School
You find yourself getting forced to go to school by your parents, over the next several days. Taking your classes, hanging out in clubs, and self enlightenment, all old news to you at this point in your life. You haven’t found it in you to truly mix things up this time around. You’ve always been such a good student, showing up to every single class, turning in every assignment, and attending every seminar and parent teacher conference. There is barely anything to lose in this reality, therefore the world is almost completely yours.
Upon entering your next period you think to yourself, breaking free of the social normative life you’ve placed yourself in since before you were actually this age. “I think I’m going to ditch school today.” You think to yourself, finding yourself in an annoying crowd of other animals around you. You can’t help but think about how uncanny it is to recount your memories in such a novel recreation.
You find a space within the crowd, as they pour into their classrooms, you slip away, making sure your bushy tail isn’t going to giveaway your personal ejection. Your footsteps treading lightly to try to negate more attention from you as you slide through the door.
The school courtyard is just as you remembered it, a vast field which the building of the school wrapping around the emerald blades of grass. “Still as well kept as pristine as I remember.” You sigh to yourself as you consider the possibilities of what this newfound freedom has to offer. In that moment your mind leads you to consider the fun activities in the area.
You walk down the empty streets, the sun shining down from directly above you, almost lighting your path as you walk aimlessly around your childhood town. Your feet almost magically transporting you to exactly where you need to go. “Maybe I can just go shopping or find a party to crash or some shit.” You scoff to yourself, knowing your previous ‘star child’ background never gave you the opportunity to truly enjoy your childhood.
“That’s it!” You think to yourself as your eyes light up in realization. “I’ll go to the abandoned mill. It’s been years since I’ve stopped by there.” A new kind of hop appears in your step as you pick up your pace and stroll merrily along to the abandoned mill, a place long since abandoned in your mind. “I wonder if any of the crew would be there.” Your mind throws around the plethora of names you recall from your teenage friend group, and how you all would spend time there on weekends, and even the occasional study group.
You find yourself among the same decrepit abandoned mill as your memory recalls from your childhood, the sun still high in the sky and illuminating the entirety of the various scattered shacks gathered around an old grain silo. The wood forming deep cracks in the bowing support beams of the structure.
“Wow it hasn’t changed” You say to yourself as you walk up to the enormous grain tower, placing your hand on the graffitied walls, weathered by the years passed. You rush your way into the structure where you spent most of your time in your adolescence, nostalgia washing over you as you traverse the powdery chalk covered ground. You approach the most familiar corner of the shambles of the aged shack and take a seat, viewing the room from the same angle ingrained into your memory.
Something uncanny catches your eye; some writing etched into the concrete near your favorite corner. “I miss you here.” you read aloud, written next to two squirrel stick figures holding hands, one with light brown hair, and one with dark hair, holding hands.
“That can’t possibly be about me.” You laugh to yourself, disregarding the ironic location of the scribe, “Hah, that’s pretty narcissistic.” You continue on that afternoon disregarding the detail.
A few hours pass and you decide to begin making your way home. During your exodus you notice a pair of footprints leading you out off the isolated grounds, though you brush this off as well. The walk home felt surprisingly short, as if you had been teleported, but your return roused no suspicion as you use the remainder of the night to bond with your parents.
That night you go to bed satisfied.
Written by Driftingdragon on 10 December 2019