To A World Unknown...

The mood was bright and the air was light. Zoe held the basket firmly in her hands as she navigated through the throng of people in the market. As she walked, she sniffed the fragrant flowers from the florist’s shop, weighed the juicy apples at the fruit seller’s stall, and tried out the new set of earrings at the jeweller’s. They all knew her. So bright smiles and friendly pats followed her everywhere she went.

When she’d ticked off the list in her hands and confirmed that she’d bought everything her Mom had instructed, she walked around some more, sampling the wares and returning the greetings of one and all. Twas the life of Zoe in Sunshine Meadow. Smiles, laughter, joy, peace. Every minute of the day. It was breathtaking. It was everything anyone would wish for. It was... suffocating.

Zoe breathed a huge sigh as she rounded the bend in the far corner of the market and opened the door to her favourite and worst place in the entire world. The library. The lobby was dark but the smell of old books immediately calmed her. It was familiar ground. Home.

“Zoe, don’t tell me you’re back again,” the bookkeeper, Mr. Calisto chuckled as he peeped from one of the book aisles.

Zoe gave Mr Calisto a playful scowl as she walked up to him and kissed him on his frail, papery cheek. “I told you that it would be better to just get the next part. It was just about 600 pages. Two days was far too long.”

“You take life way too fast, Zoe. I just wanted you to properly understand what you were reading.”

“I do understand. And I’m beyond ecstatic that there’s probably a world different from ours. One that’s not drowned in this much saccharine.”

Mr. Calisto hushed her. “Now, now, Zoe. Be grateful for the life you live.”

Zoe grunted in exasperation as she sat down on one of the stools with a plop. “I am grateful, Mr. Calisto. But it just doesn’t feel like life should be like this, you know. Predictable. Monotonous. Boring. There should be something else out there. Something different. I’ve always felt it and this book just confirmed it.”

“This,” started Mr Calisto as he snatched the borrowed book from her hand, “is a fictional tale. Pure nonsense from an over-imaginative mind.”

“But what if it’s not? What if there’s more.”

For the first time, Mr Calisto looked genuinely worried. “Maybe you should go home to your Mom, Zoe. She must be worried sick.”

Zoe felt her chances slipping from her hands like quicksand. She stood up with a start. “I’m sorry, Mr. Calisto. It must be the overly sunny weather. Making me say all manner of nonsense. Pay me no mind. Can I have the next part?”

Mr. Calisto looked at her dubiously. “I’m not so sure about that, Z.”

“You can trust me, Mr. C. I really was kidding.”

Mr Calisto didn’t look convinced. Nevertheless, he removed the book from inside his drawer and handed it to her reluctantly. “Now, you know the rules –”

“Not a stain on the pages and to bring it back not a minute after the due date,” she smiled genuinely.

“Good. Now, off you go.”

Zoe turned the pages as she scoured through the wordings. There was an excited glint in her eye and a desperation as she flipped the pages frantically. It all seemed to be clicking. The seasons and the dates. Everything seemed to point towards the fourth day of the fourth month. That was merely a few days away. Something was going to happen on that day. But could it be true? Did she stand a chance?

As she flipped, a stray leaflet peeped out. Absently, she attempted to fix it but it seemed to be detachable. Curiously, Zoe picked it up and began to read, her heart speeding up with each line. This had to be fate.

If you’re reading this, I must already have been gone. Maybe it’s already been a hundred years before you found this. The day that is coming is powerful but dangerous too and the world you’re sojourning to is filled with perils that could bend the strongest of backs. But if you’re resilient, you may yet succeed. So, if you’re sure and ready for what lies ahead, you may turn the page and read what it is you are to do on this great day.

Zoe felt her hands shaking as she turned to the shabby leaflet. It was real. She hadn’t been concocting baseless dreams. There really was a world out there. When she was through reading, she picked her writing materials and began to draft her letter. To her family. To Mr. Calisto and finally to whoever would find the book again. When she was done, she closed her eyes and said a short prayer. This risk was going to favour her. It just had to.

On the fourth day of the fourth month, in the middle of the Field of Plenty and Sweet, Zoe stood. As predicted in the book, her world had gone still and would remain so, frozen in time, for exactly ten minutes. She’d used that time to keep her letters in strategic places and finally buried the book to prevent Mr C from looking for her.

Beyond her was the door to the other world. Already bright and waiting. She walked determinedly and stood on it. She’d taken no supplies with her for if this world was truly meant to be hers, she would thrive without food from her world. The world beyond her was dark and looked lifeless but she squelched the feeling of hesitation. She was doing the right thing.

The door was beginning to shake. The ten minutes was almost up. “It is time,” she whispered. Taking one final look at her world of sunshine and happiness, she took a deep breath and leapt into the portal.

What I See

I see a girl standing on what looks like a portal. The world behind her is bright an sunny, and that in fromt of her, dark and rocky. She seems to be in contemplation.

What I Feel

I feel like the girl is set for a world of exploration. She's determined to take the next step to a world unknown.

Jhymi🖤

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