Finding Time

Chapter 3: Demi 2018 Somewhere over Los Angeles

It started out being her having been pulled through a fog. The clouds covered her vision, and she coughed them away. Slowly, she found herself being brought forth into light. There were blazing lights, blues, reds, and even colors she hadn't seen before. She was pulled through to a carousel.

There, she saw kids being pulled around and laughing. Some were accompanied by parents, some by friends, and others were lovers that were enjoying their time together. Many were people walking by with dull expressions on their face, and they passively went through motions. Some brought food and ate it absent-minded, others playing games or rode rides with little amusement. Nobody noticed her.

Her jacket clung to her arms, which felt raw and itchy. She had been crying. She wiped what she thought was mascara off from under her eyes, then reminded herself that nobody had noticed her. So, she crawled off the carousel and threw up in the nearby grass. Then she stood up, walking away with a determination to find out where she was.

Only she did not understand. No matter who she tapped on the shoulder, nobody would notice her or talk to her. She was able to order a funnel cake. She sat down on a bench, eating. She would sometimes strain her head to see if there was anything but the fairgrounds, but there was only a dark canopy of trees.

She also could not remember her name nor how she got there. So, after failing some more to get the attention of others, she walked to the Ferris Wheel. She was allowed entry on. She sat in her enclosed compartment as it rose into the sky. She fell asleep.

She awoke to find she had slept into the evening. The Ferris wheel has ascended her to the top where she could look around. There was nobody there. She could not get off the Ferris wheel because it was moving in slow increments, so she had to stare out the window for hours trying to understand why nobody was there at the park and why nobody had woke her up to tell her it was time to go home. The evening had finally struck the sky, making it glow in red and pink hues, and finally, she was allowed off into the fairgrounds.

Now she was pissed, so she was determined to find her way out of this place. The lights turned on, and the same dull people had appeared. She sighed in frustration and marched impatiently to the woods. The trees stared back at her, tall and menacing. When she finally thought she had reached the threshold, she felt a cold chill. Looking down, she saw a long strip separating her from the woods that gave out to space below - which was cold and blowing in her face.

"What the heck?" she cried.

She huffed. Turning around, she decided that it would be better to go back and demand somebody give her some answers. Suddenly, she noticed a large tent where lights hung overhead. Begrudgingly, she marched her way to this tent. There, she was stopped at the entrance by a woman with her brown hair piled on top of her head and decorated with silver butterfly barrettes. She was wearing a long, green gown.

"Excuse me," said the girl.

"Darling, I can't let you in looking like that," she said.

"Why not?"

"This is a ball where plenty of people meet from around the universe to converse and talk about the state of affairs in the physical realm."

"Uh huh" sighed the girl.

The woman touched her shoulder.

"There!" she said. "I've decided you will wear marine blue tonight. Take a look for yourself."

The girl looked to notice that she was wearing a big, blue gown decorated with diamonds. She was also wearing silver shoes, felt makeup caked on her face, a mask tied to her eyes,!and strained her neck at the bun it was pulled into.