Quiet is the room. An open window welcomes the warm air and bright, afternoon sun in. Dust particles dance daintily across the sunlight, giving off a divine gleam. In the centre of the room lies a small bed whose soft, silky sheets are set ever so neatly over it. As you lie resting, your head cushioned by that pappy pillow, your eyes fix themselves to the ever wondrous ceiling, as your ears are serenaded by that sweet, subdued, and utter silence.
Your conscience begins to wander as you gaze up at that ceiling, its white, spotless surface a blank canvas for your imagination to indulge in - your eyes a pen, your mind the ink, your illustrations only limited by your aspirations. A picture etches itself onto the porous page. Like a series of cracks, the picture erupts into life and covers the ceiling with its beautiful creations. Colossal snow-topped mountains encompass a lush, green, vibrant valley. In the middle of the valley, like a length of royal, cerulean ribbon, runs a river. You are soon captivated by the sight of such things, so much so, that you seem to fall into the image itself. The cool wind, sails smoothly across your skin, as you descend into this nirvana. your body drifts in the air like a feather, as your senses transmit messages of bliss and satisfaction. You float gently above the river before coming to a complete stop. A small, brown boat appears, and you land on it with a faint creak, your descent into wonderland accomplished. Sitting in the vesssel, you gently rock side to side. You notice that the oars are bound to the craft's edges and you slowly set the free. Lying face up on the floor of your vessel, you marvel at the white fluffy clouds overhead and the blue sky beyond it, as you float down an aqueous path of serene mystery.
For what seems like an eternity, you float down the river. Opulent green reeds bow over, as if welcoming you. The sound of croaking frogs and chirping crickets sing for you, welcoming you to this paradise. Your body embarks on a physical hiatus as your mind revels in the view. You soon notice that a fine mist clouds your vision, but you don't think much of it. Soon the mist gets thicker and you are no longer able to see the white fluffy clouds or the blue sky beyond them. You jog your body back to work and sit up with much effort. Looking around you find that the mist has surrounded you. All has gone quiet. Unable to see what is ahead you begin to worry. You grip the sides of the vessel tightly as your breathing intensifies and heart races. Your anxiety grows when suddenly the smell of food creeps up your nostrils.
You sit there for a moment contemplating the smell; it makes your stomach rumble. Your nose follows the smell, leading your line of sight to a clearing in the mist. There you see the shore, and on it a massive pile of food, almost as large as the snow-topped mountains. You shift your body into the direction of it. Mounds of freshly baked pies, pastries and sweets cause your mouth to water and your hunger to grow. Just as you consider leaving your boat for the heap of delicacies,
what looks to be a bunch of small, malnourished children appears. You stay where you are, the boat rocking gently as you watch the children feebly claw at the food.
Slowly, the children begin consuming the food and you watch in amazement as their bodies grow to the size of fully developed adults. You observe the feasting creatures as their bodies transform and mutate even further. They soon come to resemble swine as their feeding frenzy continues, beating and contesting each other for the few morsels of food that remain. Watching in horror, you begin to retch as their filth begins to seep out of their festering skin. A putrid gas permeates the air and fills your lungs. Gagging and choking on the noxious gas you fall back into your vessel and shut your eyes tight, the squeals and smells of rancid swine become distant as you slowly drift further down the river.
The sound of your boat creaking and the water gently splashing against it accompany your thoughts of waht you have just seen. Lost in a haze of your own conscience you keep your eyes closed tight. A faint chinking noise intrudes your thoughts and causes your eyes to open. the sound becomes sharper and louder to the point that it is deafening. Peeking above the side of your vessel, you see a large gaping hole in the shore. Thousands upon thousands of gold coins gush out of the opening in the ground like a fountain. You watch in awe with your mouth ajar as the coins begin to pile into large golden masses. A feeling in your bones tempts you to go ashore and take some of the gold yourself, when a group of well dressed men appear from the darkness of the mist. Hiding back in your boat, you observe them carefully. Like mindless zombies, the men began shoveling loads of gold coins into their pockets. Watching with curiosity you see the men fill their pockets, yet still continue stuffing them, causing the pockets to enlarge and expand with each handful they shovel in. Bewildered, you continue to view the spectacle; their pockets soon become the size of large bean bags. You then notice that their feet are slowly sinking into the ground from the weight of their treasure, yet they continue on packing the handfuls of gold - oblivious to the doom they bring to themselves. Soon they are buried up to their knees, hips, chest right up until only their heads are visible. Their arms flailing wildly in the air, their hands full of gold coins, they are swallowed up into the ground. Slumping back in disbelief you drift slowly away, further down the river.
