, there was my sports car, clear as day, exactly as it was in my dream. I slipped into the driver’s seat, and looked under the center console. Sure enough, there was the registration in my name. I grinned big and sped to school as fast as the car would go.
When I got to school someone behind me covered my eyes. “Guess who?” A small but gentle voice said. I knew that voice. I turned around and before I could even blink, Allison kissed me smack on the lips and grabbed my hand. “Happy 3 month anniversary cutie!” She said and handed me a black rose in a glass frame. The rose was beautiful and had 5 petals on it, each bigger than the last. “See you in class brad. I love you!” She called as she met up with her friends. This is too good. I can’t pass up this opportunity, I knew I had to dream more. But then I remembered how my paper never showed up. So I guess not every detail comes into reality, but that’s okay. I’ll make the most of it.
The day passes by, everyone telling me that Allison and I make a cute couple, and congrats on the 3 months. My dreams warp their memories too it seems. That night I go straight to sleep. This time its weird though. It feels darker. It feels more eerie, it feels like someone, or something, is watching me. I shrug off the feeling and go back to dreaming my life better. Gold chains, diamond bracelets, popularity. All of it to increase my reputation. I notice the same black rose on my nightstand, and see a petal fall.
Soon after I wake up I look at the rose, and there lies the petal, on the bottom of the glass frame, wilted and dead. I didn’t make it fall though, it just did in my dream. I think nothing of it and put my chains and bracelets on.
When I get to school everyone cheers and greets me warmly. Allison giggles and kisses me. I can only think of my dreams. I’m starting to become obsessed with them. As soon as I’m home I’m asleep again.
This time the eerie feeling is darker, and it feels even more like I’m being watched, but I can’t find anything to prove my feeling. So I shrug it off again. I dream of a big house, a huge bed, and a pool in the backyard over 500 feet long. On the nightstand, another petal falls.
I wake up in a massive bed, with a huge house and run outside. That beautiful pool! It was huge! I jump in, still in my pajamas, and enjoy this lovely Saturday in my big house. When I go to sleep that night, my dream has changed a lot.
Its dark, and misty, the feeling of me being watched much more intense now. I’m no longer in control. I can immediately tell. Images are flying by. My mom being killed, my dad drowning, and my car being stolen. On the nightstand, a petal falls, leaving 2. I wake up and look at the rose, 3 petals laying dead on the frame. I think about my paper which never showed up. Not all the details happen right? Right?!
I walk outside and my car is gone, glass from my window on the driveway. I hear screaming from my backyard and run to see what’s going on. My mom is on the side of the pool, sobbing as my dads lifeless body floats around facedown. I bring her inside and call 911. After the ambulance leaves, I hold my mom while she cries. This isn’t happening, it isn’t, not to me. Not to the popular and amazing Bradley Wiccerson! I walk into the kitchen and angrily grab a soda. Tonight I will fix this.
My mom is still alive, not every detail happens thank god. I close my eyes and start dreaming. I know I’m being watched. I’m sure of it. “Show yourself!” I yell, but the only response I hear is laughing from the distance. I try to dream of things, but nothing happens. I’m no longer in control. I see images pass, my existence being erased. No one remembers me. My room empty, and my house in flames. In the empty corner, the rose sits, 2 petals remaining. One falls, and I wake up.
The room is empty. Nothing here, in the corner is the flower, 1 petal left hanging. Next to me sits my moms note. I pick the note up and put it in my pocket. I take the rose and head to school.
No one even notices me. It’s like I’m invisible. Like I don’t exist. No one acknowledges me. I walk home and see my house on fire. I try to find my mom, but I see a gurney being put into an ambulance. I listen to the paramedics talk. “Poor woman,” one said. “She was shot in the head and her home set on fire by an unknown person. Her husband died you know. He drowned in the pool out back,” said the other. Tears started welling up in my eyes. “Did she have any kids?” “No, just her and her husband. Thank god she didn’t though, they would surely be suffering right now” I run to the house as fast as I can. I run to the cellar, the only place not on fire, and put the rose next to me on the floor. I close my eyes one last time to try to fix this.
It’s pitch black. I yell out to whatever is burning its eyes into the back of my head, and beg for my life to be fixed. All I get is laughter, and 2 words. “Selfish boy”. a A light shines on the rose, and as I watch the rose petal fall, something pierces my neck, tearing out my throat. My eyes fly open, me breathing hard. The the rose still had a petal. Not all details come true. But then I froze, and pulled out my moms note. There it was, clear as day, how could I be so STUPID! Those words stared me in the face, “This is really happening”. Slowly I looked up, and glanced over. Holding my breath, I watch. The last petal falls.