Walking Dreams
Dreamtime

The beach breeze feels a little cold accompanied by the sun that has just appeared behind a vast expanse of sea. The pleasant colors between the sea and the sky at dawn never make Alang bored to see it.

On Sunday mornings, as usual Alang run morning as a routine and exercise mandiri. Although on ordinary days he took time, still Sunday morning was the most pleasant day for him. For him, he called it a walk rather than a sport. And , always Alang stopped at the cliff which he called "OPE". He would sit there for hours and skip breakfast with his family. Erica and her father did not bother about it, they knew their number one son wanted to have his own pleasure.

Alang bit off a piece of his bread, then sipped the milk he had just bought at the mart where he used to buy. Alang glared, he kept thinking about the dream two days ago. The last dream for two days.

"Maul..." He muttered, imagining the face of the name's owner smiling.

" what would his face look like if he smiled?"

Alang still muttered. He heard the girl's voice. For ten years, that was the first. As long as he dreamed and knew Carla, the girl only pointed at her sad, sad, empty face and tears.he asked for help, but Alang could not do anything.

For Alang, Carla is the closest stranger to her, even though she knows it's not real. Having the same dream for years with the same person is like living life together in the real world. Alang cannot define what Carla is like for her. Sometimes he hates the shadow in the dream, but also sad and sometimes he feels homesick if the dream does not come. Whether he's a friend or more than that, Alang doesn't know.

Alang then stunned when he realized the strange thing in the dream.when he saw the reason Carla was crying.The girl was not only tortured, the thing that belonged to him was taken forcibly. Alang looked at his hand.

"I hit him!"

yep! the night in the dream, Alang managed to hit hard one-eyed man tampa through it. whereas, every time he wanted to stop it, Alang only touched empty air. But from there the reeds realized something, the dream went like a connected, yet irregular, journey of life. The grass grabbed her hair strong. Carla and every incident in the dream that she experienced did feel so real. He still remembers the pain of his hand when he woke up from sleep, when he was able to hit the face of a one-eyed man. In fact, it still hurts a little.

The doctor said he had a unique dream. But still it's so weird.

" So, isn't this just a dream? that girl? the cavern? the beach? it's not just an illusion in my brain?! Carla, are you a real person!!?"

"how can-

" hey!!"

Alang turned to the origin of the voice with his face still pale. Jean looked at Alang in wonder and said, "what's wrong?".

" Are you okay? your face looks bleached. ah, and I brought you sara- eh? have you had breakfast?"

Alang still looked at Jean, and did not care what the man said and brought. Alang saw the white sand down there, a beach where he first saw Carla. Even the place was real as Alang realized for years.

even the trees there looked the same.The heart of Alang was pounding, thinking, whether every dream related to the girl was real.

"Jean..."

" yes..?"

" You asked me why I like this place, and I don't know why"

" Hmm?.....oh! in grade 4 of SD I asked that. What's with that question? have you found the answer?"

"That's because of Carla"

Jean was still speechless, trying to digest what Alang had just said.

"Wall she?that dream girl?!"

Jean tried to guess, but was a little annoyed at the answer to the next Alang. Alang nodded, leaving Jean wide in shock.

"Are you kidding me?! he's only in the dream!. Moreover, don't you hate him? didn't dreaming of that girl make you almost die!!"

Alang just stared blankly ahead.he knew for Jean or anyone who knew his condition would ask questions.

" But he's real"

Jean was surprised for the second time, staring at Alang in disbelief.

" A-pa you mean he's real? w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-would you not be feeling well. if I would ant-"

" I'm not sick" Alang turned his head, looking at Jean with her pale face.

" It's hard to believe, but I just realized that places in the dream are in the real world in my neighborhood"

" you know Alang, the places in the dream are sometimes the same as those in the real world. I've experienced it too"

" But this is different"

" What makes you think this is different? the doctor also incarnated"

"follow me!"

Alang stood up and walked away leaving Jean. Jean still did not think what made her best friend like that, but Jean stood up and followed where Alang went.

The two walked along the path that is created naturally because of the frequent Alang come to visit his favorite cliffs, but they turn to the right, leaving the path that should take them to the paved road. Jean still followed the Alang which casually fluttered the thick shrubbery there, but at least it made it easier for Jean. The dense plants gradually disappeared and were replaced with slightly steep rocks. but as if accustomed, Alang guided Jean through the rocks easily and safely.

" Do you pass this place often?"

" Never"

Again Jean was surprised and astonished. As Jean recalls, Alang has no hobby of mountain climbing.then why this is so easy he did, even like often passing through it.

" This is one of my dreams"

Jean still did not understand.he saw how sure Alang passed the road that he had never passed.

"Give me an understandable explanation"

Jean can finally lead her confusion, and lead Alang to explain.

" Remember when you found me on the beach? I laughed happily when I woke up. "

" yes, but you haven't told me"

" he said that he first saw the outside world for the first time. And I was there because he called me. Usually he cried, but at that time he shouted happily while calling my name. I got on the bike and went to where he called, and I saw him smile, a smile I forgot"

Alang smiled wryly, he forgot that precious smile.Even he did not remember how Carla smiled, it only looked faint.

"And in this place we met"

Alang pointed at the beach, the beach where Jean found Alang asleep.

"i still can't believe it. You may meet him, but still it's in a dream. "

Jean approaches the shoreline, recalling the events of the past.

"-more often you sleepwalk, you may play with him, but you play alone in the real world.You even say the girl is a dark shadow"

Alang fell silent, what Jean said did make sense. The one who walks while asleep is not just him. So, whether the pain was getting worse.then how real it was, the pain in his staircase was not the only one, he always felt the remnants of each episode of his dreams.

" would I go crazy for this dream?"

the look on Alang's face was so flat, he was already too tired. He could not even refute Jean's words. Though before he was so sure, but like being knocked down, Alang's heart was like saying - "what should I do with this"- . Jean patted Alang's shoulder.

"That's just my statement.You know, I just want my best friend to be okay.so"

Alang stared at the place where he played sand with Carla at that time. He was silent for quite a while.

"it looks like I have to go to Angga's doctor"

"now?"

Alang nodded slowly, then walked away.

" do I have to drive you?"

Alang did not answer, he continued walking until he reached the paved road. Actually Alang did not know what to do, he only did a routine of care if the dream worsened.with an empty mind Alang rode a white car parked sweetly there. Jean just smiled, he shouldn't have asked, of course Jean wouldn't have gone there Tampa with a car.