Between dream and reality (Daren)

[Sophia June Brennan]

DATE Tuesday, April third, 2012
TIME1:20 am
WEATHER non existing (it’s a dream)

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The white dress that covered her body felt light. It was like the fabric didn’t exist, but looking at herself in what seemed like a frozen lake, assured Bren that it covered her body. It was weird; she was standing in a deciduous beech forest and the leaves made the light look green. The moss was soft under her feet, but when she inhaled she recognized the smell of the ocean, the sea. She gently laid her hand on the surface of the lake and was surprised when the glassy surface had a pleasant warm temperature. She was aware that this was a dream; it had to be… But Bren didn’t mind at all. The place was beautiful and seemed welcoming, and somehow she felt like she needed to be there.

Bren decided to follow the soft scent of the ocean that seemed to fill the forest. It was weird, normally her dream forest smelled like forest and summer, but not this time. She had heard another girl in Philadelphia telling about her mother, Gullveig, who visited her in her dreams, telling her who she was and that her daughter was a demi goddess. Bren knew that her mother wasn’t going to appear to her, but the ocean was something that resembled another member of her family. Her steps got faster as she followed the scent. She walked past some strawberry bushes, some flowers and the moss started to get moist under her feet. Bren felt how her heart beat went wild, like it was going to pop out of her chest. She started to run through the forest with only one thought in her mind “grandpa” she whispered as she ran as fast as she could.

She didn’t notice how the moss got moister, until it started to be wet and she walked through water. When she finally looked down, Bren widened her eyes; the forest was sinking like a ship and the water reached her knees. She took some steps back towards the lake but it was of no use. The water kept coming and she knew she had to find some place she could climb. She ran through the water and finally spotted what she was looking for; a giant moss covered rock she could climb and get above the water. The water reached her thighs and the hem of the dress and Bren knew that the forest was sinking faster than before. She ran towards the rock and started to clime it, but it seemed like the more she tried to get away from the water, the faster the forest would sink.

Bren climbed as fast as she could; she felt how her fingers slipped and she fumbled with her feet to stay on the rock. She climbed as fast as she could and when she finally reached the top, she looked a little horrified as she could only see the ocean. She looked over her shoulder and down to what had been the forest, but it too was swallowed by the big blue waves. “Please I beg you grandpa… Njord… don’t let me drown. I know this is just some dream, but please don’t let me drown” Bren said as she held on to the rock in the middle of the ocean.

It was like the ocean heard her and the waves started to get smaller and disappear. She looked down and the she was now sitting on a rock on what seemed like a never ending beach. Bren climbed down the rock and looked in wonder; the water was barley reaching her ankles and the sand was soft and white.

((Day added by Stupidity))

[Daren Drake]

Silence. Light. The scent of the ocean. The feeling of warm and salty water surrounding him as he floated on top of it. It was all so familiar. It was a dream and Daren loved it. This was his good dream, the safe place of his tormented and haunted world, brought into the realm of dreams, how much more perfect could it be? The water seemed to lift the 25 year old man up having him stand in it, the water reaching his ankles and Daren smiled his eyes still closed. Though his eyes were closed the light was clear and he took a deep breath, letting in the amazing scent of the salty water. He didn’t have to look at himself, he didn’t even have to open his eyes, he knew already what he was wearing; a pair of white jeans. That was all. Comfortable, pure and if he had to say it himself; very flattering to his body.

The guy started to walk down the beach, feeling the wet sand between his toes and the water caressing his skin, like it was a long lost lover he had just been reunited with. He opened his eyes and saw that his dog Skip was there, walking besides him with a Frisbee in his mouth. Daren wasn’t sure if Skip and his dream was really joined, but he assumed for it to be so, because for some reason he was able to understand the dog in here and it seemed to help their relationship and understandment in the real world. “You look awfully happy.” He stated in a dreamy and soothing voice that he had gotten used to having in this world, as they walked and the dog looked up with him, giving him what he assumed to be a smile, though it was hard to tell with the Frisbee in his mouth. ”Well of course I am happy, Daren. You gave me good food today.” his dog responded and Daren smiled looked towards the horizon “Well you deserved it, buddy.” He answered, raising his hand up over her eyes to cast shadow over them to make him able to see further than usual.

