Okay, dreaming within a dream must be my thing. After dipping in the pool for almost two hours, we decided to take a rest. I didn’t mean to fall asleep but I did, and now I dreamt of something again.

It was about a woman and her lover. Both looked like they came from the old time—19th century or something like that—because of what they were wearing and how they spoke. Both from rich families. It was like watching a historical drama where they were destined to be together but the world is against them.

The woman lives in their mansion-like house with only her sisters. There were six of them, her included, and she was the sixth daughter. Some of her sisters are already married and have their own families, but oddly enough, it was as if they were all still living together under the same roof; and every one of them disagrees with the relationship she has with her lover.

Her lover is not a loser at all. Like I said, he came from a rich family too. In fact, he was well-known and he was the most sought-out bachelor, not only in their town but in their whole country. He was smart and he was a good merchant, all the family business he handles are all successful because of him. He was kind and gentle and yet the woman’s five sisters still disapprove of him.

It was almost a big blurry dream honestly. It was like a movie that has been kept playing in fast forward then pause then fast forward again; there weren’t many scenes shown all in all. But the ones that did make it to the pause moments were overall… sad.

One moment is a garden scene where the man is reading a book to the woman. I don’t know what love is but I’m sure it was in the way they both look at each other. You can feel how raw the emotions they have in the way they stare at each other’s eyes; like they both mean the whole world for each other. But then a sister of the woman came and the moment was gone.

Another one was that they were arguing about something. It’s not that I can hear what they are talking about but based on their expressions and gestures, it was as if the man was asking the woman to elope. It wasn’t hard to notice how the woman is struggling to make her decision. She could just go with the man and be happy. But that would be too easy. Of course, she couldn’t leave her family.

I don’t know if it’s really included in the dream or my mind was just playing with me but I think the woman was sick. Physically, not mentally. There were glimpses that showed she had a short hair as if slowly undergoing to a chemotherapy that we have today but I guess it was just too weird. Maybe it was just a dream glitch.

The last one was something intense, it almost felt rude to be there and watch that scene. It was the first time I heard them talk. Nothing too long and I couldn’t even understand what they man wanted to say but he said something like, ‘when this all ends, we will meet again’. He also gave a promise to the woman that I barely heard.

It felt the lengthiest dream I ever had in my life and when I woke up, I was tearing up like I went on a marathon with drama series where everyone survived except for the pets. I never experienced anything like that in my entire life, both dreaming about something so random and crying about anything like that.

My chest felt heavy—

I thought I was only feeling the same heaviness of my heart but no, this guy is sleeping next to me and had the audacity to place his heavy arm on my chest!

“What the—OUCH!”

I meant to freaking kick this guy out of the bed but with the sudden movement I made, I was the one who fell down to the floor! I didn’t know I was already lying on the very edge of this damn bed! Now, my freaking butt hurts like hell!

“Hmmm…” This guy finally wakes up and when he opened his eyes, he’s brows furrowed in confusion. “W-What are you doing there on the floor, dummy?”

I stood up and was about to hit him with the pillow but he pulled me back to bed before I could even do so.

“What the hell?! Let me go, you pervert!”

“Stop wiggling too much, dummy, let’s sleep more!”

I tried my best to get out of his hold of me but damn it. His arms, with his legs, wrapped around me are just too strong and I immediately ran out of energy to fight him. We ended up panting and catching for our breaths. I’m so dumb. I shouldn’t have wasted my energy on him because I already know I wouldn’t win against him.

He did let me go and he’s grinning that asshole grin of his. “Behave. Let’s just stay here for more minutes.”

“As if I have the energy left to leave.”

He laughs and I swear he could fool everyone with that laugh. He always looks like an innocent puppy when he does that, only proving how dangerous this guy’s duality is.

We were quiet for a moment then he spoke again, “What’s your most favorite thing to do when your alone?”

I want to say masturbate and I did and I received a hit of the pillow.

“Be serious, dummy!”

I laughed hard because of his reaction to it. He looked so appalled. Worth it.

But to answer his question… the heck. Now I have to think of one that I do most when I’m alone. Not only that, it also has to be my favorite. “Hmmm… I can’t really think of anything. Maybe play online games? I don’t really do much when I’m alone because I’m barely alone. I always go out.”

Okay, that wasn’t entirely true. Yes, I’m barely alone because I rarely stay at home. I stay with my friends and, or just go out alone in public places so technically still not alone; I’m with strangers. If I don’t have a choice, I will go home just because I don’t want to be by myself. It doesn’t truly mean I’m with someone though or I’m simply alone. It’s either I’m just part of the crowd or I’m a filler to the group I’m with. I don’t know if that makes sense or not but that’s just it. That’s just how my whole life is.

Now that we’re talking about this, maybe this is also the reason why I wished to be with someone even how cheesy that sounded like.

He nods. “What’s the thing you want to do most in the future that you haven’t done today?”

Seriously, what’s with this guy’s questions? But for the record, the question intrigued me like I am also waiting for my own answer. “Travel the world? I know it’s almost everyone’s top one bucket list item but… yeah. Someday, if given the chance, I would want to travel the world.”

I don’t know if it’s my imagination or what, but for a moment, I felt like this guy was somehow sad with my answer.

But like I said, that’s just for a moment because now he looks like his normal self with his teasing smile. “How about family? Don’t you want to have a family of your own?”

“Damn, pervert. Do you want to marry me or something?” I pushed him but it wasn’t enough to push him out of the bed.

It was his turn to laugh. I swear this guy is crazy. Maybe there is still pool water left in his head.

“Marry you? Now, that’s something to look forward to, dummy, and I’ll think about it; though I’m just genuinely curious how a kid like you could raise a family.”

“Kid, my ass! Look who’s talking!” I get out of the bed and throw him a pillow. “I’m going to take a shower again and don’t think about doing any monkey business!”

He sat up just so he can laugh better. Damn his laugh, it sounded like it could brighten up a whole country or something! He even had the nerve to fake wipe his tears of joy!

“Monkey business? Like sneak in to see you butt-naked?”

I gave him the middle finger, told him he was a pervert, and he just laughed at me again.

I don’t know where we are going next but that guy told me just to wear the clothes available because it will eventually change when we reached our next stop. I wore a simple shirt and shorts and now I’m waiting for him to finish showering.

I’m trying to guess where we are going to next but I gave up even before I started. Part of me wanted to just go with the flow and be surprised. I guess expecting for a place to be in will ruin that moment for me. Expectations almost always do that to a lot of things.

This hotel room that we’re currently staying in is kind of familiar to me but I still don’t know where we are exactly. I was about to check for the time using my phone but only now that I realized that all this time, I don’t have it with me. Looking for a clock instead, a wall clock shows that it’s almost six in the early evening.

No wonder why I’m already hungry again…

Six in the evening. Five hours left.

“You ready, dummy?”

I turned around and see him dressed and drying his hair. “Yeah.”

He noticed that I was staring at the wall clock. He smiles. “Five hours and you’ll be free as a bird.”

This pain in my heavy chest…

I suddenly don’t want these five hours to run even for a millisecond.