Lying in the boat once again, immersed in contemplation, you look toward the sky. What is this place? Who were those people? Why did such things happen? You ask, as if expecting an answer from another. But nothing happens. The gentle rocking and light lapping of the water calms your sense once again. Still staring towards the heavens, the mist slowly thins, and eventually clears, revealing the cool cover of the night. UFO's and interstellar satellites zoom, celestially, between shimmering stars. You give them a wave and wonder if they'll ever signal back, if they could even see you in your little brown boat floating down a river, which runs through a lush green valley, surrounded by clossal snow-topped mountains. These existential thoughts replace the deep contemplation of recent happenings, and you soon forget those things ever occured.
Your heart now at ease and your mind off of past events you begin to relax. A crisp breeze blows by, causing the hairs on the back of your neck to stand. You sit up, cuddling yourself as you take in the cool evening air, the great mountains like ghosts looming in the background, the valley covered in a dark grey blanket. A soft song resonates in the air and finds its way home to your soul. Turning your head you find the source of such aura. A girl sits on top of a decomposing log, her lips quiver as she delivers a pantomime of melody. Her perfect skin, untainted by cloth, illuminates in the moonlight. Hair, as dark as the deepest trenches of the sea, but as long, flowing and smooth as the river you drift upon, lays upon her shoulders.
Her song still strong in the air, your heart overflows and you long to be with her. Creeping up to the edge of the boat, you look down at the running river. The tranquil waters flow freely, slowly carrying your vessel with it. Taking one look back at your little brown boat that has taken you so far, you plunge head first into the river.
Reaching the shore, drenched, you make your way through the thick grass, her son leading you towards her. The air is cold, as you walk, but the emotions that run through you fuel your ambition. You see her, her glowing body, salient among the dark surroundings. You feel your shoes getting lighter with each step, as if you could walk for miles, as you get closer.
The song still echoing in your heart you finally reach her.
A moment passes before she turns to face you. Her vivid green eyes, filled with an unknown sorrow, stare deep into yours. For that single moment your souls entwine, sharing tales of a thousand years of love, life and pain. Looking in her eyes and admiring her beauty; her soft nose, smooth cheeks and crimson lips seem to cry out to you. A single tear drops from her eye "Lover, you shouldn't of come over", she painfully tells you.
A look of confusion distorts your face as a deafening explosion blows you off your feet. Looking behind you, the colossal mountains begin to collapse, and commodius crevices erupt through the valley. Your little brown boat is swallowed by the river and soon spat out as splinters as the river spews itself across the land. Shaken, you lift yourself up off the ground amidst the chaos. You look toward where your lover once sat, to find that she has disappeared. Your heart plunges into despair as the world you created crumbles around you. You call out to her, emotion incased in every cry, but to no avail. She is gone.
Quiet is the room. An open window lets the rain in. In the centre of the room lies a small bed whose soft, silky sheets are thrown slovenly over it. There you wake up from your slumber with a snort, almost instantly forgetting the world you had just visited. Rubbing your eyes you slowly get up and shake your head. Figuring out how your body functions again you slump towards the window and shut it, your fleet slightly dampened by a small puddle on the floor. Lying back onto your bed, you look up to the ceiling trying to remember what you'd dreamt, but you're only met with a white, spotless surface. A single memory is all that is left. A pair of emerald eyes and crimson lips burns brightly in your mind. You don't know who they belong to and why you remember them, but you feel as though you know them, that there's a story behind them.
Maybe, you'll meet again with whomever they belong to.
Maybe, just maybe, further down the river.
