Pursuing Happiness

Pursuing Happiness: Chapter 5

Chapter 5 -Troubling visions

~Sry, i haven't uploaded for a while,plz mind my mistakes, i am in kind of a hurry. 

enjoy :) 

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Dreaming ~

I was walking through a forest, soft leaves underfoot muffling my footsteps. Everything was colourful. Plants in vivid colours were glowing and sparkling in the moonlight. Strange and wonderful creatures hid in the undergrowth peering out with curious eyes. I walked until my legs tired and stopped for a rest. While I rested my legs, wheezing through my also tired lungs, I noticed I was in a clearing. More bright flowers coloured the mystical trees in wreaths hanging from the branches. The trees swayed in time with the rhythm of a flute. In the middle of the clearing there were people dancing, in bright dresses with swirls that went from the waist down to their ankles. The men wore black pants and a vest, but each shirt underneath was unique and covered in rings of different colours. Shadows instead of dimming the atmosphere, lightened it showering the clearing in shades of silver, white and grey. Amongst the dancing people, were fairies; with shimmering gossamer wings and gold circlets placed delicately on glossy ringlets of hair.

Suddenly howling was heard and the flute playing stopped abruptly. I briefly wondered what was this place, and what the hell was I doing here. I didn't ponder on it, because I realised I was in danger of something that was coming right at the people. But amazingly in 2 seconds flat, they had all fled leaving me alone and scared. Screams sounded in the distance, and I realised that was my cue to leave, so I pinched myself hard on the arm "Come on, wake up," I whispered desperately at the air. But the only reply that I received was shadows that slowly slithered towards me, coiling itself around my ankles. Once mesmerizing and silver, they were now black and sharp tightening their painful grip on me. I screamed and grabbed the shadow, throwing it to the ground. Then I ran for my life.

Back to reality ~

I woke up in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. Was that a dream? It was so vivid I could almost recall the melodious tune the flute had been playing. I actually felt like I belonged somehow. How does that work? I wondered but then a ringing sound filled my ears clearing my mind of strange and fantastical visions.  

Caitlin's hand slammed down on the alarm clock with enough force that it tumbled down from the bedside table narrowly missing my head. "Good morning, sleepy head," I teased as she groggily turned over and pulled the doona cover up to her chin. She sat up in fright, "Relax, it's just me," I said, hoping that it will soothe her. "Morn...*yawn*....ing!" she replied, showing her tonsils and pendulum as she yawned. "Did you sleep well?" she asked noticing how tired I looked and felt. "Not really, my sleeping companion snored," I replied, grinning. She laughed "Well, it runs in the family," she said as snoring echoed around the hall and came into the bedroom under the crack between the closed door and the carpet. I glanced at the clock; 5:25 AM, plenty of time, as school started at 8:45 AM. I quickly rolled off my mattress and folded my borrowed sleeping bag in one smooth movement, as Caitlin clumsily climbed out of bed and tucked her doona, into the mattress. We slowly crept towards the door and I inched it open slowly with my toe, and then Caitlin and I crept out into the corridor, down the staircase and into the kitchen just avoiding the creaky parts of the floor.

Once we had sat down and had breakfast, we crept back up the stairs gaining a bucket half full of water on the way. We then slowly nudged Ian's door open and tip toed like spies to his bed. Caitlin held a finger on her lips and counted to three with her fingers. On three we tipped the bucket and the contents of the bucket sloshed out right above the peaceful face of Ian as he was sleeping. The water cascaded in a waterfall of light hitting Ian right in the face. We ran out of the room not caring if we had made noise or not anymore. We scrambled through the corridor back into Caitlin's room with the door firmly shut. We fought for air as we burst into hysterical laughter, "That was hilarious!" Caitlin managed to gasp out. I nodded in reply because my face muscles were fatigued from laughing and smiling so much in the past 5 seconds. I then suggested we probably should get ready for school so I got changed, gathered my pyjamas and books and stuffed them into my school bag until the seams protested with the pressure of so much junk. I slung it upon my shoulder and trudged down the corridor and stairs stepping over the wet footprints left on the floor. Luckily Ian was too proud to admit he was bested by girls so he didn't tell his mum about the prank, so we didn't get in trouble. So when we went to the kitchen and hid around the corner we saw Ian talking to Caitlin's mum like nothing happened although water was dripping from his head and shoulders. I bit down hard on my finger until I drew blood. It was all I could do not to start rolling on the floor in laughter again.

