You know how sometimes you have this dream that just seems completely disjointed when you try to remember it later, but at the time, it all seems connected, like nothing could ever be out of place?

I guess most dreams are like that.

What’s odd for me is the image of the white owl that keeps fluttering through these dreams. I’ve never had a particular affinity for owls. I mean, they’re lovely, and I enjoy watching them, but they are creatures of air and I am a creature of water, inasmuch as I can be a creature of anything except pure magic.

It began in a winter garden. I found myself dancing in front of a crescent moon. Not that that’s unusual or anything: I remember thinking at the time that it was probably a symbolic dream and this was all allegorical. Yeah: I even edit my own dreams. I’m an intrusive and unreliable narrator. It’s like the cast of a weird paranormal fantasy novel up in here.

And of course the scene changed, like they do. I was descending this weird staircase, which obviously led nowhere, but it made perfect sense at the time. Then I noticed this white owl around my neck, which only clocked because I keep noticing white owls turning up in my dreams everywhere.

Then, another crescent, and a sense of profound disorientation. Where was I, anyway? Why was everything covered with snow? It’s summer. Obviously, not in Australia. But that was “real” world geography, something I shouldn’t even be measuring things by any more. So, yeah. Some kind of dream world and me all underdressed as I often am in dreams, but at least feeling comfortable. I’m sure I was wearing sandals, though I don’t think I ever looked at my feet.

And speaking of disorientation….

The scene changed again, and I was on some kind of pier, watching a ferry disappear into some kind of mountainous distance. Why was I even watching a ferry? Is that how I got tot this place?

Frankly, it was even weirder than my usual dreams. There was nobody around; the whole place seemed deserted.

I made my way up a set of steps to a boardwalk. In the distance, there was this gorgeous house, and I promised I’d made my way there. On the boardwalk, it looked like there should have been a market in place, but again, there was no one to be seen. Stuff was just lying around as if all the inhabitants had just disappeared.

So strange.

I walked further up in to the town and flicked my hair back from my— yeah, everything had changed again. The clothes notwithstanding, I felt completely out of place in this odd, deserted town. Where were all the people?

I made my way to sort of an observation area that led to a smaller boardwalk. I couldn’t keep my eyes off the house on the beach. It seemed so familiar, as if I should know who lived there, only again, there was no movement except for the waves against the rocks. I could hear birdsong, but I saw no birds.

I let myself look out over the ocean for a few minutes. It really was beautiful.

But then I got this strong feeling it was time to move on. More to explore, I thought; more to see. Again, the world seemed to spin.

And it was the middle of the day, but I was dressed to the nines. And nervous. It felt like I was waiting for someone, someone important, but I couldn’t have told you who it was. The house in the background, again, that feeling of prickly familiarity, that I should know who lived there. And wasn’t there a house like that, sometime, some time ago, in the Bower? My old Bower, lost now to Faerie’s intermittent remaking of itself.

The feeling of anticipation was heady, like that feeling you get when you’re waiting for a first date. What on earth was I doing in a little seaside town — at least I thought it was the same town, dressed like that and feeling like that? I’d even brought out my best jewels for the occasion. I smelled something; was it moss? More than the flowers all around, this was a wet smell. As if everything was wet.

And then I was walking out the door of a grocery store? What was that all about? And wow, torn jeans, and a feeling of comfort, of belonging, like I lived here… and yet still there were no people No one.

Fresh fruit and veg for days, and no one to buy it. What was that about? I felt comfortable just picking something up and taking a bite, though. I think it was a cherry. No pun intended.

So. That house. I had to find that house.

I spotted the chimney in the distance and plotted a path.

But before I got there—just before I got there, as a matter of fact, I stopped short. There in the front garden, or what might have been the side garden, of this house, was a statue. My statue. The one I bought at the Great Faire auction for … well, for quite a lot of gold, and I won’t say how much. The statue of the harper, called “The Last Hope”. What was it doing here?

It felt like I stood there for hours, wondering.

Then, I turned and walked toward the house, which appeared from a short distance to be completely empty.

And I woke up. Without ever seeing the house up close. So much for the mystery of why my  statue was outside.

Style Cards:

Winter Garden Photos:
Body: Maitreya
Head: Catwa Jessica
Ears: BentBox, Sylvan Ears
Skin: Lumae Eirtae, Tone 3, Bluebell (Available at Enchantment!)
Hair: Damselfly, Finch (Available at Hairology!)
Circlet: Independent Objects, Mearwen Circlet
Dress: Moon Amore, Wild & Free (Available at Collabor88!)
Shoes: Bubble, Mithril Sandals (Available at the Fantasy Gacha Carnival!)
Necklace: Empyrean Forge, The Dreamer: Enlightenment, Barn
Setting: The Outer Garden (Another great find from Ziki Questi’s Blog!)

White Owl Pier Photos:
Body: Maitreya
Head: Catwa Jessica
Ears: BentBox, Sylvan Ears
Skin: Lumae Eirtae, Tone 3, Bluebell (Available at Enchantment!)
Hair: Analog Dog, Julieta (Available at Hairology!)
Clothes: DE Designs, Escape Top & Nina Capri (Available at Mesh Body Addicts!)
Shoes: Bleich, Mesh Rey Sandals (Available at The Chapter 4!)
Necklace: Spell, Branch Choker (Available at The Chapter 4!)
Setting: White Owl (which shall remain a mystery for now!)

Town and Observation Pier Photos:
Body: Maitreya
Head: Catwa Jessica
Ears: BentBox, Sylvan Ears
Skin: Lumae Eirtae, Tone 3, Bluebell (Available at Enchantment!)
Hair: Runaway, Sophie (Available at Hairology!)
Clothes: Jangka, Corset, Pants & Short Boots (Available at The Fantasy Gacha Carnival!)
Setting: White Owl (which shall remain a mystery for now!)

Garden Pavilion Photos:
Body: Maitreya
Head: Catwa Jessica
Ears: BentBox, Sylvan Ears
Skin: Lumae Eirtae, Tone 3, Bluebell (Available at Enchantment!)
Hair: Amacci, Astra (Available at Hairology!)
Dress: FurtaCor, Giovanni (Available at The Instruments!)
Shoes: KC Couture, Huelva
Necklace: Empyrean Forge, Aglaea’s Splendour
Setting: White Owl (which shall remain a mystery for now!)

The Last Hope Photos:
Body: Maitreya
Head: Catwa Jessica
Ears: BentBox, Sylvan Ears
Skin: Lumae Eirtae, Tone 3, Bluebell (Available at Enchantment!)
Hair: Phoenix, Janet (Available at Hairology!)
Clothes: Lybra, Ada Leggings & Tunic (Tunic is rare) (Available at The Fantasy Gacha Carnival!)
Boots: Illi, Blue Medieval Archer Boots (Available at The Fantasy Gacha Carnival!)
Necklace: Empyrean Forge, Aglaea’s Splendour
Setting: White Owl (which shall remain a mystery for now!)

Spiffy photos taken with the indispensible aid of my LumiPro. I never have disturbing dreams without it!