The day was starting off with quite a chill. I was beginning to regret leaving my bomber jacket behind. Crossing my arms over my chest in an attempt to keep the chill away, I gazed out the bus window. The sun was just starting to peak out over the horizon. I hope it'll be warmer later today..., I thought. On the plus side, at least it didn't look like it was going to rain.
The bus came to a stop at the train station. Everyone hastily left the vehicle and made a bee line to the train waiting at the platform. I scrunched up my nose and made a face, not really feeling like going to school today. Everyday was the same old routine, with very little variation in between. I wish something out of the ordinary could happen. This I chanted like a mantra in my head just as I did almost every morning as I boarded the train that would take me to the academy. Little did I know what kind of power those words had.
Three lectures and a group study session later, I was on my break. Finally. My next lecture wasn't for another three hours. The day had warmed up generously during the time I was inside. So I decided to go for a walk.
Feeling a little adventurous I deviated from my usual route and took a path that led to the back of an older building than was scheduled to be torn down within the next few months. No one was ever in that area any more. The classrooms and the space around the building had been neglected for weeks now.
I smiled to myself, Finally, some down time. Maybe I could find a good spot to just sit and nap for a while.
Funny enough there it was. A large oak tree where the grass within at least a two meter radius around its base had not been over run with weeds. Perfect! I sat myself down with my back against the trunk and closed my eyes.
Psst!
Psst!
Hey you!
It had gotten a bit warmer and rays of light were filtering through the tree's canopy when I opened my eyes. Was that voice part of a dream? I checked my watch to find that I had only been asleep for twenty minutes.
Psst!
Okay definitely not a dream. I got up, gave a little stretch and looked around.
Psst! Come here.
I didn't recognize the voice so I thought that maybe it was one of the younger kids playing a prank on me. I followed the voice further into the forest (or at least it looked like a forest from where I was standing).
"Hey where are you?" I called out.
Over here!
I continued to follow the voice. The further I ventured into the forest the thicker the foliage got. It was becoming harder and harder to see where I was walking. Until the next I knew I was screaming and sliding down a steep slope. I knocked my elbows a few times on what I assumed to be roots or rocks.
I soon came to a halt, lying still while my body complained. That's going to bruise later. I forced myself onto my feet and checked for any cuts. Surprisingly, there was none. I looked around. There didn't seem to be any easy way to get back to where I was. I couldn't very well climb the slope. I wouldn't want to risk falling back down. My best choice seemed to be to take the path, which I did not notice at first, and hope that it eventually led back up somehow.
Psst! This time I saw the silhouette of a small boy just a few meters in front of me. I took off at a jogging pace and follow the boy. "Wait up!" I called out, but the boy just kept going.
Follow me! I picked up the pace.
Eventually I broke through the cluster of tress into a clearing. What the... Where am I? were the first thoughts that ran through my mind. In the clearing there was a giant bright pink and blue brick house with equally giant sunflowers growing around it's perimeter. I quickly looked around for the boy but saw no sign of him. Maybe he had gone in the house?
As if drawn by some invisible force, my feet began moving of their own accord towards the neon house. Yet I felt no fear. In fact, I was curious. Curious to see who lived in such big and brightly colored house. Curious as to why the sunflowers were twice the size of normal sunflowers. Curious as to why I was brought here. Eventually I reached the front door, which opened just before I was within arms length of it.
"Hello? Any one home?"
I took a step forward as I heard the door close behind me. Everything in this house was bigger than normal. It felt like someone had thrown me down the rabbit hole and now I've somehow ended up in wonderland. Still this beat being back in the classroom. So I took the opportunity to explore the house. There were objects that moved on the own, like the broom and the mop in what I assumed was the kitchen. There were numerous paintings of a black cat with eyes that seemed to follow me to every corner of whatever room I happened to be in. And during that time there was still no sign of the little boy I had seen earlier.
Near the back of the house was a set of stairs that led down to the basement. Oddly enough the stairs felt normal. It didn't seem to match rest of the house where everything else was large in proportion.
At the bottom of the stairs I found myself in a workshop. There were all sorts of contraptions and tools scattered on the table. However, of all the odd assortment of gadgets a golden key about the size of palm, from write to the tip of my middle finger, was what caught my eye. It had a single emerald encrusted inn its handle. I studied the key more closely, wondering what it opened. That was when I noticed a door at the other end of the room. There was a light glow from under the door.
I walked towards it, key in hand. Imagining all sorts of things that could be behind the door, I felt a pang of excitement. To my surprise the key was a perfect fit and with a small twist to the left the door creaked open.
There was something about the room that I couldn't quite describe. Actually it was more like a feeling. It made me feel curious, scared and overwhelmed all at the same time. In that instant I knew that there was some sort of magic in the room.
Within the room were more trinkets; bangles than seemed to have an ethereal glow about them, cloaks that seemed transparent, small glass bottles filled with what I assumed to be potions, as well as a pair of worn out brown leather boots that were walking across the floor all by themselves among other things. In the center of the room, hovering above a platform that was probably a foot or so wide, was an old wooden staff covered in engravings. These engravings were in a language I couldn't understand. A single gem about half the size of my fist adorned the top. In an almost trance like state I walked over to the platform. My hand reached out and grabbed the staff. It was light, almost as if it was not there. I felt a strange feeling come over me. Somehow it felt as if I had made a connection with the staff. I felt its power; dormant waiting to be unleashed.
Sadly I never found out just how much power the staff had and what I could do with it. At that point I woke up from a dream.
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