Summer reading: SNOWY DREAMS..
In the middle of the summer it is time to cool down! A short story about snow, ice,a frozen sea, a strange creature and dreams that come true..
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams”- Eleanor Roosevelt-
Last night I dreamed about snow. It was quiet, very quiet. Everywhere I looked I saw snowy paths, trees, red colored houses with snowy roofs. The sun had just risen and was a warm contrast to the clear blue sky. The silence was broken by a creaking sound. Curiously, I walked towards the swelling sound. Between the tree branches an endless white surface slowly emerged. I was by the frozen sea. With all its might the undercurrent of the seawater pressed against the frozen sea. As if it wanted to escape the winter darkness and freezing cold. The frozen seawater, however, held out. The result was a symphonic play of sounds. High, low, short, long. My pace slowed and with my eyes closed I took in all the sounds. Suddenly the symphonic sounds were replaced by a huge noise. As if a kettledrum collided with the wind instruments. I opened my eyes and saw a piece of ice cracking in two. Seawater slowly seeped over the ice.
Wait a minute?! Something seemed to float up!
A gap opened up between two ice floes. The sun blinded my vision and I took a few steps forward. Was it a tree trunk or the wheel of a bicycle?
Holding my breath I watched while a creature moved and struggled up between the two ice floes. First I saw the tip of a green felt cap from which dark brown strands of hair stuck out. When the head came completely above the water I heard the creature gasping for air. It was facing towards the sea. Two arms rose above the water pushing itself out of the water. Still with its back to me, it stretched out toward the sun. The creature had a human body with fish-like features. Hands in the form of fish fins. From the lower back, the tail of a fish protruded from the back of a pair of trousers. With legs spread and arms in the air, the creature whispered in the air:
“Time, it is time again. Don’t stay too long because you will scare the humans off!”
Struck dumb I didn't dare to move. If it weren’t for that sun.. it stung my eyes . With all my might I tried to suppress a sneeze. HATSHOO! With a quick jump the creature turned around. A pair of bright green eyes stared at me in surprise. The creature's skin was scaly had pointed ears, a small round nose and thick lips.
"Who are you? Are you a fish?" I asked carefully.
The creature jumped up and put his hands angrily on his hips:
“Typically human that you immediately think I'm a fish. And don't ask if I'm human. I am neither.”
"I, I, I am so sorry."
“Okay, okay. It's alright. I belong to the sea folk Tengerbol. We have been living here in the sea for centuries. In winter when the sea is frozen we hibernate. We only come to the surface to look for delicacies that the sea does not offer. Like herbs, apples, carrots. We also help people. We always come out of the sea at times when we are not visible to people. At night or early in the morning. Like now."
“What are you doing in my dream?” I asked.
While touching his right arm with his left finned hand the creature asked puzzled:
“Dream what do you mean? I really do exist!”
I reached out my hand:
“Come here!” "Can you touch my hand?"
The creature looked timidly at me but then carefully stepped towards me. Stretched his arm and put his fin-like hand on my hand. Woetjssss it went through my hand like I was transparent!
The creature jumped back.
“Wow! I've never experienced that!”
"You see, you are in my dream! “Why did you come out of the sea anyways?”
“Well, to be honest, I was a little bored down there. Winter is long. I swam to the surface and managed to break through a piece of melting ice. Actually, it's not allowed. You can only go up if you get an assignment. Today I felt an assignment buzzing in my mind but it had not arrived yet. More a mixture of thoughts.. I did not wait for the result. A leap from the depths."
This explanation made me confused:
"What do you mean? Where do these assignments come from?"
" We do not know. It just pops up in your head. And then you know you can go. You don't have to explain. The others trust it to be so. But not today. When I go back I have to tell the others at the big meeting what the assignment was and how I carried it out.”
"Okay, I replied, “so you need an assignment to be here.”
“You got it!” the creature replied.
“Well, if you have already landed in my dream, shall I whisper one in your mind?”
The creature now looked at me hopefully.
