PART I

~

I was exhausted. Too tired to turn the lights on, I stumbled through the door of my empty apartment. My groggy mind was treated with the familiar sensations of my house. It was wonderfully warm inside, and it smelled like home. I sighed and shut the door behind me, the world with it. Making my way along the dark hallway, I traced the wall with my sweaty fingers as I kicked my shoes off. The room lit up briefly as a car passed by, its eyes scanned the wall; invading my home. The passage dark again, I found my way to my room, where I proceeded to pull my socks off. I dared not turn the light on, as it would surely blind me. Before wiping the wetness off my brow with a towel, I realized I was not wearing my glasses. But it did not matter. I didn’t need them where I was going. I didn’t have the will to change or brush my teeth. The pull of sleep; sweet, endless slumber, was calling me. I fell on the bed in defeat.

The unmistakable sound of shattering glass invaded my ears. My mind first turned to anger; then fear. I opened my eyes, listening. More sounds. Rustling. I was fully awake now, my heart pumping blood to my straining ears. I slipped out of bed, hoping to catch a glimpse of the intruder. Padding down the hallway with bare feet, I paused, remembering the floor’s most irritable spots. Carefully treading my way through what I hoped was my empty house, I frowned, overcome with a feeling of longing. For what, I did not know.

The beginning of my strange journey began there, in my kitchen. A warm breeze ruffled my hair; the smell of rain rose to my nostrils. Petrichor, I recalled. That was what they called it. I came upon my kitchen window, in which the jagged remnants of the glass that once existed clung to the frame like a dying artist. Instead of shards, the linoleum was carpeted with dark, rich dirt. I frowned again, noticing that it was not as dark as before, and the light was growing. I looked back, to my horror. Purple flames danced in strange patterns; violet spider webs that caressed the walls, without visible damage. The eerie, flickering lighting made me tremble and sweat, the hair on the back of my neck rose, my body tensed with each passing second. The smell of fear was in the air, or perhaps it was simply an addition of my imagination. The black, vacant window beckoned me with terrible power.

I stepped forward, not of my own accord. Some strange feeling swept over me, a wave of assurance that carried me to the window, through the sill, and into the night. The first sensation of this new world was that of the cold earth that met my naked toes. As before, a warm wind tickled my cheeks and tousled my hair. With it came the sound of rustling, and the feeling of being watched. As my eyes adjusted to the low, golden light, I smelled something I knew; yet could not distinguish. At last I decided. It was the smell of an imminent storm. At this point shapes were starting to form behind my eyes as they adjusted to the dim light. Movement. I could also sense a vastness surrounding me, as one can when stepping into a large, dark room. I shivered – despite the warm breeze.

It came slowly to my eyes; quickly to my mind. I was standing on a low hill, and before me lay a field of gold. The sky was dark, while ominous clouds watched my lone figure. Here and there, golden spears of light pierced the sheet of gloom, and descended onto what I now discerned was a field of wheat. Suddenly, rational thoughts arrived. Where was I? This was not my yard – nor my city. I turned to the window, only to find what I had seen in front of me. Endless fields – save for one thing. There, in the distance, was a large X. I was intrigued, but not to the point of foolishness. I had to get back – but how? The dust in my mind was being swept away with the wind. I pinched myself, despite knowing that this was all too real to be a dream. Was I going mad? The only thing behind my house was another, and another. The suburbs. Not some kind of field. I shook my head and swore. There was only one thing to do.

The large ‘X’ felt so far away; after trudging for 15 minutes on the cold soil path that split the sea of grain in two, it seemed no closer than before. Then it started raining. Soon this evolved into a mature monsoon, making my journey even more arduous. The stalks around me were forced to bow down before the tempest. I could barely see a few footsteps ahead of me, both the rain and wind were against me. By now it was quite cold, and the earth beneath my bare feet was turning into mud. I broke into a run, abandoning all reason. Fear gripped my mind. Out of the darkness, a behemoth appeared. My heart seemed to stop, and I slipped and fell backward into the mud.

