Am I Still Dreaming? ~ Kingdom of the Immortals

Am I Still Dreaming? {2}

-2-

The market is bustling with people and I am shocked, since I have never seen so many people in my life. I never dared to venture from the orphanage even though I longed to. The only other place I knew of was in my dreams, but I suppose that didn’t really count.  

I was forced to sit with one of the men while the other one went to go get papers. We sit in silence on the bench, I look around until something catches my eye. In the alley way, I spot a familiar glowing fog. I am drawn towards it, nearly half way through the  crowd I hear the man shout after me. This causes me to sprint towards the fog and I disappear from the market tumbling into the neatly moved grass, smelling the sweet floral scent knowing I am safe. I am awake and in Wonderland. This makes me suspicious, have I even woken up yet? Am I still dreaming? 

I walk around my paradise realizing I am alone, and I decide to create. When I first ventured to Wonderland, I met a woman who taught me the secret to this strange land. She called her secret, framing. Anything could be created here, but it didn’t last forever. As soon as a person left, the framed objects would disappear into the energy particles that were used to conjure it. There are limits as well, I can only frame things I know, and if I wanted to frame a cure for cancer or even a best friend, I wouldn’t be able to do it unless it existed in the real world. 

I frame a violin and some music which I had taught myself how to read during my visits to Wonderland. I play with a smile finally getting the much needed escape. I usually make music when I visit because it helps me forget about Cynthia, Selena, the orphanage, and my mysterious past. During other visits, I taught myself the flute, piccolo, piano, cello, and alto saxophone. 

There was something about music that I liked, how unlike science it never changed. Nothing could be discovered to change its past, only its future. It almost reminded me of myself: no matter when I find out what happened to my parents I can not change my past, it  will only change my future by the way I decide to react. If I ever find out. 

As I am about to start another tune, I am startled and fling the violin at the source of the sound. It wasn’t the first time there has been another person in Wonderland, but it had been awhile. I had grown accustom to being alone in this paradise.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you,” An amused chuckle sounds from behind me. I turn around to meet the most gentle pair of blue eyes I have ever seen. I quickly avert my gaze to notice that he caught my instrument. 

I don’t bother to deny my emotions, it was obvious how I flung my violin at him that he scared me shitless, “Nice catch.” 

He laughs, the sound leaves me dazed, it is mellifluous enough to be music by itself, “Thanks. Good thing I have quick reflexes or your violin would have been a little difficult to play.”

“I could always frame another one,” I shrug demonstrating by making a second violin and bow appear in my hands. 

“Don’t throw that one at me to!” He mocks using the other violin as a shield. 

I roll my eyes, “Don’t test me.” 

“What’s your name?” He asks casually setting the violin down as he sits on the soft grass near me. 

“Ambrose,” I whisper not sure if he heard it, I don’t like telling people my name since it is so strange. “Call me Rose.” 

“Why? I like Ambrose it’s different,” He gives a charming smile revealing perfectly straight white teeth. 

I wrinkle my nose analyzing him. I take in his messy brown hair, fair skin and soft baby blue eyes. What kind of name could someone this... dreamy have? Maybe I conjured him without realizing it... but surely that was impossible. He didn’t look like an Alexander or a John or a Robert. “What’s your name?”