The Dream That Found Me

I met Clara in art class, and we clicked right away. We spent every afternoon together, painting and talking about everything. One evening, as we sat in her cozy attic room, she told me her family practiced earth magic. I was doubtful at first, raised with strong beliefs of my own.

She explained it was about harmony with nature, not darkness. Her calm words slowly eased my mind. We started with small things, like focusing energy to help plants grow. I thought it was just imaginative fun, so I never fully committed.

Then one night, Clara said I was ready to meet my dream guardian. She gave me careful instructions for a guided meditation right before deep sleep. The steps had to be followed exactly, she warned, or a troubled spirit might answer instead. Her own guardian was a calm presence named Arthur.

I never consciously tried the ritual. But a few nights later, sleeping in the new bed my uncle had built for me, a vivid dream came. A tall figure made of woven light stood by my window. It didn’t speak, but a feeling of immense peace filled the room. When I woke, a single oak leaf rested on my windowsill.