The scorching afternoon sun bored into their skin; yet a smile formed on their face as they said their goodbyes to their laughing friends in the school bus that smelled a little like sweat. Some did not reply, perhaps failing to hear their soft voice over the noise of traffic. The humidity in the air went unnoticed by the student, the wind and thoughts of their friends soothing them while they watched the bright yellow bus drive into the sea of cars and bikes.
Turning their attention to the world around them, they noticed a street dog with beautiful eyes, like those of a wolf. Captivated by its long legs and brown-grey fur, they smiled and held their hand out to it. The dog wagged its short tail and walked towards them before a strange man blocked its way. It tried and failed to walk around him; he seemed to be playing a game with it. The student tilted their head in confusion and politely asked the man if he could let the dog pass. Staying silent, he kicked the dog in the stomach, making it yelp out.
The events of that afternoon were hazy in the child's memory, especially after that point. The more they begged the man to stop, the more he continued. Were there multiple men or dogs? Or a solitary pair? The knowledge of it was lost to time, and it continued to blur further in their mind as the days passed. The only thing clear in their mind was their growing despair in that moment.
This story was a night-time dream I had, written in 2023. The meaning and details of the writing were already thought of in my dream as I slept.
Here’s a small analysis I also wrote back then, which was also part of my dream:
The beginning shows a scene of a regular hot summer day as a student gets off a bus. Despite the rest of the world's focus on the heat, they are happy because of their friends. Some of their friends don't reply to their goodbye, which they assume is due to it not being audible to them, signifying their insignificance in this world. It takes an insignificant being to know another, and as such, they notice a street dog who would usually go unnoticed. The strange man personifies the cruel possibility of a butterfly effect. One’s involvement in a certain matter or in another’s life may often cause a butterfly effect or a chain of reactions which greatly impact it, possibly negatively. The man only blocked the dogs path because the child has called it over, and he only beat the dog more out of the sadistic amusement he received from the child’s continued begging. It is cruel to the child that their well-intended actions led to another’s pain. Therefore, it is a commentary on how at times, nothingness is the best course of action.
In contrast, it is also a silent commentary on the danger of nothingness. Perhaps some of their friends ignoring their greeting is what caused them to look down in sadness and notice the dog to begin with. More importantly, the passers by, representing the rest of the world, didn’t care to oppose the man's actions. Not supporting him, yet not actively opposing him – the neutrality – is the most dangerous aspect of this story.
Since the story is in the perspective of the student, despite having a narrator, some details are intentionally left out. Mainly, it is the lack of mention of the passers by. It is redundant to the reader that a busy road on a weekday’s afternoon will have passers by. This is not mentioned because it is simply unimportant to the child, who is preoccupied in their own world. The only mention of the rest of the world is made in the comment about the deafening vehicles.
Also, only “some” of the friends who didn't reply are mentioned directly. It is clear that others did reply through the usage of the word ‘some,’ yet they are not talked about because the child focuses on the ones who didn’t; it being human nature.
The dog's appearance is described while the student’s is ignored because they simply weren’t occupied with it at the time. The man's appearance is left out by the narrator because it would differ based on the reader’s perspective of the world.
The heat of the day is mentioned despite being apparently unnoticed by the student because they did notice it, but chose to think of it as irrelevant.
The exact events being unclear, yet the emotion being painfully clear is also a reference to human nature. It is also a reference to the fact that the story was originally in the form of a dream, which slowly fades from one’s mind.
Until I pick up the pen again,
Anaika.
Your dream sounds so cool and the analysis is even cooler!! I wish my dreams were actually comprehensible 😭