A Child's Dream

The sun had passed
as a dark velvet
blanketed the sky.
A flickering street lamp
provided a dim light.
This is how the dream started.
 
She steadily walked into
an unrelenting wind
which cut through her
stealing the last warmth.
Her clothes clung to
her seven year old frame.  
 
Through frightened eyes,
She could make out
A playground
in the distance.
After some time,
She finally stepped
onto the mat,
her footsteps failing
to register a sound.
The silence was broken  
by the creaking of a swing,
propelled by the wind.
 
She faintly heard another;
The sound of laughter,
A child's laughter.
It grew louder allowing
her to clearly make it out.
"Children laughing", she whispered.
 
The noise grew
Louder and closer.
Louder and closer.
So loud, her ears hurt.
So close, it felt on top of her.
With hands firmly pressed
against her ears,
She was knocked down
by a frenzied rush of children.
 
The quivering started as she
struggled to breathe as the air
felt too thick to swallow.
She became startled by the
gentle touch that landed on her.
She turned around heistantly,
seeing a face she loves.
 
"Please get up", he said.
"You need to learn to not fear
and to stand up for yourself..."
 
He extended his hand to  
help her off the ground.
She reached for it
but as soon as her fingers
touched his, he vanished like
a mist in the sun,
carried away by a breeze,
but he faintly said...
 
"...because I won't always be there."