The Dream Interloper

Synopsis:  People the world over claim to see one nondescript, generic looking, balding man in their dreams.   There are many theories surrounding him and the urban legends speaking of him are frightening but I wish to explore this nonetheless.

~*~CAST~*~

Dream Surfer/David:  

Hadlee Chomet:

Hugo Chomet: (her younger brother)

Siobhan Chomet: (her dad)

Natalie Chomet: (her mother)

Imogen Petersen: (Hadlee’s best friend)

Jan Petersen: (her dad)

Ursula Petersen: (her mom)

Willow Marlin: (another one of Hadlee’s friends)

Barrow Marlin: (her elder brother)

Bear Marlin: (her dad)

Yvette Marlin: (her mom)

Chrysanthe Tipton: (a good friend of Natalie, a surrogate grandmother)

Grover Hawke: (another of Hadlee’s friends)

Pembroke McGaffey: (another of Hadlee’s friends)

Dr. Loreen Ling:  

Dr. Colt Umberton:  

Dion Brizee:  

Alois Veer:  

Narrator/Marina:  

Scene 1--An Unusual Reverie

(Hadlee is walking through a garden, watching butterflies fly by her.   They are not flying in normal speed but have slowed down quite a bit.   David waves at her from a distance and asks her to come closer.)

David:  Hadlee !   Hadlee !   Come here !  

Hadlee: How do you know my name ?  

David:  (gentle laugh)  I know everyone’s name, sweetie.  See, I have an ability.  

Hadlee:  I’ve seen you before.   I was only a few weeks old and you were watching over me.

David:  I remember that fondly.  You were such an adorable baby.   I never get tired of watching infants grow though.  Even though I have seen it happen so many times.   

Hadlee:  What’s your name ?  

David:  I’m David.  Of course, others name me what they will, but I prefer David as a name.  It seems to suit me.   

Hadlee:  Don’t you ever get lonely ?   

David:  (Laughing merrily)  Never.   In the subconscious realm, everyone I know is my friend.  I give them advice, love, companionship, deeper understanding of self and of course, hope.   

Hadlee:  Will I see you again ?

David:  More than likely.  I move around quite a bit though.  I never stay in one place.   Just think of me as a gypsy.   

Hadlee:  See you around, David.

David:  See you around, sweetie.   

Hadlee:  (Wakes up)  I just had the weirdest dream, Hugo.

Hugo:  (stretching, yawning a bit)  Me too.   Did you see a man in a dark turtleneck sweater and jeans ?

Hadlee:  Yes.  Not the first time I’ve seen him.

Hugo:  I call him Myron, since he resembles our Uncle so much.

Hadlee:  Come to think of it, he sort of does.   Where were you in your dream ?

Hugo:  I was in Brazil, exploring the jungles, swinging through the trees with the howler monkeys.   

Hadlee:   I was in a butterfly garden.  I’ve seen that garden before.  

Together:  It felt so real.   

Hugo: Do you find it creepy ?   

Hadlee:  Not really.   David seems like a nice gypsy.  He seemed to be an old soul.  

Hugo:  I just got a crazy idea.  I want to interview people about this interloper.

Hadlee:  Do you think people would let us talk to them about their dreams ?  Some people are pretty private individuals when it comes to stuff like that.  

Hugo:  We’re never gonna know if we don’t try.  

Hadlee:  That’s true !    Come on, we have to ask mom and dad.  They’ll be waking up soon.   

(They go into the kitchen, start making breakfast for themselves and their parents.  It’s a weekend and needless to say, the parents are pleasantly surprised.)  

Siobhan:  What’s all this ?  Why did you two go to so much trouble ?  

Natalie:  It’s not like it’s Valentine’s day or even our anniversary.   

(They laugh)  

Hugo:  We know, we just wanted to ask you for permission.  

Siobhan:  Permission to do what ?

Hadlee:  Hugo and I have this nutty idea.  You see, we’ve been having dreams about this man.

(Siobhan and Natalie look at each other, dumbfounded for a second, maybe a bit flabbergasted.)  

Siobhan:  You see him too ?

Hadlee:  Yes.  

Hugo:  We both did.   

Natalie: That’s uncanny.  So what do you want to ask permission for ?  

Hadlee:  We want to ask people if they have seen this man too.   You have too, so we can start with you, if you want.   

Natalie:  That’s so sweet of you.  

Siobhan:  Is this just due to curiosity ?  I don’t mind encouraging that, it’s helpful to growth.

Narrator:  It was then the Chomet twins blazed their trail, asking details on this mysterious ‘surfer of dreams’.   

