Castles in the Sky

Photo and Image by Emily B

“Turn to page, 5” the teacher said and the clock ticked for its millionth time. My peers shuffled around in an awkward uniform movement. While I stared at the first paragraph without ever actually reading it.

Perhaps it was the boredom in that grey room that did me in, and I'm not sure at what moment it happened. It must have been in between my computer loading, and the drawling lecture that slothed itself into a long line of static. But within an instant and, without warning my mind collapsed inwardly and then in a snap, expanded into the world around me.

My eyes opened again.

I was wandering through a forest of tall birch trees. Covered in chalky white snow. Everything was washed over with blue, though some pale yellow shown through the leaves. Every tree was tightly packed together, forming into a clean straight pathway. I marched forward looking up at the canvas of woven leaves, forming a ceiling above. The walkway looked as if it stretched infinitely before my feet. Until I had already appeared at the end, where the trees were much smaller, making me crawl and squeeze my body through the empty space.

I was laying down completely now in the dark, my nose twitched, the smell of salt water filled my senses.The sound of waves crashing was soft and could barely be heard. Yet the more and more and more I crawled the crashing grew more violent and piercing. I felt as if just a step beyond this place, the sea was angrily bellowing to get in.

It had felt like an hour had gone by when a startling cold draft blew in, nipping my skin. The surrounding darkness grew tired and walked away, the pathway relaxed and opened up until I could stand. The tapestry of wood that encased me unraveled all at once, exposing me completely.

When the flood of light had relented, I tried to gather my surroundings. The first thing that greeted me was the cry of a cuckoo. Then a warm blue sky, and a roaming grassy plane. A tall castle smiled at me in the distance. Larkspurs bloomed by my feet. Even the brumal wind became kind, playing with my hair and dancing around me. My chest shook off a heaviness that I didn’t know was there. I was beginning laying down on tuffs of soft flowers, when a grim looking man appeared before me.

All at once a sharp noise ripped me out of the meadow, and in one swift motion destroyed my surroundings. Violating my mind with a cacophony of scratching chairs and people talking.

My eyes opened again.

“Class is over” a student said.

“Mhm” I replied.

The sharp frustration quickly turns into a glazed confusion. Every puzzle piece was there, just too far to put together. Seeking, already the safety and quietness to process. I staggered, put on my bag and then walked away, silently.