“It was just a dream” I said to myself with a clear view of the place I was dreaming about, a house, a fireplace, some fight. It felt so vivid I could still feel the fear in my body. This wasn’t the first time though, I’ve always had this “ability” to dream vividly, I hated it, it gave me no rest, some nights it felt like I was living a double life, but as usual I brush it off and get on with my day.

While I brushed my teeth and looked at my reflection in the mirror, I noticed how the “memory” was still there, I was in a house and some people were trying to occupy it, but we were not strong enough to fight them. Curiously by the end of the dream I was daring the main guy to arm wrestle me for the house, cartoonish I know.

The door rang, but it was so early, I didn’t rush to answer, it was probably a mistake, but the door rang again after a few minutes, so I dried my face and went to answer. “Hi, is this Carolina’s place?” a deep voiced asked on the other side. “Yes?” I said, the guy immediately replied “Hi, could you open? I have a letter for you” the man said. So, I buzzed the door and heard him come inside.

I was in my pyjamas, so I went running to get something decent to wear, and in a few minutes the door rang again. The man was tall and dark, he handed me a letter and asked me to sign the electronic device he had, so I did, we didn’t talk during the transaction, and I closed the door with an unmarked letter in my hand.

It didn’t have any sings of something official, jus my name written in a black ballpen, I opened it and started reading.

Dear Carolina,

By the time you get this letter I’ll be dead, you probably don’t remember me, but I do remember you dearly, during your early years you and your mom spent some time with me and I cherish those moments with my heart, taking care of you was one of the best experiences I ever had, I regret every single day the way my relationship with your mom ended, I wish I could’ve see you become the amazing woman you are today.

In a way to compensate for my wrong doings I want to leave you the only thing I owned, my house, I want you to have it and use it as you wish, my lawyer will contact you if you accept this offer, you just have to call him and tell him you received my letter and you would like to accept my gift.

I know your mom will not approve of this, but it is my last wish, I hope you have a long and happy life, God knows I didn’t.

With love

Francisco.

There was another piece of paper, it was the lawyer’s business card, I couldn’t believe what I had in my hands, I certainly didn’t remember any house or a Francisco for that matter, I looked at the business card and decided to call.

The phone rang a couple of times, and a raspy voice picked up on the other side, “Yes?” he said. “Hi, I’m Carolina, I got a letter from a man name Francisco about leaving me his house?” I said filled with doubt, this was probably a scam.

“Carolina!” said the man with his raspy voice, he sounded surprised, “I’m so happy you called, I thought that was a long shot from Fran, but here you are” I wasn’t following this whole dynamic “Do I know you?” I asked, “Oh, no, no, no, but Fran told me all about you, it feels like I know you all my life” I was pondering what to say, I didn’t know this Fran guy, why did he know so much about me? “So do you want the house?” the man asked.

That was a loaded question, I had more doubts than certainties at this point. “I’m sorry but I need to know how you know me, how did you get my home address and who is this Francisco guy, I don’t know him” I said to the man on the phone. He paused, for a few second neither of us said nothing. “Didn’t you talk to your mom about him?” he finally asked.

“My mom passed a year ago” I said, “I don’t have any memories of a Francisco, nor a house” I said more and more convinced that this was just a scam. “I see” the man said, we paused again for a few seconds, “I guess the best way to get to the bottom of this is for you to come and see the house” the man said, but I wasn’t sure about that. I didn’t know what was happening, who I was talking to and how these people knew me in the first place.

“I think I’ll pass” I said, the man rushed to reply “No! I’m sorry, it must be weird to be in this situation, Francisco was counting you would’ve known about him through your mom, we didn’t know she passed. Mercedes, that’s your mom’s name, right?” he said, and it was, but I was not sure that was something strong enough to keep going with the conversation. “Francisco met your mom at college, she got pregnant with your dad, but he wasn’t going to take care of her, so he invited her to move in with him, she had you there and you spent 2 years at the house with Francisco”

That could explain why I didn’t remember any of it, I was a baby, but still why wouldn’t my mom tell me about it. “I didn’t know about any of it” I said, I wasn’t sure this would be something my mom would keep from me, “I guess she never forgave him” the man said, “Francisco and your mom had a tumultuous relationship, he did and said some things he regrated till the day he die, I really think you should at least come see the house”

I don’t know why, but the whole story even though it sounded fishy made me curious, they did know my mom’s name and I wasn’t accepting the house, maybe if I’ll go there, I’ll get some memories back. “Where is it?” I asked. The guy gave me an address in a small town nearby, I had to work for the day, and the week so I set a date to go to the house on the weekend.

The only problem was the dreams were still vivid and confusing, I kept dreaming about this big house and a fight, a physical fight with some tall dude I’ve never seen in my life. I woke up exhausted every time, the dreams, plus the expectation of an actual house waiting for me were making me anxious.

The weekend finally came about, and I rented a car to go to the small town, while I was driving, I was thinking about my mom, she never mentioned a Francisco, and spending 2 years at someone’s house with me seemed like something to tell your daughter about, we were very close, so I was baffled to know my mom was keeping secrets from me.

The town wasn’t too far and by midday I was already driving around the city centre, a tall church, a big square and some small businesses, it seemed like a regular Spanish small town, nothing familiar about it, the house was outside the “city” heading towards the countryside. Once I came around the dirt road, I recognize it, it was the house in my dreams, once I was getting closer my heart started bouncing super-fast, a man was waiting for me at the entrance, the lawyer Carlos knew I was on my way, so I was expecting to see him there. “Hi, Carolina?” the man asked, “Yes, Carlos?” I replied from my window, “Yes, yes, thanks for coming” Carlos said while opening the big gate to the inside of the property. The house of my dreams laid in from of me, I got goosebumps, and I was even more confused than before, I got out of the car and saw the man coming over. “This is Francisco’s place” he said signalling to the house.

The house was mainly made from wood, except for the foundation, which was made from huge stones piled up together, we went inside, and I got a strong déjà vu feeling, my whole body was filled with goosebumps. I could see the fireplace from my dream, similar furniture with big wooden beams, I was feeling uneasy this was exactly like my dream and then the unexpected happened.

A car was at the entrance, it looked like a police car, Carlos went outside and talked to the officer, I saw them through the window, the policeman head over to the house with Carlos following him, I saw them heading towards me, I wasn’t sure what was happening.

They both stepped into the house and the policeman looked at me “Ma’am are you the owner of this house?” he had his hand on his firearm, “No” I said, Carlos opened his eyes widely “She hasn’t signed the papers yet” he said, they started talking to each other in whispers I couldn’t understand. “I don’t know what’s happening, Carlos I think I’ll go home now” they both looked at me, Carlos looked concerned.

The policeman starting walking towards me with his hand in the firearm “Ma’am I’m afraid I can’t let you go” I looked at them both with wide eyes, I looked around to find and exit, the policeman was taking his firearm of the clipper and then I woke up.

“It was just a dream” I said to myself, I head to the bathroom still feeling the fear in my body, I washed my face reminding me it was not real, and then the door rang.