Perchance to Dream... (6)

by Bob Stein

Copyright ©1995

The scream still rang in Aaron's ears as he bolted upright in the seat, banging his head on the cross rod. "Shit!" He rubbed bruised flesh, and glared accusingly at the top frame. Then he looked around in confusion, trying to sort a whirl of strange memories and vague impressions. The MG? He was back in his car!

A quick glance down confirmed that he was neither female satyr, tree, or boy. And the face reflected back from the rearview mirror was the one he remembered shaving this morning. Or was it more than a month ago? For some reason, he had expected to see the image of a little boy.

Damn. What a weird dream. Or series of dreams. He could remember every detail, including color and sensations. It was just as real as breaking down. But if the car had broken down, how come he was staring at a lit tachometer which showed 800 RPM? All the dash lights were on, and now he could hear the low rumble of the engine. What the...?

He looked through the windshield and saw smooth blacktop curving out of the headlight beams. The MG was parked on the side of the road, emergency brake full on and lights blazing. As he stared at the gages, a sudden whir startled him. The cooling fans had cut in. Shaking his head, Aaron released the brake and put the car in gear. The driving must be getting to him. Well, the next hotel he saw had better have an empty bed.

"A petroleum-based vehicle? His culture must be incredibly backwards." The technician shook his head. "No wonder he reacted so badly to the transfer. Of course, you might have told him." Rocky shrugged but did not turn away from the screen. "Tell him what? I told him he would be young and healthy. And sentient, instead of that." He gestured towards a large potted tree by the entrance.

The technician grinned. "I don't suppose it occurred to you that he might be a little surprised to wake up female? Thank you for the tree, by the way. I'm sure she'd appreciate knowing she was decorating the Transfer Room. Wouldn't be surprised if the leaves turn poisonous!" Rocky looked back at the female satyr still lying unconscious on the transfer table. "How long do you think we can keep him like this?"

The other satyr returned his gaze to the display. . "Well, he seems to have created a complete situation in his mind. Unfortunately, we don't know enough about his world to provide any interaction. He'll continue to believe the dream as long as nothing new is required. At that point, he may fill in the details correctly, or find himself in a nightmare of his own making." Rocky sighed. "About all we can do is wait then. And hope that maybe his nightmares will make this new reality a little easier to accept.".

- end -

Perchance to Dream... (6) copyright 1996 by Bob Stein.