Prologue

At first, it was dark. Everything missing. I was simply floating. In an abyss. Knowingly, I smile at the possibilities. I envisioned a grand rain forest. The damp dirt formed beneath my feet, filling between my toes. I loved the squishy feeling of it, curling my toes to embrace the earth. The trees, however, just appeared out of thin air, along with the vines and the blue humid air. The smell of hibiscuses and sea salt filled my nostrils. I have been here before. I knew where I needed to go. I sprinted. Bugs and brush bumped and smacked into me as I glided across the exotic setting. A figure slowly came into view. A girl who I met only a few nights ago in my dream. I halted. She was short and curvy. Her skin was fair, but the sun kissed it often. Her hair was like caramel flowing deliciously straight down her back. Her eyes were like windows, with hazel shutters trying to conceal an emerald green within her mysterious house. Her lips were pink and plump, ready to speak once a companion invites her in a conversation. She wore a silk white nightgown, with lace outlining her breasts. She was barefoot, keeping her legs and feet close together. She was waiting for a while, for me. I jokingly curtsey, “Hello, again.”

She laughed, “I thought you weren’t coming.”

I apologized, “My parents wanted to take a few samples before I slept.”

Her face froze, “So it is true, they want to take advantage of your gift.”

I frowned, “I’m afraid so.”

She let herself collapse, landing on the soft mud. I took a few steps forward, and fell on my back, beside her. She expressionlessly admitted, “You shouldn’t let them.”

“I know.”

The sun shined through the grand leaves on the trees, highlighting us with a natural spotlight. The green glowed and the dust in the air danced and sparkled. I breathed in the dust letting it tickle me. I sighed heartedly, “I wish this was real.”

She turned to her side to look at me as she explained, “You know this is real, all of this is real.”

I furrowed my brows, “This is only a dream.”

“But you’re in my dreams,” she claimed, “And I only dream about where I live, this is a part of my colony.”

At that statement, I turned to my right side to face her, “How do I know you’re not just a figment of my imagination?”

She smiled, “Fine, I will tell you something only I would know and you will see it when you wake up.”

I laughed, “Alright, go for it.”

She whispered, “My brother and sister just left their nests, and are heading to the Grand City right now to create their own graffiti-”

I interrupted, “You and your siblings are the ones who constantly annoy the guards by covering the Grand City with your ‘art’?”

She continued, “They’re going to most likely spray paint a meaningful message and an inspirational person in black and white, but they will cover it with lots and lots of paint, so when the guards rip off the paint, they will be unpleasantly surprised that they are not even half way done cleaning up the mess.” 

I challenged, “Ok, if you’re wrong, that means I was right and you’re just not real.”

She playfully responded, “Fine, but if I’m right, you have to come and visit me outside of the Lines.”