Preface: This was a dream I had long ago, and its taken me even longer to write about it.
I found myself at a fancy dinner party surrounded by old people in tuxedos and gala dresses. We were all stuffed in a hallway filled with antique dining room fixtures. Most of the party attendants slowly circulated around the antiques or other conversation circles and were mingling. A white-gloved hand was carrying a silver tray over the crowd while passing out flutes of sparkling wine. I grabbed a glass and "admired" some fancy candlesticks so I wouldn't stand out. I chit-chatted with whoever engaged me, nodded my head when appropriate, and said things like,
"Oh yes, things in the southern hemisphere are just deplorable!"
"I wish someone would fix the commonwealth." and
"My my! What an interesting subject!" I couldn't take much more though, I decided to flow with the tide of conversation circles. Who knows, maybe I'd wash up on a shore that would lead me out of the party.
I was passed from one circle to another not caring what rot left the mouths of the well-to-do party guests. Along the way I noticed there were periodic staircases leading up and out of the hallway. I tried desperately to break away from the school of guests, but they were too oblivious of my presence. I might as well have been a small child that had left the kids table, futilely trying to compete with what seemed like giants all around me. I was tossed about for what seemed like hours. It felt like I had been sucked into a torrent of people. A ballroom dance with an endless and obvious pattern but no music dictating the conclusion of it. Eventually I didn't waste energy instructing my muscles what to do, knowing well that I was no match for the shuffling feet and elbows of the unforgiving party guests. My body went limp and I stared at the ceiling and it's shining chandeliers.
"I bet this is how seaweed feels," I thought. Though before I could get anymore existential than that I was spat out of the sea of shiny shuffling shoes and collided with someone. I got up off the carpet apologizing profusely but paused when I saw who I had run into.
My high school heart-throb Emma was staring at me her mouth slightly open. Neither of us moved while the party guests continued to circulate with no mind to us whatsoever.
"Hi."
"Hey," she replied.
"What are you doing here?"
"Family invited me and some of my friends, its been a while."
"Yea..."
A sharp clang of cutlery and glass resounded throughout the hall and the guests came to a synchronized halt. An elderly British voice instructed everyone,
"Ladies and gentlemen it is time for the waltz!"
The party guests fanned out an appropriate distance choking what little space me and Emma had, making us very uncomfortable. While the guests started to twirl about the room Emma turned to me. I sucked in my gut but she definitely noticed. Damn. But then she said something very unexpected,
"You wanna get out of here?"
I nodded fervently and Emma yanked my arm and we weaved through legs, coffee tables, and coattails. We headed up one of the staircases out of the hallway.
When we emerged from the stairs a salty wind slapped my cheeks and filled my nostrils. We were atop a grassy plateau looking over a vast ocean that cascaded against the cliffs with its tide.
"Much better right?"
I looked over to her and gave her a big smile, I was so happy to be out of the hallway. The wind felt incredible brushing through my hair. The grass was soft and lush, I wanted to frolic in it this for hours. Though it wasn't what Emma had in mind.
"Hey follow me, lets play hopscotch!" She ran off down toward one end of the plateau. Frolicking in the grass wouldn't be as fun by myself so I headed after her.
I caught up to her at a corner of the plateau trying not to reveal that I was a little out of breath. A bridge divided into interchanging squares labeled with corresponding numbers lay before us.
"Where does the bridge take you?" I asked.
"It's not about where it takes you..." I rolled my eyes in anticipation of an empty platitude or sappy philosophy.
"...It's about hopscotch!" Before I could bring my eyes back to their normal viewing level she had already lunged forward and began to hop down the bridge. I studied her movements and hopped after her in hopes that this was indeed how you played the game.
Halfway across the bridge I saw Emma was already on her way back. While trying to make more progress I came to the conclusion that this game had too much hopping and not enough scotch. Since each hop rippled out the rest of the bridge I kept my eyes on my foot-work and minded my balance. Taking in my height above the water and the integrity of the bridge I also started to think this was a hopscotch game meant for Olympians, not for pale-legged lads who spent their childhood playing cards to earn enough money to go bowling or to the movies.
My whimpering thoughts were halted when a blunt force hit my bent over head. I looked up to see Emma holding her forehead and muttering curses. After we each took a moment we looked up at each other and discovered that we hadn't stepped away from each other as much as we thought. The ocean's spray hitting the rocks below us had more to say than we did.
"Twice in one day eh?" Hoping this comment would break the silence, it didn't. Though it couldn't compare with one of the boards breaking and Emma falling through the bridge, that got a lot more chatter going.
"SAM, HOLY CRAP! SAM! SAM HELP!" Emma had grabbed onto some rope before plummeting to a surely sharp and rocky death. I slowly lowered myself and gave her my right arm. After getting back onto the bridge she held onto my arm a bit longer and pulled me until we were both on the other side and off the bridge.
