Surrealeum Dreams

By James A. Gauthier

SURREALEUM DREAMS is a dreamscape of adventure between the world of being awake and asleep. The two become undistinguishable as Arianne reaches maturity and learns that she will be the Keeper of Surrealeum Dreams and coexist with Michael, her consort. The book is fascinating and explores the interaction of peace and comfort, complacency and disregard, and anger and fear, each being represented by Ariannes surrealbud children. The book is fun and a joy to read for children and adults alike.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Jun 13, 2014
• ISBN: 9781490739205

James A. Gauthier

James A. Gauthier has published several books including Emily and a trilogy called Inside Out: New Beginnings, Inside Out: Rise of the Monarchy, and Inside Out: Final Conflict. His books leave the reader asking questions when the book is finished. Surrrealeum Dreams is a fun fantasy that the author reads when he needs to take a time out from writing.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

First Encounter

I recall my very first encounter with Michael when I was three years old. I was at the park with my birthday guests when I fell from the monkey bars onto the ground. I landed in such a way that my elbow hit the ground before the rest of my body. My elbow hurt badly and I was crying when Michael entered my life. Michael told me his name and that he was four years old as he reached his hand out to help me stand up. When Michael’s hand touched mine, the pain in my elbow was gone as if I had never fallen. I turned to Michael and said, Thank you! To my surprise, one of my birthday party guests was standing in the spot where I had just seen Michael. I looked all around the park playground equipment, but Michael was nowhere to be seen. I asked my friend, Michelle, if she saw the boy help me up off the g round.

Michelle replied, Arianne, I didn’t see any boy help you and I was standing right here.

Later that night, I explained as best I could to my mother what had happened. My mother said, Arianne, you have a good imagination for a three year old.

At three years of age, I thought of Michael often, especially when I began to experience dreams which made no sense to me. I would tell my mother about the dreams that I could remember and my mother would say, They are just dreams. You have nothing to fear from your dreams. I told my mother that I wasn’t afraid. My dreams were very nice. Wherever my mother and I went, I looked for Michael.

By age seven, I was somewhat obsessed with finding Michael. It seemed like I was being pulled towards something that I couldn’t yet understand. Michael began appearing in my dreams on a regular basis and I always experienced a feeling of safety and comfort knowing that Michael was somehow watching over me. I wondered if Michael was my guardian angel. I told my friends about Michael and they called me names like ‘nut’ and ‘fruit cake’. That was fine with me because it was my sleep that was repeatedly invaded by Michael and the strange dreams that I experienced.

When I was ten years old, my mother permitted me to ride my bike to school with several of my girlfriends. We always rode on the right side of the road and in single file. My bike was the second in a line of five bicycles. A mean spirited boy threw a stick at my bicycle and it stuck in my wheel spokes causing my bike to crash onto the sidewalk. My lunch and books flew off of my bike as my body careened sideways onto the street and in front of an oncoming car. Thankfully the driver saw what had happened and stopped in time to avoid running me over.

I was bleeding on my knuckles, both knees and my right buttock as a result of being thrown onto the asphalt roadway. I wiped my tears and discovered that I was bleeding from a cut above my right eye. My friends stopped their bikes and asked me if I was all right. I asked them to call my mother when they got to school. As soon as April entered the school, she had the office call my mother and let her know that I was hurt and what had happened. According to my discussions with April later that day, my mother was on her way immediately.

I stumbled over to the side of the walkway and sat down on my left buttock to avoid sitting on the side that was scraped up. I was once again in tears and hurting. My friend Susan remained with me and tried to hold my hands to comfort me. I screamed in pain since my hands were badly cut up as well. Susan asked if there was anything she could do and I replied, Yes, you can find Michael for me.

Susan had previously heard me talk about Michael and she was the first friend to call me a ‘nut’. Susan then announced that she was going to the corner to watch for my mother. As I sat beside the sidewalk, I felt the pain leave my body. I was no longer hurting or bleeding. I felt a hand on my shoulder and when I looked, I was sure that it was Michael. He looked much the same only a little older. I confirmed that it was Michael and he informed me that he was now eleven years old. I asked Michael how he stopped my pain. Michael replied, What pain? I looked at my hands and knees and realized that I had no injuries anywhere. I even bounced on my bottom a few times to make sure that I was alright. I turned to Michael and asked if he was my guardian angel. Michael said that he was not a guardian angel. Michael then took my hand and helped me up off the ground. Michael then surprised me. He touched his forehead with mine and placed his right hand on my abdomen saying something that I failed to hear correctly or at least understand.

