Awake
an excerpt

Awake. My eyes drift open. Hazy, at first, my vision clears to see clear visions of bunnies and puppies in the clouds just above my head. The faint scent of freshly cut grass rides a breeze, tickling the trees as they pass, to me, and I realize I am lying in a field of green and yellow. It’s beautiful here.

Despite the beauty, I know something is off. I can’t quite understand, but I shouldn’t be here. I don’t remember lying down in a field to nap. I don’t even live near a field. So, what is wrong? I felt the edge of panic trying to catch a hold of me. Suppressing the fear, I sat up and attempted to remember how I came to be in this place.

The panic creeps closer. I can’t even remember what I did last night. What else can’t I remember? I remember where I’m from, my family, and my friends. I remember that I like chocolate. Do I remember last week? I close my eyes, as if closing my eyes will help me think.

I return to the position I awoke in. Lying down, tears on the verge of escaping, I force myself to calm down. Breathe in deep. I opened my eyes again.

A faceless shadow, blocking the sun, looked down on me.

“There you are,” said the shadow.

I sat up, and he held out his hand to help me stand. As I rose, the shadow’s face grew brighter. His black eyes matched his black hair, a pretty boyish face resisting age. Never before had I seen such a skinny man. I’d heard the saying before, the one about how someone is so skinny that if they turned sideways they’d disappear. It sounds exaggerated, but in his case, rather accurate.

We locked eyes and stood staring for what seemed to be hours, but was really only a second.

I broke my gaze, looking to the ground. As I had no idea where I was or how I’d gotten there, I said, “I think I’m lost.”

The young man laughed. At first a giggle, but the giggle gradually became loud and joyous laughter. “How ironic,” he said.