A 16 Year Old's Dream Chapter 6

Story
Maya opened her eyes, feeling the glare of someone who had just woken up. A bright light entered the dark room. She got up out of bed and went towards the light spilling out from the attic. The wide stairs were there again.

"It's that dream again."

With each step she took, the stairs creaked as if they were very old. There were spaces where the wood had fallen out, and her feet would slip between the slats. The moon's door had aged a bit as well. The hinges are rusty. The door creaks when it opens. With a single bound, she grabbed onto a meteor and began to descend. She wasn't rattled by it anymore. She wasn't afraid even when Nosey didn't catch her.

Maya rolled on top of the thick grass and got up. She still coughs in her dream. Something about this place was different than before. The grass was faded and trees had split open or had fallen in the wind.

"Yes. This looks more realistic."

Maya thought this to herself as she walked down the yellow brick road looking for Coco. Maybe she wasn't feeling well, because she wasn't humming today. She was passing through some fields when she noticed houses had popped up here and there. "Did Nosey ever finish building his house?" she wondered.

Sheep in the area had gathered together and were working. She found the sheep she knew.

"No. 69, what are you doing? Why aren't you playing like before?"

"We have to work now. Coco's making us plow the fields."

No. 69 plowed the field with a sullen look on his face. He was not enthusiastic at all.

"Stop doing that and play with me."

"I can't. Do you see that wolf over there? He metes out punishments for not working."

On top of a hill, sitting in a chair, was a wolf working a machine.

He's filling up balloons with air.

Yellow, orange, and ivory white balloons floated about, colliding into each other as they drifted in the wind.

Maya touched a balloon, one by one, as she climbed up the hill.

"So you're Maya," said the wolf, as if he knew her.

"Me? Do you know me?"

"Of course. Coco's told me all about you."

"Where is he?"

"He's up in the sky. I'll show you the way later. By the way, there's a girl just like you up there, too."

The wolf pointed up at a girl sitting underneath a tree and staring at the balloons.

She recognized the butterfly shaped ribbon in the girl's hair. The girl recognized her first.

"You're from our grade."

"Rose…Rose, but you're..."

"Yes, I died from my illness, but when I came to, I was here."

"Are you in any pain?"

"Not anymore. I miss my dad. Can you take me home?"

"I don't know where you live."

"That's too bad, then." Rose looked disappointed.

"Do you want to play?"

"I just want to sit here."

Rose sat back down underneath the tree and touched the balloons.

"Thank goodness you're not in pain anymore," Maya said relieved.

"I need to find Coco. I need to ask him to look after her."

Thinking this, she asked the wolf for the way.

"Are you going to go?" The wolf gives a command to the sheep and then gestures for her to follow.

"What are all these balloons for, Mr. Wolf?"

"The mood around here these days isn't that great without stuff like this around. It was No. 1's idea. Not bad, right?"

The wolf trudged over to the fountain as he spoke.

The fountain was bone dry.

"There's no water coming out."

"There's a water shortage these days. That's why it's turned off. Go stand in the middle."

Maya stood in the middle as the wolf instructed. The wolf goes over to a corner to control something.

"Ah, that's cold!"

Cold water flowed over her. She shrieked.

She ascended as she rode the column of water. She rose up through the cluster of balloons and reached the clouds. Her shrieking turned into shouts of joy.

As the water spout dissipated, she landed gently on the front lawn of a house. Beyond the fence was just empty space.

"This house is floating up in the sky. How cool," she thought to herself.

She knocked on the door.

It opened, and a boy poked his head out.

"Coco?" He looked to be around her age. The contours of his face had become sharper and his eyebrows had become

darker. One could've mistaken him for a boy in her class.

"You're finally here. I waited every single day." Coco was very happy to see her.

"Come on in. Let me get you something cool to drink."

"I'm completely soaked. Can I have something warm instead?" She feels chilly.

"Okay. I have to heat up the water so sit right there. Don't go anywhere, now."

Coco went into the kitchen. She looked around the room.

The alphabet blocks from the field were rolling around.

Knives and shields made of stone and wood filled the room.

It was sad to think that these were his toys.

A large mirror took up one of the walls. Maya likes mirrors.

She turned her gaze to another direction and was filled with a strange sensation. She looked at the mirror again.

The eyes of the girl in the mirror did not correspond with hers.

She raised her right arm and saw that Maya in the mirror also raised her right arm! Shouldn't it be her left?

She suddenly felt very scared.

"What are you doing?" Coco asked from behind her. She was startled.

That thing in the mirror was not startled.

"Just looking in the mirror."

Upon hearing this, Coco looked into the mirror for some time. Then he spoke.

"You don't have to think like that. You're just not feeling good today. The more you think about it, the weirder it's

going to get. But never mind that," he pulled out the tea cups as he asked a question.

"What took you so long? It's so lonely here. There are no books. I had to make all of my own toys."

"Why don't you play with the sheep?"

"I hate animals. And I'm not a child."

"Right. You grew so much over the last two months."

"What do you mean the last two months? Come to think of it, you haven't changed much at all."

"It hasn't been that long, has it?" She thought Coco was a peculiar child.

Coco showed her a wooden horse he had carved himself.

Where would you like me to take you? – it seemed to say as it began to move. The two got on the horse and had a grand time riding around the flying house.

Coco did not speak much, but he listened to Maya and occasionally spoke in agreement.

He wanted to know about her. She was telling him about school when she brought up Rose.

"Ah, have you seen this girl named Rose?"

"No. I'm the only person here."

"You'll find her down below. Look for her if you get lonely."

Looks like it's time to go back. She has to wake up early this morning and prepare breakfast, you see.

"You're leaving already? When will you be back?"

"I'll be back soon." she said a bit carelessly.

She did not notice the sad look in Coco's eyes.

"That necklace looks nice on you."

"Really? It was a gift."

"It flashes occasionally." Coco looked at the necklace for a long time.

"I'll be on my way now." she said impatiently.

"Take this with you. I'd like it if you thought of me more."

Coco handed her the small white wooden horse. She took it, went out the front door, and stepped off over and beyond the fence.

"Goodbye!"

Coco's voice rang out from the far distance. Previous: Chapter 5 || Next: Chapter 7