I heard a roar of applause. A slight breeze in the air cooled a sweat drop running down the side of my face. The sun was hitting me like a spotlight. I was panting slightly as if I had been running. I felt a weight in my hand. It was something metallic and it felt good holding it. My head tilted down to see what it was. A silver microphone. I noticed that I was wearing something I never normally wore - a ripped pair of jeans and a short top that revealed my belly which, by the way, looked very well trained. I felt a confidence boost like never before. I couldn’t remember having gone to the gym but I was liking my new look.
It felt good being there, the energy in the air was electric. I felt a rush of excitement as I looked up and across the crowd seeing thousand of adoring fans all clapping their hands and roaring with approval for a song that I had just sung. Beyond that were beautiful landscapes as far as the eye could see. A black and gold hot air balloon was hanging low over the crowd. I waved at the people in it whilst holding the microphone up to my mouth.
“How you doing up there?”
They waved to me as I waved back at them. The crowd on the ground in front of the stage went even wilder as I looked down and started talking to them.
“And how are you doing down there…let me hear you scream!” I shouted, putting my hand behind my ear to show them that I was waiting on a huge response from them. They shouted excitedly. I giggled. “I can’t hear you!” I continued, holding the mic out to the very enthusiastic audience. I looked up at the hot air balloon and noticed that they were still waving. Peter was in it and he was looking at me with pride in his clear blue eyes. My mum and my friends Lisa and Chris were also there. I looked at the band and felt like I was on fire. I yelled out; “one two three four!”
The song began with a drum solo, which I had always liked, just feeling the rhythm in your body before the melodies of the instruments started. I danced across the stage getting ready to sing the song as I felt the bass line thunder across the floor, making it shake slightly.
I put my hands in the air getting the crowd to clap along with me. Then I held the mic up to my mouth and began to sing. Man, I could really sing! It came so naturally to me. The song was unfamiliar to me but I seemed to know all the words and just what I was suppose to do on stage anyway. It was like I had done it a hundred times before. I felt alive up there. Like I had the world at my feet.
I looked out towards the audience and noticed a very pretty little girl standing in the crowd smiling. She was adorable in her little pink and white dress, her dark hair twisting down in big curls and bouncing gently as she danced to the song that I was singing. She looked up at me with her big light blue eyes and smiled. My heart felt so much love, I felt like it was about to burst out of my chest. My beautiful little girl, here to see me.
I heard my name being called out as I looked up towards the hot air balloon and saw Peter waving at me looking distressed. I felt confused. What was his problem? How could anything be wrong when I felt so much joy?
I looked back towards the little girl, only I couldn’t see her anymore. I felt a sudden burst of panic as I looked around and saw no sign of her. My eyes widening looking all over the excited crowd. I stopped singing but still held the microphone to my lips.
“Erin!” I yelled out. The crowd acted as if nothing had happened. As if it was all part of the show. “Erin!” I yelled out again. I took a few steps to the front of the stage and jumped down into the crowd which made them go even wilder in an almost uncomfortable way. I desperately tried to find her. My eyes were searching in-between people. The crowd was pulling at me and closing up around me. It felt suffocating. I tried pushing them away, my panic was escalating as I was desperate to find my girl but I was unable to move. Their grip getting so tight, squashing me from all angles. Their faces no longer kind and full of love for the music. One of them was looking right at me. She was old and looked like a person who had lost everything. There was something slightly familiar about her though. I squinted my eyes and as I noticed who she looked like I took a step back. The woman was me. A worn out distraught me.
“It’s your fault” she said.
I gasped as I sat up in bed, shaking slightly from the dream I had just had. I felt a warm hand on my back.
“Alex, are you ok?”
I was still breathing heavily as I looked to my side and saw Peter’s kind face looking up at me. “Nightmare” I said as I got up from our king sized bed and walked quickly out into the hallway in my cotton pyjamas and opened a pink and white door to my left. I walked quietly over to a little white bed with a giant textile leaf hanging over it. My baby girl looking like and angel sleeping. I listened carefully to her breaths.
Every time I looked at her it was as if I couldn’t believe my luck. She was just perfect! And then there was Peter…my husband, whom I was madly in love with. He had the best sense of humour, he was so kind and I could talk to him about anything and everything. He was handsome and, oh my God could he kiss…hell yeah he could. And then we had been gifted with the most beautiful daughter that brought so much love into our lives.
She was sound asleep and holding her favourite teddy close to her chest. I pulled up the covers and tucked her in as she had managed to kick them off in her sleep.
I heard gentle footsteps behind me and familiar hands wrapping around my waste. Peter looked over my shoulder and down towards our sleeping daughter.
“You wanna tell me about it?” he whispered into my ear.
I gently shook my head from side to side. “No, I just needed to see her, I’m ok now.”
After a couple of minutes we went back to bed and fell asleep in each others arms. I felt like the luckiest girl alive.