Trade

Every night you dreamed of a beautiful young man. His eyes shone like bright amber, and his hair was whiter than the purest snow. That very first night, when he appeared to you, you instantly fell in love with his unearthly appearance. But as soon as you tried to get closer, the vision crumbled, and the dream ended.

This obsession recurred time and time again, and over time, it began to frighten you. Psychologists merely shrugged their shoulders indifferently, chalking it all up to attention deficit disorder and other such nonsense. They prescribed you pills, and you dutifully took them, hoping for oblivion. The dreams did indeed disappear, but with them, so did the colors of life. In this artificial void, you only grew worse.

Finally, you made up your mind: you quit your medication, determined to see him again at any cost. The weeks dragged on like a gray ribbon, devoid of dreams, but that night he returned.

You immediately rushed to him and hugged him as tightly as you could. You didn't know what exactly prompted you to take that step—your soul simply yearned for his presence. He stood motionless, silently gazing at the endless night sky.

Then he pointed to the twinkling constellations and whispered with a gentle smile:

• Will you go with me to see the stars?

With each passing moment, his silhouette grew more and more transparent, melting right in your arms. You watched him disappear, his hands reaching out to the void, and in that moment, you awoke with a start. In the silence of the room, only one pulsating thought remained: "What if he's real?"