NMIXX | Frontier : N

Just One Blink : 1 (Lily)

At first there was nothing. A nebulous, black vastness sprawled around me, to the point where I couldn't tell if my eyes were closed or open. I took a step forward, and my bare foot touched something cold and wet. I guessed that It was a puddle and drew my foot back. But it was stuck. Frantically, I got down on all fours, but found that the puddle had somehow grown into what felt like a pool. I was sinking. With no ground for me to touch and no wall to anchor myself against, I felt my body sink - water rising to my neck, nose, and then eyes.

It was then that the light first came. A flurry of sparks lit up around me as I felt my body get heavier and heavier until I breathed air again. My eyes shot open to see myself falling out of open air. The sky around me, if you could call it that, was a blue and pink expanse, full of clouds that looked like they were made of pillow fluff, and massive glowing sea creatures that looked so gelatinous I mistook them for floating jelly.

The wind blew strongly as I made my free fall. I noticed that the air smelled sweet. I was entranced. For some reason, I fet no fear - even though I was dropping, and fast at that. The sugary, fresh-baked smelling gusts blew me down too quickly to take in all my surroundings, but before I could even try to turn my body, I hit land.

Surprisingly, It didn't hurt. I got up to find myself on a patch of flowery grass about the size of a living room rug. Trying to find my balance, I stood up, realizing I was wearing a bright purple dress with ruffles so big and intricate that I couldn't see my feet. Suddenly, I heard a voice from behind me.

"Hey! You! Watch out!"

I turned to see a girl around my age cautioning me, hands cupped around her mouth as she yelled. Her cotton candy pink hair fell all over her blue and yellow dress. She reminded me of one of my favorite childhood lollipops. What were they called again? I got super deep in thought before realizing that there was a giant shadow quickly enveloping my little forest platform. I dropped down on my knees and looked up as a beluga whale swam above my miniature island and let out a call so loud I felt the soil beneath me shake.

It shook once more as I turned to see a pair of white New Balances standing right next to me. I looked up to see Lollipop Girl, who had just jumped onto my grass. "Now, I dunno know if the whales here actually bite, but I think you'd rather not find out."

"Where am I? Who are you?", I asked, dusting off my purple pinafore. The girl tucked a lock of pink hair behind her ear before introducing herself.

"You can call me Jinni. And no, I don't know where we are. For the past few weeks, I've fallen down here every night while dreaming, but you're the only other person I've been able to talk to. Actually, the only other human I've seen."

I paused for a minute. Was this girl for real? "If you know you're dreaming, why are you talking to me like I'm a real person?", I asked.

"I could ask the same to you", she responded. She picked up a healthy sunflower from the ground and held it up before blowing at it like a dandelion. The petals flew into the air before catching pink fire and burning out in a short, rosy flame. "Look around you. Tell me you've ever experienced a dream this vivid."

I looked back at her worriedly. She put a hand on my shoulder. "You can trust me. I promise."

I looked back into the sky, and then in her warm, dark brown eyes. "I'm Lily."

Jinni smiled at me and then opened her mouth. I blinked and opened my eyes - something I quickly regretted. I shielded my face from the harsh morning light coming from the windows my Dad had been opening. "Lills, maybe try not to spend all night watching videos the very day before school", he said in a stern voice. Not mean at all, but obviously concerned. I spread my arms out and yawned before realizing my laptop was open on my pillow, still playing a video. The monotone talking voice along with the fuzzy, low quality footage made it clear that I fell down an Apollo 11 internet rabbit hole last night. Wait a sec, what was I even dreaming about last night.

My dad snatched my comforter from over me before starting an early morning spiel. "As annoying as it may be to swallow", he started. "First impressions are everything", I finished for him. "I know dad. I'm sorry. Totally won't ever happen again."

Dad gave me a kind smile before kissing my forehead and taking a sip from the coffee mug he had left sitting on my lavender study desk. "I should hope so! New school is serious business. I'll get breakfast ready. You clean up, 'kay sweetheart?"

"On it."

I shut my laptop and got up. I trudged past him, into the bathroom. As I started brushing my teeth and contemplating my angle of attack to fix my bedhead, I tried my best to remember last night's dream. I definately knew it was unusual, but I could barely remember a thing about it. I brushed idly while trying to recall parts of it. Lollipops... Dolphins... no, not dolphins. Whales. It was lollipops, and whales, and... donuts? Wait, donut or dresses? Where the whales wearing dresses?

I got so lost in thought that I barely heard my dad calling me from downstairs.

"Lily! How do you want your eggs again?"

"NOT RUNNY!", I yelled back. I turned back to the mirror and started to choke. I took the toothbrush out of my mouth and started patting at my chest with one hand and gripping the sink with the orher. There was something in my throat.

I eventually coughed something up. After wiping my eyes of the tears from closing them so hard, my eyes adjusted and I took a look in the sink. Right there, among a mess of petals lie a sunflower head next to the drain.