That Dream Again

• Rainer Smith, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2018

The sun was shining, not a cloud to be seen. This was quite unexpected, from what I'd just dreamed. I yelled out, as I opened my eyes, ‘I had that dream again!’. It was the worst dream I had ever had, and for a completely absurd reason, I continued to have this dream over and over again. It was starting to prevent me having my beauty sleep that I always felt was necessary. So, I decided to tell my mum.

“What! Are you insane? Why hadn't you told me before?”
I just didn't feel like telling again for the simple reason of everyone thinking that I was a total psycho. This happens quite a lot considering that I have 1, 2...15 siblings. Oh, I forgot and I'm the youngest. None of my other siblings have had these horrible dreams and we all have the same genes.

...

That night it had happened again, but by this time I had held a family meeting and told every single one of my siblings about what I was going through. At first they all just giggled and snickered, and thought I was just attention-seeking. They have been thinking that a lot lately. I just thought that they should know, just in case I possibly woke up one night and started screaming at the top of my lungs. But for all they cared, I was just an outright joke.

I had been having this dream since I was 9 and I'm now 13, so for 4 years of my life I have been having no sleep and waking up hysterically crying. I wish that there was just something I could have done about it, until one day I thought I would book myself an appointment with the child psychologist, that went by the name of Dr. Ring A Ding, or Dr RAD which is what he preferred to be called.

Dr RAD had rung me to inform me that my appointment would take place on the Thursday of the next week. Thankfully, because I thought that his next available appointment was in November and it's only August. Only another three long months to wait.

…

It's now November and I'm actually quite nervous about this appointment with Dr RAD because I haven't actually told anyone what this horrific dream is actually about and I'm 100% certain that he is going to asks what happens in this dream. I had my mum drive me to the psychologist on Fourteenth Street. I stepped out of the car and quivered my way over to doors of the towering building. I breathed in heavily and stepped inside…

I opened the door the Dr RAD’s office and he had a slightly excited look on his face, and I wouldn't have a clue why. He asked me to explain the dreaded dream.

He’s the man in the dream.