Collage Ava Herrera
SOMETIMES, THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEYS LIE WITHIN ONE’S OWN IMAGINATION. Once upon a time, in a land as ordinary as could be, there lived a girl who wished to escape the restraints of her life–a life she deemed to be mundane, at best. She sat slumped in her tattered chair, head held in the palms of her hands. The girl yearned for excitement, adventure, and love, yet the seemingly endless tasks sprawled across her desk incited no such feelings.
With a deep exhale that held equal parts intrigue as it did defeat, she shut her eyes and was immediately greeted by a light breeze, pushing away the locks of hair that stuck to her cheeks. Hesitantly, the girl opened her eyes and scanned her surroundings.
“Will you be attending the princess’s coronation ceremony today, madam?” His voice was kind, exactly as she’d imagined it to be many moons ago. “I forgot about this place,” the girl mumbled to herself more than the man, a small smile on her lips.
The book remained in her hands, yet she no A scaled creature perched adjacent to the longer sat in her bedroom. Instead, a towering walkway swayed its tail, as if saying, “Welcome”. 2:29 am, the clock read. Its rhythmic ticks castle sat at the end of a winding pathway The girl laughed–truly laughed. She couldn’t mocked the girl. covered in words–– words from the novel she recall the last time she’d heard such a sound Time–she did not have enough time to held, the girl quickly realized. She couldn’t even escape her lips. experience adventure or finish her assignment. begin to recall the number of times she’d read She swore she could feel the golden dust Her head clouded with frustration, tears through the story. She couldn’t even reminisce that encompassed the book caress her arm on the last time she’d opened its cover. threatening to spill from her eyes. in response, like it too felt the same joy in She wanted to run. She longed to escape the Dragons, faeries, and wizards that looked escaping into a world that was not one’s own. suffocating routine of her daily life. She wished remarkably familiar, as if she’d dreamt about “Do try to keep us in your heart, lady,” the man them in the past, roamed the streets. They to be anywhere but here, the girl thought. waved at her, inviting her to join them wherever said. “And please, visit us again soon.” As if in response to her train of thought, a book they were headed. The girl found herself nodding, too stunned to perched at the corner of the girl’s desk fluttered The sky danced with picture-perfect clouds that form words. As the man departed to join the open, its pages emitting a faint golden light. grazed the spires of the shimmering building masses in their march toward the castle, the “Come inside,” the book seemed to purr, its in front of her–the glass castle that the girl had girl’s eyes closed to bask in the happiness that voice holding promise of everything she most spent countless years wishing she could roam warmed her core. desired–everything she felt she could not find the halls of. When they opened, she found herself back in in her own little world. Leading the crowd, in the distance, was a petite the messy interior of her childhood bedroom, The girl stared in disbelief. Even after she woman whose deep caramel skin glowed in the sitting in her too-stiff chair. Even then, her rubbed her eyes and shook her head, the light sunlight. The train of her emerald green gown beautiful smile lingered. persisted, beckoning her to pick up the book swept the cobblestone behind her as she strode The clock ticked once more. 3:30 am. that she’d failed to remember even sat on her toward the castle. A princess–she was the desk. When was the last time she’d picked up princess, the girl realized. A princess, who was The girl’s smile simply grew. The golden light within the book flared in response, then a book? When was the last time she’d risked a soon to be a queen. It was coronation day dimmed into darkness. glance away from her laptop? A light tap on her shoulder broke the girl “Run away with me,” the book said. from her trance. She turned to find an elderly Once upon a time, in a land as ordinary as could gentleman donned in what she could only be, there lived a girl who realized that there It was 2:32 am. She was going insane, she was assume was royal attire, smiling at her, his eyes was value in the ordinary and in a momentary convinced of it. escape. For her, that realization made all crinkled at the corners. Despite her conviction, the girl found herself the difference. picking up the novel, its light soon encircling her body.
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