Sunday, October 29, 2006
The weekly serial continues! Expect more every Sunday night.
2.
In Lily’s dream she was walking through an enormous old house that was bathed in sun. Every way she turned she found herself facing down a long, sunlit hallway dressed with rich teak and plush carpeting. She began to walk down one of the grand halls, passing under enormous stained-glass windows that streamed with light and color. At the end of the hall was a large oaken door that swung open at the slightest push and slid away with only the faintest hiss. Lily found herself standing in front of the largest garden she had ever seen. A path wound across a small bridge over a pond and into the garden proper. As she was about to step onto the bridge and walk into the garden, she heard a small voice coming from the pond.
“Where are you going, Lily?” A small frog was staring up at her inquisitively.
“Well, I…”
“What sort of journey is this, Lily?” The frog continued to stare.
“I suppose I just want to see the garden…is that a problem?”
“That’s not very decisive! What part of the garden do you want to see?” The frog started to look indignant, which is extremely hard for frogs to do. It might have been effect of the dream, but this particular frog managed it disconcertingly well.
“I don’t know, frog! I just want to explore it I guess. Am I allowed to explore?”
“You’re allowed to do anything you want, Lily. The choices you make are your own…you just have to know why you’re making them.” With that, the frog hopped a bit and dove into the pond with a splash. Lily stared at the garden, and then at her feet. She took a few steps, and found herself in the middle of the bridge. She looked back at the hallway she had come from, and looked forward into the garden where she was going. She took a deep breath, and stepped into the garden.
The sun was shining brightly. Walking forward, Lily found herself wandering between rose bushes and daffodils, winding ivy and kelly green fern. The air was filled with the soft droning of bees and the scent of the spring in bloom. As she pushed her way deeper into the spectacular garden, she turned and tried to see the pond and the bridge. A row of sunflowers that most definitely hadn’t been there before blocked her line of sight. Lily started to panic, and turned back along the path. She stumbled forward, and upon looking down she discovered the cobblestone path she had been on before was gone, replaced with one of red clay. Whirling around, she saw a bench by a fountain. The noise of the bees was replaced with the gentle gurgle of water. When had that changed? Suddenly, the words of the frog echoed in her mind. What sort of journey was she on?
She had told the frog she wanted to explore. At once, she was calmer. Her journey was to take her to all parts of the garden. It was hardly the garden’s fault if it wanted to show itself to her all at once, was it not? She closed her eyes and turned around. When she opened them, she intended to see the pond and the bridge.
When she opened them, she woke up. The pond and the bridge were in front of her, marking the beginning of a path that ran through some rolling hills and appeared to stretch for miles, ending at a city near the ocean. Her home was nowhere to be found.
¶ 7:49 PM
2.
In Lily’s dream she was walking through an enormous old house that was bathed in sun. Every way she turned she found herself facing down a long, sunlit hallway dressed with rich teak and plush carpeting. She began to walk down one of the grand halls, passing under enormous stained-glass windows that streamed with light and color. At the end of the hall was a large oaken door that swung open at the slightest push and slid away with only the faintest hiss. Lily found herself standing in front of the largest garden she had ever seen. A path wound across a small bridge over a pond and into the garden proper. As she was about to step onto the bridge and walk into the garden, she heard a small voice coming from the pond.
“Where are you going, Lily?” A small frog was staring up at her inquisitively.
“Well, I…”
“What sort of journey is this, Lily?” The frog continued to stare.
“I suppose I just want to see the garden…is that a problem?”
“That’s not very decisive! What part of the garden do you want to see?” The frog started to look indignant, which is extremely hard for frogs to do. It might have been effect of the dream, but this particular frog managed it disconcertingly well.
“I don’t know, frog! I just want to explore it I guess. Am I allowed to explore?”
“You’re allowed to do anything you want, Lily. The choices you make are your own…you just have to know why you’re making them.” With that, the frog hopped a bit and dove into the pond with a splash. Lily stared at the garden, and then at her feet. She took a few steps, and found herself in the middle of the bridge. She looked back at the hallway she had come from, and looked forward into the garden where she was going. She took a deep breath, and stepped into the garden.
The sun was shining brightly. Walking forward, Lily found herself wandering between rose bushes and daffodils, winding ivy and kelly green fern. The air was filled with the soft droning of bees and the scent of the spring in bloom. As she pushed her way deeper into the spectacular garden, she turned and tried to see the pond and the bridge. A row of sunflowers that most definitely hadn’t been there before blocked her line of sight. Lily started to panic, and turned back along the path. She stumbled forward, and upon looking down she discovered the cobblestone path she had been on before was gone, replaced with one of red clay. Whirling around, she saw a bench by a fountain. The noise of the bees was replaced with the gentle gurgle of water. When had that changed? Suddenly, the words of the frog echoed in her mind. What sort of journey was she on?
She had told the frog she wanted to explore. At once, she was calmer. Her journey was to take her to all parts of the garden. It was hardly the garden’s fault if it wanted to show itself to her all at once, was it not? She closed her eyes and turned around. When she opened them, she intended to see the pond and the bridge.
When she opened them, she woke up. The pond and the bridge were in front of her, marking the beginning of a path that ran through some rolling hills and appeared to stretch for miles, ending at a city near the ocean. Her home was nowhere to be found.
¶ 7:49 PM
