Dreaming Walking Barefoot Novels & Stories

Broken shoes, unbroken steps. She underlined the words twice, pressing the pencil until the paper tore slightly. Sleep came fitfully. Her dreams carried her back to Umuaka, where she stood barefoot in the village square. The ground was cracked, the elders seated in silence, their eyes heavy with judgment. Mama was there too, her hands folded, her lips pressed shut. Promise lifted one foot and began to walk across the clay. With each step, the ground split, revealing roots, stones, memories. Her shoes appeared and disappeared, breaking apart, re-forming, then vanishing entirely. Yet her feet did not stop.

Won't stop replaying every cruel word and every moment of shame. When exhaustion finally pulls me under, the dreams begin. I'm standing in a place that doesn't exist in the real world. A forest clearing surrounded by trees so tall they disappear into misty darkness above. Moonlight streams down through the canopy, but it's not normal moonlight. This light is silver and alive, moving like water across everything it touches. The ground beneath my bare feet feels soft. Warm. Like it's breathing. I look down at myself and gasp. I'm wearing a white dress that flows around me like liquid starlight. The fabric moves on its own, stirring in a breeze I can't feel.

I had my eyes on a pair of fake timberland, even fake ones, I couldn’t afford those, but I was extremely happy about my tip! I walked back home, it was dark, cold and scary, the distance wasn’t that long, I’m used to walking it, I shouldn’t be scared, but I guess last night's nightmares had the best of me, I was worried, scared, tonight wasn’t a usual one. I tried to swallow my pain, I was just overthinking, my imagination is having the best of me yet again, I should just keep walking.

Why do I always wake up tired? My feet make a sloshing sound with every step that i take, and when i look down at them, the sight of the fresh mud stops me for a second. 'I must have sleepwalked again.' I convince myself, setting aside the fact that I have never woken up in my bed after sleepwalking, leave alone with evidence of the event... and fully clothed in my pajamas. Peering through my curtains does not help as it did not rain last night. I decide not to think too much about it, considering the dream I just had, which is still fresh on my mind.

BACK TO PRESENT Emmanuella finally left me to my own peace and once she left I decided to see if I could get a well deserving rest before someone comes up. I was so lost in thought even though I was fast asleep at the same time that I didn't notice someone tapping me or should I say, I was dreaming that I didn't notice. "My love,my love, why are you sleeping? Wake up" I repeatedly felt someone calling out to me but I didn't budge not until the tapping got worst that I woke up to see a tall fair skinned boy standing beside me with a high afro hair cut. His hands raised up probably getting ready to tap me again.

For sure he went home now. I changed into an oversized shirt and tied my hair into a messy bun. It was as if I had no underwear because of the length of the dress I was wearing. But since I’m the only one here, that’s no problem. I walked barefoot passing through the wide glass wall of this penthouse. Every step I take is depleted, every step I take seems to have something diminished in part of my being.

Fuck him. Pulling my sweater over my head and u buttoning my jeans before removing them, I climbed into bed and rested my head back against the soft pillow. Sleep pulled at my eyelids and soon I was in the dark, desolate dreamscape. It was cold and I was running through the woods naked. I heard the cruel cackling. Something was chasing after me and as I continued down a foreign path, the fit trees scraped my skin and my feet were getting cut underneath from jagged rocks.

My feet are bleeding from running through the woods. I can feel the stones cutting into me. My lungs feel like they are on fire. The branches from the trees have scratched my face all to hell, but still, I keep running. I swear I wake up in a sweat every time I have that dream. I can't do this anymore. Its been over a year and I have now decided to run. The dreams have gotten worse since I made the choice to run and hide. I will change everything about myself if I have to.

Where I wasn’t watched or locked away. But those dreams never lasted. Last night’s was different. In the dream, I was running. Barefoot. Through endless hallways. The torches were out, and the walls stretched on forever. I was calling for someone—I don’t remember who. The baby was gone. I couldn’t feel it. My stomach was flat. My hands were empty. I heard laughter. But not warm laughter. It was sharp. Familiar. The King’s. Then I saw Caelan.

He sighed and gestured for the driver to stop the vehicle with a slight flick of his finger. I practically jumped out of the car with my bare feet treading the asphalt road. I had been wearing heels all day and I was officially tired of those ache inflicting beauties. Damien would most definitely disapprove of me walking barefooted but I didn't want to think about it until I had those ice cream cones in my hands. I felt him following behind me and didn't realize how close he actually was until I was lifted off the ground by a strong pair of arms. "Damien!"