(Scene shift)  

Scene 2--Mass Influence

Jan:  (enjoying a meal with his family and the siblings interviewing him)  I’m glad you could come and talk to us about this.   What prompted it ?  

Imogen:  Hadlee and Hugo had a similar experience in their dreams.   The dreams were unique to them, but they saw the same man.   

Ursula:  Fascinating.  How unusual.   I’ve seen that man before too.  He goes by Jacques in my dreams for some strange reason.   I suppose he wanted to call himself by the name of a teacher I had who influenced me and helped me through my rough childhood.   

Jan:  To me, he came as a coach.  Coach Karlson.   Lars died years ago though due to old age.   

Hadlee:  (taking notes)  

Jan:  I know you two aren’t old enough to be studying psychology but Jung has a theory that dreams are spiritual and our method of communicating with the subconscious mind.  I personally believe our subconscious is more open to the supernatural realm than we are during waking life.  

Hugo:  I think that’s really cool.  I agree with that, too.  So, you two see him as well.  

Ursula:  Yes.  We have had lengthy conversations with him.   Sometimes he just observes, making certain we are doing well.  

Imogen:  I call him Matthias.   We’re just playmates.   We don’t really discuss anything.  I feel safe with him.   

Hadlee:  Imogen, thanks for letting us record all this.  It still leaves a lot of questions to be answered, but apparently our gypsy is more enigmatic than we originally thought.    

(Scene fade, back to the Chomet home)  

Scene 3--Global Experience

Siobhan:  Goodness, you collected quite a few notes there.  

Hadlee:  Yeah.  I was starting to get writer’s cramp.

Hugo:  Dad, you know about setting up websites, right ?   (Siobhan nods)  Could you help us ?   I want to set up a poll about our ‘Watcher’.  

Siobhan:  That’s ingenious.  I can do that in no time flat.  

(He does so extremely rapidly and the results are instant.)

Hadlee:  Woah !   Look at that.  So unreal.  

Hugo:  Awesome, you rock dad.   (he hugs him)  

Siobhan:  Looks like people all over the world have seen this man.   

Natalie:  Look at the comments !   Good thing there’s a translation button.  

Hadlee:  Almost everyone’s seen him.  Do you think it is from suggestion ?  

Natalie:  I don’t think so.  The people who have seen him are from all walks of life.  No two are the same.   That’s unusual.   

Hugo:  Does this man exist in the real world ?  

Hadlee:  If he does, how are we going to find him ?  

Narrator:  The siblings put their heads together and decided to conduct interviews via Skype.  

Doctor Ling:  Hello !   I’m so glad I came upon your little website.   

Hadlee:   Hugo and I came up with that together ! (The siblings have a self satisfied smile)   

Doctor Ling:  Is it permissible for my compatriot to join us ?

Hugo:  Sure, the more the merrier !  

Dr. Umberton:  Hi, kids !   What I am about to share with you was covered with my patients.  I am not revealing any names so their privacy is protected.  

Hadlee:  Do you know anything about the man we’re all seeing ?  

Ling:   I think he is an archetype of God.   Maybe that’s a bit farfetched, since we all have our own visions of what the Almighty looks like.

Umberton:  I don’t think we can rule that out yet.   

Dion:  (Coming into the chatroom)  Hi !  I’m Dion.   Sorry I’m late.  This is Alois, my life partner.   What’s this little chat all about ?  

Willow:  (holding up a drawing she’s made of our Surfer)  It’s about this man.  

Dion: He looks so much like dad it’s a little scary.    

Al:  Come to think of it he does.   

Narrator:   With every tidbit of information they had, they came to find my husband in my home country.   They had the backings of a Kickstarter behind them.   I wasn’t expecting them, but I opened my home to these darlings.   They only wanted to know more and I was more than happy to teach them.   

(Scene fade)  

Scene 3--Somewhere In India

Pembroke:  I can’t believe we’re actually in India !

Barrow: It seems like a dream.  

Willow:  All thanks to the Kickstarter.   Where did David’s wife say she’d be ?  

Hadlee:  She said Goa.   Good thing we have excellent guides.   

Ling:  I came to see this for myself.   I have no idea what to expect.   

Hugo:  Mrs. David said she’d meet us by the sea.   We’ll get to see Dave for ourselves now.   

(They make their way to the beach to ‘Food Bar’ and Marina is there with her husband.)  

David:  You followed the clues.   No one has ever seen me in reality.   I don’t know if I like the extra attention.  

Marina:  YOu don’t need to worry, dear.   Even though your fame is widespread, I asked these lovely people to keep your abilities strictly mum.  

David:  I appreciate it.   Some people find me creepy and perverse.  I don’t intend on coming across that way.   Had it not been for my gift I never would’ve found Marina.   

