It was just a dream, and she was a dreamer! “Get your head out of the clouds,” they would scoff. “Wake up and face reality.” People like us didn’t have the luxury of dreaming; we were expected to survive, to conform. But she was different. Her mind danced on the edge of reality, floating between realms, weaving through dreams that didn’t distinguish between night and day. With her imagination, she built empires and envisioned worlds far beyond the comprehension of those around her.


The others clung to their anthem as if it were a lifeline, repeating it over and over like a mantra they couldn’t let go of, “Know your place,” “Silence your words,” “Conform to belong.” For a while, she tried to fit in. She didn’t know any better, how could she, when she was born into a world that punished those who dared to be different? A world that smothered the sparks of individuality before they had the chance to ignite into flames.


Yet, even as she tried to mould herself into the shape of everyone else’s expectations, her mind, still young and brimming with possibilities, couldn’t help but wander into dreams. Some of these dreams were utopias, places where everyone mattered, where kindness and justice ruled. Others were fantastical dimensions where people wielded powers for the greater good. In her dreams, she found a sanctuary, a place where she could breathe freely, far from the oppressive reality she lived in.


Her reality was a different kind of nightmare. She was born into a generational curse, a legacy of fear, greed, and worthlessness that had twisted her family tree into an empty hollow of lost souls. It was a curse so deep it shattered dreams and closed off paths, all because no one believed they were worthy of more. She watched as even the brightest sparks were quickly snuffed out by the weight of doubt and despair that hung over them. She learned early on that misery didn’t just love company, it thrived on it, fed off it like a parasite.


And yet, she still dreamed. Her dreams were her secret, her refuge, a hidden world she kept alive even in her darkest hours. When she felt lost and alone, abandoned and afraid, it was her dreams that sustained her, that whispered to her that there was something more out there, waiting for her. She didn’t know how or when, but she knew one day she would break free and make those dreams a reality.


The cost of her dreams was high. They couldn’t break her spirit, no matter how hard they tried. Her unwavering light was a threat to them, a painful reminder that they, too, had once dared to dream before the world had crushed their hopes. Her fate was to be outcasted, banished from their domain.


But in the castles, she built in the sky, she lived her best life. Her early years became a series of miraculous adventures, a life most could only dream of. Yet there she was, living it in glorious colour, savouring every moment. Everything she desired seemed to find its way to her: a love that felt true, the freedom to wander the world, a home that felt like paradise. She had it all, a man who adored her, animals that filled her days with joy, and a life that felt like a dream come true.


For years, she thanked the universe for making her dreams come true. Life was beautiful, and for a long time, she was genuinely happy. But she was never one to settle for what was handed to her. She wanted more, more depth, more understanding, more meaning. She craved a purpose beyond the idyllic life she was living.


It was then that her dream life began to dim. Each step she took toward her own growth became a source of conflict with her love. He didn’t want a woman who was his equal; he wanted a compliant companion, someone who existed solely for his comfort, for his needs. A voice deep within her stirred, a familiar, haunting whisper that told her she was once again being constrained, trapped in a gilded cage of someone else’s making. For a long time, she tried to ignore it. “Life is good,” she would tell herself. “I have everything I ever dreamed of right here.” But still, that insistent undercurrent of doubt gnawed at her soul, reminding her of the truth she didn’t want to face.


She didn’t understand then that no amount of explaining or trying harder would ever make her love understand. But she tried. She tried until her dreams began to turn into nightmares. Night after night, she was lost in a labyrinthine house, running from a faceless zombie that sought to devour her. Her nightmares became night terrors. She was losing herself, trying to be everything to everyone and nothing to herself.


Those she reached out to for solace dismissed her pain. “You’re so lucky,” they would say, or “You’re being ungrateful.” They couldn’t see the invisible chains that bound her. She began to question herself, to doubt her own reality. “Am I ungrateful?” she wondered. “I have everything I need.” But her heart was a heavy stone, weighed down by sadness. All the beauty and wealth in the world brought no light to her life.


Her dreams turned dark, twisted by the shadows that had begun to envelop her. She often found herself asking, “How could everything I once desired, all my dreams that came true, become so dark, so painful, so empty?” She stopped dreaming and began merely existing, listening to everyone else’s voices and ignoring her own. She had given up. She saw no way out. She couldn’t hear her inner compass over the clamour of the world.


But her soul knew the way. One fateful night, while visiting an old friend, she met a man whose eyes seemed to see straight into her soul. He reignited a spark within her that she had long thought extinguished. In a moment of reckless abandon, she allowed herself to be swept away by his passion. For the first time in years, she felt truly alive. Dormant desires and long-buried emotions surged to the surface, and she let herself be carried away by the wave of feeling. 

Driving home that night, she knew she had crossed a line. She could never return to the life she had known. She had to confess what she had done. She was terrified, but deep down, she knew this was her path to freedom. This act had irrevocably changed the course of her fate.


Back then, she hadn’t been able to stand up for her own needs. She was too young to understand the chains that bound her. But now, she saw clearly. This was her escape route, her chance to reclaim her soul. With a bravery she didn’t know she possessed, she confessed what she had done. It was a dark, stormy night, thunder and lightning crashing outside, reflecting the turmoil within. It was the most courageous act of her life. That night, she slept alone in a small back room and made plans to start anew in the morning. Within days, she had rented a modest home, gathered her few belongings, and, with her loyal dog by her side, took her first steps into a new life.


Her journey since has been anything but easy. It seems as if the ghosts of her past are always lurking, waiting to pull her back into the darkness. She has been tested, and many times, her dreams have turned to nightmares. But the greatest treasure she has found is herself, her voice, her worth, her indomitable spirit. It is here, in this newfound self-awareness, that she has begun to dream again. She crafts her future with vision and intention, no longer afraid of the unknown. She is wiser now, understanding that her dreams are not just fantasies but gifts, powerful tools for transformation. Wherever she goes, she shares her dreams and her nightmares, becoming a beacon of light for others like her, those with dreams so big they threaten to eclipse the ordinary. She has learned that the world may try to diminish them, but it will never extinguish her inner fire.


She is me.