World of the Whimsical
Sleepyhead

“Wake up.”

It was a soft whispering in my ear. Bewildered, I flung myself upright and started panicking – looking around frantically. But, there wasn’t anyone else in the parking garage. So, where did that voice come from? Who was that? No – what was that?

“Hello!?” I shouted into the fog. “Who’s there!?”

As if on cue, a single shadowy figure appeared. I became a statue, frozen in fear. There was more adrenaline in my veins than blood. I slowly raised my hands in surrender, shivering like I’d been dipped in a frozen pond.

“Please…” I whispered. “Please don’t hurt me…”

The figure, surprisingly, didn’t move. Though, I wasn’t about to let my guard down. Not until that thing – whatever it is – made it clear as crystal that it wasn’t a threat. Yet, I still wouldn’t fully trust it. Unfortunately, standing there and staring at me instead of attacking me was the bare minimum.

I was tired, hungry, and filled with adrenaline. It was difficult to stand with what little strength I had left. The figure might have felt some sort of pity, because it suddenly started walking up to me. I panicked and started shouting, “Wa–wait! Stop!”

The figure suddenly grabbed my arm and pleaded, “It’s okay, calm down! I’m not going to hurt you.”

I watched, breathless, as a woman working security emerged from the fog. She looked genuinely worried. I was glad it wasn’t some monster wanting to eat me.

“You okay, son?” the security guard asked.

Holding back tears, I replied hesitantly, “I don’t know…”

“Where did you come from? You need to get home – it’s too cold out here.”

“I can’t go back…I can’t…”

The woman heaved a heavy sigh. I felt like, somehow, she knew exactly what was going on. Or, at least, I hope she did.

“Come with me,” she said. “Let’s get you out of this cold.”

With an arm around my shoulder and a flashlight in hand, the security guard led me out of the parking garage. The fog was so thick that I couldn’t see more than three feet in front of me. I also don’t remember it being this cold.

The security guard and I walked down Capitol Avenue until we reached the convention center. It was still nighttime, but I had no idea how much time passed since I ran away. I also didn’t have my phone on me.

“What time is it, ma’am?” I asked sheepishly.

The woman replied, “A quarter after midnight.”

Five hours. I was out for five whole hours. How did anyone not see or hear me!? I could’ve been dead!

Upon entering the convention center, I may as well have gone blind due to how bright the lighting was. The odor of fresh paint seemed to burn my nostrils, and my eyes became watery. This place was brand new for real.

“Come on, this way,” said the woman, gesturing towards a pair of very long escalators.

I was, understandably, somewhat hesitant. I was lost, all alone, and therefore vulnerable to people seeking to take advantage of that. I can’t trust anyone or anything.

Feeling suspicious, I asked sternly, “Where are we going?”

The woman replied reassuringly, “Upstairs, we have converted the Grand Ballroom into a temporary shelter for the homeless. There are enough beds for a hundred people.”

That didn’t convince me. I’ll need to see for myself. If there are any tricks whatsoever, I’m dipping.

I kept my eyes locked on the woman as we took the escalator upstairs. It was a long way up, and the escalator was painfully slow. This was a brand-new building; you mean to tell me they couldn’t find any machines faster than this? The sun will come up by the time we reach the second floor!

After around two minutes, we reached the second floor. The woman and I stepped off the escalator, my eyes still glued to her. She moved quickly and confidently as if she knew exactly where she was going. To our right was a large overhead sign that read “Peter Kiewit Grand Ballroom.”

We walked into a large hall which led to a series of doors. The woman opened one of the doors, revealing a massive room filled with rows of cubicles, each with its own full-size cot. “Here it is,” she said to me. “Well, this is as far as I go. Have a good rest of your night; I hope you can get some sleep.”

“Thank you so much,” I whispered. I gave the woman a big hug and began looking for an empty bed to sleep in.

After about two or three minutes of milling about, I found one. The cubicle was five rows from the front doors and all the way to the right wall. Nothing to complain about, really. Everything I needed – a blanket, a couple of pillows, a drawstring bag full of basic necessities – was neatly placed on the bed.

I sat the bag under my bed and lay down. I was so tired that I fell asleep within a minute. At that moment, though, I started to experience something truly…whimsical.

It was one of the most vivid dreams I’ve ever had. I was running in this very dark, very long tunnel. I didn’t know why or where to, but I was running.

Eventually, I could see a pinprick of light. I ran faster; the larger the light grew, the faster I ran. At one point, I was sprinting at full speed, but I never seemed to get tired.

I kept running, and running, and running, until…freedom. I could see the sun; it was gentle, authentic, and beautiful. Its light was perfectly warm and delicate, like an angel caressing my face.

I looked around the field I was now standing in. It was beautiful, full of flowers blooming, birds singing, and butterflies of all sizes and colors fluttering around gracefully. The grass beneath my feet was very soft and a perfect shade of green.

Perhaps the most beautiful thing of all was her. She stood on a hill about ten meters away. Her hair was the color of paprika, and she donned a white dress and a crown of flowers atop her head.

Not saying anything, we approached one another cautiously. The girl placed her hand on my shoulder and held out a small cup to collect the tears from my eyes. For reasons unknown, I started drinking from the cup. My own tears somehow tasted far better than any water I’ve had. We gently embraced each other, and I thanked the girl for her sweet gesture.

At some point, I must’ve forgotten that this was all just a dream. Though, it felt so real, like I was actually there. Words couldn’t describe how devastated I was when I eventually woke up.

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