Marina:  We’ve been together ever since.

Imogen:  Your secret is safe.   How did you acquire your talent though ?  

David:   I had it ever since I was a child.   I couldn’t control it the way I can now.  People kept looking for me because the mind is such a private matter.   

Grover:  Why do you eavesdrop ?  (rethinks his words for a moment)  I didn’t mean it that way.  I’m so sorry.

David:  No, you’re right.   I like helping other people and reassuring them.   I figure that the people I touch will ultimately do something great in their lives.   Dr. Ling and Dr. Umberton certainly have.   

Umberton:  (nodding) Had it not been for your gentle guidance, I wouldn’t have gotten involved in onieruism.   

Ling:   Same thing with my psychoanalytic career.   It took me forever, or so it seemed to find this niche.   

David:  Nonetheless, you stuck with your guns and look where you are now.  

Hadlee:  How do you do it ?  

David:  Surf dreams ?   Like I said before, when I was little I didn’t have much control but as I grew I learned that I had a mysterious talent that only needed the power of suggestion.    I have traveled the world in my dreams, seen multiple dimensions, lived countless lives and even lived vicariously even if I didn’t want to. Some dreamers are more receptive to my interference or influence.   I don’t think of myself as different from anyone but I want others to realize just how interconnected the subconscious mind truly is.  As adults we’re taught to believe only in empirical elements but our Universe is comprised out of more than just what we can see, touch, hear and taste.  Everything is energy.  Even us.  I want to help people reach their ultimate potential.  I just give people the nudge they need.  

Marina:  Some need more than just a nudge.  (she laughs)  

David:  (he shoots her a mean look and shakes his head)  Sometimes your humor can be a little morbid snookums.  

Marina: It’s tough love.  

David:  (nodding) People can change the atmosphere just by meditating together.  Even in the act of observation, we are creating.   

Willow:  This is making my brain hurt.  

Barrow:  YOu and me both, sis.  (they laugh)  

David:  I know I’m speaking of something we all have yet to understand, but many of you are helping in ways you don’t even realize yet.   Getting my information to the right circuits will increase research in areas we have yet to become involved in.  

Hadlee:  Why do you think so many people are afraid of you though ?  You just want to help others.   

Marina:  People fear what they don’t understand.   Coming from an abusive background I was a bit dubious and skeptical to allow anyone into my heart but David quickly changed my mind.   I had always been misunderstood and I only wanted to please people. After learning to love myself entirely, David called to me in my dreams and I was inextricably drawn to him.  I couldn’t stay away.  Before long we married.   

Pembroke: Do you have children yet ?

David:  I got a grand surprise recently.  After many years of trying and thinking that maybe we were infertile, I started picturing ourselves with babies surrounding us.  Wouldn't you know it, my beautiful wife gave me a near heart attack showing me an ultrasound with not one baby but two.

(They applaud)  

Marina:  It’ll be dicy keeping them out of the limelight.   We lead rather quiet, introverted lives.   We love people but David often has to wear a disguise so he isn’t recognized and interviewed on the spot.   Luckily, we’re pretty free here in Goa and no one harasses us much.   (pats her belly)  It’ll be interesting to see what happens when these little ones come.  

Hugo:  We shouldn't keep you.   

David:  I actually wanted to try an experiment before you go, just for your records and posterity.    That is, if it is ok with your guardians.  

Siobhan:  We came all this way to see you, I think we’re up for going outside our comfort zones for one night.

Chrysanthe:  I welcome this.  Let’s challenge our perceptions !   

Marina:  (narrating)  That night, we had a shared dream considering what the world would look like with less violence and more people working together to build a better ecology and economy.   As far as we dreamers saw it, it wasn’t too late to reawaken our morality and see ourselves as human beings.  My friends departed but David continued to keep updates on them through their dreams.   Before long, we had two little dreamers of our own, Orion and Ariadne.  They were fraternal and David told me the dreams they had on a daily basis.   Whatever they did, I knew they would be taking a part in changing the world and transforming it.  The healing is still coming and dreamers will continue spreading hope, faith, love and laughter to all who contain these miraculous ideals in their hearts.   I may not see what becomes of all this but I know whatever comes will be worth every last drop of perspiration from the dreamer’s brow.  

(Pensive piano themes from Steven Universe play as well as more contemplative numbers from Dr. Strange.   We are treated to a montage of the characters enjoying their vacation and participating in Holi before they return home, leading their own lives and bettering their communities.   Blooper reel run.   My inspiration for this comes from Shane Dawson’s Conspiracy Theory Vlog and ‘Have You Seen This Man’ websites.   The actual movie hopefully will have interviews with people who have seen this individual, including myself.)