It's more than a theory that other worlds can exist within this that we call being real. There are ways to enter many dimensions, we enter one while we sleep. At what level do you dream? Some have none, some see in shades of gray, others see vibrant colors. Still, there is a higher level at which the dreamer will wake and find that he or she is not rested at all. Their physical bodies carry the scars and bruises of battles fought and lost or won.
"There is a world where few humans have ever been able to enter. It is not a world based on logic or facts, but on fear, courage, and determination. Only one with an endless capacity to dream has the ability to survive in this world, those who limit themselves, also limit their abilities. It is a planet of many countries ruled by many kings and queens. Some have become great warriors and led vast armies to protect their kingdoms, for their kingdoms ARE their dreams. But there are still some who have allowed darkness to rule them, and so they lead armies against others, fighting to destroy all the hopes and dreams of another. Humans are slowly losing their ability to dream. The planet is becoming cold and dark. Can you hear it calling? Who will answer?"
"There is a world where few humans have ever been able to enter. It is not a world based on logic or facts, but on fear, courage, and determination. Only one with an endless capacity to dream has the ability to survive in this world, those who limit themselves, also limit their abilities. It is a planet of many countries ruled by many kings and queens. Some have become great warriors and led vast armies to protect their kingdoms, for their kingdoms ARE their dreams. But there are still some who have allowed darkness to rule them, and so they lead armies against others, fighting to destroy all the hopes and dreams of another. Humans are slowly losing their ability to dream. The planet is becoming cold and dark. Can you hear it calling? Who will answer?"
~The Dragon Queen~
Before I was born, I was called into a war that has been going on since the beginning of time itself. My mother told me about a recurring vision she would have when she was pregnant with me. She said that the spectrum of an old woman with long hair would stand at her feet, ready to catch the baby the moment it was born. It never meant anything to me until now. I always walked alone, the only friends I had were my books. Rather than playing with the other kids on the playground, I would climb a tree and read fairy tales. I always found them easy to relate to. I have always seen strange visions and spoken to things others could not see. I lived in a nightmare and slept through most of my childhood because of it. All of it just seems a blur of images all sewn together, meaningless and ugly. I can't determine what was real or what was dream anymore. How can I explain the day I woke up with bruised ribs and scratches on my arm? I had been dreaming I was in the desert in the middle of a war. Not like what we see today, but an ancient war. I saw chariots and stone carved buildings. I don't know who I was with, but the ones we fought were either Egyptian or Babylonian. I didn't know what to do, until then I was never a violent person. I didn't know how to fight, but it was learn quickly or die trying. All I had was a wooden staff. So I did the best I could to stay hidden, only fighting if there was no other alternative. I found myself calling out to myself several times, "WAKE UP!" Finally, I did. My body was sore and bruised. I hid every mark and told no one about it. I was twelve years old then.
Every day gave a new battle and the more I slept, the more I wanted to sleep. I was quickly learning how to use my abilities. The most amazing thing that had happened was my ability to create my own soldiers. All I had to do was imagine them, what their skills were, what they looked like, and how long they were going to exist. I was still going in the wrong direction though. My objective was to destroy everything in my path that became an obstacle. There was no mercy and no love in my heart. That world was being consumed by darkness. My physical body began suffering too. I was anemic and my insides were rejecting all nourishment. At one point, an ultrasound revealed a growth in my uterus. It was surgically removed and declared benign. Because of how I looked physically, many Christians in my school started witnessing to me. My thoughts were becoming conflicting and that made it difficult for me when I would disappear back into my world. I was having trouble defending myself. Because of that confusion, I lost my soldiers, I lost my abilities. I tried so hard to stay awake after that. The human body can only hold up for so long. It was out of complete exhaustion that I finally collapsed into a fetal position and cried uncontrollably. I closed my eyes to shut everyone and everything out, but all I found was darkness so thick it was like being submerged in water. I cried out for someone to save me, like a child cries for help when they're scared and alone. I stayed whimpering for what felt like an eternity. Then I heard a voice. "I'm here and I will never leave you." It was the most soothing voice I had ever heard. When I looked up, I saw a tiny white light breaking the darkness. Slowly it began to grow. It was streaming in like sunlight into a small window. The light was so white and warm. It felt good, safe. I rested like I had never rested before, and my body started recovering too.
Then a dream came. Like the others before. I was in the desert again, facing only one opponent this time. This was no man I was facing, it was a monster. It was a spider that had the movements of a man. I prepared to defend myself with that same wooden staff. He was so strong. He pried it away from me and started using it against me. Then I was cornered and defenseless. I closed my eyes and started calling for help. My body felt warm, just like the light that had healed me before. When I opened my eyes, there was a sword in front of me and the spider was paralyzed. The moment I took the sword in my hand, I was no longer in control. My body felt strong and I felt brave. The sword let off a lightning kind of glow and I pierced the spider straight through the abdomen. Then both the spider and the sword disappeared. The desert changed and started turning green. Trees began to grow and actual life began to exist. Until then, my dreams had been hollow. There was no love, no mercy, and no trust. I wanted to destroy the hopes of others before they could destroy mine and the only one who was destroying me was myself. In order for anything good to exist anywhere, there MUST be love and light, above all there must be a trust in God.
