The warmth of darkness

A Story by ICanSeeYou

I had a dream. It was neither the longest dream nor the fanciest or the happiest not even the best one. But it sure was special. It was one of those dreams that no matter how much time passes or what circumstances you’re on, you’re likely to never forget about it. Everyone has had that kind of dreams. Everybody remembers a dream from a long time ago even if they don’t want to; maybe because it meant a lot for you or it just let you realize something. But I digress. Here it goes.

It was cold as it could be. Cold air was breezing through the windows and into my nerves. I could hear the air waving and dancing like the smoke that comes out of a cigarrete, with such gracefulness that you’d be hypnotized. I looked around and I noticed I could barely see anything. It was darkness all around me. There was just a weak light coming from the window. Moonlight I guess, so subtle and beautiful. I roamed around just to find out that I was in my room, but it didn’t feel like it. There was furniture missing and I could not sense the door or my closet. There was none of my stuff in there either. Somehow I couldn’t care less. It also felt colder than usual, gloomier, like some kind of depression fog ruling over it. And yet the moonlight was breaking into it, giving it a touch of clarity.

I decided to go to the window and see if there was anything else outside of my familiar prison. There were people outside. People I knew. They were not related, at least not all of them but there was something that pulled them together. They were people I care for. Friends and family mostly, and some people I remember with warm memories.

But, there was something odd. There were staring at me for some reason I couldn’t understand. I talked to them but they couldn’t hear me. Even thought I was right there in the window at plain view, I was invisible. I felt invisible. And all of the sudden, they started to get further. Like if they were rolling out of sight but, without moving a finger. They just stood, stared and left.

So there I was, confused and scared in the room that caught me in its warmth when I needed it the most.

But I was not alone, oh no I wasn’t. There was something lurking in the shadows, watching this sad scene from the darkest point in the room. A cloud, a feeling, a figure. Mostly, a shadow.

It was getting closer and closer to me. I had not much time to inspect it with my eyes but what I did notice is a feminine silhouette. It was shorter than me, not by much tough. It had long hair and she was slim and smooth. This shadow moved slowly, no hurries at all, and her whole body was more of a ghost, kind of made out of smoke. I thought it would just get closer and talk to me, stare at me, but what surprised me the most was that, she touched me.

Without making a single sound, not even a word. She put her hand over my chest and I could feel her fingers running around it. Discovering what was in front of her. Her hand stopped right where my heart is placed and she opened her palm to feel its beating and I knew. She was reading my feelings. I could sense the way she reacted according to the memories that started to run through my heart without my permission. I was shocked.

As soon as she finished, she separated herself from me. I was astonished at the way a little ghost could just come to me, touch my chest and break into my heart and my feelings like if it was a public park. Was it really that easy? I felt helpless but also touched. At least, someone cared.

So then, she just hugged me. I could feel her thin arms wrapping around my waist and the side of her face (or what I guessed it was) pressing onto my chest.

I stood there shocked at the moment.

Suddenly, I noticed my bed had been sailing slowly through the dark and stopped near us, and we laid there. I just laid and stared at the ceiling blank in confusion. I didn’t understand what was going on. To me, it was all just a weird yet pleasant moment.

I put my arms around her and I noticed something. She was cold like metal. It gave me the sensation that she had never felt warmth in her entire existence. As I finished embracing her fully, she grasped me tighter and so did I.

And then, I understood. She sensed my sadness, she sensed my loneliness. That’s what called her onto me, that’s why she was in my room after people left. She was looking for someone feeling just as gloomy as her. And so I embraced her tightly, trying to warm her up, knowing that the only thing she wanted is for someone to hold her, warm her and share her loneliness. And so she gave me a kiss on the cheek and went back to leaning on my chest, knowing that I needed someone to hug me, and care. We lay there, sharing the dark as a voice, a girly voice, echoed through my head saying: “All you need is love”.