Dream of the Seed - 3

The road was busy, and I could see my mother was getting frustrated with the traffic. My mother hated staying on the ground as she long had a license to use the upper level roads which were right above.  I didn't have any such thing, which is why she insisted on driving. I had to use the ground like any other beginner under the age of 21. The more experienced the driver, the higher level road one can choose to use, so the bottom is reserved for people under 21 and repeat minor traffic offenders. Fortunately, major traffic offenders have a road of there own, which is limited so most of them either hitch rides or get friends and family to take them places. In major cities, they can use public tranportation, too. As soon as we got on the turnpike, my mother jumped up to the third level and accelerated. The fourth and fifth levels got a bit too fast, and she didn't feel like rushing away her time with me. The traffic was heavy since the fall semester was beginning, and everyone was trying to arrive a week early to settle into their dorms and housing, not to mention the harvest season was upon us, and Vermonill was exporting it's largest deliveries of corn all over the world. When we were near the airport, my mother turned off the highway and parked temporarily next to the domestic check-in stations. She helped me check in my luggage, and then we got back into the car to go to a little diner my mother next to the airport entrance where we had lunch and some roogah. It had been so early since we had breakfast; we were both starving. The sandwich I had was surprisingly fresh and my mother said her soup and salad were really tasty. We split a delicious piece of cake as we sipped our roogah slowly, savoring the little time we had left before I had to leave her for a whole semester. These were our last moments together. This was the last memory I would have of my mother and I enjoying each other's company for a whole semester of school.  When it was time for us to leave, we got up slowly. My mother gently tossed some tip money on the table, and we walked silently back to the car. My mother and I both started crying on our way to the airport, and it was a long hug good-bye at the gate leading to the aircraft entrance. It was a long wait until the they called my ticket number. I watched as passengers one by one entered an elevator-like room where they were carried to the long, slender aircraft. I was terrified as I had never seen the inside of an aircraft first hand in my life. They called my ticket number, and I walked reluctantly to the shaft. I entered with caution, and the two stewardesses led me in gently as they could see I was scared. It seemed like minutes before I safely inside the aircraft, and then we took off.

The dimensions inside were a lot different than on the outside, and it was spacious enough to have people walking around and visit the bars and restraunts onboard. There was also a movie theatre and a lounge with a roogah shop, but I was still full from lunch. Take off was a lot more fun than I was expecting. The aircraft went up, up, up to the 15^th level, then the 17^th level and then stablized on the 16^th level. We boarded the tracks and whoosh.....away we went to the city of New Jaspern.  I got out of the aircraft and made my way to my luggage. The airport was absolutely massive, and it took what seemed like forever to find my way out of the front entrance. I hailed a taxi to take me to my university dorm and then pulled out my directions as the cab driver played some kind of foreign music. He was really nice and somewhat welcoming even though he had a rough edge to his voice and accent. He had roogah perched in what seemed to be a little holder by the side of his radio. I discovered that taxi drivers also have a level of their own and the yellow vehicles seemed to fly by one another.  Now I knew what level 5 was for.  The language and hand gestured displayed of utter rude insult mixed with welcoming acknowledgement was horrifying and unlike anything I had ever seen in Vermonill. The people of New Jaspern seemed rough and scary, and I honestly didn't know if I was going to last here. The drive was quick and, before I knew it, I was entering the front gates of The University of New Jaspern.  I paid the cab driver and lugged my trunk into the dorm building. I waited in line while I registered, and got my key, which luckily took about fifteen minutes. The girl at the desk was really friendly and was meant to be the resident assistant this year.

      “Hello. My name is Amber, and I'll be on the same floor as you.” Her voice had an excited ring, and I was kind of hoping that everyone was going to be like this. “We're up on the top,” she pointed, “and down the hall up on the eighth floor.” Once that was done, I lugged the trunk into the elevator and all the way up to the eighth floor which was especially reserved for freshman girls. There was another girl in the elevator with me. She had a small face with dark hair cropped short. Her face was delicate and heartshaped and thin, delicate features.

      “Ready for your first semester in college?” said what seemed to be her mother. I thought it such a shame that my own mother couldn't be with me on my first day, which brought a pang of homesickness to my stomach.

      “Finally. What dorm is Reidy in?” she asked casually.

      “Your father said he was near some dining hall on the other side of campus,” her mother dismissed. “I'll get him to call you later. Okay?” Her mother smiled down proudly as she watched her little girl.

      “Are you a freshman, too?” It took me a couple moments to realize she was speaking to me, so I did not respond immediately.

      “Yeah, I'm up on the eighth floor where it's all freshman girls,” I responded meekly. Yes, that's right. I was a freshman! A freshman in college! I was no longer some little highschool girl, but a full grown college woman.

      “Me, too!” The girl was delighted. “I'm Sam!” She put up her hand as a kind of greeting, and I did the same.

      “I'm Leanne.” My voice was almost a whisper. I was used to be surrounded by a town full of people, most of whom I knew since birth. Sam and her mother were totally foreign to me, and I was so nervous talking to them that I was shaking. The elevator stopped and we got off and walked to our rooms. The keys worked, were modern, and opened the door with ease. Sam was right behind me and her room was right next door. I felt comforted and my shyness went away with ease once I saw she was my neighbor. My roommate was another story. She was gothic looking and had more piercings than I could ever imagine. She didn't smile at or greet me as I walked in the room. Instead, she just sat with her head in a book reading while munching on a piece of prewrapped cake. I dragged my trunk to the end of my bed and was midway unpacked when Sam hopped along side of me and invited me to the dining hall with her. The food wasn't bad here at UNJ, but it wasn't as good as my mom's cooking.

