World of the Whimsical
An Unexpected Rendezvous

I lay on my back and stared at the ceiling, wishing to go back to sleep. I wanted to experience that dream again. It was hard to accept that I’d slept enough – to come to terms with what we call “reality.” But, as they say, a dream just might be a reality that is yet to come. I sighed and crawled out of bed.

As I began making my bed, I found a piece of paper rolled up and secured by a gold ribbon. I picked it up and looked around the room. I couldn’t see anyone.

“Hello?” I called out. “Who gave this to me?”

No response. I searched the entire ballroom for any sign of life; however, it was completely empty. Even the woman that was working security was nowhere to be found. I was baffled.

I returned to my bed and opened the scroll. I just assumed it was only a flyer with information and resources relevant to my situation. It wasn’t. Instead, this single word was printed on it in gold letters: platforms.

Something tells me I’m being pranked. I’m not in the mood for pranks. I shouted, “Alright, whoever you are, this isn’t funny!”

Suddenly, I felt a presence somewhere in the ballroom. My hair stood on end, and a tingling sensation ran through my body. I folded up the scroll, put it in my pocket, then started frantically searching the entire ballroom again.

“Where’s that coming from?” I muttered through my teeth.

I glanced at the podium stand and started walking towards it. The tingling sensation intensified. It felt like somebody hooked me up to an electric current. Getting up close to the stand was nearly impossible. I think being stung by a velvet ant would feel better than this.

Unable to bear the feeling of being burned from the inside out, I fled back to my cot and downed an entire bottle of water. I paused for a few minutes to collect my thoughts and reflect on what I’d just experienced. There has to be a way to get over there without my insides feeling like they’re getting broiled.

Okay, Simon. Deep breath. Deep breath. So, here’s the plan: the second I get out of this cubicle, I’ll have to make a mad dash to the podium stand and back. At this point, that terrible feeling is inevitable; so, the quicker I go, the less I’ll feel.

I tensed up and whispered to myself, “Alright, on the count of three. One…two…”

Three! At full speed, I bolted towards the podium stand. That tingling sensation came back with cold vengeance. Though, I wasn’t as fazed, probably because I was filled with adrenaline.

I nearly tripped and busted my head open as I ran behind the stand, but I feel like it was worth it. Why? Because I came across a hidden door that wasn’t like any of the others in the ballroom, or even the entire convention center.

Once again, my insides felt like they were on fire. Desperate for any sort of relief, I flung the mysterious door open, revealing a long hallway with soft lighting and walls that were decorated with flowers. My face went completely blank – I didn’t have any idea what to think of what I was seeing. Little did I know, though, this was only the beginning.

I crept into the hallway, leaving the door open in case I needed to get back to the ballroom. However, the door quickly shut the split second I was no longer within reach. I scrambled to open it, but to no avail – it was locked. I cursed and kicked the door.

So, what now? I’m stuck in this weird hallway that looks to be a mile long. I also don’t trust the flowers too much. They look like they’ll jump out at me.

You know what? Maybe I’m overthinking things. It’s been a wild couple of days, and the stress could be making me delirious. I could be making the mundane more extraordinary. The best thing to do right now is stay calm and rational.

To take the mystery out of the situation, I just assumed I was in a super-long hallway at a fancy hotel. Then, like any other kid, I started sprinting like an Olympic track star. A sense of euphoria suddenly rushed through me, and I started laughing.

Everything felt so familiar. I felt like I’ve experienced this before. It was like…I was in a dream!

“This is fun!” I shouted. “Wait a minute – why am I going so fast!?”

Soon, I could see the end of the hallway. I started running even faster. The closer I got to the end, the faster I ran. At one point, everything around me seemed to slow down. Throughout all of this, though, I never seemed to get tired. Yeah, I know. Just like the dream!

I kept running, and running, and running, until…finally – I made it! I made it out of that long hallway! Man, what a rush.

The room I now found myself in was ornate – far different from the hallway leading up to it. The walls were decorated in a crimson-colored argyle pattern, and the floor was covered by a lambswool carpet so soft and plush that I took my shoes off. I could just lay on it if I somehow fell asleep.

For some odd reason, there was a large wooden table in the middle of the room. No chairs, cloth, or silverware – just a table. I honestly found that quite amusing. The person laying under the table, on the other hand…

I hurried over to the table to check if they were still breathing. I gently placed a hand on their shoulder, but that was enough to startle them awake. They were just sleeping, turns out. Thank goodness.

“What a relief,” I said with a sigh. “I was worried for a second – I thought you were dead!”

The person, now awake, turned slowly to face me. I took several steps back in utter astonishment. She looked just like the girl in my dream. She had the same hair, the same white dress – all that was missing was her flower crown.

I was terrified, to say the least. She was the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen. She was most likely terrified because a stranger just appeared out of thin air and woke her up. This will go down as my most awkward interaction with another person.

Eventually, I came to my senses and blurted out, “Sorry – I know, I’m being weird.”

The girl replied, “It’s okay.”

Those two words were enough for me to nearly melt. Her voice was the softest, sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

The girl looked at me inquisitively and asked, “Who are you?”

“Oh, my name’s Simon,” I replied. “And you?”

“Alice.”

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