A dream within a dream within a dream

Flash fiction

As the blazing sun hung high in the sky, casting its relentless heat upon the sandy expanse, I trudged towards the fields where I toiled each day. The grains of sand bit at my weathered skin, blending seamlessly with the color of mud that marked my entire being. No other houses were nearby, just the emptiness that stretched endlessly in all directions.

I worked diligently, tending to the crops that grew amidst the shifting sands. The beautiful grasses, defiant against the harsh environment, bloomed in vibrant hues, adding splashes of color to the monotonous landscape. With each stroke of my hand, I nurtured life from the arid soil, finding solace in the routine that defined my existence.

As the day gave way to the embrace of twilight, I returned home, my weary body craving respite. And there, standing at the threshold, was my wife, her skin the same color as mine — a testament to the earth that sustained us. Her eyes sparkled with warmth and love as she welcomed me back from the vastness beyond our humble dwelling.

Together, we marvelled at the moon that presided over our secluded world, its ethereal glow casting a luminous veil over the lightless surroundings. The absence of any artificial illumination only enhanced the beauty of the celestial spectacle, enveloping us in a serenity that few could comprehend.

But one fateful day, a tempest unfurled in the distance, a dark cloud of foreboding on the horizon. It loomed larger and larger, its intensity growing with each passing moment. Raindrops began to fall, but they were not of the life-giving kind. No, these droplets were heavy with sorrow, descending upon us as a cascade of muddy tears.

Panicked, I rushed back home, my heart pounding in my chest. But as I stepped over the threshold, the place that once held my wife was empty. She had vanished, leaving behind an echoing void mirrored the barren expanse's vastness.

Driven by desperation, I scoured every inch of our surroundings, calling out her name into the murky night. And I saw her amidst the expanse where the grasses once bloomed, bathed in the full moon’s glow. But she had become one with the mud, her essence merging with the very earth that had sustained us.

I reached out, my trembling hands longing to hold her once more, to feel the warmth of her presence. But like the elusive grains of sand slipping through an open palm, she eluded my grasp. Her form dissolved, becoming one with the sludge beneath my touch.

In that desolate moment, my heart shattered, and I was left alone in a world that had claimed everything I held dear. The moon, once a beacon of solace, now served as a haunting reminder of the love I had lost. And so, I remained, a solitary figure in the vast expanse, forever bound to a realm where the sands of time carried away the echoes of my sorrow.