Shadows fogged my memory down that lane. The one that twisted and turned like a snake trying to rid itself of its own skin. Shadows morphed the clear scenes and turned them into a vast array of blurry outlines. The clarity I’d once seen was gone, replaced by a veil of unnerving calm. The loud tones of anger and resentment, now replaced by a silky perfume. I knew it was a dream, perhaps a bad one, but I could not wake up. I had been here before. But this was not the road I had walked on in the beginning. The road that was so wide, stretching out as far as I could see. The one that branched out in all directions, like the thin branches of an ancient tree. That was all gone now, and instead, a cold, lingering fog rested in the air, soaking up all the joy I’d once felt on this same path.
It was strange to be there again. Be at the same place where I’d told myself not to go. The place where I’d make the same mistake, over and over again. Each time, telling myself that I wouldn’t end up in the same place as the last. Each time, being correct. Each time, being wrong. I was always somewhere different, yet the same fog would cloud my vision, seep its way through my dreams, destroying everything I’d ever had, and everything I’d ever wanted. It was strange to be back to the beginning. The place where everyone made their mistake. The place where I’d made mine.
It was too late to go back though, I was already falling in. Falling into the first part of my adventure. The first part of the next mistake I was going to make in my dream. I suddenly remembered the first time I’d been there. The first time I’d seen that strange road, though not blurred at all at that time. It had been at utmost clarity, each bump on the bark of the trees and blade of the crisp grass outlined in perfect detail. I remember walking in, letting the beauty of the place pull me in, swallowing me like quicksand. It didn’t occur to me that this place was dangerous, that I should have started to run. Of course, I didn’t run. I was too calm, too happy. I was dragged in by the magnificent colors I saw.
There was only one flaw visible in this peaceful world. One thing that put me slightly on edge. It was silent. Eerily so. It was the kind of silence that made me want to breathe in deeper, to see if I could smell it. Or open my mouth, to see if I could taste it on my tongue. The silence was the only thing that was not beautiful. The one speck of rust on the ornate, golden plate. I wondered why it was so silent. It made no sense. But everything was still perfect. Still stunning. I was seduced by the glow.
Then I saw it.
The dirty, old fountain in the middle of the meadow. I was repelled by it, and I immediately wanted to turn back. To turn around, and force myself not to look at it. It intrigued me though, and I found myself taking steps closer and closer to the fountain. When I reached it, I looked in. I found myself staring at my reflection, morphed by the water rippling inside the basin. I brushed the hair out of my eyes and stared in. That was when I made my mistake.
I fell in.
I embraced the cold water, diving into the world of unknown. It was as if voices were whispering in my ear, inviting me in. I don’t know where I fell, but suddenly I woke up.
The first thing I noticed was the bump on the wall. I knew it hadn’t been there before because I’d studied my wall carefully, and the last time I’d checked, the wall had been perfectly smooth. I crossed the room silently, and felt the bump under my fingers. It was warm, as if it were alive. I stroked it carefully, deep in thought, and went downstairs for breakfast.
It happened every night. I’d walk into the meadow, the magnificent shades of color sucking me in. Each time, I’d fall into the fountain, and each time, I’d wake up with another bump on my wall.
I was terrified, scared that my dreams had invaded reality. It was madness, and I’d grown so paranoid, one day I called my mom to take a look.
‘Mom, look at this.’ She inched closer, phone in hand. Her rapid conversation continued, and I hurriedly shoved her into my room. ‘Mom, look.’
‘I don’t see anything, honey.’ It was true, the bumps had disappeared.
That night, my dreams were foggy. Filled with calm sadness and longing. I couldn’t believe what I saw. The meadow was suddenly unappealing, looking cold and bleak. I couldn’t stop myself though, from walking towards the fountain, desperately peering in.
That’s when the voice came.
‘Stop.’ It was not only a voice, but a presence. I could feel someone around me. I could feel emotions swirling around in the fog that surrounded me. I glanced around me, seeing no one there. Once again, I looked into the still water.
‘I said, stop.’
‘Who are you?’
‘That is not important, young one.’
‘Well.. then what is?’
‘What is your name?’
‘If I tell you mine, will you tell me yours?’
‘I’m not running a bargain shop here. Now, TELL ME YOUR NAME!’ The presence intensified, until I could almost feel the red hot anger all around me.
‘I’m Juli,’ I replied, my voice shaking.
‘Ahh, Juli,’ The voice answered, and I could feel its satisfaction. ‘I have been waiting for you.’
‘A lot of people have,’ I answered, attempting sarcasm.
‘I would laugh,’ The voice replied, ‘If you hadn’t had such terrible humor.’
I shivered.
‘I have brought you here for a reason,’ The voice continued, and I found myself wondering what the reason was. ‘Ahh, I will tell you, of course, but you must be patient.’ It was as if the voice had read my mind.
‘I have been.’
‘Yes, that is true, but just wait a while longer. Let me show you. Please, look into the water.’
‘But you told me to-’
‘Look into the water, Juli.’
‘Yes.’
I stared into the water, trying not to let myself fall in. I gripped onto the side so hard my knuckles were white.
‘Oh, don’t worry about falling in,’ The voice whispered. ‘You won’t wake up.’
Suddenly I found myself wanting to wake up, wanting to end up in my cozy bed. I didn’t care who this person was, or what he or she had to do with the mysterious bumps in the wall.
