Whale Dream

My dreams are like a circus - insanely vivid, lots of storylines and colors and action and mystery and romance...so many dreams fill each night and many of them stay with me when I wake. The whale dream is exactly as i remember it except I have given the characters names.

The boat is big and there are many people milling about.

The director of the movie is huddled at a table with his two trusted assistants, trying to choreograph the upcoming scene.

Sylvie and her boyfriend Keenan have signed up to be extras for the day. Sounded like fun although it hasn't been so far. There is a tall blonde woman herding some of the extras to one side of the room and a tense balding man herding extras to the other side. There has been a mix-up with Sylvie's costume and she is shuffled to the changing room for a quick dress swap.

Zip up; button at top, cinch belt - quick and easy.

When she returns, Keenan is sitting on the other side of the room, which is now set up to look like a wedding chapel. The tense extra's herder is blocking the aisle, so Sylvie can't even sit next to Keen.

As it turns out, it is only Keenan's side of the room that gets into the shot and all of the extras on that side of the room are told that they'll be needed for the next two to three months. Two to three months! This means Sylvie and Keen won't be seeing much of each other for a while.

Sylvie slips out of the room and wanders around the boat. Funny not to have noticed it's rhythmic rocking side to side until now. She looks out the portal window at the gray sky. The waves are gray too, like her mood. She finds the door and steps out onto the deck. The waves are big and crash suddenly on either side of her. The movie making seems far away and the side to side rocking of the boat fills her with dis-ease.

Another wave crashes and she feels a sudden pressure on her shoulder - Keenan's hand. He kisses her cheek lightly.
She doesn't turn around, peering over the railing at the murky water below.

CRASH!

A big wave tugs the boat sloppily to one side causing Sylvie to lose her footing and fall into the cold, cold water.

Under. No air - no sight for a long choking minute, then up - deep breath, really cold and fear as she catches her breath.

"Grab my hand!" Keenan offers stepping carefully tot he edge of the rail.

Swimming is clunky. The dress wraps awkwardly around her legs, the effort to kick thwarted.

"Hurry!" He urges, as if she has a choice.

There is a presence suddenly. Huge, dark...right next to her.
The whale breaches and bumps her.

"Get me the fuck-" it bumps her again, aggressive;scary.
She is no longer aware of Keenan, only the voice she seems to hear saying 'come with me, won't you?'

Quickly she undoes the belt from around her waist and slings it loosely around the whales giant neck, climbing up as if onto a horse and braces herself for submersion.

She is surprised to discover no difficulty breathing underwater. her eyes adjust to the dim light and the underwater landscape begins to appear before her.
The feeling of fear dissipates as she senses the creatures thoughts.

'You wanted company?' She thinks to the whale.
The whale is bashful as it thinks a silly grin back to her.
'But you seemed so scary -' She thinks to the whale.
'Very pleased with self' the whale thinks back.

Days and nights pass as the ocean travelers discover kinship.
Keenan, sitting on the bow of the boat at dusk catches glimpses of her silhouette against the darkening night sky - girl, bareback on whale, hand raised in hello, then gone.

As months pass, stories are told of the girl in the sea - but most believe it to be the imagining of drunkards and poets, the only ones wild enough to go out past supper time and the only ones foolish enough to believe their own dreams.