Van Dyke

We are a husband and wife team. Van Dyke, Science Fiction / Brown, Romance.

We are avid fans and voracious readers and watchers of sci-fi...we find that many of the stories we write come from our dreams. One such recent dream I (Van Dyke) had, word for word as I frantically wrote it down upon waking was enlightening. Here goes...

My dream...

Time that we live / travel in is just a fraction of a second. What we see is short.

Somehow, I stepped out of the time stream I live in. It was like standing on the side of a freeway. I saw suns, worlds, everything we see in the universe passing by at a lightning-fast pace. I could see into the distance, the same suns coming toward me. It was looped, repetitive, repeating again and again.

It was the time stream that we don't get to see or perhaps, simply don't remember. I came to understand that we are eternal, that at the proper time we get to see that endless freeway, that we get to join others, to see the other side, to live in that place where time is unending.

The next part of the transition was shown as a boat ride, the tunnel like environment was narrow, almost as if the boat was frequently bumping along the sides of the wall. The boat was moving moderately fast, but not so fast that I couldn’t catch glimpses of bits and pieces of what was on the wall. There were three primary things, almost like post-it notes. All of them were lined up together, like a collage on the wall. The only one I can remember were those that looked like lotto tickets. They held the names of those chosen to join the eternal time stream. Just three or four names per lotto ticket. I spotted mine, my ticket appearing more than once repeating, part of the scattered images on the wall. It held my name. I spotted others that held the names of those from my current life and realized that everyone I knew was also going. There were also the names of hundreds of others, the names of strangers that I did not know.

Parts of the walls on the boat ride were veiled, like looking through gauze. There was something behind it, and I was tempted to try to swipe the gauze away, wanting to see what was there, but with the effort, the picture still remained unclear. The boat ride came to an end.

And we were in a world that was recognizable, yet different. There were thousands of homes, newly built, waiting to be occupied. I had the feeling they were empty, waiting for us. Waiting to be filled. They were homes of all types, large, small, and none were overly pretentious. They were well kept. The homes to be given or chosen by the newest arriving members. Pick what was comfortable, or desirable.

Walking, we soon entered into a large building, multi-story, circular in nature, at least on the inside. Staircases led upwards to the different levels. Each floor held a variety of rooms, where the new attendees were to go. There were a handful of people, women, who could point or direct you in the right direction. They were largely quiet, almost to the point of being mildly amused at our presence. I felt like they held knowledge that had not yet been revealed to me. The room I was directed toward had a signup sheet for what field of study you wanted to be trained in. I felt that mine should be scientific, perhaps trained in astro physics. Though it did sound a bit boring compared to some of the other offerings which were much lighter, more normal in nature. Though I cannot now recall what those were. Perhaps things like being a teacher. All were meant to be part of the services needed by the community. I Did sign my name, although it was a bit reluctantly, like maybe I might not be making the right choice. I felt more concerned about making a choice that kept me close to my wife who was on the journey with me.

I felt a bit confused, unsure of where to go. It just seemed expected that I would end up at the right spot. Though not entirely critical if I went to the wrong spot. It was as if I went to the wrong spot now, I would someday be at the other spots eventually anyway.

Relatives of mine and others I knew went to the same room I did. It was similar in size to a courtroom. It was where we were to wait to be ceremoniously sworn in. A minor procedure, more symbolic than official. I was still looking for my wife. I felt she should be near me but wasn’t. She had been near me on the boat ride and when we’d entered the building. I felt that her name should have brought her to my room as well, so we could transition too together.

I wasn’t even seated yet, when I heard my name called and was expected to go to the front. I went to what seemed to be a spot to be sworn in, and as I raised my hand to the woman seated in front of me, the voice of a man from behind me, quickly said “Approved.” There were a few laughs, like the process had been quicker than usual, the words to be spoken skipped, as though my approval was a foregone conclusion upon raising my hand. The laughs were a response from the onlookers for his having skipped the words. It was a moment of lighthearted humor. But my concern was that my wife wasn’t there.

I left the room, went to the women outside. I inquired to see if they knew where she was. They pointed up the circular stairs.

I raced up the stairs, almost frantic that she was going to the wrong room.

I found her seated in the back row of an amphitheater style seating, she was on the end, nearest me. She was sitting next to my family, who were all seated in the row next to her. She glanced over at me, unconcerned that I had just joined them. All seemed well, and she whispered for me to be quiet as they were all listening to what was being said.

The procedure seemed normal to them.

That is when I woke up. But I awoke with an understanding that this other world is a real world, the permanent world, the world that we live in frequently, but maybe only spend part of our time in. Maybe?

I saw that time is endless. That we are eternal. That transitioning never stops. It is stones around a pond that we just keep moving from one to the next. I was afraid that those steps would not always be with my wife, and I was willing to fight, to make it known to all that we were not to be separated, ever. I felt fear, even jealousy that perhaps she would be with another, and I would be without her.

I did not know if that would be the case, that we could be allowed to transition together, approved by the powers that be. Or if that would be her wish as well, but it is what I wanted.

____________________________________________________________

The above is unedited, just as I wrote it. It felt all too real, I now feel bigger, more important, more hopeful. And at the same time, smaller, because what we see now is so minor compared to the bigger picture.