A massive windmill loomed above me, a fortress of raw power. I lay in the muck, recovering. I reasoned with myself, weighing the options in my mind. It was an easy decision to enter, but doing so would take some courage. I pulled myself up, a disgraceful wreck compared to earlier in the day. Was it even the same day? I cautiously made my way to the door, and thrust out an arm to pull the door. Before it touched I had changed my mind, and proceeded to knock instead. Nothing. Again I knocked, against my better judgement. It was all crazy; this. Again I snapped into the present, and yanked the door open. It was dry inside, but dark and cold. “Hello?” I called, despite being sure no one was there. My ears suddenly caught the sound of soft footsteps, at the far end of the building. “Hello?” I called again. It was coming towards me. A child’s voice broke the silence.

“Haven’t you figured it out yet?” Terrified, I backed through the crack of the large door,

back into the rain. “Wait!” It called. I stood in the rain, soaked to the skin. I could see into the darkness of the windmill, and hear the footsteps coming closer. A flare of a match and the accompanying gleam lit up the face of a boy. It strongly resembled that of my younger brother.

“Who are you? Come out here!” I demanded. He emerged, the dim glow revealing a boy of no more than 16. His body was extraordinarily muscular, a trait that did not match his voice or demeanor.

“Haven’t you figured it out yet?” he repeated, incredulously.

“Figured out what?” I spat, getting frustrated. “Who are you, and how do I get home?”

my voice rising. He remained calm, and answered.

“Defeat me, and return. Give up, and you must go on.”

“What are you talking about?” I screamed at the odd man-child, throwing my arms to the

angry sky. He simply stared, until he repeated his bizarre challenge.

“Defeat me, and return. Give up, and you must go on.” This was, of course, madness.

Realizing that I simply must play along, I answered.

“How?” His reaction was immediate. There, in the pouring rain, he knelt, his face twisted in concentration.

“You must defeat me in hand-to-hand combat. Do you accept?”

“No!” I answered shrilly, flustered. Backing away, I tried to calm him down. “I’ll just

take the ‘give up’ option, or whatever.”

“Very well. This is your final choice?”

“Yeaahh…” I slowly replied, squinting. The child’s voice rang through the night, with

one final sentence. “So be it.”

PART II

~

I awoke slowly.

My senses returned one at a time. It was smell that returned first, filling my nostrils with salty air and the soft stench of seaweed. After a moment, an endless expanse of stars stretched across my vision, and father moon revealed the area around my prone body as I struggled to sit up. I was in a boat. Not a boat like what I was familiar with, but a proper ship, from the days of old. It was motionless, not even drifting as far as I could tell. The silence was overwhelming.

I seemed to be at the rear of the boat, up on the quarterdeck. From the foggy depths of my mind, a memory emerged. I recalled my encounter with the man-child and the stormy night. It was a dream, surely. But this?

On my feet, I studied my surroundings. It was dusk, the air perfectly still. The ocean, everything. I made my way to the railing, and peered over the edge. Far below, my dishevelled face peered back. Not a single ripple disturbed the glass upon which the ship rested. This continued for as far as the eye could see, in every direction. The vessel was constructed entirely of wood, and in front of me two massive masts poked the starry sky. I ventured a wary call. “Hello?”

It’s a strange thing when we act despite the knowledge that our actions are futile.

I felt strange. At peace. I did not bother wondering why such a normal thing could feel so odd. I sat down again, and closed my eyes. Nothing to worry about at all. Nothing. Nothing at all.

~

Someone was shaking me, gently. “Wake up.” A soft, older voice met my ears.

“H-hello?” I spluttered, squinting in the dark.

“I have an important message for you.” It was an old man, kneeling beside my sleeping body. I rose to my elbows for better look.

