Dream a Little Dream of Me

It is the end of what has been another long, exhausting and ultimately unrewarding day. You slip under the covers alone, wishing you had someone lying next to you whose dreams you could share. As you unwittingly transmit your idle desire to the universe, you feel your body and mind quickly surrendering to sleep.

Moments later you are standing in what seems to be a forest, though one that appears far more idyllic and serene than any you have seen or experienced before.

This feels like a dream.

It looks like a dream.

It must be a dream, since you never travelled here, and just moments earlier you were climbing into your bed and closing your eyes. But in a dream you can't feel the breeze lapping against skin or the cold, moist grass beneath your bare feet like you can now. You aren't so vividly aware of and able to analyse every sensation and thought you are experiencing. This somehow feels both real and not.

As if to reinforce that sense of unreality, a beautiful, ethereal figure suddenly materialises in front of you.

That ought to be terrifying - it's completely unnatural, an affront to your lifelong understanding of what is and isn't physically possible. You remain strangely calm though, and even dare to speak to it. Somehow, you sense you can come to no harm in this place.

"Who are you?" you blurt out "Is this a dream or is it real?"

"The lines between those two realms are far more blurred than you might realise" the mysterious entity trills in a sweet, sing song voice "You do not need to know who I or what I am. Only that your wish has been granted"

"What wish?"

"Have you forgotten already?" they laugh, in an amused but not unkind way "I'm going to make sure you never have to sleep alone again"

"Are you some kind of......" you pause for a moment, both trying and failing to think of something that won't sound so absurd when you say it out loud "Spirit of Love?"

"Of Love and Dreams" they correct you "As such, I'm granting you the ability to enter the subconscious thoughts of anyone you wish. Or, more specifically, you can place yourself directly into their sexual fantasies"

"What?"

"You can temporarily exist in the erotic imaginations of anyone you choose, just as tangibly as you do here, and be able to see, hear, taste and touch every sensation as if it were all real. Which, in a way, it will be"

"I'm sorry, no offence, but that sounds insane. Even if it were remotely possible, how would I make that happen?"

"It's all very simple. You just close your eyes and picture the person whose secret desires you would like to live out with them, and you will soon find yourself where you need to be"

"Won't they know?"

"They'll recall that you were present in their sexual fantasy, once they come out of it, but they'll just assume their own subconscience put you there. It will very likely effect how they see and relate to you in real life"

"You mean it could make them hot for me?" you ask optimistically.

"It could. That's certainly one reaction, but not the only one" the spirit tells you with a smirk that knows a lot more than it reveals.

"Why are you doing this for me?"

"Amusement, boredom, curiosity, benevolence. It doesn't really matter, the result is the same. The gift I am bestowing upon you is a powerful one and it truly is a blessing. Why would you feel the need to question why you are receiving it?"

"Okay, fair point. Well then thanks, I guess"

"Even in the case ofa blessing such as this, you must keep in mind that with any power comes some degree of responsibility. There are certain things I need to warn you about"

"I thought there might be"

"Firstly, the erotic fantasy you become a part of will be the dreamers creation, not your own. You may be able to reshape it to some extent by speaking to their subconscious, and the power of suggestion ought to be strong enough to make an impact in most cases, but it can't be replied upon to override the dreamers will if it is stronger than your words"

"So what you're saying is, if I end up in some BDSM sex dungeon being violently whipped, I might be able to say "that whip is actually a feather duster" and make it true, but I could be shit out of luck if they were really, really into whipping people"

"I couldn't have put it better myself" the spirit responds approvingly "And, although you can't be harmed in the dream world, you aren't immune from temporary pain or discomfort. It is also worth considering that the same individual could have a completely different fantasy of a different strength at a different time, depending on their mood, so there is usually an element of chance. I like to think that should keep things exciting though"

"Noted. So what's the other thing I need to know?"

"Whenever you choose to enter someone's fantasy, that person will immediately be placed into a deep trance as well as a state of heightened arousal. It may be best to use your gift at night, while they are most likely in bed, rather than when they are sitting on the bus. Unless that's your thing, of course. The only time your gift won't activate is if the person you choose to use it on is in an unsafe position to fall into a trance. When they are driving, for example. But that safeguard doesn't extend to them being in a public setting that could cause them embarrassment"

"So what if..."

Before you get the next question out, and you had many more to ask, your alarm wakes you up with a jolt.

What? No way was that eight hours! At first you assume your bedside clock is malfunctioning, but your phone, wall clock and the sunlight streaming through the curtains all confirm it to be correct.

Surely you must have blacked out from exhaustion, and what you thought just happened was really some kind of crazy hallucination?

Of course you don't now have the power to enter people's secret sexual fantasies at will, like some horny Freddie Krueger,

Do you?