‘Please listen to me,’ the voice pleaded, and I could feel its emotion filling the air. It was hard to say no.
I dived in.
It’s hard to say what happened next. Perhaps I woke up, but I knew it was not a dream. For one, I was not in my own bed.
‘You are mine now, Juli.’
I looked around me, afraid. Then I stared straight ahead. In front of me was one massive bump in the wall.
‘Are you..?’
‘You have fallen into my fountain so many times, giving me the strength of your dreams,’ the bump said, its voice thick with authority.
‘But.. but who are you?’ I asked, fear choking my voice.
Suddenly, the strangest thing happened. The voice changed. The whole atmosphere changed, and I was whisked back into a distant memory.
I could feel his warm hands playing with mine, teaching me to clap in a pattern. His voice was so soothing and kind, and his hands were so gentle. He made me feel so happy, so at home. I remember him gently setting me into the bathtub, handing me a bar of soap. He told me to be good, while he stepped out of the room for a moment. Wanting to pull a prank on him, I rubbed the floor of the bathroom with soap, making it slippery. Giggling to myself, I sat myself back into the bathtub. When my brother came in, he slipped on the soap, falling down hard. I watched as blood gushed out of his head, and he lost conciousness. Then he was gone. I had regretted it ever since. When my parents had found him there, there had been no explanation about how he’d died. I was the only one who had known.
The memory lifted, and I was back in the unfamiliar room. ‘What’s going on?’ I wondered out loud.
‘Juli.. Juli, it’s me,’ a familiar voice called.
‘Mark? Mark, is that you?’ I knew my brother’s voice as well as I knew the lines on the bottom of my feet.
‘Yes, Juli, but listen, I can only talk awhile. This is the only way I’ve been able to contact you, and the bump has become too strong. Listen to me, you must destroy me after I give you this message. Use your own hands, hit me as hard as you possibly can. As long as your intentions are to destroy it, it will be gone. Remember Juli, you are in your own head now. You have the power here. Destroy me after I say this.’ He took a deep breath. ‘You’ve never told anyone about how I died,’ he whispered. ‘Why?’
‘It was such a big mistake. Mom and dad loved you so much. They would have thrown me out, gotten rid of me. I would have gone to jail! I couldn’t have done it.’
‘Well, you’re going to now,’ he told me. His voice was so calm. He said it as if he were telling me the date.
‘W-why?’ I asked, terror clutching at my heart.
‘They deserve the truth. They won’t be mad at you, I promise, for you were only a small child.’
‘I murdered you!’
‘It was an accident. You loved me, and you cared about me, and you never wanted that to happen. That’s all that matters.’
‘You’re not mad at me?’
‘No, of course not.’
‘They won’t be mad at me?’
‘Of course not. Listen to me, I don’t have much time. I know how you felt, keeping that secret. It destroyed your life. You kept beating yourself about it, and it’s not right. It wasn’t your fault. So please stop. Tell mom.. Tell mom.. now.. destroy..’ I knew what he meant. I kicked and beat the wall as his voice slowly faded away.
Suddenly, I woke up. My alarm clock read 4:27 am. The bump in the wall was gone, replaced by the smooth, white walls. It felt strange, for I had become so used to that bump that it was almost like it had taken a part of me with it when it left. I could hear my dad snoring in the next room, but I had to tell them my secret. My brother had been right, I had been beating myself up about it for the past twelve years. I just couldn’t do it anymore.
I got out of bed and made my way to my parents’ room.
I walk into the meadow, watching as the fog clings to my body, wrapping me in it’s cloak. Each step takes me closer and closer to the fountain. I haven’t been here for years, and I don’t know why I’ve been brought back.
‘Hello?’ I call out, hoping I’ll get an answer. No one’s there. I finally see the fountain, emerging out of the shadows. I stroke it carefully, feeling each ridge that had pulled me in so many years ago. Suddenly, the fog clears and I see a figure step out of the shadows.
‘Juli,’ he whispers.
‘Mark. Mark? Mark!’ I whisper back, running to him. I try to throw my arms around him but they pass right through his flickering figure.
‘I’m sorry, Juli. I can’t be here long. I’ve been here for too long now, I need to rest.’
‘Don’t go, Mark.’
‘I have to, Juli. I did what I came here to do.’
‘Just let me say goodbye.’
‘That’s why I brought you here one last time.’
Tears start streaming down my face. ‘Don’t leave me, Mark.’
‘But you have everything you ever wanted, Juli. Your mom and dad love you very much. They now know the truth and finally, you are not ashamed of it.’
‘I don’t have you.’ ‘And you don’t need me. I have to go now. Tell mom and dad I love them very much. And Juli, I love you most of all. You should have never started beating yourself up about my death. It was not your fault at all. So Juli.. goodbye.’
‘Bye, Mark,’ I say through my tears as I watch him slowly fade away.
The last thing I see is his beautiful smile, slowly waving me goodbye.
Then I wake up.
birds. And over 90% of the time, they’re correct! This would mean a greater chance of finding the causes of bird flu and stopping it before it spreads. However, that’s not all. It would be difficult to be trailing mice on leashes, trying to sniff out the smell of infected bird droppings. But scientists have studied mice and dogs and have found that there is nothing mice can smell that dogs cannot. This means that scientists are working on training dogs to sniff out the same chemicals as the mice have. That way, there will be no need for people to trail mice as they try to find infected birds.