Strange Solace

Open the door if you wish.

Just knock thirty-eight times and it will let you in.

The number is the clue.

But be sure you want to enter.

For there is no lost garden hidden behind the blue door, filled with ancient chestnut trees encircled in ivy. This is not the place to enjoy light blue lupines or deep violet foxgloves grow. To feel the spring sun gently warm your face beneath the dappled oak leaves.

There is no time for that, because there is work for you to do behind this door.

Behind the bright blue door is the realm of dreams, a place where imagination and reality intertwine.

There is a wise old owl perched on a moss-covered branch, she will tell you it is the place where hopes and fantasies become tangible. But she will also tell you it is slowly losing its ability to do this as people stop believing in the magic of dreams.

You must embark on a quest. 

Ignore the mischievous faeries, they will not guide you on your way. The unicorn might help you if he is in the right mood. The water nymphs want to be helpful, but the glittering of sun on the water distracts them.

You must collect the fragments of broken dreams. Look under rocks and in empty rabbit holes. Search the abandoned tower, summon a gust of wind and take a sailboat out to sea.

And once you have collected the last dream fragment you must place them gently into the shimmering crystal bowl by the door.

And maybe, if you have done your work well, and collected every fragment, maybe the realm of dreams will be restored.

Then take a moment to rest with a nice cup of tea, but don’t take too long, there is work for you behind door number thirty-nine.

Just knock thirty-nine times and it will let you in.

Copyright: image by Bruno Morandi. Used here for creative, non-commercial purposes. Commercial postcard of a gate in Ouazzane, Rif region, Morocco. Published by Ancapella Éditions, Ref. Y591.