Dream TV

Sorry I couldn't get you stories these past few days. I have them, but ASU(the college I go to that hosts my email which I use to use blogger) got hacked and they had to reset all the passwords and system, so I was unable to post anything. Though unless there are technical difficulties in the future(or I get sick or there's an emergency of some sort like a massive seizure flurry.) I'll be completely back to my story-a-day as before. I think today's story is good enough to make up for my absence. As per how these past couple of days have been they've been good. I went to my first day of the 2^nd semester of my teaching internship(I have a different teacher each semester, though I am going to the same school as my first semester) My first teacher taught 8^th Grade science and Chemistry, I went 2 days a week for the entire day(so 16 hours a week). This teacher teaches more class types, but only high schoolers. So far I think I prefer teaching younger kids. I can possibly channel hyperactivity in kids into productive processes, but the apathy of high schoolers, although less rowdy, can be far less productive. (Although the types of jokes I can crack expands with high schoolers, sarcasm is something they quite enjoy.)

I hope you like today's story and I hope you have a wonderful day!

Dream TV

        A steady, bright light came from an aged television and illuminated an otherwise dark room. In the room a family sat on a large, unfashionable couch. You couldn't call them poor, but they didn't have enough money to be called middle class. Both parents worked unsatisfying jobs to support three children and their frail grandfather.

        On the television was the family's favorite show, Dream TV. They watched it together every night without fail. They had different tastes in everything else. One child loved sports, one hated them and the third didn't care. The grandfather read under the mellow light next to his bed while the mother chatted on the phone with her friends about nothing that mattered. The father attempted to paint masterpieces with little success. But despite their differences they all loved Dream TV like 70% of other Americans. (At least 70% is the number the show advertised.)

        On the show a woman that couldn't be older than twenty laid sleeping in a bed with what seemed to be a hundred wires attached to her head with cotton and glue. The wires ran to a huge computer that could dwarf a truck. Two people in suits sat at a fancy table in front of the computer with a monitor next to them. They were separated from the woman by a thick wall of soundproof glass. As soon as the show's theme music ended they began to speak.

        “Hello viewers, its me Ben and my lovely co-host Anne.” He spoke like a comedian building up to a punchline. “Anne could you please explain our show for any new viewers at home?”

        “Of course Ben. Today we will be watching the dream of our contestant with Ben and I providing commentary. Then you viewers at home will vote whether or not you liked the dream. Whichever contestant gets the most votes at the end of the week will get the grand prize of fifty thousand dollars!” she explained with a friendly smile.

        “Don't forget Anne, this season were giving every contestant special drugs provided courtesy of Samson Dreams Incorporated to increase the intensity of their dreams.” the host smiled. The television company paid a lot of money to put his smile on camera.

        “Right Ben. Now we're proud to provide these dreams live, straight to your TV!” Anne's voice then became quiet and quick, “Note: This station and all its affiliates are not responsible for any content in the following dream.”

        The television screen switched to display the woman's dream. Though the hosts vanished, they could be heard while the dream played out.

        She stood on a long wooden bridge that weaved through the clouds. In front of her stood a cat on two legs, leaned over like an old man on a cane.

        “You can't pass! You can't pass!” the cat hissed. “You don't have a passport! No passport!”

        “But I need to pass!” the woman yelled in response. “I've run out of sugar so I can't make dinner tonight. We're having onions and ice cream. The kids love it, so I need to get through!”

        “No passport!” the cat said while a whale with a top hat flew by him. “See? He has a passport!”

The family laughed and laughed at the woman's dream. The woman continued begging the cat to be let through, but to no avail. The family joked about the cat's stubbornness.

        “Poor girl. Looks like she can't get by.” Anne said in a condescending tone.

        “I wonder where that whale got his passport? Maybe she should ask him!” Ben laughed. He enjoyed it all as much as the family at home, sometimes a little more.

        The bridge then turned to ice and she slipped. The cat lit on fire. The fire burned away the cat's skin and it turned into a skeleton. It walked slowly up to her, growing taller by the second. By the time it reached her it became twice her height.

        “Uh-oh folks, looks like this dream turned into a nightmare!” Ben said. Though no one in the family would admit, it the dreams that turn into nightmares were their favorite. They found them the most exciting of all. It crossed their mind that maybe they should have set the episode to record before it started.

The skeleton opened up its maw and a snake crawled out. It attacked the woman. After it bit her it swallowed her. In the nightmare the inside of the snake was larger than the outside and became a massive cave. Animals that resembled bats crossed with bears flew around her and clawed her. She screamed with bloody tears. She then woke up with a rapid heartbeat. She turned to the hosts with a shocked expression. While she shivered she kept thinking of the prize money to calm herself.

        “Well folks, looks like the dream ends here. Remember, pick up your phones and vote for your favorites and tune in tomorrow for even more Dream TV!” Ben yelled at the camera.The father got off the couch and turned the TV off. They all wondered if tomorrow's episode would be as good as this one.

A Personal Note On This Story: I have vivid dreams every night. (I think it is a side effect of my epilepsy medication.) They can get intense as they are in the story and even more, though I rarely have any nightmares, so don't worry. I actually love my dreams, they are really fun, so its worth any nightmares. I could talk for hours about my dreams. Unfortunately they don't give me any story ideas, they're too strange.

Thanks for reading, tune in tomorrow for more flash fiction!