A Happy Dream

A Happy Dream

It was late in the evening, and the night stars shone brightly in the sky, each appearing as dazzling as the next.

Sienna held the hand of her fiancé as they both walked into the famed night market, Certeyn.

Certeyn was a special market. It was well known because of the type of sellers that operated in it—witches and wizards. And as expected, Certeyn was a magical place to be. Its products ranged from simple potions that temporarily gave you the voice of a siren to silly ones that allowed you to walk on your hands like they were feet. Its traders also offered services like fortune-telling.

One would think such a market also opened opportunities for shady deals. But dangerous goods never made it past the Wardons. They were like the police, and they made good patrol officers. Most importantly, they had a group of powerful witches and wizards that made a good deterrent force.

Certeyn had an illusory atmosphere. Its only light source was the night pearls that hung in the air without support. The market was surrounded by a thin layer of fog, further adding to its already mysterious atmosphere. 

The night market was a mixture of stalls and buildings. Very few of their structures and designs could be called normal. Some stalls floated, while some buildings were invisible, with only a door and a doorman to tell of their existence. 

The strangest was probably the one building propped up by a long winding staircase. The staircase stood on its own without support, and the building was laid sideways atop it.

Sienna's eyes roamed, taking in as much of that market as she could. Distracted, she tripped and almost fell.

Will held her up. "Steady," he softly admonished. "Certeyn is not going anywhere."

Sienna smiled playfully. "I'll pay attention next time."

Holding hands once more, they both moved further into the market, exploring.

"Is there anything you like?" Will asked.

"Well, nothing yet—" 

Jane paused. Her eye had fallen on a building, more specifically, its sign. It read, "Reminisce your happy memories like they just happened yesterday."

Will glanced at it and then turned to look at her. "Do you want to check it out?"

Sienna nodded in response and pulled Will towards the building. As they drew closer, the clearer the building became. Dark purple vines decorated the building. They were strange but beautiful. The words Daltie were inscribed on the building.

As they entered, the first person they set their eyes on was a lady. She wore a tag that read Stephanie.

"Welcome to Daltie."

Her speech was leisurely, and her mannerisms were drowsy. She looked like she could fall asleep without a moment's notice.

"Which one of you?"

"My fiancée."

"That'll be $200."

Sienna and Will exchanged a glance.

"It's worth it," she drawled, "and you get a 50% refund if the service is unsatisfactory."

"Ok," Sienna agreed.

Will reached into his pocket and made payment.

"Come with me."

Leading the way, she gave a brief explanation of their services.

"Miss Lovelace will be attending to you. She'll perform a little spell on you. The spell will put you in a sleeplike state, but its main effect is to examine your memories and unearth the happy ones. The way they appear varies on individuals, and you can only view a maximum of 3 memories before waking." She paused at a door. Turning around, she inquired, "Any questions?"

"None," Sienna responded.

 "Good." She pushed the door open. "Come in."

The room looked like it belonged to a book enthusiast. Mahogany bookshelves filled to the brim with books were floating. The room decor was warm and cozy with cream wallpapers and a fireplace. There was a honey brown chaise lounge in the middle of the room. 

Next to the fireplace was a young lady seated on an armchair. She was pale, ethereal-looking, and wore a pastel blue dress that drew attention to her striking blue eyes.

"New clients?"

"Just the lady."

"This is Miss Lovelace," Stephanie introduced. "Have a nice time."

After Stephanie left, Miss Lovelace gestured to the chaise lounge, "Miss, please lie down."

"I'm sure Steph already gave you a brief explanation. Just relax and I'll take care of the rest."

Lying down, Sienna suddenly felt nervous. She turned to Will.

"I'll be here," he comforted.

Sienna nodded and finally relaxed.

Miss Lovelace placed her hands on Sienna's head. She then proceeded to recite some indiscernible words at a low volume. Feeling sleepy, Sienna closed her eyes and blacked out.

Dark. There was darkness everywhere. Sienna couldn't even see her own hands right in front of her.

Suddenly, the whole space was lit up. Sienna shielded her eyes to adjust to the sudden influx of light.

When she looked again, she was astounded.

The space was filled with bubbles. They were bright and colorful, but their sizes varied. It was the most beautiful thing Sienna had ever set her eyes on.

She looked at the bubble closest to her. Compared to the others, its size was average, but it was just as beautiful as the rest. Sienna stretched her right hand and touched it. Then, a scene appeared on the surface of the bubble.

