A Dream I Dreamt Yesterday

-Hu Wei jing

• I dreamt a dream yesterday.

• It was a quarter after one in the morning. I was still wide awake, and so were they all, those hungry mosquitoes. All my three roommates talking in their sleep, it was quite noisy in the dorm. It seemed that they would sleep talk without a stop as soon as they fell asleep.

• After failing to fall asleep, I got up and turned my computer. Much to my surprise, my PC seemed to be enraged and cursed me for awakening her while she was in a sweet dream.

• “I will refuse to work for you the next day,” said my computer, “as a punishment.”

• I apologized to her before she switched herself off with a loud noise.

• I felt bored, so I went out. A bright moon was shining high up in the sky. It was pleasant to take a stroll around the campus in the moonlight.

• As I walked on, I found quite a few people wandering on the playground in their pajamas. I was puzzled.

• “I sleepwalk, you see. That is why I wear shoes to bed.” I was shocked when someone said, almost to himself, behind me. I turned around, to see a dark man in the shadow near a big tree. He was busying writing on the ground with his finger. Frightened, I hurried away.

• Then, I entered a classroom in which the lights were still on. A person was sitting there. I was almost scared to death when I found out the person looked exactly the same with me.

• “Who are you and what are you doing here?” I asked carefully.

• “I am you. I am busy with the final project of the oral English class now. I hope I can finish it before the deadline.” replied the person. “I am in charge of your schoolwork.”

• I did not doubt about what the person said, and breathed a sigh of relief. It was great to get a free ride from a second self. I did not wish to disturb her anymore, so I left the classroom quietly.

• After walking aimlessly for another half hour, I began to feel tired. Therefore, I went back to my dorm. I, shocked again, found another self lying in my bed. She sat up, smiled at me and said, “I am in charge of your sleep.” Then she did fall asleep as soon as she finished the sentence.

• I was awake all the time then, no matter how sleepy I was and how hard I tried to sleep.

• “Hurry up, or we will be late again.”

• At last, I was wakened up by the shout of my roommates. Actually, I was nearly moved to tears when I realized that I was still able to go to sleep. Besides, how dare I still expect the completed work done by the second self?