Dream With Me

I stepped out into the fog of twilight where the world had just darkened into the blackness of night. It was something that I did every night. My mother and father disagreed about this, one saying it was “dangerous and reckless” the other claiming it will help me through this “difficult time.” The doctors who came to see me encouraged it. I needed this alone time away from the world.

I wandered up the ancient stone path that lead me through the forest to my place. It was covered in green moss, making it slippery, but I knew my way around that by now. The moon, now a bright beacon in the sky, was my guide along the winding path. It cast long shadows between the trees and across the pine-needle covered floor of the forest. The shadows whispered to me, telling each other of my secrets, my failures, my troubles.

They always did this.

The whispers became louder, more offensive. I ran, tearing away from the voices around me, the shadows that chased me. I covered my ears with my hands, trying to block them out but the voices seeped through the cracks between my fingers. The deep greens and browns of the forest swirled around me as I darted my way along the path. The once whispers were now howls and roars of discontent and complaint. They didn’t want me here; no-one did.

I glanced up as tears filled my eyes and I realized I could see my place from here. I was almost there. The voices overwhelmed me. I closed my eyes, screaming silently, and ran towards my place. Finally, I broke free of the trees. The shadows leapt at me, trying to grab me and pull me back, but they couldn’t go any further than their roots would let them. I turned away from the murky forest and opened my eyes to the tranquillity of the scene in front of me. My place. The forest ended just metres from a cliff. A dead drop into the swirling black waves below. They crashed onto rocks scattered at the bottom of the cliff in a white foam before disappearing altogether.

I stood on the edge of the cliff, silently marvelling at the black expanse in front of me. One half was studded with silver sequins of light and the other trimmed with white threads that came and went at their pleasure. I felt like I was standing on the edge of the world. One false move and it would be the end of my world.

A rustle behind me reminded me that I was not alone. The shadows would never leave me and would be eagerly awaiting my return. I didn’t look at them, knowing the satisfaction it would give them if I did.

Suddenly, hands wrapped around my waist. A cry of alarm stuck in my throat. But somehow, I wasn’t scared, I felt safe. I looked behind me and saw a boy. Tall, blonde hair, smiling at me. He seemed familiar but I didn’t know where I’d met him before. I think he reminded me of someone who was no longer near me.

The boy rested his head on my shoulder, burying his head into my neck. His arms tightened around my waist and I leant back into him. After what felt like an eternity, he let me go. The boy took my hand and led me down a path in the cliff that seemed to appear just as we drew close to it. He took me to a dark cave and let go of my hand, leaving me alone once again. A match flared and a fire was lit in the middle of the small cave. My boy beckoned me over and placed his hands on my shoulders. He spun me around, once, twice, three times, and steadied me. I gazed at the cave surrounding me. The orange light of the fire reflected off the stone walls in every colour imaginable. Blues, greens, purples and pinks. I was embraced by a storm of light. My boy watched me, smiling as I stared in awe at the rainbow that engulfed us.

All at once, we were back on the cliff top, the beautiful light suddenly replaced by a suffocating blackness. I stood, facing him and the ocean. He held out his hands, palms up, which still held some of the colourful glow of the cave in the form of a tiny glass teardrop on a necklace. The shadows between the trees withdrew from the light, I could walk back into that forest without fear now. My boy looked into my eyes, the gateway to my soul. He reached his hands up and clasped the necklace around my neck.

“Dream with me,” he whispered in my ear.

I stood in wonder and nodded, murmuring my consent.

He turned around and, with one last knowing smile, dived over the edge of the cliff. I rushed to the cliff and peered over the edge, knowing full well what I expected to see. But all that remained was glitter, suspended in mid-air, swimming in the glow of a thousand colours.

I turned around, now full of strength. I knew it was time to go back so, with one last glance at the fading colours behind me, I stepped once again into the forest, my worst enemy. I reached up and touched the necklace at my throat and bravery surged through me. The shadows receded when they saw the light and the hope that was in me. With every step, I grew stronger, no longer scared.

Author's Note

Hope you enjoyed, a little of what I'm feeling at the moment in that cryptic way we authors love :P Just needed to write out my feeling for my boy <3 he's moved away for a few months at the moment and I'm really feeling it :'( I might enter this story in the SAETA Young Writers Award (South Australian Writing competition for those of you who don't know) but we'll see how it goes.

Love you all! 

~ Mitay