My Imaginary World
By Veronica
I look out across the streets and see sunlight streaming from several umbrellas. The people under them have smiles spread across their faces and are humming a joyful tune. Dark clouds encircle me and my mood turns as grey as them. Drops from the clouds catch in my hair, so I lift it higher. The person next to me is drenched head to toe in cold dripping water; hopefully her day will turn around.
Mine hasn’t been the best…at all. Starting the morning with a fresh bowl of crunchy cereal I was filled with sunshine. When I got to work, my boss Mr. Blue moped around all day and started yelling at everybody in the building. Lunch break was fairly better I ate my homemade soup that warmed me up after the cold gray clouds that had been looming overhead the past few hours. I worked and worked the rest of the day. I felt proud of myself, my own little sun popped out of my umbrella, heating the top of my brown hair with warmth.
Sparks of adrenaline shot through me as I raced through the tiny town of South Pinemont, named after the large towering pines that once covered the land. I love my town because of its small population of fifty people. Everyone is good friends and it is never crowded. I see a large shadow fall over me. I look up and see the only pine left; it’s needles sticking out as confidently as when it rose from the ground. I sit at the bottom and notice my secret stash of sunshine is gone. I see a speck of it and lunge to catch it, but the thick roots suck it up as if it were as precious a diamond. I look up and see the clouds in my umbrella turn dark black and know that a rainstorm will soon follow. I look up at the real sky and almost tumble off the hill towards the town. Then I see ebony clouds menacing in the sky, they quickly hide up the baby blue as quick as the first drop of rain lands on my head. I run my hands over my black jeans and navy blue top to push off any stubborn raindrops. Quickly whipping my hair up into a tight bun I grab my umbrella and sprint through the town. My foot lands in a pool of ice-cold water. My sneaker absorbs it into my sock. Great, I think, now my feet will be numb along with the rest of my body!
I see the mayor standing in the middle of all the rain with his face towards the sky and his umbrella lying on the ground. I can almost swear I see tears streaming from his eyes, but I blame it on the rain.
“Mayor…um sir?” I ask, he sits down in a puddle then starts crying into his hands. A few days ago, I would’ve giggled at the sight of a seven -foot muscular man doing this, but this is a different situation. I look around and see the whole town either lying on their stomachs bawling or moaning and being snippy to each other.
I’m my normal self, I check to see if any tears are welling up, but they aren’t. That’s it! I think, I’ve seen sunshine in the last few hours, so I’m not miserable like my friends. If the clouds don’t go away soon, I’ll turn as miserable and pathetic as my friends around me. I have to do something, quick. I sit down next to the mayor, stroking his back, trying to calm him while I come up with a plan. I hop up and pump my arms as I dash towards the only hope left.
Pine needles are peeling off the pine tree from the lack of sunshine by the time I get there. I grab a bag of coins to trade and rush up the branches as quick and as quiet as mice. I reach the cloud lingering overhead. I stick my hand through it and instantly feel the other side greet me with warmth. Sticking my head through the thick cloud, I cough as dust and smoke fill my mouth and hair.
“Spoo!” I spit it out, watching it make a dent in the cloud creating a little hole. I wipe my self off with the back of my hands and look up. I feel like I’m in a plane high above the clouds and the world. The blue sky hangs overhead limply ready for the cloud to leave. I see a pop of sunshine pass through my body and look around. A glimmer of light passes behind a thatched roof cottage, which is perched on top of the clouds. It looks worn as if someone has lived in it his or her whole life. I walk up to the house the dark clouds closing around my feet more and more with every step. I can almost hear the tree beckoning me back to where it is safe and well, not warm, it’s pouring rain, but it’s home. I shake the idea from my head remembering my friends and how helpless and desperate they looked with tear streaming down their faces.
I knock and an immediate answer is followed. A tan golden arm pushes me inside; I fall to the itchy carpet on the ground.
“Oh, I’m so sorry!” exclaims a warm, low voice. I look up and a worried man is reaching to pick me up. He’s wearing a cheery yellow shirt, which almost seems to glow against his caramel skin and his loose brown jeans almost blend in with his skin. “Are you alright? I’m so sorry, it’s just that I can’t go out there!”
“Yes, I am, but why can’t you go out there? Umm… sir”
“Please, please call me Ray. I’m worried that all my sunshine will be sucked out of me.” Ray says in a worried voice. I guess my eyes are bulging a bit when he gets shy and says, “Yes, yes I know…I’m the sun!” Perfect! I think, I found him!
“Ray? Where do you get your, umm, powers from?”
“My shirt actually, it’s been passed down from “sun” to son.” He chuckles to himself at his corny joke as he points to his shirt. The shirt is so cheery and bright you could think it would catch on fire any second now.
“Do you have any more?” I ask already raiding his closet rudely.
“Umm… yes, but it’s an antique, considering it was my great, great, great, great grandfather’s,” Ray says with a sigh.
“I’ll give you anything for it, anything!” I exclaim happily, finally finding my answer. I touch the bag of coins getting ready to pull them out.
“Hmmm… let’s see. You know, I would like a glass of some nice cold rainwater. Haven’t had that in forever!”
“Of course!” I scurry over to his cabinet and rummage through them until pulling out a cup. I zip out the door over to the pine. I scurry halfway down the thick trunk of the pine, it’s strong branches supporting my weight. I reach my hand out from under my pine umbrella and my cup is instantly full. Careful not to spill it, I slowly make my way back up the tree and to Ray’s house. Handing it to him, he places it in a glass case on the kitchen table then hands me a old yellow shirt. I grab it and it starts glowing. I step out onto the black platform and carefully lay the shirt on the cloud. It sucks it up like air and vanishes along with it leaving only a clear blue sky and a layer of white fluffy clouds. Once I’m down the tree I hug my friends and tell them of my amazing adventure.
