Shattered Dreams: A Collection of Dreams From the Mind of an Artist

"Your Husband is a Great Guy!" (Long Dream)

"I can't believe we finally got this place to ourselves!" My brother, Hunter, spoke, helping to lift our brown leather suitcases out of the trunk of a bright yellow taxi cab. He was a stocky, chubby guy with short, light brown hair, thick glasses, and grey blue eyes. It had taken a while, but after years of trying to free the Florida beach house from our abusive father's hands, it was ours. The court had ruled in our favour and let us keep the house while our father was stuck paying the bills on it; the property was magnificent. Mexican architecture, pale yellow stucco, Terra Cotta roofing... the house was a dream that overlooked the ocean and, even though it was literally on the cusp of the ocean, we had a crystal blue pool in the front yard surrounded by lime green astroturf. "Hey, Leigh, come help me with the luggage. I can't carry all of this myself, you know. I'm just one guy."

"I know, I know." The exterior of the house just captivated me... but I had to help my brother. Grabbing two suitcases each, we began to walk towards the front door, only to become stopped by a strange being laying in front of the door. She lifted her golden head up, wagging her tail and smiling like she hadn't seen us in years.

"Hey, you two!" Sadie, my golden retriever, greeted us; now able to speak. She got up and ran to us, still on all fours. Maybe she hadn't learned to walk like a human yet... though she could do just about everything else. "I haven't seen you in forever!" She barked, running circles around our legs.

"Sadie!" Hunter and I gasped, "You can talk?!"

"Yeah. I've always been able to... I just never felt like it." She giggled. "Come inside. I got the place all set up for you... well, mostly." Sadie turned, tail hanging high in the sky like a flag as she lead Hunter and I into the foyer, littered with columns along the walls and a black and white checkerboard floor. Since when did we live in such a palace? Sadie was really good at remodeling. For a dog, she sure had a way with interior design.

Exploring the house, we eventually found the bedrooms where both Hunter and I would be staying. He got the green room, and I got the light yellow room, which wasn't my favourite, but I didn't seem to care. As I popped a suitcase on the bed and clicked it open, Hunter sat down on my bed with a grin. "Hey, I can't wait to see your husband again. He's so cool. He said he's meeting us here, soon."

I paused, a playful smirk on my lips. "Husband?" Surely, he was joking.

"Yeah, silly. He's crazy about you. How don't you know that?"

"It... it just doesn't ring a bell."

"You got married last summer!" He rolled his eyes. "You're even wearing a wedding ring! You picked it out, didn't you?"

"Doesn't change the fact that I don't know who he is. Maybe if you tell me a little about him, I'll remember."

"Leigh, no." Hunter crossed his arms over his chest like a disapproving parent. "You're supposed to know what your husband is like. I can't tell you. You're already supposed to know that. That's why you married him, I think."

"...Really? You can't help a girl out?"

"No."

I sighed, walking away for a second to hang a few dresses up in the closet. "Just give me a hint." I proposed once I returned to my spot.

"Alright, since you're so hung up on this." He sighed, "But I still can't believe you don't remember him. Um... let's see... he's tall... he's like... ten years older than you, he's got dark hair and sometimes a beard but more like a goatee or a shadow... and... he's the silent type. Oh, and you think he's handsome."

"Well of course I have to think he's handsome." I arched an eyebrow. But... a silent guy? That wasn't my type at all! I was a chatterbox and I'm sure if he was quiet, I annoyed the crap out of him on a daily basis. "It's still not ringing a bell... in fact I can't believe he likes me after all this time. I'm really annoying, aren't I? I don't shut up."

"He says he likes it when you talk about your passions. He thinks it's cute. He may not talk as much as you, but he like to listen to you. You should know that, at least. Me and him, we're the only two that listen when you ramble. Well, maybe Sadie will listen too, now that she's here."

"Do you have a photograph or something? I really-" I paused as soon as the two of us heard another taxi cab pull up in the driveway with a beep; could that be him? The hollow sound of the door shutting could be heard in unison with heavy footsteps... soon, we'd get to see a face. But as I turned to face the bedroom doorway, my vision went black.