I was walking along our street eating an ice-cream and when I finished I dropped the wrapping on the path not thinking as always about littering and so forth.

“Would mind picking that up please?” said a voice. I looked around but saw no one and moved on. Sometimes I do hear voices in my head but this time it sounded like just the other side of the hedge.

‘Please pick it up, we keep a clean and tidy place around here and you are just making our job all that bit harder.”

I stopped and began to think I wasn’t hearing a voice, but there was an actual voice, not my consciousness playing up on me.

I looked over the hedge and then saw the source of the voice.

“My goodness but what are you?” I asked. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

“I’m a Gurglepf,’ it said, “I like to keep things tidy and you are not helping me at all.”

“A Gurglepf? I exclaimed, ‘what’s a Gurglepf when he’s at home?”

“Well I am glad you asked. We Gurglepfs have been around a long time, mostly we keep to ourselves and you don’t notice us. We don’t always come across as the most glamourous of creatures but we are very clean. So, pick up your rubbish!”

I was struck dumb by what I was seeing and hearing. I looked around and suddenly everything appeared very unfamiliar. Home I knew was just along the street but the street was not as I remembered it.

“I think I might be lost,” I said to the Gurglepf, “I’m sure home is just along the way.”

“Oh dear,” replied the Gurglepf, “I was hoping that might not happen. People who meet us do have that phenomime occur to them. You’ll have to breathe in deeply three times and turn around. Sounds silly I know but it works. Why? I don’t know.”

I felt a pang of panic as I sucked in the breathes and turned around.

I closed my eyes as I knew if I didn’t nothing might happen.

I opened them with a jolt as I looked around.

I was in my bed, the blankets wrapped around me, and my singlet soaked from perspiration.

It was a dream I thought with great relief.

The next time I walked past the hedge I was careful not to drop anything though as I passed I was sure there was a rustle from inside it.

Written for: https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2021/08/12/tale-weaver-12-08-2021-dream-a-little-dream/