Chapter One

Dream

I open my eyes and find myself standing alone in an empty room. The ceilings and the walls are neatly painted white. And the floor is composed of polished light brown wood. And there is a dark brown framed window at one corner where the light comes from. A bright yellow and pale red orange light tells me the sun is setting and soon it will be dark.

I look around me, I don’t recognize this place. Maybe I should start to explore the house. I can hear the sound of my footsteps on the wooden floor. It sounds like a heavy knock on a door. 

Where is everybody? Why is no one home?  

A big brown couch welcomes me in the living room. The old couch is nearly worn out, where the white cracks are visible on the surface of the leather. I wonder how old the couch is? I sit on this only couch in the living room and observe my surroundings.

A medium sized white bookshelf stands on the left side corner beside the window. A number of books and small toys are placed in the bookshelf. Name it; fiction novels come in all sizes and children story books, and also, collectible toys from movies like Toy Story and some stuffed animals. I also noticed some picture frames.

I grab one of the picture frames, it is a photo of a little girl riding in a pink bicycle. She has black shoulder length hair and a fair complexion. She smiled for the camera and showed some of her missing teeth. She is maybe around 4 to 5 year old.  

And there is another photo of her and a woman, whom I think is her mother. Her mother also has black hair and a fair complexion. And she has a sharp nose and almond shaped eyes. Both of them are hugging a big dog. Who are these people? I asked myself while returning the picture frames back to the bookshelf.   

I look in front of me where there is a glossy white center table. And on top of the table is a book turned to page 269 and a black small cup of tea. I picked up the book and read the title, it says, The Time Traveler’s Wife.

The cover of the book shows a little girl and a man’s shoes beside her. I returned the book back to its place. A cup of tea and a book, I can imagine an introvert here. And then I touched the tea cup and feel it’s smooth porcelain texture. I smell through the thin white smoke that comes from the cup, which the scorch earthly smell burnt my nostrils.

 Hell creepy when out of the blue the light turns off. After the light went off, a flat screen television beside the wall turned on. The television changed channels by itself and then tuned into the news. ‘The public are warned against the spread of Corona Virus also known as Covid 19.’ ‘Due to the Covid 19 pandemic lockdown has been implemented in numerous countries and territories worldwide.’  ‘As of now there is no known medicine against Covid 19.’  said the news anchor.

Out of nowhere the light turns back on. What the hell? What is Covid 19?

I know for sure something is not right. I cannot move an inch, it feels like my feet are glued onto the floor. I feel uneasy as my heart is pounding.

 What pandemic is she talking about?

I watch from the television the images of people locked in their homes. Like no one is literally allowed to go outside.  And there are also images of people dying at the hospital. These people rely on oxygen tanks to be able to breathe. And I noticed the nurse and doctors assisting them are covered from head to toes. They all wear a face mask.

Oh man, shit that looks scary. Am I watching a movie here?

I can feel a drop of cold sweat run down my forehead. I am contemplating  the scenes I see from the television when it shuts down by itself.

Just what happened?

And now in front of me is the blank screen of the television where I could see my own reflection. This time it is calm. There alone I sit with my legs apart on the big brown couch. I noticed that my hair and beard have grown longer. I may need to go to the barber shop very soon. 

Just when I thought everything seems fine, moments later a song begins to play. ‘Dream, dream, dream. When I want you in my arms. Whenever I want you all I have to do is dream, dream, dream.’  As the song plays, no doubt my heart wants to jump out of my chest.  Oh, fuck. My heart beat becomes loud and fast, it is like a never ending sound of a drum. ‘When I feel blue, in the night. When I need you, hold me tight. Whenever I want you, all I have to do is dream, dream, dream.’

My knees shake as I stand up from the couch. Oh no, this is not right. I look around me. What the fuck is going on?   I start to run but I don’t see the door. Oh man, where is the fuckin’ door?  I can’t find the exit. The music continues to play and it’s not funny. This old tuned song scares the hell out of me and makes me panic. ’I can make you mine, taste your lips of wine, anytime night or day.’   

I walk past the narrow hallway that leads to a room. The door before me swings open. It’s like the door is alive telling me to come in. And so I entered through the door, and the first thing I see is a queen sized bed covered in light blue sheets. I look at a big brown stuffed animal together with some pillows on top of the bed.

And then something I can’t define hits me right in the head. I begin to feel sleepy and groggy. It is like I was drugged with some kind of sedative. I don’t know how and when it happened, but whatever it is, it hits me real hard.

I am a man 5’6 feet tall, but now my body feels very light, almost as light as a piece of paper. And here comes a moment when I finally  give in and fall freely on the bed.

My head indulges on top of a pillow. And my legs and arms are comfortably resting and are not moving an inch.  My eyes are still open and I look around the room.

The ceilings and the walls are neatly painted white. And the floor is composed of polished light brown wood. There is a dark brown framed window at one corner where the yellow curtain flows lightly. And beside the window is a white study table with a laptop, small tea cup and a sketch pad with colored blue pencils on top of it.

The Time Traveler’s Wife book, a sketch pad with pencils on top of it and a small cup of tea. ‘Oh shit, who the hell are you?

No doubt my body already gives up but my mind is still processing thoughts. The ceilings and the walls are neatly painted white. And the floor is composed of polished light brown wood. There is a dark brown framed window at one corner where the yellow curtain flows lightly.  

I am looking at the yellow curtain when it feels like thunder rings in my head. I realized it could be the same room where I first found myself, only this time it is not empty. I look again at the dark brown framed window at one corner where the yellow curtain flows lightly. And now I am certain this is the same room.

I watched how a strong wind hustled through the window and blew the curtain with a strong force. The light yellow fabric ascended shortly and  went back to its original position. And then a very loud Music follows, ‘Dream, dream, dream. When I want you in my arms. Whenever I want you all I have to do is dream, dream, dream.’  The old song hurts my ears. And what happens next, I never know. 

I wake up, at what time? I don’t know. And who would believe me? I get caught in a bombshell to see a woman beside me. A woman? Do I even have a wife or a girlfriend? 

Out of panic I jump off the bed and drop onto the floor. And oh boy it hurts. Who is she? Only three seconds on the floor and there I am beside the door. I am about to flee out of the room, even so I take a look back at her.  

I am all frightened but at the same time curious, who is she? I think this time I let my curiosity win over my fear. I pause and look back at her. I observed how she serenely sleeps on the bed. Who is she?  A stranger, rather an intruder she is. How did she break into the house?  Is she maybe a thief?

I draw closer at her. She has black hair that compliments her fair skin. Her face looks well defined with high cheekbones and a small chin.  I watch her breath in calmly through her sharp nose.  She switched her head to the other side, opened her lips and let out a sigh, and that is when I realized she is the mother from the photo in the living room. Just wait, who is the intruder here?  It’s her photo I saw in the living room. Is she? Or rather am I the intruder?

I stand there still staring at her. Her white sleeveless top shows her defined collar bones and also her toned arms. And without her wearing a bra it’s pretty obvious she has small boobs, flat chested well I don’t mind.  Isn’t she pretty? What is her name?

She must be real because I know I am dreaming.