She was standing on top of something high, but she did not know what it was. It was covered with something that looked very pale, like the shade of her lightest shirt. She bent down to touch it, and realized that it was soft, and cold.
She liked the feel of it.
She looked up at the sky in wonder. The fluffy stuff that was on the ground— the sky seemed to be full of them. They drifted down to join the other pale ones. She stuck her tongue out to catch them and laughed.
As she turned around, she saw her brother. He looked… broken, cold and starving. She did not remember him ever being like that.
She tried to speak, but found that she couldn't, as people sometimes can't in dreams. Instead, she waved her arms wildly, trying to attract his attention. He did not notice her.
Instead, he whispered something to a bundle on his chest. She realized that it was the Newborn child that slept at their house.
She watched them, for she was unable to move towards them. Her brother trudged to an item she did not notice before. It was a slight oval shape with thick, metal bars attached at the bottom, and it was darker than the stuff on the ground. He climbed on it, with what seemed like great effort, and slid down the uneven ground.
She tried again to call out to him, to make him acknowledge her, but once again, she failed.
She watched as they slid down, down, and down…
She was awoken by her parents voices.
Lily yawned and groggily sat up on her bed. She expected to hear her mother preparing for work downstairs, but instead, heard her brother's name.
"Jonas! Jonas!" It was her mother.
She knocked on Lily's door rapidly.
"Come in," Lily mumbled sleepily. After her mother entered, she said, "Mother, I had the funniest dream. It was about—"
Mother interrupted her. "I apologise for interrupting you, Lily, but Jonas has gone missing and we need to know where he is."
Lily's eyes widened, and she was no longer sleepy. "But mother, you have to listen to my dream! Jo—"
"Lily, we will have time for telling dreams later on," Mother said, trying her best to be patient.
Lily hesitated, and then nodded. "But, Mother," she asked timidly. "Where is Gabe?"
"That's part of the problem," Mother said, clearly in distress. "Your father and I believe that he took Gabe with him! And he was supposed to be released today!"
"Maybe that's why Jonas left," Lily suggested. She thought of her dream. "Maybe they went to Elsewhere! Elsewhere might be very nice, Mother. Maybe there is pale, fluffy stuff falling from the sky!"
Mother gave her a strange look, but then relaxed. "You are a great storyteller Lily, but we must be serious. We have to look for Jonas immediately."
She stood up and walked towards the door.
"But I was being serious!" Lily protested, but her mother was already gone.