"Dreamland" by Emily B.

 

Another horrible day at school. I was completely sure I failed that biology quiz and,like I thought, nobody sat with me at lunch. I saw my “friends” snicker past me, as I wished I was anywhere but there. However, my mind was too busy thinking about him to even mind them. I know he had heard the rumor about me and was probably making a joke out of it like the rest of the school. Why wouldn’t he? I was a joke. I never had a chance with him anyway. The connection I thought we had was probably all in my head. I tend to fantasize my life like that often. I should probably stop.

 

            I walked home from the bus stop, holding the pamphlet my counselor handed me during my sixth period. What a discreet way to announce that I need a therapist. “A therapist isn’t gonna help.”, I mumbled to myself. I just needed to get home, get in bed, and watch some Netflix or something. This whole thing was gonna blow over.. I was sure of it. When I got home, I didnt say a word to anyone and just headed to my room. I got comfortable and was about to play a movie, when I realized how tired I was. That’s usually the case when I’ve been crying. I closed my eyes and was soon asleep. I think.

 

            The first sensation I felt was stinging. It wasn’t strong, but more like when salt enters a wound. I hadn’t remembered opening a window, but I had goosebumps all along my body from the gusts of cool air coming into my room. I was hearing… waves crashing? I still hadn’t opened my eyes. I was afraid to. I could feel my eyes burning from the bright sun that, surprisingly, was still out. I finally gathered the courage to open my eyes and take a look around my surroundings. The first thought that came to mind was, “I’ve been kidnapped. Mom was right about me not being careful.” However, that didn’t make any sense to me, considering I was literally in the safety of my bedroom. I uncovered myself from a blanket I had never seen before, to find that I was wearing a tunic of some kind. “What kind of sick game is this?”, I thought. I walked around what looked like my room until I noticed the missing wall. Outside the wall was the most beautiful beach I had ever seen. The ocean had been my favorite since I can remember, and at that moment, I felt safe.

 

            I decided to walk along the beach and see if I could find anyone else there. Another girl around my age walked out of what seemed like the water. At this point, I’m thinking “I’ve been drugged.”  She was the most beautiful person I had ever seen. The sweet girl welcomed me to what she referred to as Elysia. At that moment, I was convinced I was dead. I had read about the Elysian Fields in Greek Mythology and how it was a part of the Afterlife. The girl, who actually never gave me her name, reassured me that Elysia was merely a place of peace, where girls like us could go to enjoy each other's company and be harmonious. “No boy drama? Nice.” As perfect as that sounded, considering my current situation back home, I knew I couldn’t stay forever.

 

            The sun was already setting, after I had spent the day at the beach with a few more girls, all glowing with life. I felt like I stuck out, seeing as though I had been miserable for the past couple weeks, but something was different about me too. I didn’t have a gloom over me. How could I? I was in paradise. I decided it was time to clean myself up before I went back home.. Once I figured out how. The strange part was,  I couldn't find any of my mirrors. Same thing with my electronics and makeup. Had I lost them? Had the girls taken them? Then I slowly realized; I hadnt seen any electronics all day, nor did any of the girls wear makeup. They all kind of glowed from within, with their natural features enhanced by the sun. Given up on the fact I won’t be going home tonight, I went to bed. The salty breeze and crashing waves sang to me as I dozed off, excited for the next day in Elysia.

 

            A subconsious part of me knew I would not be waking up in Elysia. It was just too good to be true. There I was; laying in my completely mundane, 4-sided room in the suburbs. My alarm on my phone had woken me up and I knew the fantasy was over. I was not too disappointed, however. Although not a perfect beach, it was a beautiful day out. My experience in Elysia gave me hope for better days here. The girls also said that I could come back whenever the frigid stares and seclusion became too much, or at least until it died down, which they reassured me that it would. That comfort of knowing I have a safe place to escape to, gave me the confidence to tackle the day. It was all thanks to my dreamland.