The Learning Dreamer

This is a story blog hop. At the end, below, you will find a list of other short speculative fictions available for you!  Enjoy! As a glowing red light switches to green on her wrist and forearm, the red metallic door unlocks to let her in, then clicks behind her. A smell of lasagna reminds her she will have to get dinner ready in an hour. She wished she had some at lunch too: the government only offers sandwiches, raw vegetables, fruits, and a bag of cookies for their meal break. - Hello, Mr. Gouls! She announces. - In the back, as usual. I’m still alive, says a weak rusty voice in the microphone beside Nelly’s head. LEDs on the floor along the white and grey metallic walls guide her to the client’s room. The man with a scar on his left cheek sits in his chair wearing a blue bandage on his forehead. It hides half of his face. His army background and his cynicism remind her of her old uncle, who recently left forever. A switch to work mode lights in her mind. It happens all the tim...

Last year, Gérard was told he would not ever sign again. For him, singing was his life, he was part of big operas and, a few times, had solo shows, which he loved so much!  The day he got the bad news he would never be able to sing again, he deeply slept on it, with the help of powerful painkillers, vodka, and a little bit of cocaine. Later, he pulled himself together and figured out his own solution to get his voice and his life back to where they were before the accident.  Hopeful, on his way to the Botanical garden, in the bus, he saw a man looking familiar, humming a tune from Gérard's childhood. His mind wandered back to his previous life of concerts and fame. Just like before, each note makes his body tingle and his soul soar a little more. Through the dirty window, as it is often the case at the end of winter, sidewalks strewn with garbage and rock dust. The bus stop pulled him out of his daydreams. Gérard flew out on the sidewalk and ran to the ticket booth. For o...