Seeing in the dark. Feeling in the dark. Crying, right here in the dark. My many years of wisdom, experiences, defeats, and victories could not hold me tenderly now in this time of turmoil. Minutes indeed felt like days and I almost forgot where I was. The Dream Realm changes with the beat of your own heart, and my heart and mind had stopped.
Although my appearance is youthful, my soul has aged. I came to the Dream Realm to look for a dear one even after I promised not to ever walk here again. The things you do for your siblings, even the ones you abandoned. Her face makes me feel warm in this dark; a face I do not deserve to remember. When I left her side, she was young, seeing only a handful of seasons. She would recognize me; would I recognize her? She had to be over fifty years old now. We were best friends, sisters, and we only had each other of our own kind. How could I have left her alone?
Whispers cut sharply into my thoughts and did I see a flash of light? No, it was not a light, just my wishful thinking or my eyes playing tricks on me. Are my ears doing the same? Hold on. The whispers are getting louder. Right? Those are whispers? Music? Whistles? Voices? It all melted together and I clinged to my cloak tightly. Eventually, everything would surround me in the dark.
Quickly I recited poems and inspirational text, just whatever floated out of my mouth and kept my eyes opened. My right hand trembled as a magic spell was released and it was a relief to see a source. It was something I could have created earlier but there are strict guidelines, even in the Dream Realm. At this point, I just needed to see something other than nothing.
In the distance, a light pulsated to the beat of my spell. It drew nearer and generated warmth. Was this my rescue?
And rescue came in the form of a shapely female. A female... not human? I had to wait until the light died down and I could see her. My eyes adjusted rapidly and once it all settled in, I stopped breathing for a second. There I was, standing before me.
"The exit is over there. You are not too far away." She was the whispers from moments ago and her voice was lovely. Youthful and shapely, she wore a light blue braided bandana and I could feel the presence of magic in her blood.
"Can I trust you?" My lack of self-confidence surfaces again. I wondered if I was going to lose my help for not keeping my tongue tight.
"Do you trust yourself?" That smile was something I had not seen in myself for the longest. Yes, I could trust something that reminded me of my past self: a gentle lady.
"Please lead the way, and thank you."
These were the only exchanging of words between us. She did more than guide an old lady back home.