Chapter Two: The Strange Man

“You mean, this time it wasn’t a boy, but a grown man? Did you see his face?” Jean asked, curiosity dancing in her voice.

Cara sat quietly, trying to gather her thoughts before responding. “I didn’t. I was about to see his face, but then I suddenly woke up. I tried going back to sleep to continue the dream, but I couldn’t return to it. I was frustrated, Jean. It felt like something important was just out of reach.” She let out a soft sigh, her tone heavy with disappointment.

Jean’s voice took on a playful, almost teasing quality. “I think your childhood playmate just grew up into a man. Maybe it was him! Can you imagine? Your dream is unbelievable! But then again, maybe it’s just absurd. It couldn’t happen in reality… unless he’s real. So, don’t mind me, I’m just throwing ideas out there,” she laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

Jean was joking, but she had a point. It didn’t make sense that the boy from her dream could grow up into a man in real life. Maybe it was just Cara’s mind creating the idea that he had grown up. After all, her dream was likely shaped by her subconscious.

“But hey, what do you mean by ‘unless he’s real’?” Cara frowned, still confused by her friend’s words.

“Oh, my conclusion still stands,” Jean replied. “I’m sure of it, Cara. That boy existed in your childhood memory. You met him once, but there’s something you’ve forgotten—perhaps the important moment when you encountered him. But as for the grown man in your dream, it’s not possible for him to become that boy, unless... you thought he was.”

Cara knew Jean was right. There was a part of her memory where she knew she’d met the boy, but the key details were missing. What exactly had happened during their encounter? She couldn’t recall.

But the reality remained blurry. She hadn’t experienced any accident that could’ve caused her to forget the important moment. Still, she remembered the boy’s face so clearly. Her head ached from trying to make sense of it all.

“Can you give me the highest dosage of stress relievers?” Cara sighed, her thoughts racing. She was sure she didn’t have any forgotten memory about him. The only memory she had was of him in her dreams.

“You know by now,” Jean continued, “the only cure for this is to forget about that dream—and that boy. You need to move on with your life so he won’t keep affecting your present.”

Jean was right again. But what if the dream came back? How could she move on?

With a deep sigh, Cara ended the call abruptly and tried to shake the thoughts from her mind. That’s when her mother called her.

“Cara, sweetheart, you’ve got a letter from an unknown person. Do you have a stalker? Who sends a letter without a name or address?” Her mother handed her the letter, clearly curious but respecting Cara’s privacy by not opening it herself.

“Thanks, Mom! I have no idea who this is from,” Cara said as she accepted the letter.

She opened it immediately. The envelope was plain white with only her name and address written on it. She read the letter with growing curiosity:

Dear Cara,

You can call me by my pen name, “Mr. Smith.” I just wanted you to know that I admired your sweet charm the first time I met you. I’m writing this letter to express my gratitude. I am deeply thankful for your help during a difficult time in my past. I owe you a lot.

Sincerely,

Mr. Smith

Who was Mr. Smith? Cara couldn’t remember any encounter with a man by that name. And what had she helped him with? She found herself questioning the letter over and over but couldn’t make sense of it. After a moment of confusion, she decided to push it aside and store the letter in her drawer by her bed. She didn’t want to dwell on it.

She finished the book she’d been reading, and exhaustion finally caught up with her. She climbed into bed, resting on her pillows, and soon fell asleep.

Dream Sequence:

“Nothing here has changed, especially you, Cara. You’re still the same, even though you’ve grown into a beautiful young woman. The same sweet girl I always wanted to see, and now, you’re even more stunning than before.”

Cara blinked in surprise at the man before her. His words were flattering, but his face… it seemed so familiar, yet she couldn’t place him.

“Who are you?” she asked, still confused.

“Don’t you remember me? I’m the little boy who used to give you sweet candies whenever we played. My heart would flutter every time you kissed my cheek.”

The realization hit her like a wave. The boy from her dreams—he had grown into a man.

“What’s your name?” Cara asked, trying desperately to cling to some shred of reality as she slowly came to terms with the dream.

“I’m sorry, I can’t tell you my name. Just remember my face. We’ll meet again like this.”

Cara’s confusion deepened. “Why? Because you’re not real?”

He smiled at her innocently, his gaze soft but intense. He was so attractive, so perfect. She could picture him as her potential boyfriend, if only this weren’t just a dream.

Her heart sank with the truth. “I knew it. You’re not real. You’re just a character from my dreams.”

She pinched herself, hoping to wake up. But she remained in the dream.

She closed her eyes and opened them again. Still, there he was, standing before her.

“Are you okay, Cara?” he asked, noticing her distress.

“I’m not okay. This isn’t right. I need to wake up. I shouldn’t be here. You’re just a dream. You’re not real.” Her voice trembled with frustration.

“I am real, Cara. This world between us is real. The past we had—it really happened. But I can’t tell you my name yet. It’s not the right time.”

Before she could respond, he was gone.

Cara woke up, lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Her mind raced, and the image of his face lingered in her thoughts.

His face was so familiar, but she couldn’t place where she had seen him in the real world.