A surreal purple dreamscape with a glowing orb over water, framed by clouds and a starry sky.

We sneaked back into the bedroom without getting caught— gratefully. But it wasn’t all us. Bethenny had helped. She led us upstairs to wake up just long enough for us to tiptoe past the creaky floorboard by the hallway closet, the one that always gives us away. She even gave us a little wink before disappearing into her room like nothing happened. Inside the room, the air was warm and heavy from all the blankets and bodies. James was already halfway into the sleeping bag when I looked at him and whispered, “I can’t sleep on the floor.” He blinked at me, tired but understanding, and without a word, switched spots. The Dream Begins My dreams are usually weird—flashes of random places, strange feelings. But tonight was different. It started in a glowing white zone. No sky, no ground, just swallowing everything in darkness. The color faded from around me. The world vanished. I was standing on nothing. And yet, I felt the weight of eyes on me. Suddenly, a shimmer in the distance. A pond. Its water rippled, then began to change. The surface morphed, rising into the shape of a person—a person made of water. It stood on the surface like it belonged there. It smiled. Not like a normal smile—but with joy, like it was proud to be human, we proud of its flaws. But then, its form started shaking, breaking apart. Its human features disappeared—and it screamed. It cried for its body back. I just stared. Then it turned to me, its face nothing but flowing water and empty eyes. It pointed at See more