8:20 AM the clock screamed. Damn. It was time to leave for school i thought as Caitlin received a wet kiss on her cheek from her mum and a smirk from her brother. We marched out the door. Left foot, right foot, left foot, right until we reached the car and leaped in, landing exactly in the middle of the seats. "Sup? How was the sleep over?" Raymond asked the moment we entered the car. This set me and Caitlin laughing again while Raymond stared on, bewilderment overtaking curiosity on his face.  

Because the ride to school from Caitlin's house took longer than from my house, I thought it wouldn't matter if I had a short power nap. So I closed my eyes and slipped into dreamland, once again.

Dreaming~

I was in the forest again, but this time the dream was different. I was in the clearing already and the twirl of dancers were the same, but the atmosphere was different; subdued somehow, like there was something missing. I braced myself for the howls, the terrifying shadows slithering up my legs. But there was none, so I let myself relax and enjoy the rhythm of the song. I swayed here and there and finally worked up the nerve to join the dancing, and as I walked closer; I observed glowing mushrooms of every size and colour, animals dancing as well as humans, and fairies. This puzzled me for I did not notice any animals or glowing mushrooms in the throng of colourful people before. I was swaying in time to the rhythm and moving forward at the same time, when the crowd parted and I saw a girl.

A beautiful girl lying at the base of a willow tree; her golden blonde hair was resting in ringlets down to her waist; which was adorned with precious jewels and gems which shimmered in the moonlight, like teardrops. She had a diamond crown daintily placed on her head and was wearing a red dress that clung to her curves and swirled down past her waist in a series of pleats. She wore a belt also, which suspiciously looked like woven silver. A silver dagger was placed in her right hand, and she had her left hand placed on top of her right. Her feet were bare and covered in purple spots and red lines. As I drew in closer I noticed that they were in fact shallow cuts and bruises crisscrossing over the heels of her feet. I slowly raised my eyes from her feet to her face and almost gasped. She was even prettier than I thought, gazing in envy at her face; although I didn't usually care what I looked like, she was just soo beautiful, I could image boys swooning the moment they saw her. Her lips were a perfect shade of cherry pink that Alanna would kill for, her cheeks a soft rosy colour and a pale face that matched 2 perfectly blonde arched eyebrows. Some one even had the courtesy to apply red eye shadow to her face. Once I had finished observing this angel; this perfect being, I realized she wasn't breathing. I stared at her chest, almost willing it to rise and fall so she could tell me the secret of her abnormal beauty. Maybe it was the power of wishful thinking, but she did breathe her chest rising up and falling again in the rhythm of a song only she knew. So she was merely sleeping, I thought but for how long? How did she hurt her feet? I wondered noticing I was not the only one who was curious to know what had happened, because I could hear them murmuring "Will she wake up, she wake up, wake up..........."

Reality~

"Wake up!" Caitlin whispered into my ear, while shaking me. "Whaaaaa....ttt....isssittt?" I asked, my mouth suddenly dry as I peered around the car, waiting for the dots of bright colours to make way to clear images as my eyes adjusted. Wow. That was one dream, I thought. I could barely make myself wake up; I was too curious, I wanted to know what happening. How could a world so wonderful have so much darkness, and mystery? "Lillianna, we're here!" Caitlin said, startling me out of my reverie. I glanced sharply to my left, and sure enough the drab school grounds and faded blue gate appeared in view as the car stopped. Raymond turned the engine off and pulled the keys out with a metallic clang all in one smooth movement as he was getting out of his chair, while Caitlin and I jumped out, energy renewed with the fact that we can giggle with Alanna about the events of the night before. We waved to Raymond who went straight to the toilets to relieve his bladder, (apparently) and trudged to our form room already giggling as we met up with Alanna on the way. But what I really wanted to tell them was about something else, something I could barely even comprehend. But I went along with it, enjoying the feeling of content, laughter always granted me.