The sound of gentle waves on the shore drifted into his senses, releasing him from his slumber. Gradually, he became aware of the soft breeze over his body, carrying a salty aroma. Opening his eyes just a crack, there was a deep blue sky, dotted with cotton wool clouds and bracketed on one side by tall, white chalk cliffs. One the other side the ocean, an even deeper shade of blue, rose up to meet the sky on the distant horizon.

"H-how did I get here?" He murmured.

"So you finally woke up!" The voice came from behind him, and he pushed himself upright, spinning around on the spot to face the intruder.

"Darren? But how..." His expression faded from shock into puzzlement, then into a sad resignation. "Ah, so this is a dream then." He slumped backwards and laid flat on the beach, looking back at the sky.

"A dream as vivid as this, Andrew?" Darren chuckled, hopping down from the rock he had been perched on and stepping slowly over to his side. Reaching down, he gave Andrew's arm a firm, yet gentle pinch.

"Ouch!" Andrew leapt to his feet in one fluid movement, his annoyance plain. "What did you do that for?!" Suddenly, Andrew felt slightly dizzy, and listed to one side. Darren reached over to him quickly and supported him with an arm around his shoulders.

"Steady there, Andrew. Take it easy... So, still think this is a dream? Since when could you taste the sea breeze in a dream?"

Andrew stayed silent for a moment as he tested each of his senses one by one, smelling the air, tasting the breeze, watching the sky. It felt real. "But you-"

"Yes, I did." Darren nodded. "Look, there's no easy way to put this to you, Andrew. You're dead."

"I'm... dead?" Andrew shook his head. "But then what is this place?"

"This," Darren smiled, "is home."

Andrew's face lit up with a sudden wonder. "You mean this is the place we used to dream about?"

Darren nodded.

"But..." Andrew paused momentarily as he tried to jog his memory. "I don't remember dying."

"You won't, and don't try to force yourself too, you'll cause more harm that good. It doesn't matter how many times you do it, dying is always a sharp shock to the soul. It will come back in time, trust me."

"How did I get here?"

Darren laughed. "Now there's a question and a half. The you that you remember didn't come here at all. Just your soul came here. You could say that you floated in on a dream, as that description fits just as well as any other."

Andrew nodded in half-understanding, then raised his hand to his face, looking at his fingers. "Then why do I still look like this? Where are my wings?"

"Oh, you'll get them back. You just haven't remembered them yet."

"But I do remember them!"

"Yes, you remember them. We all remembered them. You just haven't remembered them yet." Darren held the emphasis on the second 'remembered', as if that would explain it all. Somehow, Andrew felt that it almost did. The pair began to walk across the beach, leaving footprints in the sand behind them. "Look down."

Andrew looked downwards, and in place of his own footprints, were the paw prints of a quadrupedal creature, claws digging into the sand, though his own feet were normal. Looking across, Darren's footprints were the same. He tried to express his surprise, and his excitement, but all he could muster was an amazed squeak.

"It's happening already." Darren nodded. "You're remembering... There will be some strange effects like that over the next short while. You'll get used to it."

"So why don't you look any different?" Andrew asked, looking back at his friend.

"Familiarity. I thought it would be easier to break you in gently, rather than confront you perched on that rock, wings and all."

Andrew nodded. "Thanks."

Darren chuckled and squeezed Andrew's shoulder as they walked. "No problem."

"Where are all the others?" Andrew suddenly asked. "Surely it isn't just us? And what has happened to-"

"She's not here yet." Darren sighed, a little sadly. "But she will be. We'll all be here eventually. And you'll be here to meet her, just as I was here to meet you. You'll know when she's coming. It's like a change in the air... you just know it's happening."

"But what about your own love? I remember she-"

Darren shook his head. "She doesn't like to talk about it. I don't think any of us really like to talk about our own demise. It's morbid, somehow. But yes, she's here, and I think she's rather anxious to meet you. She didn't want you to be overwhelmed though, said I should come meet you first."

"Are there any more of us?"

Darren's smile broke into a wide grin. "Oh, yes, you wouldn't believe, through all that we remembered, just how much we forgot. It's wonderful. You want to see?"

Andrew nodded excitedly. "But first, let me see what you really look like. Were those pictures close?"

"Not far off," Darren smiled. "All right, stand back a little."

Taking a step back, Andrew watched as Darren closed his eyes, and two magnificent azure blue wings grew from his back, shining in the glorious sunlight. Now he knew for sure, he was home at last.