Midnight slumber party, outside the house.

FILE: NOVCOTT > Dream

3/30/2023 - 3:45PM

There are times when I deeply yearn to run away freely. In my dreams, I often find myself running, yet I never understand why I always awaken just as I am on the verge of experiencing a strange, unearthly happiness that I have never felt before. A few months ago, I dreamt that I was with some old friends from sixth grade, from a time when I was still in school.

We were running together, the four of us, venturing into various places. At one point, we encountered a set of stairs that intrigued us. It was nearly 1 AM, and while my friends seemed eager to explore, I felt an unsettling presence, which deterred me from climbing them. The stairs themselves resembled those commonly found in Japan, but they were in a state of disrepair, as though they hadn’t been maintained for a long time. One of my friends chose to remain behind, captivated by them.

The rest of us ran into a restroom-like space, though it appeared old and worn. We were changing into pajamas, and from there, we found ourselves running through NOVCOTT. Eventually, we reached a place that resembled the one in the accompanying photo. We stood on top of it, seemingly free. Though our initial plan was to stay at home for a slumber party, we were drawn to continue running through the neighborhood. Yet again, I woke up before the dream could unfold further.

When I see places like the one in the dream, they evoke a profound sense of strange freedom. This feeling lingers, leaving me to question it: "Freedom? But why does the place look like this?" It's the same question I ask myself every time.