Michelle's Perspective
I lay back down on my bed and closed my eyes. Maybe he was already waiting for me. I tried very hard to keep my eyes shut, to fall asleep again. It was embarrassing to leave so suddenly the last time. I worried he might be upset with me.
I closed my eyes tightly but sleep wouldn't come. I tried again and again, but it was no use. I just couldn't fall asleep. It was frustrating and I didn't know what to do.
Eventually, I gave up and got out of bed. I walked to the kitchen, rubbing my tired eyes. "Why are you still awake?" Mom greeted me with a smile. Her smile was beautiful and comforting.
"I just woke up. I can't seem to fall asleep again," I replied honestly. I didn't feel comfortable lying to her. But it was better not to mention that Carl was missing Dad. Mom might get sad if she thought about it too much.
Mom handed me a glass of milk with a gentle smile. "Here, drink this first. I'll make some fresh milk after."
She always smiled like that, even though I knew she was hurting inside. She hid her pain very well. I quickly drank the milk, hoping it would help me sleep.
"Mom, I'm going back to bed now, okay?" I hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek. It seemed like this time I might finally sleep deeply and be able to return to Christian. Wait, did I just say Christian? He was probably waiting for me already.
I lay down again and closed my eyes. After a few moments, I opened them. "Good, he's here," I whispered to myself.
True to what I expected, he was sitting on the sofa, looking like he was waiting for me. I felt shy as I approached and sat beside him.
"Hmm, awkward," I thought, blushing as I tried to avoid the strange tension between us.
"Are you not going to say anything, Christian?" I asked, but he did not look at me. Was he angry or something? I might as well start the conversation.
"Um, Chris? What did you do when I wasn't here?" I smiled, trying to sound casual. He glanced at me briefly but quickly looked away into the distance. What was he staring at? There was no one there. Maybe he was thinking about something else. Well, whatever, Chris, it's your problem now.
But wait, is he ignoring me? Should I just kick him out of my dream? How rude. But I won't give up just yet. Maybe he'll notice me later.
I got up but before I could leave, he grabbed my hand, forcing me to sit back down on the sofa. My heart started racing. Time seemed to slow down. I thought he didn't want to talk to me, but now I wasn't so sure.
"What do you want? Why?" I asked sharply. Being with him, even for a short time, made me feel so much lighter, more at ease.
"Um, someone came here," he answered nervously.
What? Someone else? Another 'trespasser' arriving? That was annoying. Two 'trespasser' now. But if they were handsome, maybe we could talk about that. Maybe I wouldn't even go home anymore. Just kidding.
"What did they want?" I asked, pretending to care, hoping he would just tease me to keep me here and not get mad at me.
His expression suddenly turned serious. He stared deep into my eyes. It was scary, like he could kill me with his gaze.
We stared at each other for a few minutes. What was going on? Wasn't he supposed to say something? I got annoyed and teased him to stop the staring contest. I was starting to feel awkward.
"Oh, forget it. Anyway, go eat!" He finally broke eye contact and stood up. It was strange. It felt like he was hiding something from me. This guy was so mysterious.
"Molesto," I muttered quietly as I walked toward the food he had prepared. It smelled delicious. While I ate, I noticed he kept watching me. It was a bit embarrassing.
"Hey mister, can you stop staring? I know I'm pretty, but hello I can't you see I'm eating," I joked, pointing to the food he had set out. Good thing I left some cooking utensils in the kitchen so I had something to say.
But I forgot to ask if he was going home later. "Hey Chris?" I called out.
He looked at me and smiled. "Why?"
Why was he suddenly acting so cute? It was annoying but sweet at the same time.
"Are you going home?" I asked. His smile vanished immediately. Did I say something wrong?
"Well, uh, the thing is, I'm not going home. I'm watching your house, watching over your dream. Just in case someone comes to ruin it, my lady," he said nervously.
Why was he so tense? I didn't ask him any more questions, though I knew he wasn't telling the whole truth. It was clear in his eyes.
"Why do you ask? Is there a problem?" I smiled at him and shook my head. I finished my food and went outside to get some fresh air.
---
Chris and I walked around the whole night. When I finally felt tired, I told him goodbye and headed home. I wondered if he was sure he wouldn't be going back to his own home. Maybe his family was already waiting for him.
As I was leaving, suddenly…
"Argh, it hurts!" he cried out, clutching his head in pain. I rushed over and asked what was wrong.
Suddenly, he fainted and disappeared. What could have happened to him? I worried about him a lot. I stood up and returned to my body.
"What happened to him? Why did he just vanish like that?" I wondered anxiously, sensing something bad might have happened. I took a deep breath and got up to wash my face.
Still, I couldn't stop thinking about what happened to Chris. I went to the kitchen, grabbed some food, and returned to my room.
I opened my laptop and searched, "What is a dream traveler?" The page was loading. Loading. Loading.
Finally, it showed a definition. "It refers to the ability to travel within a dream on a conscious basis. Such a traveler in a dream may be called an oneironaut."
There were so few details. It was frustrating. I closed my laptop and began to eat.
After I finished eating my mind kept wandering back to Chris and what had happened earlier. How could someone just faint and disappear like that inside a dream? Was he really a dream traveler? And if so, why was he so worried about my dream? So many questions without answers.
I wanted to believe that meeting him wasn't just a coincidence, that there was some reason why he appeared in my dreams and stayed so close. But the whole situation confused me. Was he friend or foe? Protector or threat? And why did he seem so nervous, like he was hiding something?
I lay back on my bed, hugging my pillow tightly. The day was silent except for the faint hum of the city outside. My thoughts kept racing. If he was watching over my dream, did that mean my dreams were in danger? Who or what would want to harm something that exists only in my mind?
The more I thought about it, the more real everything felt like the lines between dreams and reality were blurring. Was this why I was struggling to sleep? Was it fear or excitement? Or maybe both?