Air Box Car

Before the sun broke the horizon, I rolled out of bed and forced myself to dress for school. I pulled on jeans and a shirt; rubber banded my hair into a ponytail and shuffled into the bathroom to brush my teeth. My eyes were closed through this entire process. After blindly putting away my toothbrush, I splashed cold water on my face, toweled off and looked through the bathroom door. The hallway transformed into a stone spiral staircase the type of which is found in European fortresses.

I poked my head into the stairwell. I looked up to see lit torches poked into sconces. I looked down to see water rising up the stairs, lapping and swirling its way closer to me. I felt the pressure of the water as I ran up step after step. The murky liquid lapped at my heels. I reached the parapet. The water was a mirror in the trap door reflecting my terror as I looked around for an escape route. My only source of freedom was to throw myself from the top of the tower.

I stepped into the open air and hurtled towards the ground. Birds passed by me. I passed through clouds. I tumbled head over heels closer to Mother Earth. My stomach fled my body through my mouth. I pointed my hands and head like an arrow towards terra firma and the nausea passed. This move slowed me down and I glided to the turf, swooped upright and touched feet to dry land. I paused for a moment getting my bearings.

I stood across from my school. People crowded the area. Parents dropped their children off after driving up through the parking lot to the front door. I stepped from the curb into the street to cross into school yard. A muscle car full of Mafia gangsters with sub machine guns headed in my direction. I ran from the coupe. The mechanical monster drove even faster towards me. I beat feet on the pavement, up the grass and into the parking lot weaving between cars. The gangster car followed close behind. I saw the men laughing at me as I struggled to evade them.

Just as the bumper of the car touched the heel of my left foot, I jumped into a cardboard box and flew off, magic carpet style. The riffraff shook their fists at me. I soared over the top of the auto, laughing at the men’s impotence.

I flew over the roof of the school, waved at all of the kids going into the building. I giggled out of pure joy and freedom.

I roller-coastered over the edge of a cliff. Gravity tugged at my navel. I glided to a gentle stop in a meadow freckled with daisies, cornflowers and milkweed. The sun caressed my cheeks as I lay down and took a nap.