Dreams are powerful instruments used by the mind to imagine the unimaginable, to go beyond the limitations set down by society and create a world only known to its original source from which it came from. By doing so, we open our minds to the multitude of experiences and wonder. Dreams are a way to transcend experience and bring about a way to temporarily escape the stress that accompanies reality. Not all dreams are safe, however. No, I am not referring to nightmares. I mean something more powerful; Dreams that bring not only joy, but also obsession. They draw even the strongest of minds away from their reality and open their mind while closing their eyes to the life they are living. These dreams ensnare the senses and force its dreamer to turn their face away from the reality and essentially, cause them to live in the world that they have produced.
What is so dangerous? It is just a dream, right? That what one naïve girl though, and in the beginning, that appeared to be the case. Nevertheless, as her dreams became more powerful, her realization of the problem before her grew. This girl's problem began a week before her first semester exams in high school, when her life seems to be caving in around her.
Julie was a girl of only 15 years of age. She was a classic beauty: long brown/auburn hair, flawless skin, 5 feet 6 inches tall and elegant in every way possible. One feature, however, separated her from most. She had auburn eyes to match her hair, but when anyone took a moment to look into them, they would see the most intricate thoughts a person could have, swirling through her head. This was true too. Everyday, Julie had a million thoughts racing through her mind, and among those lay one destined for a life better than the one she was living. She wanted to live a life of solitude, away from the strict standards of life and live the life she felt she needed to have in order to be happy.
The roughest seemed to be her high school years. She disliked most of her classes. One of Julie's favorite classes, on the other hand, at school was band, where she played the clarinet. She enjoyed losing herself in the music, making it one with her. Music was her escape, a way to make life more bearable. She enjoyed instrumental, classical, and some soundtracks from various movies. Ms. Nowlin, the band teacher, passed out the music for the upcoming concert one January day. This, of course, sent excitement rushing throughout Julie's body. She was the first to receive her music. As she sat back in her seat, she began to shuffle through each piece, and one seemed to stand out from the rest. "Music of the Night" she thought. "I like the name. It's quite soothing." Then, looking over to the composer, she noticed it to have come from the play The Phantom of the Opera, composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber. "Hmm, I know I've heard of the play before. I'll have to see the movie some time," she thought. As the band students returned to their seats, Julie along with the others readied themselves to begin playing.
A few songs had passed, and class would be ending soon. Then Julie noticed the next song was Music of the Night. She raised her hand and asked if the band could just quickly sight read the piece before they all packed up. "Sure," replied Ms. Nowlin. Everyone readied his or her instruments. Julie put her hands on the keys of her clarinet. Little did she know the decision she just made to play this song would change her life forever.
After the quick run through had passed, Julie had already fallen in love with the song, making it all she could think about until she arrived home after school. That evening, Julie downloaded every song imaginable from the movie soundtrack. With every passing moment, she was falling deeper in love the harmonious music filling her head. So many thoughts of happiness and splendor rushed through her mind, and she lost herself in the music for hours upon hours. Finally, after realizing she had yet to accomplish her homework, she stayed up until two o' clock a.m. finishing it all up, but even then, the music remained steadfast in her head. From exhaustion, she collapsed onto her bed and fell asleep.