The park east/southeast of Lucien’s apartment was bathed in golden light. The sun hung low in the sky, casting warm streams through the entire city, illuminating the gravel paths that lazily meandered through fields of wildflowers, legumes and trees. The air was still, save for the gentle rustling of leaves and the distant trickle of a fountain blending into the hum of the city beyond the trees. Lavender and jasmine filled the air with their soft fragrance, and ripe Victoria plums hung in small clusters, their deep purple skins catching the light.


    As Lucien reached for a plum, a strange sensation tugged at the edge of his mind. A couple walked by with a stroller, the baby inside blabbering. It had been years since he had seen a baby and a stroller, and now here was an identical stroller, its Bordeaux fabric catching the rays of the Sun.


    He turned, stepping onto a narrow dirt path carved by countless shortcut-seekers. Ducking beneath the low branch of an apple tree, sprouting small fruitlets.


    He took a small leap over a ledge, dropping half a meter before landing in stride. Ready to move up a dried out swale on the other side of the decline.


    “Hello.”


    A light, calculated voice greeted him from a bench, half-hidden beneath the apple tree with low its branches lazily stretching over the path.


    Lucien glanced at the speaker, she was a petite yet muscular woman, definitely a few years younger than him. Her eyes caught the veiled light, reflecting a deep blue color back at him. He nodded, hesitating.


    “Eeh, hello yourself,” he murmured, still caught off guard by the unexpected greeting. He tried to smile, but it felt forced.


    “Sorry, you eh, just startled me, I didn’t see you there” he added quickly, biting into the plum. Juice trickled down his chin, yet somehow, the fruit lacked flavor. She just kept looking at him, sort of expecting him to say something more. His brow furrowed. “Can I help you?”


    “Well, I’d certainly hope so.” The woman’s tone remained playful as she stood up, yet there was an edge of seriousness beneath.


    “I mean, you kind of dragged me directly into this.” She gestured widely, pointing at everything and nothing at once.


    Lucien’s frown deepened. “What?”


    She suddenly lurched toward him, too close, invading his private space until the delicate contours of her cheekbones and her rose colored lips nearly touching his chin.


    She studied him, sniffed the air, her gaze flicking up and down his body. Then, with eyes wide and deep as a doe’s, she met his stare. Then, without hesitation, she shoved him backward."


    “Hey!” Lucien barked, stumbling a step away, nearly tripping up the swale. “What the hell was that for?”


    “Look at the clouds.”


    Annoyed, he exhaled sharply, ready to argue. “What are you talking about... It’s sun-”


    His words cut off.


    The golden sunset vanished. Above him, thick, swirling clouds devoured the sky, plunging the world into a dim, eerie twilight. The warmth of the evening was gone, stolen away in an instant.


    Stolen story; please report.


    A sudden gust of wind rushed past, sending dry, brown leaves skittering across the ground.


    Lucien shivered. Something felt wrong.


    “Weird, huh?” The woman’s voice remained calm, but a hint of exasperation curled around her words. “Brown leaves. In the middle of summer. And your plum..” She pointed at his hand.


    Lucien’s gaze dropped to his hands. His fingers clutched nothing.


    His stomach lurched.


    “The fuck is happening?” His breath came faster now, chest rising and falling in shallow bursts.


    “It’s okay. Take a deep breath and relax,” she instructed, demonstrating as she lifted her hands beneath her chin, inhaling slowly. “Now, I’m going to tell you something, and you need to stay calm, okay?”


    Lucien gave a stiff nod, focusing on his breathing, yet kept his guard up as this beautiful, yet batshit crazy bitch had just showed him for no reason. The wind had begun to settle.


    “Alright.” She exhaled. “Here goes… You’re dreaming.” She spread her arms, motioning to their surroundings. “And this? This is your dream. “A slender finger pointed directly at him “A nice, calm one, exactly how I want it to be. But!” She paused, letting the words sink in. “I am not part of this dream.” Again, gesturing to the world “I’m here because you let me in, because you trapped me, and now, I need you to let me out again.”


    Lucien recoiled. “What are you talking about, that doesn’t make any sense?!”


    She let out a sharp breath, frustration creeping in. “What do you think I’m talking about? And how does this not make sense to you, your subconscious is completely open for anyone to enter, yet it’s very hard to leave. This is your dream. You need to let me out.”


    Lucien shook his head. “Look, I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, but I don’t want any part of it... I’m not dreaming.” He turned sharply and walked toward his apartment door.


    “Wait! Just one question,” the woman called after him, her voice laced with urgency and a hint of despair. “And I promise, I’ll leave you alone.”


    Lucien hesitated, glancing back.


    She met his gaze. “Where are we right now?”


    “What kind of question is that? We’re in the Northeastern second ring park” he scoffed, throwing out his arm in irritation.


    The woman tilted her head. “Oh okay. And is your front door usually right next to the park?”


    Lucien opened his mouth, then froze. Before him, his apartment building stood in the middle of the park, it had replaced a small kiosk dispensary that gave out ice cream and hot dogs.


    His pulse hammered in his throat. His fingers twitched. The world around him darkened, the colors quickly fading into a lifeless monochrome. Thin wisps of static shot through the landscape, eliminated the structures around them, distorting the edges of reality like signal noise on an old television creeping in from the sides. His mind felt heavy, reality began to fade to black as his conscious mind slowly waking.


    “Hey—hey! Relax!” The woman’s voice wavered slightly, as if she weren’t entirely sure how to handle the situation. Lucien was on the verge of self-induced panic. The landscape began crumbling further, the void of awakeness creeping through his dreamscape.


    In desperation, the woman stepped forward, got on her toes and kissed him with a strong passion, placing her hands on his cheeks. The taste of strawberries ripped Lucien back to his dream, his conscious mind shut down by a hopeful, slightly pornographic fantasy.


    “I need you to listen to me,” she pressed, releasing his lips, her tone shifting to something steadier. “Don’t try to figure this out right now. Just focus on what feels right. Look at the flowers, see how vibrant they are? Can you hear the birds? The tickling on your lips?” She smiled softly “Just focus on the sensations.”


    Lucien swallowed hard. Slowly, the static faded. The colors and structures slowly returning to the world.


    “That’s it,” she coaxed. Taking his hand “Breathe slowly. Observe. Notice the world. Just go with the flow.” She let go of him. Took a step back and observed him. With an accepting nod she sat down into a perfect lotus position and patted the grass beside her. “Come on. Sit with me.”


    The warping lines dissipated, as the midday sun broke through the clouds, casting a warm glow over the glade, and the deep forest ahead. The world steadied, rooted itself once more.


    Lucien exhaled, cautiously lowering himself onto the grass.


    The woman smiled faintly. “Good job, and what a beautiful scenery.”


    She leaned back on her hands, tilting her face toward the sunlight, the layers of animal skin pressing against the soft curves of her chest, accentuating her form beneath the rugged fabric “I’m Anara, by the way.”