A shape seemed to take form far away from him and yet close enough to talk to, and he felt his hard beat quicker “You see that Skip?” he asked and stopped walking, observing how it started to take shape like a woman. ”Indeed. It could not be your father, right? I mean… he’s a man?” Skip answered stopping a few steps from his owner. Daren shook his head very slowly, keeping an eye on the person, thing, woman, whatever it was. “No… It can’t be my father. He never bothered to visit me. He only create this safe haven for us to wander around in, at night.” He said and shrugged with a smile pasted upon his lips “Only one way to find out what it is, right?” he said and started to walk towards it. After all, would could happen? This was only a dream, right?

Walking towards it, Daren quickly realized that the shape was a person. A woman to be exact, with a flattering white dress that matched his pants unmistakably, long brown hair that seemed to fall perfectly around her, beautiful small and round face and piercing blue eyes that reminded him of the sea. It had been a long time since Daren had seen such a beautiful thing, and for a second Daren was sure that she was the sea incarnated. Was this the long lost lover he was being reunited with, that he had always called the ocean? “Hey there.” He said and smiled at her, in wonder as her eyes hypnotized him, forcing him to only be able to look into them.

[Sophia June Brennan]

Bren carefully slid down from the big rock. The water had a pleasant temperature and Bren found herself splashing a little around with a smile. She started to walk along the beach and considered for a moment to walk in to shore, but she didn’t. The sun and the water reminded her of a warm summer day by the lake where her mom and dad had brought her once every year. Bren’s heart skipped a beat when she saw another person approach her. It was him… it had to be him… But there were something strange about him. Bren had never considered the possibility of Njord, her grandpa, actually being young and from what she could see form where she stood… attractive. It was wrong and made her feel weird, but the more she got close, the more handsome the man appeared. Another thing that made her hesitate a little was his companion; a dog? She had never heard about Njord having a dog. Her steps became slow and she looked at the man in front of her, walking towards him with hesitating steps.

Bren couldn’t keep a smile from her lips as she could see his face clearly. His face was as handsome as his body had appeared from a distance and his smile… it was like she had no choice but to return it. He was dressed in white pants and Bren noticed that the pants matched her white dress and her guts told her that it wasn’t a coincident. She let her glance travel up along his body, trying to figure out who he was. At first she had thought that he could have been her grandpa, but as she studied him, she couldn’t find any resemblance or other things that indicated that he was family.

She finally met his eyes and it felt like her heart stopped beating; He looked intense at her, like he couldn’t move his glance by himself. Bren felt how her jaw dropped a little and it had to look like she was going to speak, but no words came across her lips. It had to be him! He had heard her prayer, her cry for help when the sea had tried to swallow the rock she was sitting on. She tried to remember something about the Norse gods, something that could explain this. Could he be some other god of the Ocean? There was one other that she knew about, but it was impossible as the god had a long Santa Clause looking beard and was not really a god. Maybe he was a Vanir? Like her mother, uncle, aunts and her grandparents… she remembered to have read about the Vanirs being closely connected to the earth and the sea… it could be, but why?

The young man finally spoke and Bren felt her smile return; his voice was warm and his use of words was… modern and nothing like some ancient god. Something told her that this stranger had saved her life from the big waves and Bren took a step closer. “My name is Saga, daughter of Valfreyja… I don’t know how, but I think you saved my life” she mumbled, glad that she wasn’t trembling over her words. She took two steps towards him and tipped her toes, placing a soft kiss on his jaw (as she couldn’t reach his cheek) and whispered a soft “thanks” against his skin. It was then she realized that his scent reminded her of the one in the forest… no more than that… it was the scent from the forest. Suddenly his warm body was too close to her and Bren took a step backwards. “that scent… it was, exactly…” She looked at him with big curious and slightly frighten eyes; “Who are you?” she whispered and was surprised that the lack of sound in this place made her whisper sound loud, like the normal volume of her voice.

