EPILOGUE
Ten years later.
It was their seventh wedding anniversary, so they looked at their wedding photos. It seemed like the thing to do.
Getting married to Sara and getting a house together had been scarier than anything Mark had experienced in the dream dimension. But every day of the three years he'd been with Sara had made life seem that bit more real again, every day had taken him further and further from the dream realm. The day of their wedding had, once and for all, shown Mark that this was the life for him. He never could have been this happy in the dream realm, he told himself. And, slowly, he'd forgotten.
Their first child been born two years after the wedding had helped. It was a son and they'd named him Luke. They loved watching Star Wars with Luke and telling him that it was responisble for their meeting.
Mark and Sara never talked about their old lives in the dream realm. There was nothing to say. But sometimes they would have the same dreams as they slept together at night. Sometimes they'd even interact with each other in their dreams. Despite this shared experience, they'd never talk about it the morning. What happens in dreams, stays in dreams.
They'd gotten orange cat two together two years after Sara had waken up. They'd named him Chewie. Now eight years old and even fatter than the boss had been, Chewie lying curled up on Sara's lap. Mark noticed that she had fallen asleep. He put down the photo album and watched her for a while. She was as beautiful as the first time he'd seen her, in that strange drem about pudding and Jon Tickle. No, she was even more beautiful.
Mark lay back on his chair watching Sara. He felt himself nodding off too. Before he knew it, he was sitting on a rollercoaster. It was slowly heading up seemingly never-ending tracks. Sara was sitting beside him.
"You fell asleep," said Mark.
"You obviously did too," she said, smiling. They saw their cat suddenly standing on the cart in front of them. Except...it looked different. It looked...angry?
"Ten years," said the cat, suddenly. Mark and Sara both groaned. He hadn't bothered them in all that time. But the boss was back. "Ten years and you still haven't come back to me, Mark."
"Leave us alone," he said, unimpressed.
"Us? US? I have no interest in her Mark, I never had! It's you! You and I are meant together, to rule the galaxy, all the galaxy, all dimensions!"
"Yeah yeah, heard it all before, rejected it all before," said Mark. "Piss off."
"I see you have a cat now...you can't forget about me, can you..."
"You're not a cat! You're a pathetic creature that will never know love," said Sara.
"But I'm still here, watching you both. One day Mark, only day you'll be caught up in a dream again, you'll find yourself taking control...and you'll come back to me. One day you will stay asleep and be mine again."
"Never going to happen," said Mark.
"It will," said the boss.
"It won't," said Mark. "I have something to wake up for now."
The rollercaoster had reached the top of the tracks...then they both woke up.
"Well, that was anti-climatic," said Mark.
"Let's not talk about it," said Sara.
"Are you scared that if we talk about it, about everything, I'll end up wanting to go back?" asked Mark. He'd suspected it for some time.
"No, I'm scared I'll end up going back," she said and he could tell she was telling the truth. "It was my life for so long...but no more. I wouldn't trade this life for anything."
They kissed.
"Let's check in on Luke," said Mark. They walked to his bedroom and peaked inside. He was sleeping happily. Chewie brushed up against Sara's legs.
"Good Chewie," said Sara.
"Do you think Chewie dreams?" asked Mark.
"He was making strange noises when he was sleeping there," said Sara. "Never heard such noises before, actually. Weird cat."
Mark looked down at Chewie, who was now sitting beside Luke's bed, watching him.
"Want another one?" he said.
"Another cat?" asked Sara, confused.
"Another child," said Mark.
"Yes," said Sara, without hesitation.
"Well let's go work on it then..." said Mark, grinning. They took a last look at Luke and left him alone with Chewie.
Luke opened his eyes and rubbed them. It was strange, he seemed to still be in his bedroom, but things were different. There was grass instead of a carpet, for one, and his wardrobe had turned into a robot. He like this bedroom better.
"Hello Luke!" said Chewie.
"Choo-eee!" said Luke. "You can talk too now!?" After Luke had learned how to talk he'd wondered why Chewie couldn't as well. He was pleased to see his beloved pet speak now.
"That's right," said Chewie. "And I have something to tell you."
"What do you have to tell meeeee!?" asked Luke, excited.
"You're special, Luke," said Chewie and the cat sounded serious. "Look what you're doing now, in this dream. You're...shaping it. You like robots, so you made a robot appear. You are very talented. That talent must be nurtured."
"I don't understand," said Luke, who didn't.
"You will," said the Boss, in his modified new cat-body, rubbing up against Luke and purring. "You will soon enough. One thing you must know, Luke, I can't speak to you when you're awake. I'm just a cat then. But when you dream, I can talk. And if you tell your parents about our talks, then I won't come and see you anymore. We must keep it a secret."
"I will, I will!" said Luke.
"Oh I know you will," said the Boss. "This is the start of a beautiful friendship."
Luke was so happy that he made the robot grow larger in size. It kept growing and growing until it covered almost all the land.
Chewie seemed pleased by this, which made Luke pleased in turn. He really loved that cat.