TRANSCRIPT
INTRO
Welcome to Preggo Dreams, the storytelling podcast that brings real pregnancy dreams to life. Each episode tells one dream as a short story, complete with immersive sound design, so you can enjoy them too.
I’m your host, Alicia, and in this episode, an accidental purchase leads to an underground discovery and a change of heart.
Let’s dive in…
STORY
I watched through my living room window as a delivery driver parked a Mazda minivan on my driveway.
And immediately, I felt my coolness evaporate. I didn’t mean to order it. This was the result of a late-night, sleep-deprived shopping spree. I was about to be a new mom, but I wasn’t quite ready for soccer mom status.
I went outside to inspect my accidental purchase. I ran my fingers along the electric blue exterior, and stopped short when I reached the back. Something compelled me to open the trunk. So I did, and I found a mysterious ornate box inside.
It was pretty small and didn’t have a lock. I picked it up carefully and was surprised by how heavy it was for its size. I opened it, and inside was a small, glowing stone. It emitted a soft, pulsing yellow light when I took it out. It was warm, and had several cracks that looked like veins. I stood there and somehow understood that this was something rare and special.
A voice inside me said I needed to return it to its source, which conveniently lay beneath my house.
I went back inside and approached the basement door. I’d never been down there, so I didn’t know what to expect. I opened it cautiously, and a snaking network of tunnels greeted me.
I ventured forth. The stone walls were damp, and the air was musty. Thick cables ran across the ceiling; they looked like roots. The tunnel was dark, but the stone illuminated the way.
Eventually, I reached a small chamber where the cables converged. It was empty except for a small electrical panel on the wall. I opened the panel and found a single slot inside. This must be where the stone belonged.
I placed the stone into the slot, and electricity instantly surged through the chamber. Lights flickered on as far as I could see. But I didn’t need power down here right now, so I pulled the stone back out and headed back upstairs.
But when I crossed the threshold, the house was gone. In its place was a daycare.
Bright-colored art covered the walls. Children were playing and rolling around on the floor. They looked like cartoon characters. This was so strange, but I brushed it off and decided to hang out with the teachers in the corner. We ended up talking about work, and I casually mentioned that my job was keeping me around for a reason.
Well, that was the wrong thing to say! Suddenly, the children stopped playing and looked at me with frozen stares. The teachers got angry because they thought I was saying other people at my job weren’t good enough. That’s not what I meant at all! But they weren’t having it, and they banished me back down to the dungeon!
Back beneath the house, the air was different than before. It felt alive, as if it was the breath of some creature. I wandered the tunnels again, going deeper than before. And when I reached another giant cavern, I found a giant troll!
It was as ugly as the legends say. Its skin was dry and scale-like, and covered in boils and scabs. Its head looked too small for its body. I would have been terrified, but as I peered into its face, it just looked so sad.
I watched it reach inside its chest cavity, grabbing desperately at the space where a heart should be. But it was empty.
The troll then noticed me, and looked down at the box I was still holding. I felt it vibrate, and I immediately understood. This was the true source. The glowing stone was, in fact, the troll’s heart.
I opened the box and carefully extended it out in front of me. The troll picked up the stone, and all of a sudden it grew in size. Then he placed it inside his chest and immediately relaxed as the light pulsed through his body.
I strangely felt sorry for it. The troll was completely naked and vulnerable. So I grabbed a large piece of fabric that was conveniently hanging from the cave wall, and very carefully draped it around him, making sure it was secure and comfortable.
I stood back, and after a silent acknowledgment, the troll ventured out of the cavern, deeper underground. I decided not to follow, and I made my way back upstairs.
My house was back, and I looked out the front window. Yep, the minivan was still there. I contemplated the strange way the stone, or heart rather, made its way to me. With a change of heart, I no longer thought the minivan was uncool. It led me to an interesting discovery, and I wondered what other life might be calling my basement home.
OUTRO
Thanks for tuning in to Preggo Dreams.
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, or tell a friend about it.
And if you’ve had a weird or unforgettable pregnancy dream of your own, I’d love to hear it! Submit your dream for a chance to be featured on a future episode. Visit the website at preggodreamspodcast.com to learn more.
Until next time.
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