The Dream is to Keep Surprising Yourself, Never Mind the Audience

Click for the full-resolution version.

About the Images

My goal with the dream image (black and white) was to show movement/speed as well as give an eerie feeling. I’m not sure if I succeeded with the speed, but I think it definitely looks eerie. It’s not exactly what I had envisioned, but I’ll take it.

Featured in this post is Bad Unicorn’s Snoozer Cruiser, which you can find for a few more days at the current round of Equal 10. Touch the bed to bring up a HUD of textures for the bed sheets and the laptop screen (I was tempted to use the “blue screen of death” texture but decided the “Badflix” screen went with the story better). You can also turn off the snoring if you don’t like the “zzzzz” floating over your head, lol. Sleeping animations are included, and your avatar will occasionally open its eyes, lift its head, look around, and go back to sleep.

No rezzing is required; just wear the bed, and off you go! A couple of things to note: 1) you can’t adjust the sleeping pose, but you can edit the bed to readjust its position. 2) If the bed is too low in the ground, use your avatar’s hover height to bring it back up.

Serena’s pajamas are the “Sleepover Intimates” by Neve. A HUD with four colors is included.

Full credits are below the story. Store and event SLurls are available on the Store & Event Links page.

The Story

Serena had spent the cold, snowy evening curled up on her bed, a warm cup of tea in hand, watching an old adventure movie on her laptop. The characters soared over landscapes on magical objects, their journeys filled with wonder and discovery. She smiled at the thought of what it would be like to travel like that, free and untethered. As the credits rolled, she stretched, yawned, and made her way to bed, images of flying ships and enchanted roads still flickering in her mind.

As the night had settled comfortably around Serena’s house, the soft hum of the road was muffled by her closed windows. Serena gave Fiona a few good night head scratches and burrowed beneath the blankets, sighing as sleep pulled her under.

The first jolt was subtle, like the shifting of an old house settling into the night. Then, a sudden lurch sent her clutching the blankets in surprise. Her bed was moving! Not the dreamy, floating kind of movement that came in sleep, but something much more real. The wheels—because somehow, there were wheels—rumbled beneath her, the bed frame creaking as it picked up speed.

Click for the full-resolution version.

Serena gasped and sat upright. Her bedroom walls melted away, dissolving into a sprawling, snow-covered countryside. Rolling hills stretched under a dark sky, silver-tipped grass waving gently in the breeze. Her heart pounded, but there was no real fear—just a sense of wonder and curiosity. She gripped the headboard, but the bed had no brakes, no reins, nothing to slow its smooth journey through the landscape.

The wheels clattered against cobbled paths, then rattled over wooden bridges spanning moonlit streams. Trees blurred past, their branches swaying like dancers in the wind. A flock of birds took flight as she glided past an old village, the windows of charming cottages glowing with warm light. Serena’s breath caught—was she truly alone in this dream?

The bed veered gently to the left, tilting just enough to make her laugh in surprise. The wind whispered around her, carrying the scent of flowers and fresh rain. Ahead, the snow was gone, and a rolling hill rose, crowned by a magnificent oak tree. If the bed didn’t slow down, she’d be soaring through the air.

“Oh my goodness, this is amazing!” she cried, holding onto the mattress as if she were riding a magic carpet. The bed climbed the hill effortlessly, wheels barely making a sound against the soft earth.

And then—it flew.

For a brief, weightless moment, Serena was airborne, the world tilting beneath her. The bed soared over the crest of the hill, floating against the star-strewn sky. She held her breath, exhilarated. The descent came smoothly, like drifting on a cloud. She giggled, the thrill of the moment filling her with delight.

Instead of crashing, the bed landed softly, as though cushioned by a gentle breeze. Serena hesitantly opened one eye. The countryside was now bathed in the golden glow of dawn, mist curling around the hills like a cozy blanket. Shapes moved within the fog—deer grazing, rabbits hopping, the peaceful stirrings of a dreamland waking up.

A voice called her name, light and musical.

Her breath came short and fast. “Who’s there?”

The mist swirled like a playful spirit, revealing a friendly, glowing figure—a guardian of dreams, perhaps? The presence filled her with warmth and reassurance. There was no fear, only a deep sense of belonging.

The bed slowed, its wheels coming to a gentle stop. The figure smiled at her before fading back into the mist, leaving only the sunrise to greet her. Serena sighed, feeling the tug of wakefulness. She closed her eyes, embracing the peace of the moment.

With a gasp, Serena bolted upright, her breath coming fast. Her room was still, the walls intact, the bed unmoving beneath her. She ran a hand over the mattress—solid and ordinary. The morning sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting long, golden streaks across her blankets. She let out a shaky exhale and laughed softly, pressing a hand to her chest. “What a dream,” she murmured. But a faint scent of wildflowers and fresh rain lingered in the air as though the magic of the night had left behind a whisper of its existence.

CREDITS

Serena

TRUTH Collective Parfait
Angel Eyes Baby Hair 15 Hairbase
IKON Lucidity Eyes Eternal Pack
Glam Affair Liv
Neve Sleepover Intimates
C’est la Vie Rin Socks #4

Serena’s Dream

[Bad Unicorn] Snoozer Cruiser (@ Equal 10)

Serena’s Bedroom

Onsu Rochester House
Dust Bunny Sweet Dreams Lamp
Dust Bunny Sweet Dreams Nightstand
Dust Bunny Sweet Dreams Books
Dust Bunny Sweet Dreams Alarm Clock
Dust Bunny Sweet Dreams Morning Tray
Dust Bunny Sweet Dreams Fiddle Leaf Tree
What Next Amelie Picture Shelf
Pitaya Floral Painting