Dreams Don't Always End
A novella of memory, time, and transformation
How far would you go to escape a memory? Dreams Don't Always End is a sharp, psychological exploration of guilt, love, and the echoes of loss. Fragmented recollections collide with dreamlike distortion in a gripping novella that questions whether we can ever truly outrun the ghosts of our past.
What if the dream that wakes you is more real than the life you return to?
After a vivid nightmare of a motorway crash, a man begins to question the shape of his life and the memories he’s built it upon. Dreams Don’t Always End is a haunting, poetic novella that blurs the lines between waking and dreaming, past and present, truth and imagination.
Told through fragmented recollections, letters, and moments that shimmer with quiet intensity, this is a story about grief, guilt, love—and the roads not taken. As the narrator unravels, so too does the world around him, folding back on itself in a liminal space between regret and redemption.
For readers who appreciate stories with emotional depth, psychological tension, and a touch of the surreal, this debut novella by Paul M. Newbery is a quiet, unforgettable journey into the spaces we rarely share out loud.
Interlude 2 – “Gate Not Found”
There was an airport, but not like any I’d ever seen.
The air was cooler than it should’ve been, crisp and clean like cave air filtered through stone. The check-in gantry stretched across a void—no floor beneath, just a suspended metal bridge illuminated by dangling industrial lights that swayed gently, as if breathing.
At the far end, the boarding gate blinked red. FLIGHT CANCELLED.
Passengers shuffled into a new queue, and I joined them, side by side with a woman I didn’t know but felt comfortable around. She didn’t speak, but her presence anchored me—soft, calm, patient.
The line crept forward. One step. Then another.
And when I reached the front, I saw her.
Miss Smith.
My old form teacher.
She hadn’t aged. Same softly angular face, same weary-but-hopeful eyes. She wore a sky-blue stewardess uniform straight out of the 1970s, complete with a pillbox hat tilted too far back, as if trying not to fall off a head already full of memories. A plastic name tag—slightly scratched—read:
SMITH / BOARDING SERVICES.
On the desk in front of her: an old red Bakelite telephone, the rotary dial glowing faintly in the cave light.
She looked up and paused, recognition flashing across her face like a shadow crossing a spotlight.
“You were a difficult one,” she said softly, with a half-smile.
“I know,” I replied.
She picked up the phone. Spoke to someone I couldn’t hear. Her voice was clipped but warm. She hung up and said:
“There’s space for one more.”
I glanced at the woman behind me. She looked at me with that same calm acceptance.
I didn’t feel heroic or noble. Just certain.
“Let her go,” I said. “I’ll wait.”
Miss Smith nodded once and stamped something invisible on a paper I never saw. The woman smiled—grateful but not surprised—and crossed the gantry toward a door that opened like the mouth of light itself.
As soon as she disappeared, the lights above the bridge dimmed. A low rumble echoed through the stone.
Behind me, the line had vanished. I was alone on the platform.
Miss Smith leaned forward and said, “That was the first unselfish choice you ever made in here.”
“In where?”
“In the echo,” she said. “You think this is a dream? No. This is the waiting room you built around the part of yourself you never forgave.”
And then the lights flickered. The phone rang once—sharp, final.
I woke up.
But I didn’t feel hollow, or regretful.
I felt… lighter.
Like a page had been turned, and this time, I hadn’t scribbled over it.
About the Author
Paul M. Newbery is a photographer, writer, and freelance web designer based in the South West of England. His creative journey began behind the lens, where he developed a love for capturing quiet, atmospheric moments in the landscapes of Devon and beyond. His photography often explores solitude, memory, and the subtle beauty of overlooked places—elements that echo in his writing.
By day, Paul runs South Devon Web Design, helping small businesses and creatives build beautiful, functional websites. By evening, he can often be found editing photos, scribbling story notes, or planning his next short travel break.
A keen traveller, Paul enjoys immersing himself in new places—especially those that offer good food, interesting light, and long coastal walks. He lives near the sea with his wife and their dog, where inspiration is never far from the tide.
You can explore his photography at www.paulnewbery.co.uk.