Joseph loved to dream, but he had a tough time falling asleep each night.
He would lie wide awake, looking at the white ceiling above him. He stared at the pattern of fading colour. He kept staring, night after night, till he noticed cracks appear, and then widen. Sometimes he stared till the first rays of dawn. He gave up alcohol and caffeine, tried podcasts and endless hours of hypnotism tracks, even rubbed his belly in circular motions. Nothing worked.
One night he thought of a simple idea - running up and down the fire escape stairs of his building till he exhausted himself to sleep.
He started running up the stairs in his shorts and vest. Though it was midnight, a crowd had gathered near the terrace door, looking for a burglar who had just run out from the fire exit. Within seconds, they chased after him; and at the blink of an eye, he slipped, fell through one of the windows, and lay fallen to the cemented pavement.
Joseph loved dreaming, because it never dawned until he opened his eyes in shock, only to realise a dream that simply never was.
The ceiling above was uniform & spotless.