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The thing about dreams is how real they feel. You know the ones where you cannot fathom the idea that it isn't real because it feels like it is nothing far from reality. Where you can literally feel everything that happens and the changes your body goes through throughout the dream. How is it possible for your mind to create some fictional imagery in your head that messes with you completely? How is it possible that you remember certain details but not many which makes things so unclear?

For Essie that happened. Everything in her dream felt so real and for each second that past in the dream felt like a real second. Except it wasn't. It was a matter of hours to which she lived nearly a whole year.

Is it possible to get hooked on someone from the beginning even when you've literally spoken a few times? Through comments on Instagram and a couple of dm's? Is it possible to then dream up a whole years worth of situations even from their point of view when in reality it probably wouldn't happen?

Is it even worse when it's your cousin's friend?

Essie tugged herself from her bed and padded downstairs rubbing her eyes. The kitchen sat Fra eating his breakfast quietly until she walked in. He put his food down and watched her carefully as she got a glass of water and some painkillers from the cupboard.

"Is everything okay, Ess?"

"What year is it?"

"2017."

"How old am I?"

"Sixteen, seventeen next month."

"Have we been to LA?"

"Nope."

"Did I film a tv show in Canada?"

"Nope."

"Am I single?"

"Duh."

"Am I pregnant?"

"I should hope to feck you're not." Essie slumped in her chair at the table and put her head on the table and groaned. "What's up?"

"I had a wild dream last night. Like, I literally lived this next year and it felt so real. Like, it seriously messed with my head. Fra, I was an actress. I filmed a show in Canada, I can't remember what it was or who it was with other than the fact I got recast in the second series. I had a boyfriend, he was amazing and then I got pregnant and ran away. Jesus, Fra, it felt so real!"

Fra snickered and ran his fingers through her hair. As much as they playfully bickered all of the time, Essie was still his baby sister and she looked like death warmed up. "Ess, don't over think it. Like you said, it was a dream. But it would be cool if you followed after me, Prop and Fra and became an actor but you're too shy for that, I know."

"Can you confirm something?"

"I have been doing so for the past five minutes. What more do I need to confirm?"

"Is Harrison Osterfield our cousin?"

"Yes, of course he is. What makes you think he isn't?" Essie looked at him dead in the eyes, "that dream really fucked with yi head, didn't it?"

"It really did."

Essie's lips began to quiver and before she knew it, there were tears rolling down her cheeks and her whole body was shaking. Fra pushed his chair back and took his sister by the waist and lifted her into his lap. He held her close and let her cry into his shoulder whilst he played with her hair.

"There were really good bits, like really, really good bits and as much as there were bad bits, it felt so real. Like, it couldn't feel more real if it tried. Fra, everything is a mess and I, I don't think I'm ever going to forget it. I'd do anything for parts of it to actually have happened!" She sobbed.

Simple Things||Harry HollandWhere stories live. Discover now