who cares if it's songfic, the song rocks.
THANKS: To the crew, this dream's for you. And yes, Jim, I know that this
isn't what I'm supposed to be working on. And no, I didn't forget about it
either. It's coming, I promise. And to Narida, for "If He Asked You," you
rock.
I dream of rain
I dream of gardens in the desert sand
I wake in pain
I dream of love as time runs through my hand
"Desert Rose" by Sting
You wake to rain drops falling on your face. The cool water feels
refreshing on your parched face. You slowly become aware of your
surroundings, realising that this is not where you fell asleep. The desert
stretches out in all directions around you, dwarfing you with its size and
intensity.
As you scan the horizon, your eyes settle on a shimmering in the distance.
You know that this could be just an illusion, the heat playing tricks on
your eyes just as the cold in Antarctica did so recently. You catch a few
rain drops in your hands and rub the water into your eyes. Blinking back
tears, you see that the shimmering has cleared, becoming an oasis. Having
no where else to go, you trek towards it.
As you approach what you now see to be a garden, you begin to wonder
exactly what you are doing in this wasteland. As soon as the panic begins
to set in, it is quickly replaced by wonder as you gaze upon the largest,
greenest patch of flowers you have ever seen. You begin to walk through it,
marveling at the temperature change and the increase in humidity.
You make your way to what you believe to be the center of the garden. You
feel the heat begin to build as you push your way through the thick
overgrowth. You enter the clearing and see a large black stallion tethered
to a pillar of fire. You stand entranced as the fire coalesces into the
shape of a woman.
In the woman's hand is a single rose, which she gestures for you to take.
Knowing that you will only be burned, you step forward anyway and reach to
take the offered flower. As your fingers brush hers, her scent assails your
nostrils, as familiar as your own body is to you.
"Scully?" You ask, not caring that your fingers have remained in contact
with hers, burning you deeply.
She only smiles, neither confirming nor denying your suspicions. Having
released the rose, she steps toward you. You realise that nothing here is
as it seems as she steps through you. The burn she leaves runs through your
soul.
You turn to watch her but see only her shadow. You look up at the sky,
hoping that the rain will clear your head. But above there is only
emptiness, not a cloud in sight. You reach up to rub your eyes, to clear
them of the grit of your soul, and see that she has scalded your hands.
Closing your eyes to rest your mind, you breath deeply and can only smell
her. Her perfume fuels your intoxication, nudging you towards insanity. You
have always known that she loves you and have resigned yourself to moving
at her pace. But now she plagues you, taunting you with every breath.
You attempt to follow her shadow, to catch her and allow her entrance into
your soul. You want to take her in, let her destroy you and build you back
up again. But you are not fast enough and she escapes you.
You are again standing in the open expanse of desert, the oasis nowhere in
sight. You feel rain drops fall on your head as you look down at your
hands. You begin to cry as you stare, seeing no burns, yet still feeling
the pain of her love.
"SCULLY!" You scream as you awake, alone, on your couch. Your hands, burned
in your dream, ache. But the pain is nothing compared to what you feel in
your heart.
You burn for her.
Fin
First published - 6/13/00