     “The pasta's pretty good. I'm surprised,” Sam commented with half a mouthful of food. She chased her pasta with a gulpful of water and dug in once more. “Mmmm. I haven't eaten anything all day and I am starving!” She must have been hungry since it was already 2:30 in the afternoon. I couldn't start my morning without a big country breakfast. I still wasn't hungry and just picked at my food.

     “Yeah, it's not bad.” I rarely had pasta, but was getting used to it fast. Apparently, it's one of the main staples to a college diet aside from noodle packs, caffinated roogah, and alcohol. We watched the people as they entered the dining hall. There were people of all different varieties. They looked much different from anyone from my high school. It was like something from a movie or TV show; and the hall was becoming packed with all the incoming students. There was all kinds of hair, make up styles, and clothing. I'd never seen this kind of a mix in real life.

      “Hey! Look at that guy over there. His hair is so wild.” Sam was fascinated by this guy with hair that looked like it was dyed black and styled into a kind of relaxed mohawk. He didn't look like the friendliest person. He was frowning while walking straight ahead and looked like some sort of street punk.

     “He looks scary,” I answered in amazement as my eyes followed him cautiously. I was shocked when he looked over to us and winked at us while smiling flirtatiously.

      “I think he could be kinda cute without all that gear,” Sam leaned in to say after he had gone to get his food. Before we knew it, he was parked right next to us, leaning in and smiling. He had a strange accent, different to Sam's. It seemed to have a bit of a drawl to it.

      “Yo, my name's Hayden. How 'bout y'all?” He smiled at us, his eyes still straight and fiery, and then dug into his meal like he'd never eaten before in his life.

The end of the day came quickly. Sam and I shared a regular cup of roogah, and then the suns set for the day. I was tired and decided to go to sleep early. This is when I had my strange dream of the seed.

The dream started with me walking down a hallway of red smoke.  I was all alone and it felt dark and damp.  I could hear breathing and footsteps behind me, but I couldn't see anyone.  I continued to walk down the red smoke ridden hall until I came to a light.  I walked out of the tunnel and into a world of clear daylight which was not my own.  It was like being on some kind of foreign planet with lush green meadows and a beautiful pond by my feet with green pads in it.  And that's when I saw the beautiful rainbow colored bird which descended from the sky and then swam gracefully across the water.  It was a rare breed of bird which I had never seen before.  It was a seed. 

Author's Note

If you read this, please leave a review and tell me your experience. Constructive cristicism is always welcome. Thank you to anyone who reads my work and those who leave feedback. Please give as honest feedback as possible so that I may grow as a writer.

Reviews

[Tala]

""When we were nearly the airport" you're missing"to"
Loving the different roads thing, makes a lotta sense. It'd be pretty hard to do anything but spell it out here but see if you can try.
"Go to a little diner my mother next to" you're a bit jumbled up
"since we had" should be "we'd had" or "we had had"
"Until the they called" got an extra the
and lastly i don't honestly think anyone uses the word "yo", or at least not that type of guy and not in that context.
i really did like it despite what may seem a mountain of corrections, i'm really excited to see where this is all going.

[Ravyne Hawke]

The build up is getting more and more suspenseful.. I am thoroughly enjoying this story so far. Reminds me of my first time at Uni, straight out of HS and everything was so new and foreign to me. Excellent job!

[Jessi Berlasty]

"The road was busy(,) and I could see my mother" "the upper level roads which were right above above." Two "above"s. "have any such thing(,) which is why she" "choose to use(,) so the bottom is reserved" " have a road of there(their) own(,) which is limited" "In major cities(,) they can use public" "got a bit too fast(,) and she didn't feel like rushing" "fall semester was beginning(,) and everyone was trying" "season was upon us(,) and Vermonill was exporting it's(its) largest deliveries of corn" "my mother turned off (the car) and parked" Otherwise it makes it sound like the mother herself is turning off. "check in my luggage(,) and then we got back into" "we had breakfast(;) we were both starving." "we sipped our roogah slowly(,) savoring the little" "I enjoying each( )other's company" "money on the table(,) and we walked silently" "way to the airport(,) and it was a long hug" "ticket number(,) and I walked reluctantly" "with caution(,) and the two stewardesses" "inside the aircraft(,) and then we took off." "on the outside(,) and it was spacious enough to have " "absolutely massive(,) and it took what seemed like forever" " rough and scary(,) and I honestly didn't know" "got my key(,) which luckily(,) took about fifteen" "Amber(,) and I'll be on the same" "excited ring(,) and I was kind of hoping that everyone" "We're up he top," Huh? "with me on my first day(,) which brought a pang of homesickness" "she was speaking to me(,) so I did not respond immediately." "kind of greeting(,) and I did the same." "foreign to me(,) and I was so nervous" "Instead(,) she just sat with her head" "I couldn't (imagine) starting the morning without a big country breakfast" "Apparently(,) it's one of the main staples" "anyone from my high( )school." "right next to us(,) leaning in and smiling." "cup of roogah(,) and then the suns set"

[StarNinja]

Why can't our roads work like that? I enjoy a little world building every once in a while and yours sounds pretty developed. There's a few misspelled words and some smooshed together words, but otherwise nothing to egregious. I'd read it over one more time for mistakes.
So, we have some strange new developments. What's with this seed bird thing? What does it mean?!?!?!