I used to have this weird dream when I was real little.
I would open my eyes to nothing but darkness surrounding me.
It was dark. So dark, I couldn’t even see my hands.
“Hello…?” I would say.
“Is... is anybody out there...?”
It felt cold. Like I was the only one on the entire planet awake at that moment.
...And suddenly, I would feel something. Like I was being watched.
I would look around, and see…
A tall figure.
So tall that I couldn’t even see its arms.
That I couldn’t even see its face.
“Hello?”
“Can you hear me?”
...
It could. At least, I think it could.
I heard his voice echo into my mind.
Like I could just… understand what he wanted to say to me.
He would ask me questions, and I would answer them as best as I could.
Then he’d write them down. I don’t know where, but he did.
Before long, he would check the time, and say goodbye.
And just as suddenly as he appeared, he would leave just as fast.
Before I could ask anything else, I woke up in a cold sweat.
I thought about it all the next day. Wondering if I would see him again.
And once night came, I fell asleep as fast as I could.
Sure enough, I was back where I was before.
And the man was waiting for me.
It became a routine after a while.
I would talk to him about my favorite things.
I would talk to him about what scared me.
I would vent my frustrations, my anger, to him.
All the while, he would listen.
It felt... peaceful.
My own imaginary friend.
...
Then one night, I had the dream again.
I called out, as I had many times before.
“Hello?”
“Are you there...?”
…
But strangely,
The man was nowhere to be seen.
“Mister?”
A brisk walk turned into a desperate run.
“Hello?! I’m here!”
“Where are you?!”
And then, I tripped.
But I couldn’t feel the ground.
I was in my own personal cocoon.
“...Did I do something wrong...?”
“Please... if you can hear me...”
“Say something... please…”
...
And then, I woke up.
I don’t have that dream anymore.