Lost in Worlds

A Step Forward

Avery's stumbling legs moved gradually towards the edge of her window sill.

Through the window, she could just make out the breathtaking sunset forming over the horizon. It stared at her with a promising glance as if to say, I'm here for you.

And so Avery unlocked the latch of her window, unwound the window until the breathtaking view became picturesque.

She sucked it all in for the few seconds she had before the bees chased up to her neck.

She dived off the window and into the open air.

There was a long fall before she could hit rock bottom of the pavement and as she wasn't willing to lose a few bones and possibly never escape this hive, she clung on to the stick fence in-front of her if only to avoid a hospital visit.

The strong scent of thick, oozing blood began scraping down Avery's leg. It smelled like anguish with a side of triumph, Avery thought.

After 13 years of nothing, this was what she had become. Lonely, bitter and reckless. An anchored heart with a restless body ready to face adventure, whatever the cost.

Her right foot drifted to the right, and her left foot followed in suit. Avery tilted her head down to her feet as she noticed splinters forming in various gaping spots on the souls of her aching feet.

A distorted sigh came out of her chapped lips, blood dripping down her face from when she tasted it only moments ago. Her legs continued travelling to the right as still, her eyes admired the sunset shining through the horizontal crack in the sky.

The bees lay confused, surrounding her neck and legs as she acted like a moving rock obtaining the feats of a Queen bee.

Each time Avery's feet would bark in pain, she gathered a little more courage and strength.

She would not be afraid of the world out there or the war inside her head, even if her heart ached, her chest burned and knee buckled. She would always remain standing. She had come this far and was still alive.

At last her sore, tired feet hit the steel, solid tin roof of the shed. Her feet growled in agony as she jumped from the roof like an idiot.

The impact of her body sent her spiralling out of control as she hit the cold ground in one smooth movement.

Avery was up a moment later, whacking the bees with her shoes she snatched off her feet in the last few seconds.

The bees attacked her with effort and focus, more ferociously each time. Avery backed up, one foot behind the other until she met the front of the shed doors.

The bees stared with a look of death and incarnate as she spun around, faster than a lion in the jungle, opened the unlocked shed door and entered its premises.

The bees were still buzzing outside as her legs collapsed and she fell atop a cardboard box filled with fertiliser.

The shed, covered in a thick layer of grey, slated paint, smelled atrocious.

The bees, dis-pleased by her narrow escape and the dreadful smell, left the area, back through her bedroom window and into the house ready to attack any unwanted guests. Avery didn't give a damn.

She spent the rest of the day sleeping. She felt exhausted and didn't entirely care when her eyelids drooped and fluttered. Finally, after an eventful night, they tightly shut, her body replaying the gesture.

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"Darling! Are you almost done with the shed cleaning?" Avery's mum sauntered into their shed with a smile that would light up anyone nearby. It too soon drooped. Like a comedian from a drama class, she ran away in her flowy, floral dress, screaming for Avery's dad claiming their daughter had fainted and needed immediate help.

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Avery woke up to a far-away high-pitched screech, possibly from the other side of the house.

Probably just her parents obsessing over her older sister's test results, she thought.

Avery aimed to rise to her knees in a swift motion but was immediately kicked back to the floor as something cardboard-like hit her head.

As Avery's eyes adjusted to the dim light, an old shoebox came into her vision hanging from a string attached to the roof. Aged and dusty, it looked as if it had been lying there for years.

She slowly rose off the floor as her knees folded parallel to the ground and once her shaking hand lifted the lid of the mysterious object, her eyes widened in wonder.

Inside the box lay a bunch of foreign things to her, nothing from a different country but out of this Earth. There was money from out of this world, wrapped with string, found in heaped piles in the top-right corner of the capsule.

It looked like a capsule. A time capsule for the future.

Inside also lay a manual for flying cars and green-faced creatures accompanied by a photo with what looked to every Prime Minister and President of the world. They were shaking hands.

Avery was about to bury deeper into its mysteries when footsteps sounded up the steps to the shed and in popped her mum.

Except it didn't look like her mum, her mum had a smile ... bearing from each corner of her mouth. Real, her smile was real. Behind her mum's tired eyes lay kindness as she said, "You're awake darling. Come join us for breakfast, I've cooked the family's favourite! Fried rice. Come on, up you hop."

Sound as a slithering snake, Avery followed her mother outside the now bright blue shed and into her grassy, emerald backyard. Everything looked and seemed different, including her family. Avery wasn't sure if this was a dream, but she knew she did not wish to wake up... for once. 

A/N:

Hey everyone. How is life? This is the chapter that leads to where a lot of change followed by action, happens. Stay tuned. 

And omg. I keep making music jokes, not intentionally (music is one of my fav classes).  

My friend hates my music jokes but meh. Hehe. 

Until next time, folks. (Looney Tunes anyone?). 

And there we are again. Another music pun. Tunes. haha

Love you all, 

Ali