The Wizard of Dreams (or The Dream Collector) M.A.

Ricciardi 1

Chapter 5 ~ The Revelation

The old man stood there, harrumphing and tapping his foot on the ground. He looked to his
left and eyed Melody, then back towards Marcus who was still teasingly tossing the glass sphere
in the air.
Enough of this! proclaimed the old man, exasperated. You can ask me any question, but
then, you must return my possessions to me.
Hold on... said Melody, What if we dont ask the right question?
And what if we dont understand your answer? added Marcus.
And what if your answer makes us ask more questions?
And what...
The old man held up his hands. Stop! Thats already three questions more than I stipulated,
He proclaimed.
But we didnt agree to those terms, retorted Marcus, sounding like a lawyer.
Melody began thinking about what the old man was doing and why he had the flute and this
glass globe with him. Theres a lot more going on here than meets the eye. She realized that the
only way to end this stand-off was to try a new tactic. So, she decided to take a chance, and said:
I guess well just have to call it even-Steven, then.
Marcus smiled at Melody, seeming to pick up her thoughts.
What? What do you mean even Steven? the old man demanded to know, glaring at her.
Well..., continued Melody, Since you took something from us, well just have to take these
things from you.
The Wizard of Dreams (or The Dream Collector) M.A. Ricciardi 2

There was a very long pause. The old man seemed to be weighing something in his mind. He
cleared his throat and said:
And just what do you think I have taken from you?
Melodys thoughts were already racing ahead; she had been thinking about this (and little else)
for the past day. She decided to take another chance, proclaiming:
Dreams! You stole our dreams!
Yes! Marcus added, And Josh and Jesses too from yesterdaythat makes four dreams
stolen! At that moment Melody wonderedif their guess was right--how many more stolen
dreams there were out there, orsomewhere?
The old mans eyes widened and started to speak, but then just gave out a long, exasperated
breath. Then, breathing in, finally, and adjusting his robes, the old man said:
Ah, very well... the old man sighed again, deeply, I see I have some explaining to
do...Alright then, I will tell you what you wish to know.
The old man sat himself down on one of the outcroppings of rock scattered throughout the
grove, adjusted his robes once more, and began running his long fingers along his chin beard. He
looked at Melody, then at Marcus, silently inviting them to sit as well. The two friends sat down
on the soft bed of pine needles that lined the grove floor, several feet from the old man. They
looked at him in return, expectantly. The old man cleared his throat again, and began:
Yes, its true, in a sense, I collect dreams. But not just any dreamsonly the best dreams,
the happiest ones, the most beautiful ones...
But why? asked Marcus, Why would anyone steal dreamsfrom children!
Well, continued the old man, defensively, Its my mission...and, I didnt say steal, I said
collect....Besides, its not like you have a shortage of wonderful dreams.
The Wizard of Dreams (or The Dream Collector) M.A. Ricciardi 3

But theyre our dreams, noted Melody, Shouldnt you ask us for them?
The old man gave out a laugh at this, as if it were the silliest of questions.
Ah, I see...I should just walk up to random children and ask: Excuse me, but would you
mind if I borrowed a few of your dreams from you? He laughed again, shaking his head and
then looking off into the distance. They would think I was crazy and run off to tell their parents.
And, what if they said no? He asked, shaking his head slowly. Children can have wonderful
dreams, but they can also be selfish about them.
How completely strange this is, thought Melody. The two friends were growing more curious
by the minute. They wanted to know more.
Besides, continued the old man after a few moments of silence, It wouldnt work...A
dream can only be collected while it is being dreamed...not when someone is awake.
Why this should be so was only one of dozens of questions now racing through Melodys
mind. Marcus was likewise pondering every word that came from the old mans lips.
Wait, said Melody, You said its your mission. What mission?
Yeah, agreed Marcus, Why takeI mean collect--dreams in the first place?
Ah, yes, my mission...I did say that, didnt I? said the old man, in a slightly teasing tone of
voice. He removed a small pouch from one of his robe pockets, reached inside, pulled out some,
root-like object, bit off a piece, and began to chewing on it. Melody suddenly grew hungry, or
maybe she just realized how hungry she was, so absorbed by the old mans revelation. She
unzipped her backpack and took out the two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches she had made
this morning, tossing one over to Marcus. Marcus grabbed it up eagerly. For several minutes no
one said a word as the three of them sat there, feeding their hunger. Melody wondered what
exactly the old man was eating. For a moment, she thought of asking him, but decided that there
The Wizard of Dreams (or The Dream Collector) M.A. Ricciardi 4

