headspace: a collection of short stories & prose

the zodiac signs: views

ARIES 🐏
Red, purple, and blue flashing lights dance across my vision, intercepted by the sea of bobbing heads. I can feel the floor of the pit underneath my feet, vibrating in sync with the music. In front of me, one of my favorite bands plays passionately, and the sounds of the electric guitars and beating drums are all-consuming. The neon lights reflect off of the blacks and reds of the instruments, and I notice the lead singer smile playfully between lyrics. Around me, countless fans sing and cheer and dance, the sweaty bodies all brushing together. The girl next to me jumps and throws her hands into the air, her blonde hair falling and touching my shoulder. To my left, a group of guys nod to the beat and shout out lyrics and whoops. All together, the feeling is warm. The throbbing floor under my sneakers, the closeness of the crowd, the bright swaying lights, and the reviving loud music filling my ears. The combination is exciting and uplifting, and it is nothing less than perfect.

TAURUS 🐂
I notice the strong, inciting scent first. Right across the street stands a small, yet tastefully decorated coffee shop that I had never seemed to notice before today. Its exterior is a complementary combination of beiges, browns, and blacks, and two little metal tables with chairs are set up in front. A man in glasses sits at one of them, engaged in his laptop screen while he stirs a large white mug of coffee. Intrigued, I cross the street at the nearby crosswalk and make my way to the coffee shop's entrance. The inside is even more pleasant than the outside. Various plants drape down from decorative wooden shelves, tables and couch seating areas dot the room, and the front counter is lined with old fashioned-style coffeemakers. The atmosphere is cozy and welcoming, and despite being somewhat crowded, the shop is quiet. Costumers around me are simply reading, working on their laptops, or enjoying a hot latte with a friend. My admiring gaze around the room is only then interrupted by a, "Hi, welcome to Beans & Cream! May I help you?"

GEMINI 👯‍♀️
The week's stress and anxiety seem to fall away as I open the large, heavy double doors. The familiar scent of worn books takes over my senses when I enter quietly, and I feel a unique kind of peace that I had missed for so long. My small town's ancient library welcomes me with open arms. The library seems disproportionate to the little town, being a huge space with high ceilings and books lining every inch of the walls. I flicker my gaze over the dark wood shelves, observing the colorful collection of books. Thousands of stories, thousands of separate worlds, all assembled here for my welcomed taking. Thousands of adventures waiting to be explored. I return the librarian's smile before I begin pacing through the different sections, taking in the library's warmth. I stop when I reach the the faded sign reading, "fiction." My favorite section of the library is territory of the unknown, and I love it. A worn green cover on one shelf catches my eye. I examine the book, smile in satisfaction, and take it with me to the library's plush sitting area. A new adventure is just about to begin.

CANCER 🦀
"I can't believe it's been so long since I've last been here," I think to myself. My childhood treehouse is still sturdy and standing, its only sign of aging being a layer of moss and cobwebs. Besides that, it is shockingly familiar. The shaky ladder. The old bucket hanging on the rope. The initials carved into the wooden walls. All of it is exactly the same. I sit at the edge of the entrance, alone, my feet dangling in front of the ladder. A stretch of meadow lies in front of the treehouse's foundational trees. Light-colored grass coats the rolling hills, and wildflowers speckle the ground like bright drops of paint. Suddenly, I can almost picture my friends and I at our previous young, carefree ages, enjoying all the good times that the treehouse once offered. Ava empties handfuls of purple and yellow wildflowers into the metal bucket, tugging at the rope for me to pull it up. I call down to her from inside the treehouse, laughing as I reel the bucket in. Michael, being the little daredevil that he is, shouts about being the king of the world from his "secret spot" on top of the roof. I really missed this place. And wow, I really miss those days.