“Dad?” Even before he replied, I knew it wasn’t him. His voice was all wrong.

“I am not your father. I have an important message for you.” He reiterated sternly.

“Where am I?” I demanded, disregarding what he had said. He, in turn, did the same.

“I am here to reason with you. This ship is leaving now. You must come with me.” He spoke his final sentence slowly, with great effect. Ever so slowly, the sheet of stars were drifting across the sky. The ship was moving through the black water, without leaving a single ripple in its wake.

“Where are we going?” Standing now, I towered over the older man.

“It doesn’t matter. You don’t want to go there. I’m telling you, we have to leave NOW.” He spat.

I didn’t want to leave. Here, it was…safe. “I-I can’t go. Not now. This place is peaceful; I realize now it’s all I ever wanted.” I was surprised to find a solitary tear making it’s way down my cheek.

“Alright.” he replied, without a hint of emotion.

I wiped my face with my sleeve and looked down at his sullen face. Or I would, except he wasn’t there. The man had disappeared in a soundless, motionless instant.

A great weight settled on my shoulders as all my energy vaporized – as the man did. I fell face down into the polished deck, a loud crack breaking the silence as my nose broke. My face was wet again.

I was lying there, but I was not. I rose somehow, witnessing my own body upon the deck. A slow spiral upwards left me with a breathtaking scene. A polished black sea surrounded the grand ship, which slowly drifted into nothingness as I did the same.

Alright.

PART III

~

It was sudden and without warning. My eyes were open and I was assaulted with a variety of sensations. I was standing, frozen with surprise. The most immediate observation was that of strange, amorphous blobs of colour which slowly swam past me in a uniform and constant flow towards a large, arched entrance way. I appeared to be in the very centre of a public building. The high, vaulted glass ceiling made me feel unimportant; the inattention of the blobs around me seemed to echo this sentiment. I had not moved, only observing my surroundings. A low, indistinguishable chatter filled the chamber, similar to the murmur of a rumour passing through a large crowd. An ornate clock rested above the archway, seemingly broken as both hands hung at six. As the strange shapes drifted towards it, I caught a glimpse of their destination, and immediately realized where I was. The most grand steam engine I had ever seen rested upon its tracks, filling with amorphous passengers like a mother goose ushering its goslings underneath its metal wings. Made of polished gold and steel, it demanded attention, towering over all its surroundings. The name ‘Glory’ was emblazoned upon the boiler, and what a glory it was. A great puff of steam issued from its undercarriage, and for a moment every blob disappeared like souls in the morning fog. I was content to watch this scene unfold, and felt as if eternity could not dull the perfect view I witnessed.

“BRIINNGGG” A telephone disturbed everything, stabbing my peace in the ear. “BRINNNGG” It came from my left. I turned to see a solitary red phone sitting on an ornate mahogany table. I moved towards the obnoxious noise. Or, rather, tried to. My legs, arms, everything; they moved as if in slow motion. I agonizingly made my way over to the table, threading through the amorphous blobs that blotted the polished marble. Pushing my realization aside, I picked up the phone as quickly as I could.

“Hello?” I asked. Looking down, I noticed the telephone was not connected in any way. I had no chance to think about this or any other business of life before he responded.

“Hello.”

“Who is this? I’m convinced this is a dream and I want to wake up.” I stated with purpose. I had had enough.

“I am you,” said my tinny voice on the other end of the line. “And I’m here to help. You know how to wake up. You have a choice, you always have.”

“I-I don’t know what to say. I need to have a think. Everything’s been so muddled.” I scrunched my face in frustration. When I opened my eyes, both the table and phone had disappeared. I was not in the least surprised. I glanced over at the train. It beckoned with terrible power. I thought of my life thus far, my failed relationships, and my failed life.

I stood staring, transfixed by the chance at a new beginning, a fresh start.

The whistle blew, but needlessly; for mind was already made.

~

THE END