There was a house, and right in front of the house, there was a little girl on a bicycle. The house was the single-family home Sienna lived in when she was little, and the little girl was Sienna when she was five. Her father was with her, instructing her on how to ride a bike. Her hands on the bicycle trembled, and her palms were coated with sweat. Little Sienna was nervous.

"Calm down, Sienna. It's ok. We've practiced many times, and you'll do just fine," he encouraged.

"Now just like we practiced." 

Mini Sienna moved her legs shakily, trying to stabilize the bicycle. Her balance was unstable at first, but she quickly got the hang of it.

Her nervousness slowly disappeared, and her confidence grew.

Laughing happily, Mini Sienna shouted, "Dad! I'm doing it! I'm riding a bicycle!" 

"That's my baby!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air.

"Yesss!" Sienna screamed. 

Overjoyed with success, Sienna maneuvered her bicycle and moved to the road.

"Sienna! Be careful!" Her father chased after her on foot.

Mini Sienna's wild laughter could be heard as she moved further from her home.

Watching the scene, Sienna chuckled.

The scene faded. 

Smiling, Sienna let go of the bubble. She turned to another. This one looked a little bigger than the previous one. Curious, she touched it, preparing to reminisce another happy memory.

There was the sound of cheers and applauses. Sixteen-year-old Sienna stood at a podium, receiving a gold medal. A guest of honor presented the gold medal.

He gave her a handshake. "Sienna, congratulations on winning first place in the 200-meter race this regional."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Thompson."

Sienna turned around and called out in joy, "Mom! Dad! Let's take a picture!"

Getting to the podium, her mom congratulated her, "Well done, Sienna. Your dad and I are proud of you."

"Thank you, Mom."

"Come on. Look at the camera and say cheese," her father urged them.

"Cheese!"

Click!

"Come on, baby," her mom said, "we booked your favorite restaurant to celebrate. Everything you like to eat is on the menu tonight."

"Sweet!"

"But we have to get through the people waiting to congratulate you," her father interrupted.

"Ugh!"

"It's the price of being a star," her mom teased.

Sienna grinned in response. Together with her parents, she weaved through the crowd, aiming to make it to the restaurant as soon as possible.

The scene fades.

"Good times," Sienna commented in nostalgia.

Looks like the bigger the bubble, the happier the memory. Should I look for the biggest bubble? she thought.

After searching, she found it, the biggest bubble in the space. It was the brightest too. Sienna approached the bubble and touched it.

The Sienna in this scene looked like Sienna at present. There was barely any difference.

The last scene was at a beach. The ocean carried a deep blue color, and the sand was a pale shade of cream. The wind blew gently, and waves crashed on the shores repeatedly.

Sienna and Will stood on the beach watching the waves. Will had his hands in his pockets. He threw repeated glances at Sienna, and he appeared to be fidgeting. Sienna was too engrossed watching the waves to notice. The ocean had always held a special allure to her.

Taking a final glance, Will took a deep breath, his eyes firm with determination.

"Sienna," he called. 

Sienna turned in response. Then, she noticed something was different.

Getting on his knees while pulling out the ring he had prepared, Will rasped, "Will you make me a happier man and marry me?"

Sienna's eyes widened as she gaped at Will. This was unexpected and happening much earlier than she thought.

She stared at Will, astonished. Each second passed slower than the last, and Will's heart almost jumped out of his throat.

Then, a huge smile slowly formed on her face, and she gave her answer, "Yes, Will. Yes, I'll marry you."

Will breathed out in relief like a huge weight had just been taken off his shoulders. He broke into a huge grin and slipped the ring on her left ring finger. Quickly getting up, he hugged her tightly.

"Thank you very much, Sienna. I promise to care for you as long as I live."

Returning his hug, Sienna muttered, "I'll hold you to that promise."

Sienna watched on as the final scene, and entire space filled with bubbles faded away. She opened her eyes with a soft smile on her face.

"How was it?" Will asked.

"It was beautiful. I realized I've been very happy in many moments of my life."

"I'll make you even happier in the future," he promised.

"I'm glad you had a wonderful experience," Miss Lovelace interjected. "Feel free to come again."

After helping Sienna up from her chair, Will glanced at Miss Lovelace. "Maybe we will."

Outside Daltie, Will asked, "Do you want to see other things?"

Sienna gazed at him with warmth in her eyes. She shook her head. "No, let's just go home."

"Good."

Holding hands, they made their way back home.

The End.

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