Chapter 3

Sometimes when I wake up I have the same dream in mind. It turns out I'm somewhere on a big plain. I'm about seven years old in a dream. I constantly run among the fragrant flowers that grow on the plain. The smell in the air is intoxicating. The flowers freely emit their specific scent and I, a seven-year-old child, feel refreshed and fascinated by the magic and splendor of this moment. The wind blows slowly, and when I look behind me I see that woman with long black hair, with a beautiful face, dressed in a white dress. He motions for me to come to her. The wind flutters the woman's hair, and fascinated by the being in front of me, I head for her. Once there, I throw myself into a hug, and she hugs me and strokes my head. I look her in the eye and she smiles at me, a clean, simple smile that stirs me to the bone. He takes my hand and we sit in the shade of a tree. Her presence emanates a strange warmth, and I feel safe. He tells me to reach out and gives me a cake he took out of a basket. I bite into the cake and the sweet and very aromatic taste spreads in my body. Crazy pleasure envelops me. The woman hugs me and kisses me on the forehead. Then he takes my hand and we continue to walk through the colorful flowers shaken by the wind and whose scent is still felt in the air. But it's all just a dream. Many times I have this dream, and every time it seems just as real, as if it were a memory. To be honest, I would live in this dream for an eternity, with the woman with black hair and beautiful face. I don't even know the nature of my relationship with her, but I feel like someone dear to me. Every time I wake up, my thoughts are on this dream. Not even old Evrik could explain why I kept dreaming the same thing. However, I'm glad it's this dream and not another. This dream has something special. It charges me with a strange and magnificent energy. Sometimes I think that if I get to the City of Wishes, I will find this plain. I imagine that I will walk again and again among the fragrant flowers, holding the dream woman by the hand. It's nice to dream. It helps me forget about walls, wounds, weights for a moment.

It's been a day since I left Proxima 3. Being very tired, I stopped the mole and went to bed on one of the beds. As usual I had the same dream. I woke up happy and confident and set off again. I brought the machine to the surface because I had to stock up on both water and food. After a few minutes of walking in front of me, a green strip appeared. As I approached, I realized they were trees. They were placed two meters apart. It was a plantation of fruit trees. I immediately started picking. There were several varieties of fruit such as apples, pears, plums. It was clear that these trees had been planted by humans, but something happened and no one cared for the trees anymore, and nature spoke for itself. Around the fruit trees grew a wild vegetation that began to spread on the branches of the trees. But still the trees were still bearing much fruit, so I was able to enjoy the sweet and juicy fruits. The taste of these fruits evokes memories.

Nine years ago, old Evrik and I were trapped in a very large area, which included the ruins of a destroyed city and a valley full of vegetation. Together with 20 other people, I lived in this area for four years. It's been a productive four years and I've learned a lot. Among the people I shared this area with was a 60-year-old lady named Karina, who made the tastiest dishes. From the fruit found in the valley she made an incredibly sweet and tasty jam. The fruits I ate now made me think of those days when I ate fruit jam and drank tea on rainy days. Good times. I miss them sometimes. It's weird how sometimes, a thing seen, a taste or a smell, can awaken so many wonderful memories. Just a few fruits were enough to make me think of the years spent in the valley. These have been wonderful years, perhaps the happiest years of my life. Not that I would be sad or unhappy now, but I just miss those beautiful moments, when it was just me and the valley, just me and nature. I miss the smells of that valley, the long rains, the walks among the tall trees, the evenings when I sat by the fire with the rest of the people. But I realize it's all in the past, and I can't go back. All I can do is rejoice and live life to the fullest, despite all its shortcomings. And you should do that.

The day passed quickly. I have gathered a good amount of fruit that will last me for a month. There will be people who will say that the fruits will not last that long. To some extent, they are also right, but not entirely. You see, the back of the molehole machine, where the supplies are kept, works like a refrigerator. Here the temperatures are 0 ° C, and the products of either animal or vegetable origin, maintain their properties for a long time. There is even a small refrigerator. In addition to the fruit, I found a beehive and collected some honey. I also found a spring with cold and pure water, only good to drink. I filled all the tanks. Now I was ready to go. However, I decided to spend the night in this tree plantation. I found some dry wood, lit a fire, and began to think of the evenings in the valley, when I was sitting around the fire, when everyone was having memories. I finally fell asleep on the soft grass, and slept very well. I woke up rested and full of energy. I had dreamed of the black-haired woman again. What wouldn't I give her to be here. Too bad it's just in my head. I stopped dreaming with my eyes open and set off again.