I began to learn that in order for anything to go right, whether in this world or in my dreams, I was going to have to remember the blind faith of a child. I received a dream where I was attacked by a man completely cloaked in black. He wore a large ruby pendant on a thick gold chain. I know he was an assassin. He took me by the throat and held on with all his strength. I struggled so hard to move, to breathe, but I couldn't. In my mind I began asking for help. The moment I did, I felt that warmth and strength again. The black figure loosened its grip and I was able to kick him out the window. At that moment, I felt my body fall into the ocean. I was paralyzed and couldn't move anything except my eyes. Then I saw water people. They were looking at me with sad faces. Then they stretched out their arms and swam me to the surface. They took me to a dock where I was lifted out by a very strong pair of arms. I saw enormous white wings close around me and I fell asleep. When I woke up, I was on the steps of a ruined mansion. There was a group of people leaving. I asked them where I was and what happened to this place, but they said it wasn't important and they left in a rush. There was a stone wall covered in dead ivy surrounding the entire place. I saw a statue of a peacock sitting in the main entrance. Then I felt the warm presence again. I knew He was standing behind me so I asked Him what happened. He said, "He brings life where there is none." Then He pointed to the statue and said to look. Immediately, the statue stretched out its wings and gave a loud cry. The grainy gray color of stone was replaced by bright blues, greens, and purples. The ivy was green. The cracks in the walls and rust on the gates vanished. I was allowed to enter the mansion and I watched cracks in the marble and cobwebs vanishing too. Then I walked out into the garden. There were trees with fruits I had never seen before that. There was one tree in the middle of the garden that was like an oak that has lived since the beginning. At the base of the trunk the bark grew in the shape of the head of a lion at a full roar. Out of its mouth flowed a single stream that grew into a river that watered the garden and surrounded the wall. Then I woke up.
A majority of people will think it is insane to believe that reality and "fantasy" can exist side by side, each influencing the existence of the other. Yet, I had an image of myself at the very beginning of time in this world. As time is passing, I'm finding my physical self is starting to resemble her more. Every now and then a new dream will come to give me a very important message, but lately it's been a peaceful place to live. I traveled from the desert to a forest. From the forest, I traveled through a beautiful countryside. Along the way, I've been able to meet the heroes from my favorite stories. They have become my friends and inspire many of my own hopes and dreams. From the stories I've written in the past, those "characters" also exist there. I don't try to lead them against anyone else anymore. The dreams of one shouldn't exist to destroy the dreams of another. That is where the "dead" kingdoms come from. Rather, we would do better to form alliances with other kingdoms in order to help each other and protect the dreams of the other. I have become stronger and braver. I ride dragons and speak the languages of every beast that exists within my new world. The shadows that dare to enter know the reputation I have. I am the first to ride into the battle, entering on a great fire dragon. I don't really know why, but even when I'm awake, I can still feel her strength. Sometimes I really can see her when I look in the mirror. What do you see? Everyone has a kingdom of their own, built on everything they could possibly wish for. Mine is built on love, trust, and unbreakable friendships. It's what I wish for most in my life. Eventually we all come to resemble the image we've created of ourselves. Is it a good person, or a bad one? I think it becomes obvious when we grow closer to others.
Before I was born, I was called into a war that has been going on since the beginning of time itself. My mother told me about a recurring vision she would have when she was pregnant with me. She said that the spectrum of an old woman with long hair would stand at her feet, ready to catch the baby the moment it was born. It never meant anything to me until now. I always walked alone, the only friends I had were my books. Rather than playing with the other kids on the playground, I would climb a tree and read fairy tales. I always found them easy to relate to. I have always seen strange visions and spoken to things others could not see. I lived in a nightmare and slept through most of my childhood because of it. All of it just seems a blur of images all sewn together, meaningless and ugly. I can't determine what was real or what was dream anymore. How can I explain the day I woke up with bruised ribs and scratches on my arm? I had been dreaming I was in the desert in the middle of a war. Not like what we see today, but an ancient war. I saw chariots and stone carved buildings. I don't know who I was with, but the ones we fought were either Egyptian or Babylonian. I didn't know what to do, until then I was never a violent person. I didn't know how to fight, but it was learn quickly or die trying. All I had was a wooden staff. So I did the best I could to stay hidden, only fighting if there was no other alternative. I found myself calling out to myself several times, "WAKE UP!" Finally, I did. My body was sore and bruised. I hid every mark and told no one about it. I was twelve years old then.