"Can you? Will you do that for me?"
"Sure! What's your name?"
“Merilevä”
“What a beautiful name. I've never heard of that.”
“That's because I like greenery and love to eat seaweed.”
“My name is Crash. That's not my name when I'm awake. I only use it in my dreams. Now that you got into my dream, can you help me get into Eddy's dream? Can you?"
“Umh. Who's Eddie?"
A smile appeared on my face.
“Eddy is my love. When we are awake her name is also different. In our dreams and when we are on our pink cloud we call each other Eddy and Crash. Eddy is THE person for me. She lives far away from me. And tonight I miss her terribly. That's why I try in my dream to get to her dream. My dream took me to the seaside because we walked here together.”
“Then we have no time to lose!” replied Merilevä cheerfully.
Pondering along the shore, they now and then stopped and one owould say something aloud. “Would it be…” or “Is it that…”
If they both shouted 'NO!” right away, they knew it wasn't right. At a large rock, they sat down.
“It has to be something with feeling. The moment before you and I met we both felt something. A lack, a longing, wanting to meet.” Merilevä tried again.
By now the moon was almost invisible and the sun was high in the sky. Then it hit me:
“The sun and the moon! The moment the last rays of moonlight touch the first rays of sunlight, you can come into someone's dream.”
Merilevä jumped up and shouted:
“Yes, that's it!”
Happily we danced together until I realized:
“The sun is already up and high in the sky. Then I have to wait for another dream!”
My eyes filled with tears. Merilevä looked at me and then at the sun.
“Okay, I'm in your dream. And in a dream everything is possible, right?
he began cautiously.
“Hmm, and..”
“This means we can turn time forward!”
"How?"
“Close your eyes and repeat after me.”
I got up, faced Merilevä, closed my eyes and repeated with him:
Time, time, it's time again. Time move forward!
It seemed like an eternity but when I opened my eyes again it was dark. The moon illuminated the frozen sea. On the horizon already a small ray of sunlight appeared.
“The sun, the sun is rising!” I shouted and started to run:
“Come on, we have to hurry!!”
"Where are we going?"
"To Eddy's house of course!"
We ran back into the woods, past the red houses with snow covered roofs. Soon I saw the small alley that led us to the orange house.
"There, that's where Eddy lives!"
When we arrived we looked at each other for a moment and neither knew what the next step would be. I wanted to go inside but something prevented me.
“Merilevä, in my dream I cannot touch you. I want to be able to feel and touch Eddy.”
Merilevä turned and watched how slowly the last rays of the moon and the first rays of the sun collided. Then he knew what to do. He reached into his left jacket pocket and pulled out a small bag. He could use a pinch of magic when there was a dire need for it. This was that moment.
I didn't realize what Merilevä was doing. Suddenly I felt a warm glow flowing through my body. Someone touched my right arm. It was Merilevä. I felt him!
“Crash, go ahead. Go. You will see that you can feel and touch Eddy. ”
“But, but, how did you do that?!” I stammered.
“No time for explanation. Go in quickly. The rays of the two lights are about to meet.”
I shouted another “thank you” to Merilevä, opened the front door and ran upstairs. The bedroom door was half open. Silently I walked to the bed and heard Eddy snoring softly. I smiled and snuggled up against Eddy. I felt her warm body against mine. Eddy moved and turned around. Sleepily she asked:
“Crash, is that you? What are you doing here?!"
“You told me once you couldn't dream about me like I dream about you. So I thought I'd come visit you in your dream.”
Eddie said nothing. Her head moved towards mine. Then I felt her lips on mine. It was so real. It worked! Merilevä had carried out the assignment. I felt every touch of her. I don't know how long that kiss lasted. When I woke up from the dream my lips were still burning of sensation. Then my phone buzzed:
Huomenta ja hyvää ystävänpäivää 😘 (good morning, happy valentine’s day!)
“Have you also felt me in your dream last night?” I asked her later.
And the answer to that question was….