It’s hard to go from dreaming straight into consciousness, especially when you were just napping. Unfortunately, it seemed to be even worse for Parker. When she was tired enough, too lethargic to get out of bed or even to keep her eyes open, she would often fall asleep again, but never for long. With her brain open to other influences, such as the dreams of the other world, came the susceptibility to sleep paralysis.
The first time it happened, Parker had thought she had died. It was scary to wake up and be aware of your surroundings but not be able to move an inch. It was kind of like being inside Parker II’s memories, but at least during those she got to feel the movement and feelings that the other Parker did.
She can’t remember what the dream she had been having was about, but suddenly, she was thrown into wakefulness, but still couldn’t move. She laid in her bed until finally, something gave, and she was able to open her eyes.
Parker can’t remember a time when she didn’t dream.
Let’s rephrase that, she can’t remember a time before her dreams gave her insight into a parallel universe. It wasn’t until she was 12 that she realized her dreams weren’t normal; that they were too clear. It wasn’t until she was 15 that she even decided to look into the phenomena she was experiencing, and came up empty handed. It’s not like there’s a guidebook on interdimensional cerebral communication in dreams, and if there were, she certainly wouldn’t have believed that’s what was happening to her, at least not back then.
She can’t remember the first time she saw Parker II’s world, but she remembers the first time she saw it after Emmet died. Typically, in her dreams she would be doing normal, everyday things with Emmet and her family. Sometimes they all ate breakfast together, sometimes they all went to the moves, and sometimes they had family game night. But this dream was different.
It’s not unusual for Parker Troy to have dreamless nights; in fact, it’s pretty typical. She’ll wake in the morning feeling well rested and better off than before. But there are nights when she does dream. These are the nights that rip her apart from the inside and cause her to wake disoriented. When Parker dreams, she’s thrown into what she calls the other world.
Imagine the multiverse theory is true and somehow you can connect with a different universe- that’s what Parker thinks is happening to her. In some universe, in a parallel place, she is awake and sending images back to this universe where she is asleep. They’re less like dreams, and more like memories, more like a coexistence in someone else’s brain. She knows this other girl is her doppelganger, though. She once saw herself in the mirror, but instead of her usual long red hair, she had a short bob that came just past her chin. The other her still had freckles, blue eyes, and the scar above her lip from an accident when she was 4.
It’s odd to see how her life could have been different. How Parker II’s life is full of joy and happiness and friendship while her only real escape from the world is living through someone else’s memories while she sleeps. She often wonders what’s worse: wishing for a life you know is unattainable, or wishing for a life you know could have been reality, if only things were slightly different.