Every day gave a new battle and the more I slept, the more I wanted to sleep. I was quickly learning how to use my abilities. The most amazing thing that had happened was my ability to create my own soldiers. All I had to do was imagine them, what their skills were, what they looked like, and how long they were going to exist. I was still going in the wrong direction though. My objective was to destroy everything in my path that became an obstacle. There was no mercy and no love in my heart. That world was being consumed by darkness. My physical body began suffering too. I was anemic and my insides were rejecting all nourishment. At one point, an ultrasound revealed a growth in my uterus. It was surgically removed and declared benign. Because of how I looked physically, many Christians in my school started witnessing to me. My thoughts were becoming conflicting and that made it difficult for me when I would disappear back into my world. I was having trouble defending myself. Because of that confusion, I lost my soldiers, I lost my abilities. I tried so hard to stay awake after that. The human body can only hold up for so long. It was out of complete exhaustion that I finally collapsed into a fetal position and cried uncontrollably. I closed my eyes to shut everyone and everything out, but all I found was darkness so thick it was like being submerged in water. I cried out for someone to save me, like a child cries for help when they're scared and alone. I stayed whimpering for what felt like an eternity. Then I heard a voice. "I'm here and I will never leave you." It was the most soothing voice I had ever heard. When I looked up, I saw a tiny white light breaking the darkness. Slowly it began to grow. It was streaming in like sunlight into a small window. The light was so white and warm. It felt good, safe. I rested like I had never rested before, and my body started recovering too.
Then a dream came. Like the others before. I was in the desert again, facing only one opponent this time. This was no man I was facing, it was a monster. It was a spider that had the movements of a man. I prepared to defend myself with that same wooden staff. He was so strong. He pried it away from me and started using it against me. Then I was cornered and defenseless. I closed my eyes and started calling for help. My body felt warm, just like the light that had healed me before. When I opened my eyes, there was a sword in front of me and the spider was paralyzed. The moment I took the sword in my hand, I was no longer in control. My body felt strong and I felt brave. The sword let off a lightning kind of glow and I pierced the spider straight through the abdomen. Then both the spider and the sword disappeared. The desert changed and started turning green. Trees began to grow and actual life began to exist. Until then, my dreams had been hollow. There was no love, no mercy, and no trust. I wanted to destroy the hopes of others before they could destroy mine and the only one who was destroying me was myself. In order for anything good to exist anywhere, there MUST be love and light, above all there must be a trust in God.
I began to learn that in order for anything to go right, whether in this world or in my dreams, I was going to have to remember the blind faith of a child. I received a dream where I was attacked by a man completely cloaked in black. He wore a large ruby pendant on a thick gold chain. I know he was an assassin. He took me by the throat and held on with all his strength. I struggled so hard to move, to breathe, but I couldn't. In my mind I began asking for help. The moment I did, I felt that warmth and strength again. The black figure loosened its grip and I was able to kick him out the window. At that moment, I felt my body fall into the ocean. I was paralyzed and couldn't move anything except my eyes. Then I saw water people. They were looking at me with sad faces. Then they stretched out their arms and swam me to the surface. They took me to a dock where I was lifted out by a very strong pair of arms. I saw enormous white wings close around me and I fell asleep. When I woke up, I was on the steps of a ruined mansion. There was a group of people leaving. I asked them where I was and what happened to this place, but they said it wasn't important and they left in a rush. There was a stone wall covered in dead ivy surrounding the entire place. I saw a statue of a peacock sitting in the main entrance. Then I felt the warm presence again. I knew He was standing behind me so I asked Him what happened. He said, "He brings life where there is none." Then He pointed to the statue and said to look. Immediately, the statue stretched out its wings and gave a loud cry. The grainy gray color of stone was replaced by bright blues, greens, and purples. The ivy was green. The cracks in the walls and rust on the gates vanished. I was allowed to enter the mansion and I watched cracks in the marble and cobwebs vanishing too. Then I walked out into the garden. There were trees with fruits I had never seen before that. There was one tree in the middle of the garden that was like an oak that has lived since the beginning. At the base of the trunk the bark grew in the shape of the head of a lion at a full roar. Out of its mouth flowed a single stream that grew into a river that watered the garden and surrounded the wall. Then I woke up.
A majority of people will think it is insane to believe that reality and "fantasy" can exist side by side, each influencing the existence of the other. Yet, I had an image of myself at the very beginning of time in this world. As time is passing, I'm finding my physical self is starting to resemble her more. Every now and then a new dream will come to give me a very important message, but lately it's been a peaceful place to live. I traveled from the desert to a forest. From the forest, I traveled through a beautiful countryside. Along the way, I've been able to meet the heroes from my favorite stories. They have become my friends and inspire many of my own hopes and dreams. From the stories I've written in the past, those "characters" also exist there. I don't try to lead them against anyone else anymore. The dreams of one shouldn't exist to destroy the dreams of another. That is where the "dead" kingdoms come from. Rather, we would do better to form alliances with other kingdoms in order to help each other and protect the dreams of the other. I have become stronger and braver. I ride dragons and speak the languages of every beast that exists within my new world. The shadows that dare to enter know the reputation I have. I am the first to ride into the battle, entering on a great fire dragon. I don't really know why, but even when I'm awake, I can still feel her strength. Sometimes I really can see her when I look in the mirror. What do you see? Everyone has a kingdom of their own, built on everything they could possibly wish for. Mine is built on love, trust, and unbreakable friendships. It's what I wish for most in my life. Eventually we all come to resemble the image we've created of ourselves. Is it a good person, or a bad one? I think it becomes obvious when we grow closer to others.