Days past and I didn't have a single dream.
I was starting to worry a bit. Maybe I shouldn't have stopped running? Maybe I shouldn't have broken routine?
I just tell myself they're just dreams and that I shouldn't worry about them. Everyone has weird dreams, it's no big deal right? Perhaps I'm just overthinking things way too much.
I drove to work, the dream still replaying in my mind for the fourth day in a row as I stopped to wait for the traffic light to turn green, signaling for me to go on my way. My normal, daily route. I worked at a cute little café that was calm and peaceful. Never any rush for people to hurry on their way. Not a lot of people come in so every day is basically a slow day, but we always somehow manage to reach our goal for money. The normal customer was a tired mom stopping by for coffee before heading home after a long day at work; she'll need the energy when she goes home to her kids. Or an old couple, drinking tea and chatting about their day, grandchildren, or how sweet the staff were. Or some young teens out on a date for the first time, trying to break any awkward silence they can by ordering desserts or saying as many compliments to each other as they can.
I loved where I worked. The people were never rude. They were always so kind and they tip generously. At seventeen it was the only job I could get. Two years later here I am, making small talk with customers and getting paid a generous amount by the owner. Enough to pay rent for the two bedroom apartment I share with a friend I met while working in the café. Her name is Monique but she likes to be called Nudge for some reason. I meant to ask why but I never got around to it. She just keeps on ranting about any little thing she can think of. Man that girl loves to talk.
Speaking of Nudge, she walked in for her afternoon shift just as I was getting ready to take my break.
"Heya Max! How was this morning? Did you have more than five customers this time? Oh and did that woman ever come back to pick up the phone she left yesterday? Maybe you should go to her contacts list and call someone so maybe they could tell her where her phone is! She's probably really worried that she can't find it. Speaking of which, have you seen my phone? I couldn't find it when I left the apartment and I looked everywhere-"
"Hey Nudge how's it going! Good? Okay cool, your turn to run the place while I go eat my sandwich! There's a customer at the far left table who might need a refill and he ordered dessert so when James is done with that go give it to him, cool? Okay, bye!" I cut her off before she could say anything else and or exploded my ears with her way too fast talking and quickly made my way into the back where I ate my lunch. Incidentally, the back is also the kitchen, our cook James' favorite place. He too likes to be called a weird nickname. I keep forgetting what it is since he only recently started working here.
"Hey there Miss Ride! Come to eat your lunch?" James asked as soon as I walked through the door.
"James, I already told you, call me Max. I'm nineteen and its weird hearing someone call me 'Miss Ride'", I corrected him. My full name is Maximum Ride and I have only ever went by Max. I question my parents on their strange name choice but hey! It's unique and I like it!
"And I told you to call me Iggy. My dad calls me James and my little brother calls me Iggy. I shall fulfill his wishes of my name being Iggy by making everyone call me Iggy! So Iggy it shall be!" Iggy shouted, holding a giant spoon in the air dramatically.
"Okay, okay fine! Iggy it is then. Now chill out with the spoon before you poke someone's eye out," I scolded him and he brought his arm down, silently chuckling as he adjusted his glasses. Without those glasses, Iggy wouldn't able to tell his hand from a whisk. We're all very thankful for those glasses.
"Yeah, yeah whatever. Go eat your sandwich grumpy lady, I'm busy making cake and I can't have you distracting me!" Iggy waved the spoon around before pointing to my normal chair with it. I stuck my tongue out at him like a mature adult and sat down to eat my sandwich.
As I ate, I started going over the dream again. The strange color scheme stood out so much. It was odd yet the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. I kept thinking that whenever I walked outside, I'd look up and see a vibrant, pink sky. Or when I took Nudge's dog Total for a walk in the park, I'd see orange trees with blue leaves and small black flowers hiding in tall blue grass. It was all so odd, and so wonderful.
Up until the vicious mutant dog creature thing and the part where I had wings and started flying.
To any other person, a dream like this would be no big deal.
But it's a big deal to me. I've had the same exact dream since I was a kid, since before I could remember. Always running. No matter the location, I was always running. Never before have I ever been so aware in one of these dreams. I have never been able to control my actions in these dreams before, I was basically on autopilot the entire time.
So why change now?
Nudge came into the kitchen, interrupting my thoughts. She looked confused and slightly concerned.
"Um, Max? There's this weird guy dressed in all black with long black hair and he's asking for you. By name. Do you know anyone by that description?"
"No, I don't."
new chapter out!
so how's the story? feel free to leave a review and tell me what you think, i'd really appreciate it!
till next time
~silver