So I do. "Now what?" "Now imagine something."
"What do you mean?" I ask, immediately picturing a giant elephant.
"Imagine something else," he says, "quickly."
I open my eyes, startled to see a ginormous elephant charging right at us, then I gasp in amazement when I transform him into a butterfly-a beautiful Monarch butterfly that lands right on the tip of my finger. "How-?" I glance between Damen and the butterfly, its black antennae twitching at me.
Damen laughs. "Want to try again?"
I press my lips and look at him, trying to think of something good, something better than an elephant or a butterfly.
"Go ahead," he urges. "It's so much fun. It never gets old."
I close my eyes and imagine the butterfly turning into a bird, and when I open them again a colorful majestic macaw is perched on my finger. But when a messy trail of bird poop drips down my arm, Damen hands me a towel and says, "How about something with a little less-cleanup?"
I set the bird down and watch it flyaway, then I close my eyes, fervently wishing, and when I open them again, Orlando Bloom has taken his place.
Damen groans and shakes his head.
"Is he real?" I whisper, gaping in amazement as Orlando Bloom smiles and winks at me.
Damen shakes his head. "You can't manifest actual people, only their likeness.
Luckily, it won't be long before he fades."
And when he does, I can't help but feel a little sad.
"What's going on?" I ask, looking at Damen. "Where are we?
And how is this even possible?"
Damen smiles and makes a beautiful white stallion appear.
After getting me mounted and settled, he makes a black one for him. "Let's go for a ride," he says, leading me down a trail.
We ride side by side, down a beautiful, manicured path, cutting right through the valley of flowers and trees and a sparkling stream the color of rainbows. And when I see my parrot perched next to a cat I veer from the trail, ready to shoo him away, but Damen grabs the reins and says, "No worries. There are no enemies. All is at peace here."
We ride in silence as I gape at the surrounding beauty, struggling to take it all in, though it's not long before my mind starts reeling with all sorts of questions and no clue where to begin.
"The veil you saw? The one you were drawn to?" He looks at me. "I put it there."
"In the canyon?"
He nods. "And in your dream."
"But Drina says she created the dream." I look at him, seeing how he rides with such confidence, so sure in the saddle. But then I remember the painting on his wall, the one of him mounted on the white stallion, sword by his side, and I figure he's been at it for a while.
"Drina showed you the location, I showed you the exit."
"Exit?" I say, my heart pounding again.
He shakes his head and smiles. "Not that kind of exit. I already told you, you're not dead. In fact, you're more alive than ever. Able to manipulate matter and manifest anything you want. The ultimate in instant gratification." He laughs. "But don't come here too often. Because I'm warning you, it's addictive."
"So you both created my dreams?" I ask, squinting at him, trying to get a handle on all these bizarre events. "Like-like a collaboration?"
He nods.
"So I don't even control my own dreams?" I say, my voice rising, not liking the sound of any of this.