were more important things to know about this strange, old man than his dietary choices. Melody
took a gulp of water from her camping bottle, wiped her mouth on the back of her hand, and
handed the bottle over to Marcus. Marcus let out a terrific belch. Neither of the two could stop
from giggling at this. Even the serious-looking old man seemed to smile at this, just a tiny bit.
After they all had satisfied their hunger and thirst, Melody and Marcus returned to looking at
the old man, silently prompting him to continue.
Yes, continued the old man, My mission....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My name is Neomorpho began the old man, I have been alive, in different forms, for
thousands of years...
Marcus started to interrupt to ask what he meant by that, but the old man cleared his throat
again, as if to say wait... and continued.
I have chosen this path, my mission, but partly out of reasons that I cannot explain right
now...In time, maybe, I will tell you more. But it is my mission to seek out the dreams of certain
children...the dreams of happiness, wonder, peace....maybe even love...and these I ....
Neomorpho hesitated, searching for the right word. ...duplicate...you see. I do not, in fact, take
or steal these dreams. The crystal sphere allows me to do this. That is why I started to suspect
that something was wrong here -- the sphere was not illuminating.
Marcus, many boys his age, was fascinated with magic, and couldnt help from interrupting.
So, its a magic sphere?
The Wizard of Dreams (or The Dream Collector) M.A. Ricciardi 5

No, not magic, said the old man, It may seem that way...but it is merely a form of
technology that is unknown to you.
But something was still puzzling Melody: they couldnt remember their dreams.
Wait, if you are not really taking dreams...then why couldnt we remember our dreams when
we woke up? Marcus nodded, agreeing with Melodys question.
Ah yes, why did you forget...Forgetting is not the same as vanishing; the dreams you dreamt
remain, only hidden from you now...Lets just say that forgetting is an after-effect...in time all
will be recalled....
This answer seemed to both explain and deepen the mystery of all of this. But for now,
Melody accepted them as true.
Neopmorpho cleared his throat again. Now, if I may continue..? Neomorpho looked from
Marcus and Melody with raised eyebrows, but not with an unkind face. Marcus smiled,
apologetically, and nodded.
You must be wondering, what do I do with these dreams once I have duplicated them, yes?
Marcus and Melody nodded in unison. Knowing that, of all the questions they could ask, this
was the biggest one of all.
Its a bit complicated, but, simply put, I keep them in aa library, of sortsand then,
sometimes, I give them to others, certain others who...are in need of such dreams.
Melody could only wonder at this point who in the world would need her dreams, or Marcuss,
or Josh or Jesses, so badly. The puzzled look on both of their faces prompted the old man to
continue.
Ah yes, its true, there are those in the world children like yourselves -- in great need of
beautiful dreams...For, their own power to dream great and beautiful dreams has
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been...diminished...because of events in their lives, because of where they live, or how they must
liveto survive. And, tragically, they cannot always see that to survive the worst, they must
dream the best...
But they cant...? questioned Melody, who couldnt stop herself from asking, ...because of
whats happening to them?
Yes! said Neomorpho, That is right. And its not always the same thing thats happening to
all of them, but, in some ways, it is always the same cause...
This last statement puzzled Melody. She looked over at her friend who seemed puzzled as
well. With everything that Neomorpho explained, the mystery only seemed to grow deeper.
But, what is the cause? asked Marcus. The two friends felt like a window to a new world
was opening up before them, a world that was unknown to them previously. Neopmorpho sat
there for several minutes, silent. He seemed to be considering something, a decision perhaps.
The cause of their diminished dreaming... he began, is better understood when it is seen for
yourselves...Words do not always tell the whole story.
Melody surprised herself by saying: Well then, I want to see!
Me too! exclaimed Marcus.
Are you certain this is your choice? cautioned the old man, his voice carrying a sense of
gravity, of seriousness. The two friends nodded, solemnly.
Neomorpho stood up, adjusting his robes. Very well, then. We must embark on a journey
together...and I promise you, in time, you will see all that you need to see.
He held out his hands to each of them, cleared his throat, and said: But first, you must return
my belongings. Do not worry. I shall make good on my promise. Melody handed over the flute
and Marcus quickly followed in kind with the crystal sphere. Neither object now seemed as
The Wizard of Dreams (or The Dream Collector) M.A. Ricciardi 7

important or exciting as the promise of a great and mysterious journey. The old man inserted
each into a different pocket of his garb, smiled, and sighed with relief.
Good, Thank you. Said Neomorpho. Now, please join hands...and take a very long, deep
breath....
As the three clasped hands, Melodys heart began beating faster. She wondered if the same
was happening to Marcus.
Imagine becoming lighter than air, he continued, in a deep soothing voice. You are
embarking on a very special journey, one that will open the eye of your mind...
A mist began to form around them, growing and engulfing them until it was all they could see.
They were right about the magic in all of this, thought Melody, as she felt her mind being
pulled along, seemingly out of herself. It was not an unpleasant feeling altogether. Before the last
uncommitted piece of her mind followed along with the rest, she briefly wondered: how it was
that a chance making of a sand-creature had brought all of them together, to this moment in
time? The thought made her marvel at the strange and wonderful connectedness of the world.
Melody realized that the window to a new world that she had sensed before, had now become
a door, of sorts, and they were about to step across its threshold.



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