Jade Robinson stepped onto the porch just as a cool breeze swept across the yard. Her waist-length black hair danced into her eyes. She puffed out a breath and swiped with her arm to clear her vision. The night sky was a blanket of stars and Jade watched as one fell. The quick streak of light brought a smile to her lips as she quickly sent up a wish in childish whimsy. She knew it wasn’t really a star, just bits of space “junk” burning up in the earth’s atmosphere, but it still felt good to believe the world held a little bit of magic in it. She scanned the yard in the dark and easily spotted Emma’s white patches of fur racing around the edges of the fields. Border collies always felt the need to herd something, even if it was just tumbleweeds or shadows. She called out softly and Emma immediately came to her. Picking up a brush, she began to work out the burrs scattered in the dog’s fur. Clumps of hair soon joined the dust kicked up by the wind and then swirled out of sight.
Jade’s mind wandered back to the dream that had woken her. It was not often she would wake up crying, but the dream was so vivid. She wanted it to stop and that was a first. Her mother had come to her again in the dream. She never understood how she new it was her mother. She couldn’t actually remember her real mother. But, her dream mother had been speaking to her in dreams for more than a decade. The woman spoke of her history and talked to Jade about fantastic realms she would rule. She could almost taste the salt in the air of the oceans she guided her to or hear the jungle sounds of strange animals deep in the vegetation. Jade could almost remember the feeling of space flight as she journeyed with her mother to other planets. She travelled to so many places she lost track of the names. Sometimes her mother showed her images so beautiful she had woke up crying from shear joy.
But not tonight. Tonight the dream began in a stark white room. Her mother had looked older than she had ever seen her. Her words had no strength, “I am dying. I am sorry, I wish there was an easier way to say that. But I don’t have much time left and the people, they need you. Hopefully we find you in time. Jade, I love you. Always know that. This is your home. You belong here and these are your people. The guardians are your protectors and you are their clan mother. Always take care of them and they will give their life for you. I never thought it would be like this. I always thought I would have more time. Know that I wanted to be here for you. I can only hope I have recorded enough. The only other thing I can think to tell you is trust yourself. You know more than you think. You will make a great queen. Welcome home.”
The dream ended when her mother collapsed to the floor and Jade screamed as she jolted awake. It was silly really. It was just a dream after all. The woman was probably just her subconscious projection. She knew that. Still, her heart ached to think of never seeing the woman again. She was the only mother Jade knew. Their eyes were the same almond shape with vivid green color. They both had long slender faces with dimples in the exact same spot. Jade wondered if her child’s mind had a residual image of her real mother and was showing it to her in the dreams.
If her dreams were not all so much the stuff of fantasy, she might have questioned if it was real and she was being kidnapped in her sleep. Surely someone would have noticed if she went missing one night a week, every week for ten years? Someone would tell her in her waking hours, right?
Before tonight, there was never any fear or sadness in her dreams. It was more like watching a broadcast at school. She was learning about worlds she would never see from a universe teacher who had been everywhere. The only hard part was that she was never able to ask questions. Jade had tried to initially. She had tried to speak but her mother could not hear her. Jade had tried to reach out with her gift as well, but nothing could be felt of the emotions of others in that dream state. She sighed.
The air was pregnant with the feeling Jade always associated with change coming in her life. It was like an electrical storm that zapped her into an awareness on a deeper level. After years of experience, Jade trusted the feeling. She knew she needed to be ready. Maybe the dream was just part of her larger acceptance of a change in energy.
Emma came back with a dusty shoe in her mouth and laid it at Jade’s feet like an homage. Jade smiled and picked up the shoe. Despite the breeze, the temperature was perfect. The desert could get cold at night, but it was just cool enough to be pleasant. Jade chucked the shoe and Emma obediently ran after it. Jade walked into the middle of the yard carrying the blanket she kept on the porch for nights like this. She knew sleep was elusive. Emma again dropped the shoe at her feet. She threw it again then spread out her blanket and sat down, hugging her knees to her chest. Sometimes she felt more at home outside than in, less alone with nature as company. The stars drew her gaze again, she began counting.