Two paths.

Olivia was dreaming again. The same dream. The same dream that she had been dreaming for the past few weeks with a night’s miss. And in her dreams she was sprawled across a red chequered blanket in a familiar park- her local park that she visited every weekend. Beneath her lay an emerald green field dotted with flowers of all types, bees buzzing by as they carried out their duties. It all felt too real as the wind caressed the tips of her nose and cheek in a lover’s touch. Across from her sat a boy, who was currently gobbling down his thick slice of chocolate fudge cake. The custard drizzled on top of it deliciously dripped down on all sides. When he finished his final spoon, he tilted his head backwards as a sigh escaped his lips. His lips. They were soft and in an up tilted smile with smudges of chocolate across them. Olivia felt an overwhelming surge to lick the remnants of the chocolate fudge cake right off his lips. She blushed at the thought as she slowly took in his other familiar features. His long eyelashes brushed across his high cheekbones as he blinked as the bunch of children playing a few feet away from them, as if he found the sound of their shrills of excitement an annoyance. It was certainly annoying her. Olivia returned her attention back to her dreamer boy. His skin was a golden sun-kissed brown with a few light freckles that dotted his slightly crooked nose and cheeks. The wind ruffled its fingers through his curly, jet-black hair, causing it to go slightly messy as a few singly strands stood out, the sun in the background turning them a chocolaty brown. He was truly a piece of artwork, as though he was a statue sculpted from the most talented hands and the most yearning heart. All those thoughts disappeared though when his lion-like eyes landed on her. She should’ve been completely used to this by now but still… she would’ve gotten completely lost in the pool of his eyes and would’ve remained in her place for days on end if the dream hadn’t ended at that exact moment. As it always did.

*

This chocolate cake is bloody gorgeous, Asad thought to himself as he took his last bite of the heavenly goodness. He wished he could’ve stayed in this dream forever, with this chocolate cake. He didn’t understand people who enjoyed vanilla cake. The plain, light flavours simply did not sit right with him. His Pakistani self felt like crying whenever he set his eyes on vanilla cake. His taste buds were only accustomed to strong, rich flavours. Only the best of the best. However, Asad’s passionate thoughts about his beloved chocolate cake flew away with the summer wind as he set his eyes on the young lady that was currently staring at him with those eyes. Those eyes were the only eyes that seemed to consume all of his thoughts. He couldn’t think of anything else. Only her. With her wavy shoulder-length brown hair with strands of pink in them, her curious green cat-like eyes, her soft plump pink lips. But before he could further appreciate anything else about her, she vanished, leaving a light gold shimmer in her wake. This was how it was every time. She’d disappear and leave him here, remaining all alone in his dream. Well not really alone if you included the annoying group of children screeching like hyenas right next to him. Asad sighed as he scrunched his eyebrows together and began to massage his painful migraine away. He was about to take another slice of chocolate cake when the dream ended and he was jerked awake.

*

Olivia had waited all day for night to come. She always did. Waiting to quench her thirst. It drove her mad how in love she was becoming with her dream boy. He’s not even real, a cold voice nagged her in the back of her brain. Or is he?, another voice said, slithering its way to the front of her brain. Olivia batted the thought away before getting into bed, closing her eyes and letting her dream take her on a magical rollercoaster ride…

This dream was different from the other dreams. For starters, they weren’t in their usual park besides the cluster of children. Instead both of them were transported into a gorgeous hotel bedroom. It looked like a hotel both Olivia and the mysterious boy wouldn’t be able to afford, even with all of their money combined. The bed was huge, with crisp white sheets and soft huge pillows stuffed with a huge amount of cotton. It made Olivia want to curl up into a tiny ball and fall asleep forever. Just like sleeping beauty. Except that a handsome, rich prince wouldn’t kiss her awake but rather her dream boy. As soon as the thought penetrated her mind, however, she brushed it away as though it was an annoying smudge. She wished she found the boy annoying. She wished she could hate him, anything but this feeling of love that seemed unrequited to her.

“So um.. you want to sit or something?”, the nameless boy says, breaking Olivia immediately out of her solemn thoughts. Never once had either of them spoken to each other in any of their dreams- another thing that was different this time. His voice, it was gruff and vibrated every bone in her body. She could get intoxicated on it. Olivia forced herself to get over his voice and answered him, “y-yeah, I’d like that a lot.” Gosh, Olivia thought to herself, why is my voice more high-pitched than usual? She walked consciously towards the bed and sat on it, sinking into it as if it were cloud. As if suddenly overwhelmed by her tiredness, Olivia lay down on the bed and fought to not give a blissful sigh. She instead shut her eyes and remained like that for the next remaining minutes.

*

Asad was missing his dear chocolate cake so much in that moment. When the green-eyed girl suddenly laid down on the bed and stretched out as if she were a cat. At least if he had his chocolate cake he could’ve focus his attention elsewhere and not on the beautiful sight that lay before him. He wasn’t sure if he wanted this dream to come to a halt or to continue on forever. Asad sighed before joining the girl on the bed. The bed was thankfully a large one so Asad wasn’t sitting too close to the girl to make either of them uncomfortable. Feeling his sudden presence near her, the girl’s eyes flew open and then landed on him. Her gaze seemed to freeze him in his place, as though she was Medusa and he was a poor unfortunate soul to come across her. He felt like a rather fortunate and blessed soul to have met this mystifying lady. “So,” the girl said in a sweet melodious voice, “seeing as we’re both here.. we might as well get to know each other.” She gave him a little smile and it only worsened the pace of his heart. It was beating so loudly that he was scared she could hear it. It was a dream after all. And anything can happen in a dream. He cleared his throat before replying back, “yeah, that seems nice,” and then asked her,” what’s your name?”

“Olivia, and you?”

“A-Asad, it’s Asad.”

She looked thoughtful for a second before saying, “Asad… that’s a cool name… and it sounds oddly familiar… where are you from?”

“I’m from Brighton. You?”

Olivia looked surprised, “me too!”, she exclaimed before giggling, “small world huh?”

Asad gave his head a little scratch while nervously laughing, “yeah, it is a small world.”

“So maybe that’s why your name sounds familiar…”

Asad raised his eyebrows, “huh- oh, yeah, yeah it could be,” he said, agreeing before asking, “so what part of Brighton are you-”, but he was cut off when he was suddenly pulled out of the dream by the scruff of his neck. He could’ve sworn he had been physically pulled out, the ghost of hand a hover above his neck…