The air is fresh, filling your lungs with the feeling of satin, the gentle stinging of coldness and the faint hint of rain mixed with earth. The evergreen trees around you tower above your head, creating a canopy that blocks out all sky. It's impossible to tell if the object hanging above is gold or silver, even flashes of lightning could occur and you'd be none the wiser.
The first thing you notice is the sound of your heartbeat, calm and slow, against the stark contrast of the deafening silence. Your bare feet seem to bounce as you walk along the almost carpeted floor of the forest, thick with pine needles and emerald moss, taking you on their own volition deep into the seemingly never ending darkness.
You don't remember getting here, and if you try to think back you are met with a wall of darkness. You know that, logically, you should be scared right now, but you couldn't be more at ease, oddly enough. Your feet continue to propel yourself forward, twisting you around fallen trees and ferns as if you've walked this invisible path hundreds of times. Although it does feel familiar, the more you try to think about it the more and more foggy your memory becomes.
It feels like you've been walking forever when suddenly you come across a large clearing completely encircled by trees and your body stops in shock. It's a cloudless night, and the moon shines exceptionally bright. Illuminating the clearing, it reveals a pristine playground. It's eerie, since you haven't seen a road nearby, let alone anything that resembles civilization, yet this playground seems perfect, as if it was built only moments before you entered the clearing. Surrounding the playground is a gravel patch, encased in wooden planks, and a singular streetlight, just as out of place as this abandoned playground. You seem to be fully awake and in control of your body at this point, and your nerves seem to finally be on edge. Out of curiosity, you walk carefully toward the playground taking measured, slow steps.
As you advance on the playground, you start to inspect it. It has a detached swing set, multiple levels, a slide, and some monkey bars. On the second level, the entrance to the slide sits, and you notice some railing on the platform. Knowing that there isn't anything else for you to do, you start taking more confident steps forward. The calm wind gently brushes your auburn hair off of your shoulders, and ruffles your white nightgown that you don't remember acquiring. It isn't something that you normally wear in your wardrobe, and more importantly, you do not own one. The more and more awake you become, the more questions fill your mind. Where were you? Why were you here? How did you get here? The only thing that you were certain of at this point is that you were supposed to be here, you were not an intruder. The playground seemed almost inviting, as if it was calling your name and you simply couldn't hear it.
Nearly to the gravel patch now, you start to notice the quiet hum that filled the air. It was distinctly not coming from the singular lamppost, as you had noticed that the lamppost was in fact lit by a small candle, as opposed to normal daylight controlled ones that fill your town. Someone must've had to light it, you think to yourself as you walk closer to the swing set. The swings softly swayed in the wind, and you can't help but take the cold metal chain into your hand. With a quick glance around the area, assuring yourself that you were truly alone, you sit down on the wooden seat. Every kid has a favorite part to a playground, and while you weren't one to frequent a playground anymore, you can never resist the urge to fly through the sky, weightless on a swing. Pumping your legs slowly and with precision, by no time you soar through the air. The wind rushing through your long hair, the butterflies in you stomach and the feeling of flying quickly change the tone of the clearing, from ominous to light hearted and carefree. A loud, full belly laugh escapes your lips as you soar, and a childhood feeling of joy fills you entirely. You close your eyes, and focus on the up, the down, the pumping of your legs. You could've been swinging for hours, or minutes, just enjoying the simplicity of the action. Reaching the highest point of the swings scope on it's limited rope, you prepare yourself for the best part of the experience.
With one final strong pump with your legs, at the crest of the swing you jump out of the seat, reveling the feeling of pure weightlessness and detachment from the world and bracing for the harsh reality of the ground, when you notice something new.
A child stands in front of you. He definitely wasn't there when you had arrived, but he was as real as the cold seat of the swing and the strain in your legs. You were returning back to earth, plummeting towards the boy. You knew you would fall right onto him, and the feeling of shock and worry engulfed your whole body. He couldn't have been older than 12, with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes, which gleamed brilliantly under the moonlight. Gravity reached her hands around your body, pulling it closer and closer to the boy, as you resisted and started to pull away. It was relentless, the momentary battle between you and the primordial force, and you couldn't help but panic. Everything rushes towards you, you close your eyes, bracing for the feeling of body against body and the stinging of gravel on your skin, when something peculiar happens.
The feeling never comes. You know you've stopped moving, as the battle with gravity had ended, and you had assumed that the force had won, as it usually does. Continuing to squeeze your eyes tightly shut, you tentatively reach out your now still limbs for the reassurance of matter, when you hand collides with the fabric of the boy's similar white nightgown. Keeping your hand on the one solid and sure thing you had to grasp, you slowly open an eye to find a blue one right in front of yours. Un squinting your face and fully taking in your surroundings, you notice the second peculiar thing that night.
You were floating. Freezing in place, not even taking the chance to take a breath, lest it might notify gravity that you, had in fact won the never ending battle for once, you look straight ahead into the boys now familiar eyes. He stays silent, not bothered by your hand on his shoulder, letting you use him as anchor to reality. He calmly examines the look of shock on your face before uttering excitedly, "Jeez Ellie, I thought you'd never come visit again!".
