Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Future Earth

Last night I visited a future Morocco. A friend and I, wearing dusters and face wraps against the wind and sand, stood in a bazaar while movement foamed around us. There had been a war. Somehow I knew this. A war against non-human forces that had nearly wiped out the human race. My friend and I had fought in it.

The human population was just starting to bounce back. Conditions for survival were harsh. I saw a family waiting to board a white hovercraft. Mother, father, two children. They were escaping north to safer lands. The father held a boy child of maybe two while a daughter of eight or so stood beside them.

There was no ladder into the hovercraft. The mother and father climbed over the side with the boy but the daughter could not reach high enough. She cried out, holding up her hands, but neither her father nor mother helped her, though they had tears in their eyes. I understood they were leaving her behind, that they felt they had to make a choice to save one of their children and the boy was more important to them than the girl.

The hovercraft began to move. The girl ran beside it, the swirling sand spraying her, making her blink and stumble. I couldn’t stand it. To one side of us two traders were bargaining with a merchant at a stall, their mounts tethered beside them. Those mounts were dragonflies the size of horses.

I ran to one of the giant insects, yanked its reins free and leaped onto its back. Together we tore upward into the brazen air, the creature’s wings humming, then swung back and down and the dragonfly scooped up the fallen girl in its front legs. We caught the hovercraft only a short distance away and deposited the girl on board. She ran to her mother, who hugged her desperately.

I leaped off the dragonfly into the craft, saw that other families were huddled in the bottom of the ship. I knew that some of them had also left loved ones behind. I shouted at them. “They’re human beings. You can’t leave them. They’re human!”

A young mother burst into tears. I awoke.

24 comments:

Erik Donald France said...

I dig it. Despite the post-invasion backdrop, makes me want to go to Morocco and reminds me of two times on a hovercraft in Europe.

Lisa said...

What I wouldn't give for one of your exciting dreams! If I find myself back in high school naked one more time...

ivan said...

If your parents were immigrants, the story would be archetypal.
My aunt went through something like that when she escaped the Nazis...had to leave children behind.

And then we get into Superman, seems to me, but backwards; Jor-El and wife escaping and not the kid?

Guess it just shows you're writing a compelling story.

SQT said...

That was some dream.

I had one dream literally 20 years ago that I still feel compelled to turn into a book. It's amazing how long they stick with us.

Sarai said...

Okay I have to say: you should put this in a book. Very interesting and I am dying to know more about the world that we are living in.

Farrah Rochon said...

Awesome! One of the coolest things I remember about my days back at Xavier were the stories of your phenomenal dreams. It really brought the concept of REM sleep home. Good to see those dreams are still flowing.

Miladysa said...

For me, this would have been a nightmare. Sophie's Choice haunted me for years and I could never imagine chosing between children.

The dragonflies were a wonderful image though - we call them fairy horses in this part of the world :]

Do you think you have the seeds for a story here? I for one would love to read more about your 'Moroccan Adventures'!

Charles Gramlich said...

Erik, even the name Morocco says exotic to me.

Lisa, LOL. I do enjoy my dreams.

Ivan, I have a pretty good idea where most of the images in here came from, but I don't know why the dragonflies, or why the idea of the child being left behind.

SQT, yes, in some cases it's like living a virtual second life, with tremendous memories.

Sarai, I've gotten myself very curious about this world too. If I didn't have so much other stuff to write I'd leap on it. But deadlines first.

Farrah, I've had some doozies.

Miladysa, if I hadn't been trying to save the child I'd definitely think of it as a nightmare. As for my story, see my comment to Sarai above. It definitely has a compelling feel to it.

AvDB said...

Even if you're busy now, hang onto this one for the future. It's a great starting point for a novel.

Lana Gramlich said...

Your dreams are so compelling & adventurous! I'm jealous!

virtual nexus said...

My spouse dreams about football, and runs down the pitch....(:

virtual nexus said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ivan said...

The dragonfly somehow symbolizes loss and recovery to me.
In the heydays of the Swords and Sorcery comics, about a quarter century ago, there was a man-shaped dragonfly suffering damnably over the loss of a similar being,a female who was somewhere off the page.
I wish all my angry girlfriends hadn't all seized my library, book by comic book, but they did.
So now there is no way I can recover that book.

Just a shor in the dark then.
You weree pining for somebody?

Charles Gramlich said...

Avery, I keep a dream journal where I put down these dreams so I'll have it handy.

Lana, yep, you're my dream and certainly compelling and adventurous.

Julie, I'm mentally translating football into soccer. lol.

Travis, thankee.

Ivan, not that I'm aware of. If anything, I think flight represents freedom to me. I've also read stories before with insect riders so it might be from that.

Bernita said...

A wonderful dream - has everything.
~I am jealous~
Needs to be a story.
You. Must. Write. That. Story.

Chris Eldin said...

An intense story.
Are you going to work with it and try to publish it? It's almost completely there.

Charles Gramlich said...

Bernita, well, the outline is written down so when I get time I will have it laid out for me.

Christine Eldin, too many other deadlines right now but it will be there in outline form when I get a chance. It would be better to probably write it while it's fresh but I just have too many committments as is.

Ello - Ellen Oh said...

WHat an awesome dream! Do you dream in stereo too? Your visions are like fully produced movies. Perhaps you should consider writing screenplays! I know you are busy. But at least you have it in written form now so that you can revisit it at a later date. I absolutely love the riding dragonflies bit. Take it out of your post and hide it so no one else can steal that idea!

WH said...

I'm with Bernita--write that story!!!

Shauna Roberts said...

I too would love to read the story you will eventually write from this.

Lana Gramlich said...

Charles; No, you!

Charles Gramlich said...

Ello, sounds are generally present in my dreams but not nearly as strong as the visual scenes. I tend to see things very visually when I write as well.

Billy, thankee. At least I have the outline down.

Shauna, thanks. It's good to see you. Hope you are surviving.

Lana, that would be...you.

writtenwyrdd said...

Take off the dream references at start and end and you have a gorgeous little short story.

writtenwyrdd said...

After reading the other comments, I must reiterate: I honestly think you can sub this as is, Charles. Just remove the dream refs like I mentioned before.