I watched for my mother to arrive. When my mother arrived, I turned to introduce Michael, but once again he was gone and nowhere to be found. My mother asked where I was hurt. I said that I was fine. Michael had healed me once again. My mother was quite irritated until Susan confirmed that I had been badly cut up from the accident. My mother refused to understand what had happened.

My nightly dreams became more vivid with Michael appearing so as to choreograph the images that I saw during my sleep. I couldn’t understand the images, or even what the images represented. At bedtime, I would pray that Michael would return to me so I could ask him some questions. I received no acknowledgement for my continuous prayers and I questioned if Michael might be a guardian angel anyway. I continued to watch for Michael wherever I went.

CHAPTER 2

Michael, Who are You?

I entered middle school at age eleven and participated in the school dances with my girlfriends. At the winter holiday dance, my friend Susan asked me if Michael was in the gymnasium with me. I replied, Susan, you are so rude to me. Susan then said, I was just asking! April overheard Susan’s comments and said, Arianne, wouldn’t it be exciting if Michael actually showed up at our dance. I replied that I would love to see Michael and actually get a chance to ask him some more questions. Of course Michael didn’t attend the dance and my questions floated inside my mind as I slept and dreamed about Michael and the strange events that interrupted my nightly sleep.

I decided that the only way I was going to find Michael was if I was hurt again, or in some sort of danger. That was when he always showed up. April spent the night with me and I screamed out in pain during one of my strange dreams. I awoke to Michael sitting next to me on my bed. April was asleep and I felt foolish. Michael didn’t say a word. He took his hand and placed it on my abdomen once again and then touched my forehead with his. I tried to talk to Michael, but he gestured that I go back to sleep. For the remainder of the night, my sleep was pleasant and the visuals that I dreamt were comforting. Whatever Michael did, he did well. I had no further bad dreams until my thirteenth birthday.

Several of my girlfriends had found boyfriends by age thirteen. I was only one of two holdouts left and the peer pressure to find a boyfriend was significant. My best friend, Amy gave in and established a boy-girl relationship with her brother’s close friend. That increased the pressure on me. I felt that I couldn’t have a boyfriend and Michael both in my life so I continued to hold off despite the peer pressure and repeated requests that I go out with this boy or that boy. The spring dance arrived and all of my friends were going to the dance with their current boyfriends. My friend Susan had worked her way through four boyfriends from the beginning of school to the end of the school year. My other girlfriends had at least two boyfriends suggesting to me that boyfriends were unpredictable and frustrating at a minimum. I chose to attend the dance without a dance type date. I didn’t appreciate the scorn and ridicule that I received from my friends and their boyfriends.

I was a very quiet girl and chose to sit along the side wall while I watched my friends dance. I danced several dances, but I was mostly at the dance because of my friends and their insistence that I attend, even without a boyfriend. I watched Susan kiss her boyfriend and then get threatened by a chaperone that she would have to leave the dance if she was caught kissing again. In my heart, I was feeling sad and quite lonely. I guess one could call it heartache. I had this person named Michael that I knew very little about despite his several attempts to help me out. I wondered if Michael fixed broken hearts as well. My friend Corey brought her boyfriend over to me and offered him up for a dance while she went to the bathroom. I was about to accept when I heard the familiar voice of Michael. He said, That won’t be necessary. I would like to dance with Arianne. Corey asked me who the boy was. I replied, Michael, and yes he really does exist. Michael danced one dance with me and then walked with me to the side of the room where I had been sitting.

Michael indicated that he enjoyed the dance and then repeated the forehead touch and hand on my abdomen. As Michael touched my abdomen, he smiled and said, Soon!

When I saw a chaperone headed in my direction, I quickly apologized. The chaperone asked me, For what? I explained that my dance partner had touched my abdomen and we touched foreheads. The chaperone then replied, "I saw no one with you just now. Are you feeling alright or should