Caroline looked at the open book in front of her without seeing the words and wondered why she was drawn to it. There were odd markings at the border of the pages, and the writing was unreadable. At least, she couldn’t make sense of it. Yet, the book had called out to her as if it were written just for her.
She picked it up, turned the page, and then the next. Contrary to her initial impression, it was nothing interesting. She could make out the words on the page, and it seemed like a child had written them. They weren’t even proper sentences. Random words were scribbled by someone who didn’t know what they were doing.
“So, you have finally read it,” a voice said, startling her. She looked up from her position on the chair next to a study table and saw a man standing over her.
“Excuse me?” she asked politely, “Who are you?”
“I’m keeper of the dreams and this book has been waiting for you for quite some time,” he whispered.
“What is this book?” she said, curiosity getting the better of her. She didn’t even think about the place or the person in front of her. “How come I can’t read the first page while the rest of the book makes no sense.”
“These are you dreams, Caroline,” he said calmly, “How am I supposed to know what they are? Only you can read this book. But why can’t you read the first page?”
“My dreams?” she said in a whisper, more to herself than to anyone else. She looked again, and now she could understand everything. The words were no longer random. They have rearranged themselves, telling a story she was very much familiar with. Her dream, indeed. However, the first page remained as ineligible as before. The markings were foreign to her and the words were a blur. “Can’t you tell me what’s written on the first page?” she asked the stranger once again.
“Sorry, my dear, it’s not for me to read. Perhaps, it’s not yet the right time for you to read it.”
“When do you suppose that will be?” She stood up and started pacing around the room. It was a spacious room. She was only then noticing her surroundings. The curtains were drawn, and the lamps were lit. All four walls had bookshelves from floor to ceiling, except the spaces for windows and one door. She wondered where that door would lead. “Where am I?” she asked, realizing that she didn’t know where she was.
“I don’t know,” the man said. He also looked around as if trying to understand something. “I have never been here before. How odd!”
“I just saw the book, and I wanted to read it,” she mused, “I don’t remember leaving my room, though.”
“Where did you see the book?” he said.
“I don’t remember…” She tried to recall, but came up blank. Suddenly she felt the onslaught of a panic attack coming. This was not real. It couldn’t be. She was at home, getting ready for bed… As soon as the thought entered her mind, she woke up with a start. She must have fallen asleep while reading. She was still clutching the novel in her hands.
The dream had felt so real. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. ‘It was just a silly dream,’ she muttered under her breath.
“Are you sure about that?” someone said near her ear, causing her to scream at the top of her lungs and jerk herself upright. Breathing heavily, she got out of the bed and went downstairs. The house was silent, which meant that everyone else was still asleep.
It took her about ten minutes to get her bearings and calm herself down. Nightmares had always been her companions, but usually they didn’t feel as real as this one felt. After drinking a glass of water, she returned to her room and turned on all the lights. As she moved towards her bed, she noticed an open book on her desk. She moved towards it and realized that it was the same book she was reading in her dream.
She picked it up and read the first page. Once again the words made no sense to her and the markings on the edges remained a mystery. She closed it and read the title. It said Caroline’s Dreams.
That’s when Caroline remembered a story her grandmother used to tell. About a girl who had such powerful imagination that her dreams would come to life. She created an entire world just for her dreams, and when it was time for her to leave Earth, she went to her Dream Land and lived there forever. It was her—Caroline was the girl, and she had brought her first dream to life.
She put down the book, smiled and got into her bed. As she closed her eyes, she wondered what other things she could bring back from her dreams. She was ready for the next adventure that awaited her in the dream world.
‘Contrary to what most people think, dreams are never just dreams.’ With that thought in her mind, she drifted off to the la la land.
© 2021 Fizza Younis. All Rights Reserved.
Between The Pages Of A Book 