• A girl stood in the green meadow, waiting. She decided to sit down because her legs were getting tired. Her short brown hair gently rustled in the slight morning breeze. The long grass kept her hidden from the terrible world she knew, and she knew even this dream world was just as cruel and heartless as the real world. She lay down, trying to forget her troubles and enjoy the moment.
    Every time she closed her eyes, they immediately opened because she saw the one thing she needed and the one thing she wanted, and the only thing out of her reach. She frowned at the beautiful sky and green grass surrounding her.
    Soon, she found herself standing again, pacing the meadow, and still waiting. Time was ticking by. She waited still. The funny thing was; she had no idea what she was waiting for.
    The dew on the grass evaporated and the sun rose high. Still she waited. Nothing was happening. She kept wondering, why am I here? Where is here? What am I waiting for? None of her questions were answered.

    By noon, she was lying on the ground again; desperate to leave the desolate place, but she knew she had to wait. For what? She let out an exasperated sigh. She let air pass through her full lips: in, out, in, out. She could feel the heat in her cheeks and the cold breeze on her nose. She closed her chocolate brown eyes from the vindictive world of dreams, and shut out reality. All that was left was the image of what she needed and wanted but couldn’t have.
    After a second, tears squeezed their way out of her eyes. She couldn’t bear to look anymore. She opened her eyes, but the image didn’t go away. The same face was in front of her. The same eyes. The same hair. The same warmth.
    She smiled and watched the sandy-haired boy smile back. Their gazes locked and piercing crystal blue met melting chocolate brown. She pulled him closer to her, feeling his hair and taking in his scent… Ginger and nature and, although it wasn’t quite a scent, hormones.
    She let him go so he could breathe for a minute. He just smiled and removed himself from on top of her. Confused, and desperate not to be left alone again, she reached for his hand. He smiled down at her lay next to her. She let out a relieved sigh. He wouldn’t leave her again. Not now anyway.
    The two lovers watched each other for a while. Nothing could have been better. They were together, lying next to each other. Nothing was holding them back. They were happy, and best of all, the outside, malicious world couldn’t touch them.
    Eventually, he had to ask, “Why were you crying?” She looked down; not in embarrassment or shame, but in sadness.
    Instead of answering, she looked into his eyes and smiled, “Your voice is deep and sexy. You should talk more.”
    “Okay, but you need to answer my question,” he replied evenly. Her smile fell and she sighed. She scooted closer to him and buried her face in his chest.
    She answered, “I miss you.” He wrapped his arms around her, trying to console her and mend the damage done by her parents. Little did he know that later it would only make it worse for her, but she didn’t mind even though she knew it would hurt. She actually preferred it that way, because that way she knew she was alive and she knew he loved her.
    Only to prove his feelings, he murmured into her ear, “I love you, babe.” She looked at him and smiled. Her arms wrapped around his neck and their lips met in a kiss.
    She pulled back slowly, “I love you too, James.” But as quickly as the dream started, he disappeared and the dream ended. Blackness enveloped her and she wept in the night. At last she recognized the meadow. Her favorite book. The lovers’ meadow.
    At the same time, James lay in his own bed, awake, and miles away. He wept as well.