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DREAM OF ME By Amanda J Rees. The bombs were dropping in the centre of London. The roads were covered in rubble, dirt and broken glass. Most of the children had already been sent to the countryside for safety, but there were still many children living with their families in the city. A group of children met up every morning at the old school. It was just a ruin now and the metal gate and railings had been removed, to be melted down to use for vehicles, planes and guns. Eventhough times were hard, the children managed to enjoy themselves investigating ruined homes, looking for treasure. It was late afternoon and the children were sitting on the wall at the old school, just talking. "Do you still have nightmares?" Mary asked Joe. "Sometimes", he said, "I try to think of something nice to dream about, but I canŐt!" JoeŐs dad, who was an ambulance driver was killed whilst driving to a bombsite and poor little Joe misses him terribly. The nightmares he has are about the rest of his family dying and that really scares him. A policeman came along and told the children to go home as it was late and they had to be home before dark. So the children picked up their gas masks and walked home. Joe broke off from the group as he had a short cut home through the cemetery. Joe always stopped at his dadŐs grave to tell him about his day. As he approached Joe saw tiny horse shoe marks across the grave, he looked at them for some time, touching the marks carefully with his fingertips, trying not to damage these delicate imprints. He left the cemetery and got home to find his mother sleeping in the chair by the open fire. She was very tired; his mother worked in a factory making plane parts. The little money she got was just enough to feed her and Joe and to put a little coal on the fire. That night the sirens sounded alarming people that there were bombs on the way. Joe and his mother went to the shelter. Some of JoeŐs friends were there, he told them of the tiny hoof prints on the grave, they told him it was probably a dog or something, but Joe knew it wasnŐt. The children met again after breakfast, they decided to go to the train station to watch the soldiers get off the train. Joe got board and decided to go home, walking through the cemetery towards the grave, he saw something shinny out the corner of his eye, as he turned, it jumped behind one of the larger headstones. Joe slowly walked towards the headstone, as he peeped around, he saw a very small silver coloured pony with a twisted golden horn coming out of the centre of his head. This little creature was no bigger than a dog. As Joe appeared from the headstone this little horse jumped. "Oh Joe, itŐs you, you startled me!" said the little horse. "WhatÉ.WhoÉ.How.." Joe stammered. "IŐll introduce myself, I am a Unicorn and I know all about you, but you have obviously forgotten me!" Joe sat with a thump on the ground, still not sure of what was happening. The Unicorn moved closer nestling Joe he said, "I need your help, I am the last Unicorn and I am dying too", "why are you dying?" Joe asked. "We exist in the minds of children, if they dream of us our numbers increase, but because the children mostly have nightmares, due to their fears and sadness, we are disappearing". Joe felt very sad and stroked him softly. "How do you know my name?" Joe asked, "I have known you since you were a baby, I have felt your happiness and I have also felt your pain. You dreamt of me when things were good, but now you only have nightmares!" Joe stood up to leave. "IŐve got to go," he said. "Alright Joe" the Unicorn replied. They walked together across the cemetery; the Unicorn stopped at the gate and said "Dream of me, little Joe". Joe walked home thinking. That night sure enough he dreamt of the Unicorn in a golden field of corn, they played in a barn and in a wood. Joe did not want to ever wake up! Suddenly he heard his mother calling him to get up and find some wood for the fire. Joe left the house, he went to the ruins, on his way he bumped into his friend Mary. "You look happier today", she said. "I had a brilliant dream last night" he replied. Joe told Mary all about it, but he didnŐt tell her that he had met the Unicorn in the cemetery as Mary would not believe him. "What a wonderful dream" she said, "I wish I had a dream like that!" "I hope you do" Joe replied. After he had collected enough wood, he took the same route home. Standing on his dadŐs grave was the Unicorn, he looked very happy to see Joe. "Hello my friend" the Unicorn said, "thank you for your dream, I feel so much stronger today!" "You are welcome" replied Joe smiling, "I feel much happier today as well!" Joe carried on through the cemetery and returned home. In the night again Joe dreamt of the Unicorn, the golden field and the barn, he woke the next day feeling even better. On his way to meet his friends at the old school he met Mary. "Oh Joe" she said excitedly, "I had a wonderful dream all about Unicorns, we were playing in a golden field andÉ." Joe stopped her and asked, "was there a barn and a wood?" "Yes!" she replied, "how did you know?" "ItŐs the same dream I had!" Joe replied. "HOW STRANGE!" they both said together. They carried on to the meeting. Mary and Joe told their friends all about their dreams, the others all wished that they had dreams like theirs. Sure enough for the next week the children all dreamt of Unicorns and talked about how similar they were. Joe went to the cemetery to tidy his dadŐs grave, as he was weeding he heard a whinny behind him. "Joe" said a little voice. Joe turned and saw a herd of Unicorns, one came forward. "Hello Joe" came a familiar voice; "you have saved us all, simply by telling your friends of your dream". Joe smiled and then frowned. "I wonŐt be able to see you hear again after tomorrow", he said looking down at his feet. "Me and mum are moving to the country, to stay with my great Aunt on her farm until the war is over!" "I know," said the Unicorn, "where ever you go, I will always be there!" Joe lifted his head and smiled. The day had come to catch the bus to the country. Joe sat with his mother looking out of the window. "I have a surprise for you!" JoeŐs mother told him. Suddenly at the front of the bus all of JoeŐs friends got on with their mothers. "Where are you going?" Joe asked Mary, "we are all going to the same place as you! We are going to stay at your great Aunts farm; she has plenty of room. IsnŐt it Great!!" An hour had passed and the bus drove up to the gates of the farm. The children looked out and saw a golden field, a barn and a wood. UNICORNS!! They all shouted and ran off the bus.
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