The night isn't young yet, but the slow closing of eyelids is starting to happen. Each breath, each shake of the head, a struggle to stay awake. Putting the laptop aside, the covers and blankets being laid on are soon wrapped over shoulders and sleep has pressed in.
He's driving. A large golden van weaving its way through traffic on a back road. To his right, a friend, her smile warm and engaging. Laughter and a brief touch on the hand. Soon, as dreams always seemed to do, time had gone past and for some reason the blue flashing lights of a police car were behind them.
For some reason he didn't stop, continuing to drive without a care, talking and laughing with the friend. Perhaps he was distracted? Perhaps he didn't notice. It was curious. After a few minutes it seemed something clicked and the van was pulled over to the side of the road. The cop drove by and pulled in ahead of them.
Instead of getting out, the cop shouted out the window, saying he'd let them off this time because of -- and as he was talking a massive pile up of cars appeared in front of them behind the officer. The noise was loud, and the pair in the van sighed in relief that they weren't in trouble or part of the mess.
Flash forward, and they were in a lot somewhere, talking again, but this time too close. This time their hands were laid gently over each other's. Murmored voices rushed, their speed subdued only by the shushing when the volume rose above a whisper. The pair moved closer, eyes looked at each other, then their lips, then back up.
The format of the dream changed, it wasn't so much observing anymore as it was simply feeling. There was contact, there was love, there was indulgence into the most primal of feelings. Yet at the same time, the dream was beginning to dissolve, the contrast with reality too much for the sleeper not to notice.
Startled, eyes flung open and his vision came slowly into focus. The room was lit, his light having been left on over night. Stumbling out of bed, the glow was quickly shut off, the warmth of the sheets found again, and with eyes closed he began drifting again. Sleep was paused though as the dream rushed back into his mind.
Unable to sleep, he looked into the darkness towards his ceiling, wondering to himself, why? Why had his mind gone there, gone to a place it had never been with a person who he thought he was done with? Tossing back and forth, he couldn't help but shake violently as the chill of the room got to him. Perhap's it was the cold, messing with his head and doing weird things to his over-active subconscious.
The man settled back into bed and closed his eyes.