[Daren Drake]

Daren felt his breath disappearing; she was amazing. It didn’t really matter whether he breathed or not, it was a dream and he could do whatever he wanted, but this was uncomfortable in the long run – how could she be this amazing? What kind of siryn was this woman?
As he looked into her eyes, he saw how the blue ocean in her eyes disappeared and was replaced by two deep, beautiful hazel brown eyes that seemed to remind him of a puppy that needed some love. Why had he seen the ocean in her eyes? She had to be a creature of the water, she had to be one of his sisters, a siryn, someone to never count on. But why was he feeling so close to her then? As if they were connected somewhere deeper than just that? Why had the Gods brought him this woman, in his dreams? Was this a sick joke they were pulling on him, ‘cause they were board?

Her voice rang softly through the hair and mixed with the salty scent of the ocean, Daren felt mesmerized, daughter of Valfreyja she said? How could that be possible? How could their dreams be locked onto each other when they were from two different mythologies? Was the Gods trying to send him a message through her? Were they trying to tell him that The Army hadn’t recruited enough of the Norse? Well of course they hadn’t, they only had about 2 or 3. Yes. That had to be the message they were sending him. Daren was too far within his state of dreaming thoughts that he didn’t notice how close she moved and getting a kiss on his jaw was definitely not what he had anticipated. A warm sensation went through her, like he had been dipped into a hot spring, just after having drunk a hot cup of cocoa. Smooth, nice and lovely.

As she yanked away from her, Daren had to fight the impulse to not try and hold on to her, he wanted her to be close, he wanted her to stay near her. He didn’t want her to move away, why he felt like that, he couldn’t explain. “I’m Daren… Son of Poseidon.” He said his voice strong, warm and a bit proud. He had never really been proud of this fact, but having his feet in the water and being in front of this beautiful woman, made him feel like he should be. His mom would kill him if she knew, but luckily this was a dream, and there was no way she’d ever find out. ”And I’m Skip. Son of someone, owned by Daren.” Skip interrupted proudly, a bit annoyed that Daren had forgotten him and the man sent his dog an apologetic smile.

[Sophia June Brennan]

Bren was confused; she had been able to feel his body heat, smell him, and feel his touch. Normally she was only able to see and hear, so the new senses confused her. It made the dream seem so much more realistic. He had said his name, and Bren had to think for a moment because it sounded… Modern, and not like the name of an ancient god, like she had expected. She looked down at Daren’s companion with a bright smile; “Hey Skip” she said in a voice that was filled with light and joy, as a talking dog reassured her that this was a dream. She considered if she should sit down and pet the dog, but it was probably a bad idea, as she didn’t know the dog at all.

Bren stroke a lock of her hair behind her ear and smiled shyly at Daren; “Hey Daren, son of Poseidon” Bren said and it felt like the she allowed herself to see him for the very first time. She felt how her cheeks got hot and she guessed that she was blushing. It was weird; usually when she was dreaming, she knew what would happen and she didn’t blush. Something about Daren made the dream seem realistic. Bren bended down and gently stroked the dog, who seemed to be a bit insulted because he got ignored. “So tell me Skip, what are you and your friend, Daren, doing in my dream?” She asked like she was talking to an equal, as the dog most likely was a symbol of something and it deserved to be treated with respect. The question had burned inside her ever since she had learned that Daren wasn’t her grandfather Njord. She peeked up at Daren; “You see… I find it confusing when a stranger appears in my dream without my permission” she said and smiled as her glance met Daren’s eyes.

