"Come, children. Please be seated.” The man motioned to the seven children dressed in the bedtime attire. “It won’t take long. I have some tales to tell you.”
“Who are you?” The child in the middle of the line up asked. She was dressed in her nightdress and held in her arms the doll that looked lifelike with the dark orbs staring at the man.
“Ah, the lady spoke. Well, Miss Bernice. I am the Guardian of your dreams. I am here today to show you your dreams. Not all that you will see maybe nice but it’s the truth which you were denied.” The man in the dark suit and top hat replied. “I was advised that all of you have difficulty sleeping, and when you do, you wake up with frights. My task is to settle your sleep with you understanding your dreams.”
“Where is this place, Mister?” Another child of the different gender asked. He was dressed in his nightclothes with the character of the hero ‘Superman’ on the chest.
“Yes, Supes has a question.” The man with the top hat looked at the boy who raised the question. “You are in the dreamscape. It's not a place but a … place perhaps to you where you go when you dream. I reside here and it's my responsibility to know what dreams are being thought of in sleep.”
“If I am dreaming, then I am still asleep?” Another boy asked but he was dressed in the simple frock with the nightcap on. “Then why are we here. I want to go back to sleep.”
“Tom, dreams are what we can’t have when awake but dreams represent your inner desires. Your unfulfilled tasks.”
“And what may that be?” The third boy asked. “I do not need the dream. I have not a life worth living. I am unwanted by all, and need not be wanted.”
“And Oliver spoke. My child, no one of your age should be without a dream.” The man replied. “Bear with me…”
“Can I leave? I do not want to be here.” The fourth child asked.
“Why can’t you … You are a bad person.”
“Brian, there is no need to rush back. You have a few more hours to sleep. Stay with me. The rest of you, please stay with me.” The man calmed others. “We are all dreaming. You are all in my world. Am I correct, Miles and Timothy?”
The other two started bawling at the top of their voices. They have identical looks and wore the same nightwear design with the emblem of their rich parent’s family crest. It started the chain of events to the others with Brian and Tom venting their fear by crying. It was Bernice who consoled the twins.
“Children, please. I am not your….” The man with the top hat found his soothing voice ignored and then raised it towards the children. “Stop your crying or I will unleash your nightmares towards you.”
The children stopped then and looked towards the man.
“Shall we begin?” The man looked at the children. “Now I am going to appoint you like Guardians of the Dreamscape. Your designation will be called the Shadow. You will be given a specific role and you will carry it out as per your role.”
“What are we to do?” Supes asked.
“You have the ability to determine their dreams that the others will have during their sleep.” The man replied. “Do you agree?”
The children nodded and they became the Shadows of Dreams.
It was not for another twenty-five years when they sat down before the man with the top hat once more. The children were no more then but matured adults. They had taken on their roles and had assumed designation in their ranks.
“Bernice, or shall I call you Shadow of Beauty. How did you fare?” The man with the top still dressed in the same dark suit looked towards the lady who stood there. The child had grown to a beauty that many others desired, seductive and appealing with her looks. She could morph the dreamer into whatever they may choose to be.
“How many frogs have you morphed into handsome princes? Or street urchins to Kings?” The man asked.
“I have done a few and more with the Kings, and even the plain ladies to awesome beauties,” Bernice replied.
“And you, Supes. Or is it now Shadow of Destruction?”
“I have done aplenty, with the world at chaos, and the weak trampled. I have aspired dictators and leaders in their dreams.”
“Me? I am the Shadow of War.” One of the twins called out. “Miles snapped out. “Timothy, he is the Shadow of Deception and with me, we created more destruction. Supes tailed not far behind.”
“I do not,” Supes replied. “I ….”
“Shadows, please behave.” The man with the top cut in. “Now, tell me of yourself.”
“I am the Shadow of Peace,” Brian replied. “I gave the oppressed dreams of peace. It's their solace with me when they sleep, I showed them peace.”
“So, do me. I am the Shadow of Love.” Oliver spoke up. “I work with Brian. We offered peace and love.”
“And what about you, Tom? You are the Shadow of Change.”
“I am. I can change their dreams but little did I reached out to. I did change mine.” Tom had indeed changed. He was no longer the growing boy but a feminine figure was seen there. “I changed my dream of being a boy to become a woman. I felt being the other was a nightmare to myself when I was struggling to find my own identity. I decided to wield my dream into reality.”
“Whoever Bernice made them dream of beauty, Supes of his destruction, and the twins of their war, and deception, Brian of peace, and Oliver of Love. They are all dreams. How many of us remembered our dreams when we are awake? It's all a dream they are told. Their reality is never the same. They faced it daily with memories of it. They may still be ugly, defenceless, being conned, and devoid of love. All of you gave them false hope. I, however, let reality shaped their dream. They are their destiny and not handed some unreal dreams. Am I right, Mr. Reality?”
“Twenty-five years should have shaped all seven of you but the only one did. The others are all living in dreams. Like what …. She said, stop dreaming and live reality to the fullest. Make your change here.” The man with the top then raised his hat. “You may all leave now and live in the realm of shadows. Tom will take on my role as the new Mr. Reality. Let us face the fact; life is a journey of reality and not for dreamers.”
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