{"id":13192,"date":"2016-08-09T01:06:27","date_gmt":"2016-08-09T05:06:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=13192"},"modified":"2025-08-01T13:29:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T17:29:13","slug":"what-are-these-we-call-dreams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=13192","title":{"rendered":"What are These We Call Dreams (by BluewindFarm)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary<\/strong>: \u00a0Nightmares or metaphors, it all depends on the interpretation. \u00a0Written for the 2016 Ponderosa Paddlewheel Poker Tournament<\/span><\/p>\n

Rated: \u00a0K\u00a0\u00a0 Word Count: \u00a01540<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What are These We Call Dreams<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

She stopped on the raised floor at the bottom of the staircase, her hand lightly holding onto the newel post; watching.\u00a0 The other side of the room he sat, legs crossed, staring into the flickering flames.\u00a0 His chin rested on an up-turned palm, his elbow on the over-stuffed arm of the chair.\u00a0 His face etched with worry.\u00a0 Pulling her robe closed, she stepped into the room lit only by the fireplace.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBenjamin?\u201d\u00a0 When he didn\u2019t respond, she walked closer.\u00a0 Her hand gently touched his arm.\u00a0 \u201cBen?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Startled, his thoughts slipped away as his eyes focused on his wife. \u00a0\u00a0He saw the concern in her pale, yet brilliantly colored eyes. \u00a0Her dark hair, held by a simple ribbon at the nape of her neck, frame\u00a0her face.\u00a0 No longer was she the spindly girl who waited on the docks for her father\u2019s return from the sea.\u00a0 Through the years, Captain Abel Stoddard\u2019s daughter had matured into a beautiful woman; and became his wife, Elizabeth.<\/span><\/p>\n

Taking her hand in his, sitting straighter and uncrossing his legs, \u201cI\u2019m sorry; I didn\u2019t hear you come down.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s well past bedtime.\u00a0 Couldn\u2019t you sleep?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A slow shake of his head preceded his pulling her closer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Before their marriage, many nights she hid\u00a0on the stairs and listened to her father and Ben talk of their latest voyage, including the distressing details of the gales that could so easily have taken the entire vessel.\u00a0 During the quietest hours, with a strong pot of coffee laced with a dash of liquor close at hand, they reaffirmed that they had survived the most harrowing of events.\u00a0 He\u2019d put his faith in God, and her father, to see them both home.\u00a0 However; the tales never left the living room and were never spoken of in mixed company.<\/span><\/p>\n

His was the same look now, as it had been then.\u00a0\u00a0 For him,\u00a0down here alone,\u00a0something was distressing him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re worried?\u201d\u00a0 Compassionate eyes searched his weather-worn face.\u00a0 Years of standing on deck had only enhanced the handsome features of the man with whom she had fallen in love.\u00a0 Strong of faith and conviction, a man who complemented her father as no other first officer had in all the years of his captaincy.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know I shouldn\u2019t be.\u00a0 I thought I gave all that up when I left the sea to marry you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAre you sorry?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

His eyes searched hers.\u00a0 \u201cThat I left the sea?\u00a0 No.\u201d Pulling Elizabeth to his lap, arms securely wrapped around her waist.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll not leave you alone on the docks ever again.\u00a0 I\u2019ll not have fate or the seas wretch me away, leaving you a widow.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut these dreams\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He interrupted, \u201cThey are just dreams.\u201d\u00a0 Not wishing to upset his wife of the images that woke him in the darkest of the night, he\u2019d only spoken teasingly about them.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut they\u2019re keeping you awake instead of sharing our bed.\u201d\u00a0 At his nod of acknowledgement, she smiled.\u00a0 \u201cYou know what my Great-aunt Agatha would say?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Cocking his head to an angle, and with a tease in his voice, \u201cWhat would your Great-aunt Agatha have to say about my dreams?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019d tell you they speak of great things to come.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Petulantly inquiring, \u201cAnd how does a talking axe foretell of what will happen?\u201d\u00a0 Distress added to his apprehension, thinking of the image as a portent of insanity; whoever heard of an axe talking?<\/span><\/p>\n

Wrapping her arms about Ben\u2019s shoulders, and leaning into his strong chest, \u201cYou said it was an axe, like the ones used by lumberjacks.\u201d\u00a0 He hmmm\u2019d as the lilac fragrance of her soap pulled him to nuzzle into her neck.\u00a0 Playfully pushing him away, \u201cPay attention.\u00a0 If it was a hatchet, the kind used for kindling, Aunt Agatha would say you were dealing with a small, weak-minded man.\u00a0 But a lumberjack\u2019s axe, it tells of strength and wisdom.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAunt Agatha isn\u2019t through telling, yet.\u00a0 No.\u00a0 An axe like that would represent a man with a sharp and wicked mind.\u00a0 Not evil, but a mind quick to cut through the issues and find a resolution.\u00a0 A soul filled with mirth and laughter on one side while serious and calculating on the other.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd how does this man fit to Great-aunt Agatha\u2019s future for me?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDarling, your dreams began shortly after I told you. . .\u201d\u00a0 Her hand slipped to the slight bulge, indicating the child within.\u00a0 Moments later a calloused hand settled on top of her delicate, long fingers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo this has to do with our child, a son?\u201d\u00a0 Dark eyebrows questioningly rose.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nodding, \u201cYou\u2019ll have to wait another four months to find out, but I can\u2019t see Aunt Agatha being wrong.\u201d\u00a0 A girlish giggle escaped at her husband\u2019s expression of skepticism.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA son.\u00a0 I like the idea of a strong-minded son.\u00a0 But what of my dream of a mountain and an earthquake?\u00a0 Surely Aunt Agatha can\u2019t see something good in that?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Elizabeth\u2019s eyes sparkled, due to her laughter and the flames reflecting, \u201cYou don\u2019t know Aunt Agatha very well.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

