Note: This is the second story for my first challenge. Any helpful criticism would be helpful.
Chasing Bubbles
By
Shelleigh-Mairi Ferguson
“Crap,” I curse as I slam the snooze button. “Just ten more minutes.”
I roll over and attempt to drift back into my wonderland of dreams. My hopes are high at first as I can still vaguely remember the dream I was floating through before I was so rudely interrupted by my alarm. I was happy there. I’m desperate to return.
In the dream, it was a beautiful summer’s day and I lounged under a tree near a sparkling lake. I was watching the sunlight dance playfully around the branches of the tree. Its large green leaves twinkling in delight at the playful sun, enjoying its warm caress. An ardent breeze twirled little puffy clouds of cotton from the cottonwood trees whimsically through the air. The twirling cotton puffs looked like little fairies dancing through the air. I watched them as bubbles started to mix and float by joining in the dance.
Upon returning to my dream; I heard laughter as I peeked around the tree trunk and saw four small children running past. There were two little boys dressed in white suites with light yellow pen strips and yellow dress shirts. The two girls were dressed in white sun dresses with small yellow flowers and yellow lace. They were chasing after mischievous bubbles that always seem to float out of their reach. Their joy is contagious and I want to join in their great bubble chase.
I got up and ran after them. I feel so young, happy, and free. My only care in the world is chasing bubbles. The children are faster than me and try as I might they and the bubbles always seem to be out of my reach. I race harder, pushing myself but they just seemed to be getting farther away. They are just ahead of me as we climb a large hill. As the children disappear down the other side of the hill, their laughter echoes in my ears, taunting me. I push on but my feet begin to sink into the grass as if I were running in quicksand. I struggle; pulling and clawing my way to the top. I break free at the top of the hill and I can see the children in the valley below joyfully playing with the bubbles. I start to run down the hill but bees start to swarm around me buzzing in my ear. I bat at them and as I do, my foot gets caught on a rock. I’m thrown forward and see the ground rising to meet me.
“Oh, crap,” I slam my snooze again. No, I want to chase my beautiful dream bubbles not chase my tail as I shift one stack of papers from one side of my desk to the other. I hate my job, my life. Just give me ten more minutes and then I will have the strength to face my day.
I try to force myself back into my beautiful dream land but this time I find myself in a cabin in the woods. I am with friends. I can’t tell how many but there seem to be quite a few. I realize that I have to pee. I head down the hall towards the bathroom, the doors locked. My friend tells me that it’s OK if I go pee in her room. She tells me that she pees on her bedroom floor all the time. I follow her as the urge to pee gets greater and greater. If I don’t find a place to pee soon I may just pee my pants.
Her room is crowded with people, most of which I don’t know. I squat in the corner and try to pee but can’t. I seem to have stage fright and can’t pee in front of all these people. I run out of the room and down the hall again. The bathroom door is open this time but this room is filled with people too. I beg to use the toilet and they part like the Red Sea for me.
As I sit on the toilet, I’m finding it hard to pee again with all these people around me. I see my boss coming towards me. He leans up against the wall and starts to talk to me about clients as I’m struggling to pee. I get up and run, desperate to find a private place to pee. Everyone is chasing me; their voices are a buzzing in my head.
“Crap.” It’s my alarm again. I slap it quiet one more time and pull my pillow over my head. I really don’t want to get up. I’m comfortable and warm in my bed. I do not want to face the cold cruel world. Unfortunately, my full bladder and the fact that my consciousness keeps seeping into my subconscious, forcing me to face my reality, keeping any real dreams at bay.
My alarm buzzes my rude awakening as I force myself to face the frigid reality of my life. How I long to be chasing bubbles.
