DREAMLIKE DILEMMA

• Alyssa Godino, Grade 12, Huntingtower School
• Short Story
• 2012

Excellence Award in the 'Legendary 2012' competition

Pink ribbons lace themselves through the summer sky, engulfing the clouds and highlighting the ever-yellow sun setting in the distance. The waves lull up and down the sandy shore, in and out the tide goes, never seeming to become drowsy at another day’s end. The sound of the sea’s lullaby washes gently over me and, for a moment, I forget myself in the warmth of the bright light. The wind softly blows my golden hair behind my back flowing effortlessly in the ripe summer air.
My feet slowly sink into the sand as it becomes soft and yields to my touch. Looking out yonder into the blue skies I see two birds playfully chirping and making music together, singing in sweet tongues and fair voices. Their songs entrance me and I find I cannot resist, but to follow their merry tunes away from the sea and into the forest which lines the beach. As I emerge into the forest life becomes rich and extravagant. The forest sings to me and places a treacherous spell upon me; the birds have lured me into an unforeseeable trap. Smelling the wildflowers littering the ground; each individual perfume becomes a new delight to my senses. Moving through the trees I can feel the spirit of the forest drawing me in, further and further I walk until suddenly I stop. The trees have ended, before me lies a world of water. The birds still lightly hum to each other above my head, my thoughts leave me and I suddenly feel alone. The sun has almost left the sky and darkness will surely follow after.
Coldness slowly starts to spread throughout my whole body, creeping restlessly, filling every crevasse. In a dire struggle I try to look for some light, anywhere. There in the mist of the sky lies the moon full and bright, lover to the sun, renewing my hope. I too once had a lover long ago and a tale springs to my mind, one of the moon and sun. Together the moon and sun danced in a time of suffering and loss, but they were happy. An old sorcerer saw them one evening merrily dancing in the fields when he had just loss his own love to the world’s destruction. In his grief he grew jealous of the sun and moon, he cast a spell on them to rule the earth as day and night but to never be together again separated on either side of the earth they dwell, apart forever. So overwhelming was the sorrow of the sun she cast from her breast the stars to remind the moon of her and the moon made the rain so that each time it falls, she may shine and a rainbow will appear reminding her of his love.
Darkness slowly starts to creep back, and a shadow cast itself upon where I stand. My body is slowly beginning to lose complete feeling as the shadow drapes over me. Darkness swallows me and all goes black.