They were all dressed in white. There were so many of them... some I knew, others were complete strangers to me. I saw my mother, and my brother Mikey. They surrounded me. They were all talking at once, but I couldn't hear what they were saying. A huge wave crashed behind me and I realised I was on a beach with the crowd of people on three sides and the sea at my back.
I thought, where am I? Why am I here? Those thoughts roared out of my head with terrible noise, like thunder. The mob cowered away from the noise of my thoughts. What was that? I thought aloud, and the people around me tumbled back, and scrambled over each other to get away from me. They were scared, terrified, I could see them screaming, but I still couldn't hear them.
It's a dream, I thought I heard. It's your talent. Your house. Wait, Karyn? That was Karyn's voice!
I heard a bird call above me, and glanced up to see a vulture fly overheard. I watched it fly out to sea, where I caught a glimpse of someone floating in the water, about fifty yards out. I somehow knew they needed help, and I was the only one who could do it. For some reason I was wearing five layers of shirts and several pairs of shorts underneath my trousers. Trying to remove them all was frustrating, understandable given the urgency of the situation.
I finally removed the last of the shirts to find, to my amazement, a womens' one-piece lycra bathing costume. It felt tight against my skin and especially around my groin, which bulged alarmingly against the smooth fabric. My buttocks suddenly felt very cold and vulnerable and I found out why -
the bottom part of the bathing costume was like a thong, a thin band of material that nestled between my buttcheeks. Then I saw markings on the suit, a single word written across the back in gold. I tried to read it, but my neck couldn't turn far enough to read it all. All I could make out were the letters CO and ND , the beginning and end of the word. I asked the onlookers what the word said, but once again they replied in silence.
Then I remembered the person in the water, and waded out to meet them. The cold sea lashed at my bare legs, but I was determined to reach whoever it was out there. They were important. I knew that much.
As I approached the floating stranger, I realised that it was a girl, about my age, and she was floating face down in the water! I waded closer to her, only to watch as she drifted further away from me. I kicked off my feet and swam towards her, but she floated further away again. So I swam harder, and she floated faster. After about twenty yards she stopped moving and I was able to reach out to her.
As I went to grab her limp arm she vanished beneath the water, like something had dragged, or sucked her down. I cried out, despite myself. I screamed and yelled and thrashed about wildly, calling out something I couldn't recognise. I was calling out, but what was I saying? I couldn't hear myself, not one sound. But it felt... it felt like a name. Someone I knew. What is it??
I could feel my lips move, my emotions flying between sorrow and despair. I felt like a little kid who'd lost their mother... but I didn't know what I was yelling, and I couldn't hear it. I screamed the name - whatever it was - at the top of my lungs, and woke up.
"Are you okay, Jon?"
It was my mom. She had a look of concern on her face.
"Er... yeah, what's the matter?" I asked.
"You were having a nightmare. You were calling out in your sleep and everything," she said, then added quietly, "I've never seen you like that."
"I'm fine, mom," I meant it to sound sympathetic, but it came out brash, probably because I was tired.
"Well, fine. I'm making your breakfast, so get downstairs in 15 minutes, okay Jon?"
"Okay mom," I replied.
She was almost out the door before my mind started working. I quickly asked aloud, "What was I calling out? Mom, what did I say in my sleep?"
"Sarah," she replied. "You said Sarah, over and over."
"Sarah..."
It was a cold morning. The sun was shining, and there were few clouds in the sky, but there was a strong wind that blew at my back. I cursed and sorely wished I'd remembered to wear my jacket today. That made me remember the wishing rock, which I'd hidden inside my PC's tower case before I left the house. No one was going to find it there.
The wind thrust me forward again, and I remembered the wind on the beach in my dream, and how it froze my bare butt off. I've had strange dreams before - I dream almost every night - but that one last night felt very real. I wondered what it meant. I believe that there are some dreams that have a very definite meaning. They're trying to tell you or show you something. That dream last night was very definitely trying to tell me something. I couldn't shake the feeling that the dream was trying to make me do something, and I bet it had something to do with that rock.
The people in white seemed oddly familiar. Not because they're people I know or have seen, which I guess is the case - my mom and little brother were there for a start - but... have I dreamed about them before? I can't remember. They where scared of me, but in awe at the same time... Why couldn't they speak?
That girl was drowning and I tried to save her - what does that mean? And I failed - but what does that mean??
CO-ND. On that swimming costume. CO-ND. Commended? Condemned? Contend? It could be anything.
I'd never called out in my sleep before. That was creepy. And why did I call out for Sarah, of all people? She may be the best-looking girl in school, but she's got a rotten personality. The feelings of sadness I felt as I called for her, as if I'd lost someone I loved... that was the strangest part of all.
I sure as hell don't love Sarah. No way!
That magic rock's behind this, I know it. I'ts gotta be about the rock...
Karyn came out of her house to meet me as I walked up her drive. Her new breasts bounced up and down beneath her blue t-shirt - she obviously wasn't wearing a bra. Probably didn't have one that fit. But at least she didn't seem too upset about it. Good thing too - I have to admit, her new boobs really look good on her.
"Hi-" I started to yell out, when she thrusted her hand over my lips.
"Ssshh!!" she hissed at me. "I don't want me folks to see me!"
She releases her clamp on my mouth, then I said, quietly, "Oh, okay. You haven't told them about your hair yet? Nor your..."
"No, I haven't," she stifled a giggle. Another joke I won't be let in on.
"C'mon, let's get going or we'll be late!"
As we walked to school together, and I noticed Karyn has a new confidence in her step.
"So you like them now?" I ventured, and hoped she knew what I was talking about. She does.
"What, these?" she cupped her new assets in her hands and lifted and sqeezed them. I blushed deeply and she laughed again. "They're great! I can't wait to buy some clothes which'll really show them off," she added, and then giggled to herself again.
"What's so funny?"
"You! You're too easily embaressed," she said bluntly. She saw me pout, and added, "Sorry Jon, but it's true! You can't even bring yourself to say 'breasts' can you? Not without turning crimson!"
"Yeah yeah, whatever..." I mumbled.
"You're too conservative. But don't worry, that's what I like about you," she added with a wide smile. Karyn has the most incredible smile, it's like watching a flower boom in fast motion in a nature film... It starts small and spreads across her face.
After a while I tell her about the dream, carefully skipping the part about Sarah. I know how much those two dislike each other, and I don't want Karyn thinking I dream about her on a regular basis. I don't.
"...I think it's got somethign to do with the rock, but I don't know what," I add, finally.
"Maybe it's trying to show you what to do with it?"
"Maybe."
"So where is the rock? Did you bring it to school for some fun?" she smiled again.
"No, I've left it hidden at home. It's too dangerous to bring it to school. It might be too dangerous to use at all..."
"No, it's only dangerous if you misuse it," Karyn giggled. She's obviously got some idea of what she'd like to do with the stone...
"You can come round after school and we can think what to do with the rock, if you like."
Is the dream trying to tell me what to do with the stone? That drowning girl... Maybe that's what I should do! I could use the rock to save lives, to help people! I could make people happy, I could grant their sincerest wishes for them... I could make the world a better place to live in. That's what the dream is trying to tell me! That must be it!