With upturned ends of his mouth and cheeks blushing at his wife tweaking his nose, Ben said, \u201cDo tell.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I see\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI thought this was Aunt Agatha?\u201d Ben endeavored to hide the humor of his words.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Aunt Agatha would say that the snow-capped mountains you envisioned indicate a large man, a man in tune with nature and all God\u2019s creatures.\u201d\u00a0 Ben inhaled as if to speak. \u00a0\u201cUh, uh, uh,\u201d twitching her index finger side to side.\u00a0 \u201cAs for the earthquake, when he laughs, his whole body ripples and shakes,\u201d Elizabeth inhaled deeply, sweeping her arm for emphasis, \u201cand it echoes across the land.\u00a0 I see. . . Aunt Agatha sees a smiling, gentle man with compassion for everyone, but when necessary, he can unleash his fury to protect his family.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m beginning to really like Aunt Agatha.\u00a0 She\u2019s given me two sons.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 With his wife shifting on his lap to find a more comfortable position, \u201cIf I can make a request, I only ask that it not be two sons at the same time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh Ben!\u201d Elizabeth playfully slapped his chest and pushed off to stand, she walked away, stopping in front of the hearth.\u00a0 \u201cNow, you said one of your other dreams revealed a large ranch, our ranch.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Coming to stand behind her, \u201cYes, the same land where I saw the mountain.\u00a0 I dreamed we have several large herds of cattle, though I was uncomfortable about the men riding through the valley.\u00a0 Why would they be moving cattle at night?\u00a0 Their actions seemed anxious, like they were hiding something.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to watch out\u00a0for rustlers then,\u201d Elizabeth\u2019s right hand lifted contemplatively to her chin.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRustlers are harbingers.\u00a0 That doesn\u2019t sound good.\u00a0 What does Aunt Agatha have to say?\u00a0 I pray she\u2019s not telling me that one of my sons will be a rustler.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A worrisome expression flitted across her face.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u201d\u00a0 Shivering, and running her hands up and down her arms.\u00a0 \u201cSomething is stolen, taken.\u00a0 Something that could have been yours\u2026\u00a0 A child\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLiz, I won\u2019t let anyone steal our sons, or our daughters.\u201d\u00a0 His arms wrapped around her trembling body, his hands rested above where their child nestled in its mother\u2019s womb.\u00a0 \u201cTruthfully, we\u2019ve been talking a lot about heading west after this babe is born.\u00a0 These dreams just mean that once we find the right land and establish our ranch, we\u2019ll probably have to deal with rustlers.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry to have ruined\u2026\u201d Ben turned Elizabeth to face him, fingers tips gently rested on her lips, quieting her words.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wiping an errant tear slipping from the corner of her eye, \u201cYou\u2019ve not ruined anything.\u00a0 You\u2019ve brought me happiness that I had only previously imagined.\u00a0 And these dreams are just grounding me.\u00a0 Reminding me that we have our whole lives ahead of us, and we should be prepared\u00a0for anything.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Pressing into his chest, their merged silhouettes danced on the far wall.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut I\u2019d like to know about those green eyes,\u201d Elizabeth whispered, looking up.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGreen eyes?\u00a0 I didn\u2019t dream of green eyes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut I did. \u00a0They have an uncanny way of looking at me.\u00a0 Almost as if I\u2019m looking at a younger you, but your eyes are brown.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd just how do these green eyes look at you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey laugh, they cry.\u00a0 They\u2019re quick to anger, and just as quick\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes?\u201d\u00a0 She heard the word rumble through his chest.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBenjamin, I do believe one of your sons will be a Casanova; sweeping the young\u00a0ladies off their feet every time he turns his head and smiles.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Incredulously bewildered, \u201cA what?\u00a0 Oh, come now.\u00a0 I know I swept you off your feet, but you have to realize that we knew each other for quite a few years before the Captain would even consider letting me court you.\u201d\u00a0 Ben laughed at the image.\u00a0 \u201cA Casanova . . . well, he must get it from your side of the family.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

Benjamin Cartwright, you\u2019d best listen to my great-niece.\u00a0 She shares my gift, and she\u2019s spot on when she sees the sons that your future will bring. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The End<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Words drawn: \u00a0\u00a0axe, mountain, rustler, uncanny, Elizabeth<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tags: \u00a0Ben Cartwright, <\/span>Elizabeth Stoddard Cartwright,<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Story idea based on the episode Elizabeth, My Love: \u00a0written by: \u00a0Anthony Lawrence<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/g><\/svg><\/i> \"Loading\"<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0Nightmares or metaphors, it all depends on the interpretation. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Rated: \u00a0K\u00a0\u00a0 Word Count: \u00a01540<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":14542,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,4,30,40],"tags":[158],"class_list":["post-13192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-humor","category-prequels","category-challenges","tag-pppt","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-4-id","wpcat-30-id","wpcat-40-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":1215,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Ben-Elizabeth.png?fit=723%2C484&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":17840,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=17840","url_meta":{"origin":13192,"position":0},"title":"The Handkerchief (by freyakendra)","author":"freyakendra","date":"June 1, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: Caught in a mudslide, Little Joe\u2019s survival might just depend on\u00a0a lacy handkerchief. 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