The Real World ~ Cedar's Adventure

A Fantasy Song

Finally, I got to the Owl City section. Circe was right; even the song titles seemed like random jumbles of words. What was a Saltwater Room or an Alligator Sky? Not knowing where to start, I picked a random song with a sensible title: The Real World.

The song started, and a melody of notes from a piano and synthesizer played. Before the first line was sung, the breeze picked up again, and the nearby leaves flew in a whirlwind. The tornado of maple leaves swirled around me, spinning faster and faster, growing thicker until all I could see was a wall of orange.

A/N: You MUST read the lyrics! The book will only make sense if you do!

Just when I thought I would suffocate, the wind died down, and I could see again. I was no longer on the sidewalk in my neighborhood. It was night time, and I stood on a hilltop overlooking a city resting on the edge of the coast. The city was surrounded by a forest that stretched as far as the eye could see. A grand maple tree loomed above me. The entire place radiated magic.

To my right, I saw another figure. I turned to a familiar girl only a couple of inches shorter than me. "Circe!" I exclaimed.

She nodded and waved. Suddenly, the wind grew stronger, and the leaves floated towards us. "Not again," I moaned, backing away.

Circe held up a hand, as if to say, Don't worry, they won't harm you.

I stopped fleeing and let the leaves encircle me. This time, the wind picked me up so I floated with the leaves. I glanced at Circe, and she was floating, too. The first verse of the song played:

I saw the autumn leaves

Peel up off the street

Take wing on a balmy breeze

That sweeps you off your feet

Circe and I rose higher, until we grazed the top of the maple tree. The wind blew us over the city. We soared high over the many-storied buildings, gaping at the twinkling dots of light shining through the windows. The leaves that surrounded us seemed to keep us aloft, taking us wherever the wind wanted to go. I couldn't believe any of this, especially since I was flying with Circe. My cheeks warmed a little at the thought.

You blushed as they scooped you up

On sugar maple wings

To gaze down on the city below

Ablaze with wondrous things

A huge yawn escaped me. I'd never stayed up this late before. I turned my head to see if Circe was tired, too. The last thing she seemed was tired, as she gazed in front of her. Though her eyes were the same color as the night sky, they shined as brightly as the stars in the dark. I could tell she was enjoying herself.

Weighed down by heavy lids

And lunar lullabies

I knew you were wide awake

'Cause you smile with your eyes

A few leaves touched my cheek. I was surprised by how soft they were. Just as we hit the forest, skimming the treetops, I realized why the leaves felt like feathers: they were the feathers. If we were flying with "sugar maple wings", of course those wings would shed leaf feathers. These leaves were magical leaves. This was so much better than real life!

Downy feathers kiss your face

And flutter everywhere

Reality is a lovely place

But I wouldn't want to live there.

Circe and I soared over the stretch of woods, around licks of flames from various forest fires, and through tangles of vines tinted red. If only I was able to stay here forever.

From the greenbelt balcony

Wildfires look so pretty

Ponderosa canopy

I'd never leave if it were up to me

From the ruby redwood trees

To the velvet climbing ivies

Painted all mahogany

I'd never leave if it were up to me

The music slowed, and we settled to the forest floor by the water's edge. A forest fire was quickly making its way towards us. Judging by the time at night, if we jumped into the water, we would turn into ice cubes. There was no way of escaping. I panicked. "Circe! What are we going to do!?"

Her eyes were locked on the cold sea. The slightest beams of sunlight poked over the horizon, changing the sky's color from black to a dark blue. No wonder she was in a trance. The scenery was magnificent.

With a starry brush

Paint the dusk Venetian blue

And in the evening hush

You'd never believe the view.

I heard crackling as flames devoured trees. The fire was only a few feet away. "Circe, we have to go," I said urgently, tugging at her arm. She wouldn't budge. "Circe!"

The breeze from the flames sent the leaves fluttering again. Like before we took wing, we each had a whirlwind of leaves zipping around us.

I could feel the heat now. Once my shirt caught fire, I stumbled backward into the freezing water. "Circe!" I cried again, flailing my arms around to keep myself afloat. Circe only stared at the ocean, still as stone. All of a sudden, the leaves around her caught fire. The flames jumped from leaf to leaf, to her hair, her shirt.

"No!" I wailed, but I had problems of my own. The leaves around me grew ice crystals, and the water quickly drew out my body heat. I choked, struggling to find air, struggling to make my lungs work. I thrashed about, on the verge of drowning. We were both going to die, one a hot death, the other a cold.

When the leaves return

And their whisperings fill the night

They'll freeze and burn

'No, it will not end this way,' I told myself. With all my might, I heaved my numb body out of the water. As fast as I could, I ran to Circe, wrapping my arms around her as tightly as possible.

When fire and ice collide

My leaves thawed, and hers cooled, creating a Goldilocks zone between the two extremes. Finally, she moved, returning the hug I was giving her.

Can you feel a silk embrace

The leaves spun around us faster and faster, filling the atmosphere with magic.

In the satin air?

I could feel the particles of my body melt away as the leaves started to blur again.

If we dissolve without a trace

I should've been worried, but considering everything I stood for on Earth, I was sure whatever happened to me here didn't matter there.

Would the real world even care?

The last verse repeated, and with every word, I felt myself fading away. The more I lost grasp of the magical world, the tighter I clung to Circe. The leaves were about to suffocate me again when Circe finally spoke. "Goodbye, Cedar," she whispered into my ear. In a bright flash, I was back on the sidewalk. The song ended as the leaves left me for their own journey into the sky:

I saw the autumn leaves

Peel up off the street

Take wing on a balmy breeze

That sweeps you off your feet