Bren shook her head slightly; “I’m sorry, but I don’t understand what you want from me… and why you disturb my dream” Bren said with curious eyes. Well, Bren didn’t mind meeting Daren; he was not like the usual hot guys from the college, he had something special about him… His eyes were kind and something about him made her wants to step close to him again and let his arms wrap around her. Bren rose and looked at the small gap between them; “Do you feel that too?” Bren asked in a voice that reflected some of the vulnerability she felt. “It feels like we’re miles apart” she mumbled and tried to suppress the feeling that wanted her to toss herself in his arms. She begged her mother and other goddesses of the old north, that the young man in front of her felt the same. Bren finally decided to give in and stepped close to Daren again; she gently stroked his torso with the tip of her fingers and smiled to herself while mumbling to herself, “It is so strange, I can feel your body heat… you seem so real”.

[Daren Drake]

Laughter. Laughter the seemed to shake the whole dream and yet just seemed to join it and become a part of it, letting the laughter sound from every angle of the dream escaped his lips, coming from deep within him and he placed his hand on his stomach. “Your dream? Saga, daughter of Valfreyja, you do not need to say no more.” He said and smiled at her giving Skip a glance that would tell anyone that everything seemed so clear to both of them. “You see, to me you’re the one intruding my dream and to you I’m the one who seems to be intruding yours.” He said and ran his hand through his hair with a smile before resting both his arms behind his neck. “So our dreams are merely intertwining.” He said and let his arms fall down beside him and he leaned in so that his face was right in front of hers and in a whispering voice that could seem like it was loud he told her the one thing that he had been wondering; “Which means, we’re both real people.”

A rumble sounded in the horizon and Daren stood up straight, instinctively wrapping a protective arm around the girl and pulled her closer as he saw a big black thundercloud seem to take place far away over the ocean that they were standing in. “Did one of us eat cheese before we went to bed?” she asked trying to joke, but something seemed off by the cloud, very off. Almost like it was the wrath of a God that was assembling, taking form as a cloud that seemed to have now swallowed all light in the dream and they were now standing in darkness, the only light seemingly coming from their clothes and Skip. “For some reason I have the urge to get out of the water, before some sea creature show up. I’d rather not be between Scylla and Charybdis or have like the kraken show up to tear us into shreds…” He said and without waiting for his consent he dragged her onto the beach which to his relief didn’t seem to move away from him.

He had only just reached the edge between the beach and the ocean when it occurred to him that if this dream was turning into a nightmare, things shouldn’t be this easy. Not seconds after this thought had passed through his dreamy mind, did a loud ear tearing rumble from the sky sound, mixing with the terrifying scream of something not in the least natural, coming from the ocean. He stepped into the beach with her quickly making sure Skip was with them, when joining the two heart pounding sounds, was a sound that Daren had heard ghost stories about when he was a little kid; spine icing barks.

“Why is this happening?” he asked and looked around ready to fight and defend the woman he had just met, but there was nothing to see. Nothing evil being that would devour their bodies and souls in a second without any hesitation. “War is over us Daren… You said it yourself before we went to sleep; No Demigod, descendant or human can be safe in times like these. The ancient times of each mythology seems to be taking form in the modern society, which means, instead of swords and spears, people has guns and tanks…” Skip said with his teeth showing, signaling that he too was ready to attack at any given moment. “Yes, but why in our dreams?” he asked and looked at Saga.
“Who knows? Maybe because you’re both children of powerful Gods who was prayed to before war back in the days and the Gods wishes to warn you about the dangers that seems to be stirring in the horizon… Remember, it’s not always easy to see the storm coming when on the waters but-” Skip said but was interrupted by Daren; “But suddenly it’s over you and you’re in a hell of a lot of trouble…” he said right before the ground between Saga and himself opened up.

Daren pushed Saga back so that she wouldn’t fall into the big gabbing hole and jumped back himself. The gab wasn’t that big, merely 1 meter, but something came from it. A sound that could not be identified emerged from the whole like poisonous gasses, becoming clearer and clearer to the guy and he looked at it with despair. It sounded like thousands of people, mourning and being tortured. People who didn’t seem to be alive – or so it sounded. It was enough to make ones stomach turn, but Daren kept it in and pondered over why the gab to Tartarus or in Saga’s case; Hel, had opened up right between them. What kind of sick joke was the Gods playing on them?