Chapter 5 5

Cherry can be seen talking to Marie about dreams and literature.

"I'm curious," Cherry said to Marie. "What do you think about lucid dreaming? Have you ever had a lucid dream?"

Marie's eyes lit up. "I have! And they're so fascinating. In a lucid dream, you're aware that you're dreaming, and you can actually control the dream. It's like you're the director of your own movie, and you can make anything happen. It's a really incredible experience."

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Cherry said. "I've had a few lucid dreams, and it's like you're in a whole other world. You can fly, go anywhere you want, and do anything you can imagine. It's like being in a video game, but more real. The only downside is that it's hard to stay in a lucid dream for very long. Usually, I wake up after just a few minutes."

"It's like you're in a virtual reality," Marie said. "But instead of wearing a headset, you're using your own mind to create the experience. I think it shows just how powerful the human mind is. It can create whole worlds and stories, and you can literally become the hero of your own adventure. Have you ever had any lucid dreams that really stood out to you?"

Cherry thought for a moment. "There was one lucid dream I had that was really special," she said. "I was flying over a beautiful landscape, with mountains and forests and a sparkling lake below me. The sun was shining, and I felt completely at peace. I felt like I could stay in that moment forever."

"That sounds so wonderful," Marie said. "It's amazing how dreams can transport us to another world, a place that's completely different from our everyday lives. They can be like an escape from reality, or a portal to another dimension. I think that's why they're so fascinating. They offer us a glimpse into the unknown, and a chance to explore the hidden depths of our minds."

Cherry nodded in agreement. "I think that's part of what makes dreams so magical," she said. "They're like a window into our unconscious minds, and they can show us things we didn't even know were there. It's almost like they're a secret code, and we just need to learn how to decipher them. Some people believe that dreams can even be prophetic, that they can foretell the future or give us clues about what's to come. Have you ever had a dream that you think came true later?"

Cherry hesitated, then nodded slowly. "There was one dream I had a few years ago that really stuck with me," she said. "I dreamt that I was at the beach, and I saw a young girl running toward the water. I started to shout at her, telling her to stop, but she kept running. Suddenly, a wave crashed over her, and she disappeared beneath the water. I woke up feeling terrified, like I had actually witnessed something terrible happen. A few days later, I heard on the news that a little girl had drowned at the beach. I don't know if it was the same girl from my dream, but it felt so eerie and strange. It was like I had seen the future in my dream."

Marie's eyes widened. "That's so spooky," she said. "And also incredibly sad. I can see why that dream would stick with you. It's hard to know if it was really a premonition, or just a strange coincidence. But either way, it must have been unsettling to hear about the little girl who drowned. How did you feel after that?"

"I felt really upset and confused," Cherry said. "I kept thinking about the dream and wondering if it had been a warning. But I also felt guilty, like maybe I could have done something to stop it from happening. I know it sounds crazy, but it's like my dream had become real, and I was struggling to make sense of it."

"I don't think it's crazy at all," Marie said gently. "Dreams can have a profound effect on us, and it's normal to feel overwhelmed by the emotions they stir up. It sounds like this dream really shook you up. Did you ever have any similar experiences after that?"

Cherry shook her head. "No, I haven't," she said. "But that dream really stuck with me, and I still think about it sometimes. It was so vivid and intense, like it was more than just a dream. It's hard to explain."

"I understand," Marie said. "It's like your dream was more than just a random sequence of images and sensations.

It felt like it had a deeper meaning, a message from your subconscious mind. Maybe it was trying to tell you something important, something you needed to know. What do you think?"

"I think it might have been a warning," Cherry said slowly. "Like my subconscious was trying to warn me about something dangerous or harmful. I just don't know what it was warning me about."

Marie nodded thoughtfully. "It's possible that your dream was trying to warn you about something," she said. "But it's also possible that it was just a dream, and there's no hidden meaning. Sometimes our minds just create strange and vivid dreams without any deeper purpose. But even if your dream didn't have a deeper meaning, it obviously had a big impact on you. Dreams can be powerful things, even if they're just random images created by our sleeping minds."

Cherry considered Marie's words. "You're right," she said. "Even if my dream didn't have a deeper meaning, it was still really intense and emotional. It felt so real, like I was actually there, watching the little girl run into the water. It's hard to shake that feeling, even after all this time."

"I think it's normal to feel attached to a dream like that," Marie said. "Even if it was just a dream, it still affected you in a real way. And that's okay. Sometimes our dreams can teach us things about ourselves, even if they don't have a clear message or meaning. They can help us explore our emotions and understand ourselves better."

"I never thought of it that way," Cherry said. "But that makes sense. My dream might not have been a literal warning, but it did help me to realize how strongly I feel about protecting children and keeping them safe. Maybe my dream was trying to tell me something about my own values and priorities