How many stories begin with the words, last night I had a
dream?
Recently I’ve been having dreams that are so real I wake
already tired as I start the day. But
most fade into a distant haze as I get up. A vague memory you can’t quite
grasp.
Last night I had a dream that has made me want to write it
down, an all too rare occurrence these days, a desire to write strong enough to
get me out of bed at 5 a.m. to find my laptop.
I was driving, along a road I know reasonably well and it
was getting dark.
Suddenly I was aware of shadows in front of me, flitting
silently in the dusk.
Kids on bikes, out too late with no lights on, I slowed down
as they wove a dangerous path. I stopped as I reached a junction, a bus swung
round the corner. Most bikes sped on their way but the driver of the bus hadn’t
seen them all in the dark, he clipped the final one, the bike ended on its side, a child tumbled to the
ground in front of me.
Our eyes met, although he was a shadow child with no whites
to his eyes. He picked up a helmet that I have no memory of him wearing before, he placed it on his head and there were no straps to secure it. He was aware he needed it,
remembered some warning he was told long ago but he arose unscathed and rode
off to join his friends as if nothing had happened.
There are lights at that junction and they must have turned
green because it was my turn to go. The bus had disappeared ahead of me but I
soon caught up to the bikes again, weaving as carelessly as before, accident
forgotten.
I slowed but the car behind me wasn’t so patient, he never
caused an accident but I was aware how dangerously close he followed. I was
almost as if he’d not seen me.
Did the shadow child turn round and glare?
The dream shifted gear, I woke up and maybe I would have turned
over and gone back to sleep, 4:44 is far too early! But inevitably I needed a
wee.
As I climbed back into bed and pulled the covers around me
it struck me what was really bothering me about the dream.
There were no lights, I’m guessing there was moonlight or something
to create the shadows, but there was no red or green glow from the traffic lights, no
glare of headlights from the other vehicles on the road.
The car behind me failed to see me in the dark, in the same
way I struggled to see the shadows in front of me.
I was driving a dangerous path with no lights on. And I was not
the only one.
Was this really just a dream?
Or a warning from the shadow child?
