The Dream

He found himself in the middle of the sky, but he wasn't afraid. He knew he wouldn't fall; he was gently floating in space, looking down at an enormous sea.

Its waves reflected the sunlight, and its translucent waters revealed a multitude of marine creatures swimming. Even from a distance, he could clearly see everything that was happening.

A variety of colorful fish, each more beautiful than the other, three enormous whales larger than any that could possible exist on Earth, a shark swimming alongside a dolphin like great friends. He could see an infinite coral reef with the most vibrant colors imaginable, where more fish swam, crabs rested, and even seahorses seemed to play.

Now he was closer, not seeing everything from afar, but he could almost touch the water, with flying fish jumping from the sea, crossing by his side.

In front of him, he could see a paradisiacal island. It wasn't very large, with a bit of grass, a coconut tree, and enough space for two people to be comfortable. And there she was, the mysterious girl from his dreams, now named Aria, standing in the middle of the island.

Ren approached without controlling his path, as if he were on a roller coaster dictating his movements, but he was happy about it; it was like a wonderful tour. Aria smiled as he approached.

The two stood side by side, and a feeling of tranquility overcame the boy; it was as if there were no problems in the world. They didn’t even talk, they were just enjoying the heavenly dream.

Then the storm began. The sea was no longer transparent, and violent waves concealed the marine life. The sky was completely gray, and heavy raindrops came towards the island.

Aria was now on her knees by his side, her face full of water, and he wasn't sure if it was the rain or tears, but she was certainly not okay. The girl seemed hopeless, and there was nothing Ren could do.

Until he felt something in his hand. Due to the nature of the dream, he wasn't sure what it was, but he knew it was a not-too-large object. Seeing the girl crying on the beach, he felt the need to give her this object, even though he didn't know if it would guarantee any result.

He tried to help, reaching out his hand to the dream Aria, but she kept getting farther away, even though neither of them was moving. The storm attacked them, and the situation of despair grew. He couldn't do anything; even his screams were drowned out by the sound of the wind.

When he was completely overcome by despair, he woke up.

As he opened his eyes he noticed being in his regular room. A beam of light was coming through the curtains of his window, and the day was beautiful outside. Nothing out of the ordinary.

He took a deep breath and calmed down from the nightmare. He tried to remember other dreams with the girl, and although he clearly remembered her face, he couldn't recall the events of each one. Maybe they had all been nightmares, and he was only realizing it now.

Trying to put that aside, he started to get ready for school. He passed by his mother's room, with the door ajar. She was on her bed, completely exhausted from the work, and Ren didn't want to disturb her.

He had his breakfast, gathered his belongings, and rushed to school. Now he knew he could expect to meet Aria and had to make an effort not to make a fool of himself again. He needed to introduce himself properly and start a friendship. But did he have the strength for it?

With each new thought came more insecurity, and he felt the desire to escape to the world of his manga, where he knew exactly what to expect from every moment and person. Lacking that ability, he moved forward, entering the school's classic wooden corridors and climbing the stairs to his floor.

He arrived early, as usual, but Aria wasn't sitting in the desk in front of his. However, Leo was already there, waiting for an explanation.

"Don't you check your phone?" the frustrated friend asked.

Only then did Ren notice the numerous messages he had received from Leo last day.

"It wasn't on purpose. I had a lot on my mind, and I wouldn't be able to explain anything to you anyway."

"Man, it was her! The girl from your drawings! How do you not have an explanation for this?"

And indeed, he didn't. Everything he knew, he had already told his friend.

"I... dreamt of her again?" Ren admitted, feeling embarrassed, which brought a mischievous smile to Leo's face. Still, he had a bad feeling that the dream was actually a nightmare.

"I want all the details!"

At that moment, the dream seemed vaguer; he only remembered the sea with strange fish, then the island with Aria, and finally, the storm, with an object that might change everything but that he couldn't deliver.

Leo listened attentively to the story, though somewhat skeptical.

"You're just in love, aren't you?" he asked, poking his friend.

"It's not that! I don't even know her well, but all this is..."

Magical. Magical was what he wanted to say, but he knew there was no point in discussing that with Leo.

"You're really confusing, my friend. Anyway, you're going to talk to her today, right? You can't let this opportunity pass," Leo said, seeming more excited about the whole story than his friend. The truth was that Ren had everything internalized and didn't know how to react.

"I guess so, right?"

"We can ask for Erika's help!" Leo suggested enthusiastically, and the idea sent a shiver down Ren's spine.

"No! She can't know anything about this! You know how she is; she won't leave me alone after hearing this story."

"But she's really popular, she could become friends with Aria quickly, and besides, you've been friends since you came to this school."

Erika and Leo were Ren's oldest friends since he moved to this town. The three of them used to play together a lot when they were younger, but as they grew up, their tastes changed a bit, and they ended up in different classes. Still, they were great friends.

Ren approached, pointing his finger imperatively at Leo's chest.

"No Erika! She can't know anything about this, agreed?"

Leo raised his hands in surrender, with a smile on his face. It was time for class, and they went to their seats. Ren looked for Aria, but she hadn't arrived yet, and the class was about to begin.

With each passing moment, he felt his heart beating, looking at the door, waiting for the girl.