Fantasia

20

Brett -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've only been walking for a few streets, and something already feels off. My head feels heavy, and I move as if I'm wading through treacle, everything I can hear sounds far away. My violin is suddenly a crippling weight on my back. My fingertips tingle, and I feel the pins and needles spread to my feet too.

Actually, I don't feel so good. The nausea is coming back and spots are appearing in the corners of my eyes. What is happening to me?

Pull yourself together Brett, there's only a few more metres to go.

Before I can reach the door of the concert hall, my feet sort of give up on me. The world starts spinning like a carousel on overdrive. My head bangs and throbs astonishingly aggressively.

The last thing I see are my shaking hands trying to stop myself from hitting the cobbles. Then I hear the soul-crunching thud of my violin case rolling away from me. 

The birdsong recedes and everything goes black, the wind in the leaves crackling in my ears like radio static.

I open my eyes again in a completely different place, though I can tell I'm not actually awake. My skin is white as snow, porcelain and cold to the touch. My heart beats sluggishly inside my chest like a sleeping tiger, and my fingernails are tinged blue. My lips are dry, and my vision is blurry.

I look up, blinking and clearing my eyes. I feel a sudden weight in my hand, and I look down to see my fist tightly gripping my violin. I have inexplicably changed into a silk shirt that reflects all the colours of the rainbow. The overall shade is blood red, outlined by dark floral patterns.

I just stand and contemplate in confusion and wonder, but I'm stopped in my tracks.

Footsteps are approaching behind me.