I am wandering through the neighborhood to go back home. It’s dark and early night time. It still feels early however. Perhaps a winter evening.

I look around. My house is where it’s supposed to be at the end of the cul-de-sac. Something feels wrong though…

What was it?

Oh! The other houses don’t look quite right. Inaccurate to what they should look like. A patchwork from imagination and guessing. Realistic but wrong.

I’m dreaming right now. My mind clicks into place.

I head inside. My sister, grandma and grandpa are in the living room. Sister and grandma sitting on the couch facing the TV and grandpa standing behind. The TV is just playing static. Maybe I had already broken the dream by acknowledging it. They seem interested though.

I am hit by an incredible sense of loneliness. None of these people are real. I am the only real person in this world.

There must be something I can do to fix this. There has to be something. This is a lucid dream right? I hold the power.

Maybe I would feel better with someone I have a strong connection to. Even if they are not truly real.

I close my eyes and picture my mom. The one person I trust the most.

I open my eyes.

Nothing has changed. I frown. I’m not focusing right or something. Maybe I have to break line of sight.

I move from the living room to the office, close my eyes and focus. I take a deep breath and return.

My dad is now sitting on the couch.

Nope no, definitely not.

I try again. Willing my mom to be there with every fiber of my being.

I leave.

My aunt is sitting where my dad is.

I sigh. This would have to do. Creating a person from nothing was a much harder activity than I thought. My aunt was better than nothing.

I felt better. There was company now, but still the loneliness remained. Just in a lesser form.