“If you could wish upon a star, would you?” the wind whispers in my ear.
I look around to see who it could be, but as I take in my surroundings I am reminded that I’m alone.
Alone and at peace.
Surrounded by the darkness engulfing me in a cool embrace, I am reminded that by running away from my responsibilities I am free.
Free from it all.
Free from the questioning glances.
Free from the accusing stares.
Free from the disappointment.
Free from it all.
As I look at the dark horizon ahead of me, all I can do is walk towards the water. The water that I find so much comfort in. I have always found comfort in the ocean for as long as I can remember. It’s the one place that I can be free. I can be myself.
The water has a bite to it as it flows around my ankles, engulfing me.
Pulling me in.
I don’t stop.
I just keep walking.
Walking until I dive deep into the icy water.
I take a moment to just stay under the water until I hear it again.
“Look up”, it whispers.
I don’t know why, but I listen to it and do just that.
I break through the water and lay on my back as I stare up at the starry night sky.
It’s breathtakingly beautiful.
It’s home.
I close my eyes for a second and think of home.
I wish I could go home.
Home.
What a strange word.
Home hasn’t been home for a long time.
Home has been suffocating.
Home has been isolating.
Home has been a nightmare that I can’t wake up from.
Home.
But that home is not what I think about.
No. The home that I picture is one of beauty and peace and love and comfort.
The home that I imagine is waiting for me.
It’s waiting for me to embrace it.
It’s waiting for me to acknowledge it.
It’s waiting for me to come to it.
And I do just that…
As I open my eyes, I notice something very different. Very wrong.
I open my eyes to a bright blue, cloudless sky. Trees intertwined with each other, shielding me from the heat of the sun. I sit up from where I’m lying down, noticing that I’m not in the water anymore. No. I’m far away from the ocean that I had just a moment ago been floating in. I’m surrounded by trees that look like they go on for miles.
Where am I?
I start to feel the panic bubbling to the surface, so I do the only logical thing I can think of…
I get up and RUN.
I run for what feels like hours.
I run until I feel the pain pulsing through my legs.
I run until I feel the pain in my lungs as they scream for air.
I run until I can’t run anymore.
I run until I collapse to the ground.
I hear a rustle from between the trees and am shocked at what I see. I am shocked to see a group of animals. But not just any animals. Animals that shouldn’t exist. My eyes go wide as I take them in. A unicorn stands proudly to the side. A monkey with wings hovering in the air just to the side of a bear with ears like an elephant.
What the hell is going on?
I feel myself breathing heavily. I can’t find a voice to project my disbelief.
Before I could say or do anything, the animals step to the side revealing a cute blonde-haired, green-eyed child with wings fluttering towards me. She looks me up and down before revealing a beautiful smile, “welcome home,” she whispers.
The whisper sounded like the one I heard while I was in the water…
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