• There was a haze clouding the air. It was like a film, distorting the pigments of the world around me. The summer sky, red hues tinged with the oranges and pinks of a sunset, became milky. The crisp outline of the glade transformed into a smooth watercolor, each form flowing into the next. Even the voice of my mother, calling me inside for supper was lost; muffled by childhood ignorance, or perhaps an unwilling ear.

    The smooth, rippling scene before me contrasted sharply with my heightened senses. The rustle of leaves was like coarse metal slabs grinding against each other. The air was so sweet; I could practically taste it dancing upon my tongue. But the worst thing was my sight. Every color, every reflection of light was magnified and exaggerated. Shades I didn’t even know existed stood out against the ordinary values.

    A cool wind brought change on its tresses. The haze was whisked away and the world became clear once more. These crystal images became superimposed upon my eight-year-old form as well. Another wind, this one with a warmer feel, sent the foliage billowing; forced to sway with the breeze. Still, it was the field of summer grasses that captivated me.
    This five acre terrain was composed entirely of chin-high reeds and blades. Dense underbrush was scattered about, wherever life had decided to root further. With the addition of wind, this stream, this river soon became something greater.

    All the grass moved as one, forming what seemed to be at the time a living, breathing mass. The tops of the plants bowed submissively into crests, creating the illusion of rolling ocean waves. The emerald flow rose and fell according to what the domineering wind decreed. Swells of jealousy and envy crashed on the invisible rocks just along the edge of the field.

    It seemed that the Earth itself was trying to impress me with what it could do. It was working. A small smile spread across my rosy cheeks, accurately displaying the indescribable emotion I would later come to know as awe. However this smile did not last long. No, rather it faded with the discovery of rebellion.

    In the midst of the grasses, there was a current not caused by the breeze. It seemed to fight and struggle against the rest as if leading an army into a war. My eyes followed this strange abomination, analyzing its movements, trying to identify the source of its contrary passion. I soon observed that it was not the reeds themselves revolting against their captor, it was a beast of some sort, carving a path among the uniformity.

    My small, trembling legs took me to the edge of what was known and safe, to the brink of mystery and thrill. The animal was still moving about, I could clearly make out its route. It darted back and forth, much the way a puppy would do when wanting to play. I looked up to the heavens. Reds and oranges were being stained with blue-black ink, spilled by some clumsy hand. I looked back to my house. My parents were beginning to serve themselves food and my baby sister was trying to sit in the ‘big-girl chair’. They didn’t seem to care I was late for the meal. So, with the window of time closing fast, and the passive allowance of my family, I crossed the threshold into the glade.

    The serene motion of the surface was a farce, a cruel lie compared to the utter chaos beneath. My arms and legs were being scratched by the green razor blades. I frequently stepped into patched of thorn and bramble. Even my nose and eyes were troubled by some of the taller grasses. But the most frightening thing I had been challenged with in my short travels was this: I was lost.

    I located my home and began to run in that direction, legs moving like the cartoon characters I wished I were watching. However, I never made it to the edge of this dark jungle. I tripped over more underbrush and came colliding with the solid earth. My knees were bloodied, my eyes watered, my breathing was ragged, I was trapped below the surface world and my near-silent sobs got lost in the swaying field.

    Snap!

    My eyes widened to the size of saucers. I stopped breathing and strained to listen further. The sound of a branch breaking came from behind me. Was it just my mind? No. It was too perfectly sinister to be a figment of my imagination. I turned my head slowly, afraid of what I might see.

    With each wave of the grass, I was awarded little glimpses of something big and black. Was it a dog? A wolf? A bear?! My childish mind scrambled for an option. What could I do? Should I try and scare it? Should I pretend to be dead? I tried to focus on one suggestion my mind could offer.

    Run!

    But how? I stood up slowly, wondering if I could fool the beast into thinking I was unaware of its presence. At first I took a few small steps trying to gauge how fast I could run and how fast I would have to run. I was smack dab in the middle of this hell. I took a deep breath… Closed my eyes… And ran.

    My chest heaved up and down, forcing more air into my lungs. My legs ached as I willed them to move faster. I could hear the creature running just as fast behind me. I could smell its wild scent. I could feel it closing in on me. The gap between us was closing. I was slowing down and the beast speeding up. With still a the better half of a field to go I knew all was lost. Soon I’d be dead, devoured by this inhuman thing. So, I did the only thing I knew how to do.

    “Mommy! Help me! Aaahhh!”

    My voice carried out over the accursed field, racing towards my house. My mother surely must have heard my cries! Soon she’d be running to my rescue! I’d be saved! But precious seconds ticked by and nobody came to the door. Nobody investigated my screams. I was alone.

    This sick realization hit me and brought out a carnal instinct: Survival. I pumped my legs faster with the will to live. I breathed harder with the need to survive. While I was not able to increase the gap, I was able to maintain it. The beast did not close in. I was fighting for my right to live and I would win.

    All at once I stopped short, spinning on my heel, facing the monster. I heard that in these situations, time slows to an agonizing crawl. That’s a lie. If anything, time moved a bit faster. The creature, unlike anything I knew rushed at me, coming on at full speed. I closed my eyes, waiting for teeth to rip into my tender flesh, waiting for claws to tear me limb from limb, waiting…

    A cool rush of fog wrapped around me. I opened my eyes. All that was left of the beast was translucent mist.

    The instant I found my way out of the glade, I crashed to my knees and cried. The animal did not reappear nor did it follow me out into the open. I knew I was safe here. I let the sensations of pain and fear wash over me, soaking me in a pool of helplessness. I was both numb and sensitive. Adrenaline flowed furiously through my body even though my breathing had stilled.

    Suddenly, there was a distinct absence of sound. Something had sucked up all the noise and all that was left was silence. I looked at the space around me. What was happening? Trees began to melt. The sky became white. The ground beneath me transformed into an expanse of sterile tiles. The padded walls of my private room rose up around me, protecting me from the savage wilderness.

    All at once I found myself in cot, the resident nurse standing over me. For the briefest moment, I entertained thoughts of her comforting me, cooing that it was only a dream. Instead, she gave the only comfort she knew: A shot. I did not know what type of poison was entering my veins, but the moment the syringe was empty, all tension evaporated, and all logical thought went with it.

    Oh, my dear nurse, I am mildly flattered by your attentions toward me, but it would never work. You see, I am what they call crazy, a loon. I would rather wear your scalp as a hat then run my fingers through your hair. So please, as the constant trickle of saliva drips down my chin and my eyes cloud over from the pill induced high, leave me to my hallucinations for they are the ones that rule me. Go, go to the man who butchered his mother when he was seven, or perhaps the schizophrenic young lady two rooms down, if it suits your fancy. Just leave me be… Leave me be…