"Well I wasn't keeping track but I think you won that game," I said. Emma smiled,
"Thanks."
She abruptly turned her head from me, her smile soured, and she stared blankly out towards the ocean.
We walked further and further from the bridge until it became a speck behind us. My eyes were looking everywhere except next to me. I figured it would be safest to keep my eyes in the shapeless clouds, focus on the shapeless. When we both finally stopped walking I noticed we were closer to the water. I breathed in more of the salty air and exhaled assuming it would relieve some of the stress, but the only thing that felt different was sand slowly sinking into my shoes. I was due for a new pair anyway. The soles were old enough to open up mouths and jabber about the harsh concrete whenever I would walk to work. Who wants to hear they're shoes yammer on?
"I have to go meet my friends."
I turned my head from the ground to her.
"But we never got to catch up, and who knows when we'll run into each other again."
She gave a weak chuckle and a smile.
"At our rate probably sooner than you think."
Her eyes darted down the beach and she broke into a hot sprint. Her figure eventually disappeared behind a protruding cliff on the beach. She didn't even say goodbye. I stood there and let a few more grains sink into the cracks of my feet.
No! This wasn't going to end like this. I tore my shoes from my feet and cast them out to see so their mouths could be filled with salty foam. The balls and toes of my feet knew what had to be done. I shot after her and almost fell flat on my face. I've never been a runner but my feet were enjoying the foreign feel of the sand, and who was I to deny them? I was glad no one else was attending the beach. Who would want to see an out of shape pale legged boy stumbling through the sand? Maybe more people than I suspect.
I ran far. I got past the cliff and saw a dirt trail lead up and away from the beach. Rocks and course dirt attacked my feet as I hoofed it further up the trail. Tall grass scratched and tickled any exposed skin on my body. Was the land punishing me? My lungs burned as if battery acid had been poured down them, but my legs refused to stop. Would I have to be put on life support after this? Would my legs still function after all of this? My eyes saw a beach house on the horizon of the trail and my medical thoughts washed away.
I heaved and wheezed on a hill made of sand and some roughage. Outside the house were two parked police cars. I crouched and tried to find a side entrance in.
Around the back of the house was a porch with glass sliding doors leading out to it. Inside I could see Emma and a few others being held at gun point by two officers. I slowly climbed over the porch railing. The sun-baked wood pressing against my stomach made my insides feel like boiling knots. I eased against the glass door careful not to make any betraying sounds. I could hear the murmur of one of the officers.
"We know the fortune is here, just show us where and we won't kill any of you."
Emma's eyes saw me and began to shiver but quickly turned back to the officers. The porch didn't have any weapons but my eyes stumbled on a ladder leading up into the attic. I crawled to it not knowing exactly what would be up there but it would be better than being on display behind a pane of glass. The planks of the porch felt like they were charring my skin, as if some giant chef above me was putting grill marks on before plating me.
I climbed the ladder quite deftly despite my hands quivering with every grab. I poked my head inside the hole to the attic. I thought my hair was going to melt off, but what was more surprising was the smell. It was some hot syrupy smell. I looked below to discover the whole attic was filled with melting gummie bears.
"Ugh!"
The smell was unbearably powerful. My vision started to blur and I could feel myself leaving the support of the ladder. My body plunged into the goop. I was on fire and drenched simultaneously. This is it, I had traded in my shoes filling with sand for drowning in sticky artificial candy. My back hit the floor of the attic and suddenly there was air again. I had broken a whole in the floor and the goop was pouring me out into the living room onto the policemen. I gasped for air and tried to get to my feet. The police were getting plastered with half solid half liquid gummies, and Emma's friends were staring at me like I had leaped out of a horror movie. I couldn't believe they were just standing there.
"Run, you idiots!"
Everyone made for a different door. We powered down steps and ran for the beach. I wanted to wash this terrible goo from me. Before I could make it to the waters a hand grabbed my wrist and nearly slid right off. I turned to see Emma's face smiling, I just smiled back. Despite man made candy bears scorching my skin I was content for a moment, but the happy moment was all too short when it was interrupted by a charismatic voice ripping through the air,
"Coming this summer!"
I heard a stage alarm ring and Emma let go of my wrist as soon as she heard,
"Aaaaannddd cut! That was great everybody!"
The people who I thought were her friends and guests from the ball started walking into my field of vision. They were shaking hands and patting backs. A few came and high-fived Emma. She turned back to me with the neutral demeanor of a stranger on her face.
"It was great working with you."
I couldn't say anything back. She walked away and started chatting with the other people who I thought I knew.
I woke up in my bed in a hot sweat and panting. I stared blankly at the wall in front of me clenching my sheets to the point of ripping. A bead of sweat rolled onto my lips. I had never tasted something so bitter in my life.
