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I shoot up gasping for air as the softness from my pillow retreats. My heart thunders through my chest, echoing in my ears while reality pours back in. I hastily wipe the corners of my eyes to blot the wetness that surfaced because of the ending of my dream. Chloe sits up beside me and pulls my body in towards herself, one arm around my neck and back. Her warmth sends chills through my body, and I push deeper into her embrace. Her opposite hand strokes my shoulder and smooths the hair on the back of my head in a repeated, petting motion. It takes several seconds for my mind and body to sync back together, coming to an understanding that the existence I experienced was merely a fleeting falsehood. I can breathe normally again. “I’m here, Max,” Chloe whispers as she sweeps a strand of hair from my eyes, tucking it behind my ear. Her tender voice reassures me that we are still safe, leaning on each other for compassion, empathy, and strength after what we went through last month. Besides the hum of the ceiling fan in my room at my parents’ house in Seattle, I hear a dog down the street barking every few seconds at either her own shadow or some ghastly spirit that exists beyond human perception– probably the former. In my recently awakened state, I’m just about ready to believe anything. The dog’s snarls remind me of Pompidou, and I feel guilt-ridden all over again. One month ago, a storm I caused ravaged our hometown and changed many lives forever. Since then, Chloe has treated me like a fragile piece of expensive china, gingerly touching me and speaking to me as if I were a child. It’s what I need, and she knows it. When I see the love radiating from her beautiful, blue eyes as she looks back at me, my heart melts and nothing matters except her. “So, let’s hear about this one,” she encourages. Chloe knows I always feel better when I attempt to describe my nightmares. Verbalizing my feelings and experiences helps to pull me out of my own head, which is a very good thing these days. When I share the details with her, I think she feels deeply connected with me. She needs that closeness as much as I do now. I can’t even actually call most of them ‘nightmares’ anymore. They’re just strange illusions at this point... well, mostly. I still have occasional night terrors, but they are seeming less intense than when they first began. “Y-Yeah, okay,” I start. “It’s pretty weird, though.” Chloe shoulder bumps me. “You’ve always been pretty weird, Dork. I’m used to it by now. Come on, while it’s still fresh and all. Give, give, give!” Her playful eagerness curls the corners of my lips, boosting me with a degree of confidence. The moon casts horizontal bars of light through the faux wood blinds in my room, allowing a hint of vision during the darkness of night. I can see Chloe’s silhouette looking down at me, anxiously awaiting whatever nonsense I relay to her, probably anticipating the most bizarre of stories. Before I even realize, everything comes spilling out. “Okay, okay. Some corporation I apparently worked for, had a swirling, sandy sinkhole-looking thingy behind their office building. For some reason, in my role, whatever it was, I found out about it. They said I could go check it out but had to bring someone else along, too. When me and a random coworker named Charlie went down to the bottom of the grassy hill where the vortex originated, we noticed, at the center, it was a bit like quicksand but with a totally different texture. “We weren’t frightened but I felt like we should be. In fact, we were mostly excited about whatever it was. We eagerly stepped into the center, which pulsated with a translucent glow, and were transported to another dimension where we floated upward. I started swimming in the black, nothingness not knowing where I was going. Then, items began to take shape. There were lots of weird streaks of light and vivid colors rapidly passing by. I can only describe it like we were somehow floating in outer space, or something like that. “I swam forward and glanced back. The spot where we came from was lined with thick, tight lines of yellow yarn, leading up to a pyramid-like structure. It seemed like an inverted prism of the vortex we entered this new area through. “As we continued forward, we were met by an oversized, shadowy entity. He was slowly, like over many years, I think, taking pieces of our atmosphere and creating this golden, flowing stream up above. Once it was completed, he was planning on using it to quickly travel from one dimension to another. He called it stardust. “He didn’t seem evil, but I knew what he was doing couldn’t be good for our universe. Then, abruptly, we were forced to head back to the inverted vortex where we started. I realized it felt pleasurable being in this outer space-like reality, but nevertheless, we had to leave. I knew we needed to get away from there, but I didn’t want to go.” I pause my recalling of the dream to leave space for Chloe to share her thoughts if she wants to, but she remains silent. So, I continue on. “We swam back following some unseen current in the air. On the way towards the vortex, I noticed that I left my messenger bag back near the stardust stream. It seemed like me leaving it there was important for some reason. It felt as if I was leaving a younger version of myself behind and transforming into an older, more mature me. “As we were going, we looked back, watching as the being placed new clouds in the stream. While we exited, he told us the world would break down and become dust one day. When we pushed through the vortex, the dream shifted with a swirling mixture of grays. “Then, there was a little girl who I think was my daughter, but can’t remember her face now. She was wearing a yellow jacket with an orange t-shirt. She was probably about ten-years-old. You and her were sitting at a bus stop and she was leaving for summer camp. You were upset at me and was going to just let her go on her own, but I wasn’t giving up so easily. “She said you were sad and scared about the vortex I found even though I didn’t recall mentioning it to you yet. It was as if the girl could travel through time and knew what had happened in the past and what would happen later on in the future. “We hugged and I cried as I told her we couldn’t control everything. We have to let go and allow time to move forward without concern. I remember feeling super passionate about what I was saying, and I spoke about there being things in this world we just have to accept. I likened the situation to when we fall down and get scrapes and boo boos that eventually heal. We deal with uncertainty on a regular basis and this would be no different; she just needed to be strong. “Chloe, you noticed I was crying while I hugged her tightly and you apologized then joined us. The tears seemed to be mixed with sadness, regret, hope, joy, and a large range of emotions. “I looked up and the bus was pulling away with both you and our daughter. Suddenly, I felt alone and sorrowful. The entity’s face appeared from dust being scattered by the wheels of the bus. He told me to wake up... so I did.” Chloe doesn’t speak after I give her details about the dream, which is unlike her. It doesn’t matter, though, her warmth is all I need. I can deal with silence. After a moment of quiet between us, she releases her hold on me and pivots her body. We’re now face-to-face on the bed. I feel her palms slide against my cheeks as she tilts my head down. Next, her lips are pressed against my forehead in a kiss I can only describe as reaffirming. She holds her mouth in place for a few seconds then backs away with a brief sucking sound that tickles the skin above my eyebrows. “I love you, Max,” she softly speaks. “We’re gonna be fine, okay? I’m never leaving you. We’ll get through this, and I’ll be with you forever.” Her words bounce around in my head on a loop. I keep hearing the last part of what she said in my mind. “Forever.” I’m not sure I can truly fathom what forever feels like, but as long as Chloe is with me, I know we’ll be safe and sound, and the idea of forever doesn’t seem long enough.