Dream 24/04/2026

Warmth wrapped itself around her chest and waist. A soft, fluttering murmur hummed in her throat. The stiffness that had become the norm, holding her hunched shoulders high, fizzled away. A light prickle grazed the back of her neck. Letting out a soft breath, she relaxed into the sensation behind her. A warm gentle breath brushed a comforting tickle her ear. Her eyes remained closed, as she released the pressure in her shoulder blades. Another quiet murmur escaped her. A chuckle tickled the back of her neck. “I’m here,” whispered a safe, deep, comforting voice. His arms, around her chest and waist, gave a gentle squeeze. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.” A small whimper escaped her, as she wrapped her arms around his and squeezed them tight.

- Josie -

Dream 21/04/2026

A blur of black came into focus. She squinted her eyes, as the world around her drifted away into a gentle hum. The image before her sharpened, as it formed into a significant shape. A pair of mesh charcoal-coloured trainers came into focus. Dried dirt scuffed at the toe and edges of the fabric. The laces were loosely tied, with the loop and aglet tucked deep beneath the shoe’s tongue, as though they had been pulled on and off many times, without undoing the laces. Her expression stiffened, as she narrowed her brows. A breathy hum escaped her, as she concentrated hard. The thumping in her chest beat slow, but loud. Pulse pounded in her ears. Poking out from the trainers were a pair of faded black socks, with a splodge of a vibrant, parrot green, almost hidden by the legs of ebony-coloured jeans. She heard her name. A flutter tingled in her chest. Her lips parted. ‘That voice,’ she thought, as the warmth inside of her spread.

“Sorry,” spoke the deep, familiar, male voice. She gasped. Her stomach swirled around in a circumbendibus. Colour rushed to her cheeks. ‘It’s him. It’s really him,’ she cried to herself, as her vision blurred. ‘He’s really here. He’s sorry. He means it.’ She sniffed, as a salty sting prickled the inner corners of her eyes.

“Josette!” called a female voice, in the distance. “Josette!” Gasping, the red-head threw her vision over her right shoulder. A lady with a bob of silver hair hobbled towards her, with a wrinkled brow. “Josette!” she cried. “I’ve lost my car. I don’t know what to do.” The lady trembled before her. The red-head threw her arms around the older lady and held her close.

“It’s okay, Tracey,” she spoke in a soft tone. “I’ll help you find it. We’ll look together.”

“Oh thank you,” cried the older lady, as she gripped onto the red-head’s elbow. “I just didn’t know what t’ do. It was there. I know it was. I parked right outside of work. I always do. My old man’s gonna kill me, I’ve lost our car.” A trembling wailed cry left the older lady’s mouth, as the creases on her forehead deepened. Her bottom lip quaked, as her eyes quivered.

Josette gave Tracey’s arm a gentle squeeze. “It’s okay,” the red-head reassured her, in a soft, soothing voice. “You’re not alone. We’ll find your car together. It’s okay.” With a gentle tug, the red-head led the older lady back in the direction of their workplace. Stroking her colleagues arm all the while, a knot formed in the red-head’s stomach, as she thought back to that familiar male voice and the pair of trainers. ‘Was it real?’ she wondered. ‘Was he real? Was any of it real?’

- Josie -

Daydream - 07/04/25

(Josie Sayz: My brain can do some very strange things at times. Just when I feel as though I am beginning to understand it, it does something weird, like this. I had fully accepted that my brain had forgotten how to process positive emotions and I would never feel them again. There is nothing I can do about it. It is just what it is. Then the following vision popped into my head, today. It occurred for less than a second, while I was at work. I have tried to detail down everything that I could remember. The reason why this little piece is so important is because I didn’t just think the feelings. I felt the feelings. Again, it was so brief. It was less than a second. But my brain did it. It felt a positive feeling. Whether this was the last time, I have no way of knowing. Why my brain chose to create this imagery in my head, while I was working, I will never know. All I do know is that I felt the tiniest of flutters of happiness. This is what I saw in that mini glimpse of… whatever this was. A mini, fraction of a second daydream, while I was working.)

Warmth tingled her cheeks. A soothing touch stroked through her copper locks, down to the hollow of her back. The sensation caused a warm flutter to erupt in her stomach, spreading to her chest, arms and legs. A rhythmical whisper of waves drifting back and forth brought a soft smile into her face. Letting out a dreamy sigh, she fluttered her eyes open. The sun, bright and warm, shone overhead. The purest of blue sky stretched out in front of her. To her left, pure, untouched, dry sand lined the landscape. Beyond the picturesque sandy scene, crystal clear turquoise water swayed to and fro.
          The red head tuned her attention to the man sat beside her. As their eyes met, she felt her cheeks heat up. His half-closed eyes and beaming smile brought a warming tingle to her chest. The red head tilted her head to the right, as she gazed at her male companion. His dark, curly hair, stubbled face and dark brown eyes, with little, green flecks in them, caused her heart to swell with happiness. A slight breeze swept against them, and she let out a giggle, as her hair swept across her face. Her companion wrapped his arms around her and gently tugged them down against the sand.

- Josie -