The Four Dimensions of Corey Emerson

To Flower

        “Bellflowers are actually eggs,” Bran said, awaking me. He was perched on the edge of the bed I was so elegantly tucked into. “They are little wombs carrying baby nymphs. “’Gorgeous flower. It's said that the flower was brought to the Dimensions by a Runner (someone who travels between the Dimensions and Earth on a normal basis; sort of like a hobby...), and he planted it in one of the gardens in the Nymph Kingdom, and Christopher's grandfather's wife nurtured the flower, promising to keep it alive. Ten moons later, little sounds of bells came from the flower. A day after that, when the sun rose, there was a thick red-orange sky, and in that morning, a little creature crawled out of the flower, no bigger than your palm. Queen Mariposa fostered the little creature only to realize that when it grew larger, it turned out to be a nymph... Since that day, all nymphs have been born from the pollen and cocoons of bellflowers. Only pink ones, though; they've tried to breed nymphs in different bellflowers, but only pink flowers. Christopher says it has something to do with the innocence and pureness of the color... ”

            I listened to Bran’s whole story as I stood up and got changed into a short, lacy-white dress the little nymph girl, Juniper, picked out. It edged off a little above my knees and had an open back that gave me chills despite the warm spring-like atmosphere of the Kingdom. Afterwards, my black hair was braided and cast over my right shoulder, weaved with small white flowers. My feet were forced into little ballet-looking shoes that were ever so tightly wound around my ankles with a shiny pink ribbon matching them. Juniper then led me into a small pool where I was then introduced to tiny little fish that nipped all over my body; when exiting, my entire body was pure ivory-toned and when I looked into the mirror, all excess hair was purged from my skin. I was almost glowing like the nymphs were. I’d never been so polished in my life… and so broken. I needed to talk to Bran or Adophin or someone about Emerson… I had registered that he’d hit me and severely burned my wrist… the burn was still there… the puffy flesh on my face and the scar had both disappeared, but the burn was still there.

            Juniper gasped when she saw that the burn was still present, that she made me go in the pool again. The same thing happened; the burn didn’t leave. I wondered how long I’d have it…

            In the meantime, Juniper gave up and escorted me down a long, tiled hallway riddled with painted photographs of nymphs who I guess used to rule the Kingdom. I, then, paid attention to the actual walls. They were absolutely gorgeous. They could have been glass, they could have been crystal, or they could have been pure diamond. Whatever they were, they left remarkable fractures so I could not see outside the hallways. I looked through the 'glass' and saw all the colors of outside contorting within each other in sharp corners and edges, roughly meeting each other with soothing colors of the morning. Getting the idea, I looked down: the floor was covered in multiple rainbows. It was like walking on something more beautiful and heavenly than sunshine, and I got to enjoy it the entire walk, forgetting everything that happened the night before.

            When Juniper and I reached the end of the hallway, two small guards glowing green blocked the door.

            One smiled at me and one frowned. The frowning one spoke: “The Presidents are ready for you.” They moved to the side and Juniper smiled at me as I walked through the doors, leaving the rainbow hallway. Luckily, the large hall I was in was about as big as Sir Justin’s but as beautiful as the hallway behind me. It was clear, though, that these walls were made of diamond.

            There were five nymphs all staring at me. They were sitting in a circle, conversing with each other.

            When the big doors closed behind me, the open back of my dress made me cringe as wind pounded on my bare skin. I took a deep breath as the small men turned around.