Windows

Hope Brewster

Short Story Contest

01 October 2020

Windows

The cars raced by my window once more and the sounds of their horns blaring continued to condemn me. I looked out my window to pinpoint the exact car that was causing my distress and send my hatred toward it personally. If only I could have been born when cars were seen as a waste of money. The convenience did not outweigh the annoyance that continues throughout the night. There would have been a much easier era for my survival and personality. Maybe sometime in the seventeen hundreds before cars were even imagined. I would travel back to before New York was this blasting smog filled city. My obsession with the Victorian Era grows each day as I continue to waste my days in the wrong time. My abilities and yearn for sleep was meant for an era of peace. The anger continued to bustle below me fueling my rage. I laid back down in defeat and closed my eyes to imagine my true home that I had missed for centuries. My soul began to drift and my ears were fogged with the sound of an organ in the distance. All of the sudden I was standing in an ivory ballroom fit in a gown of royalty. My head gained a heaviness with hair of another, stood tall to the ceiling. My mind raced toward the available possibilities without finding the truth. Suddenly the ballroom was filled with others who resembled myself. We all began to dance and I felt nothing but pure joy. All my life I had dreamed of this moment and all I had to do was close my eyes to feel it. The organ music grew as we continued to dance together and laugh at the glorious life to experience. The beautiful ballroom adorned in paintings of the greats. My soul belonged in this time with all those surrounding me. I had been orphaned my whole lifetime and I have finally found my home. I traveled to the far side of the ballroom to peak out at the window. The Victorian architecture had a sort of glow embellishing its pillars and curves. The roads were of stone without a car in sight. Cars would be unimaginable to those living here and experiencing old transportation. Carriages aligned the entrance to the palace. Although in the distance a dark cloud hovered over the kingdom. I was blessed to have visited this era in a higher class of royals and nobles. My experience would have been much different if I have dreamed of that gloomy portion. I began to recall the difficulties with equality experienced by the people. Sickness, poverty, and sadness hungover all residing in the darkness of the Victorian Era. Within each time period of light, there was a time of darkness and crime for the minorities. I looked down at my gorgeous glowing gown of unmatchable design and began to miss my city. Although there was still a continuous issue of equality, there was a brotherhood and kindness that filled humanity. My hope for the future of human decency and compassion for others. My love and enjoyment with the Victorian era failed to recognize the issues with longing for the past. The peaceful sleep, sparkling architecture, glorious ballgowns, appreciation for art, and classical music did not drown out the poverty in the kingdom. Although it would have been wonderful to live in a time of kings and kingdoms, the practicality was missing. The medieval battles and enormous folklore would be wonderful and mesmerizing. The lack of technology and division in politics would create a type of peace I would have loved to experience. The Victorian Era consumes my thoughts and the pristine interior decor of hand-made crystal chandeliers excite my being. To view a world of isolation and lack of global knowledge. The era portrays the ability to remain in control of a kingdom and have true responsibility. Although the monarchy had tyrants who abused power, I would hope the compassionate queens outshine the negativity. The organ music grew quiet and the dancing came to an end. Chatter began and the view from the window became darker. The sun started to meet the earth which grew the shadow in the distance. The whole kingdom filled with darkness but the candlelight from the hanging chandelier continued to glow. I smiled at the sight of carriages filling and horses neighed at the sight of passengers. A simpler time where no one was in a rush to arrive at their destination. My neighbors back home would cower at the sight of a horse ride to work or the store. The view of the countryside during sunset must be a thing of daydreams. Suddenly I was guided away from the window and toward a hallway by a man dressed in a glowing suit with lace stitching. As I walked down the marble steps lit by candles, the ground floor of the palace became visible. The paintings, now in museums, still adorned every wall in sight. The large wooden doors opened as I saw my own carriage appear at the edge of the last marble steps. Drawn by a calm white horse, my carriage sparkled of gold and the light danced on the surrounding ornaments. Guided by a kind hand, I boarded the carriage on a bronze step. I began to move and pushed away the small lace curtains blocking my view from the window. Spotting the sun, I imagined my life if I continued to stay in the Victorian Era. I would marry rich, of course, and become a wonderful witty art collector. The architecture that held up my palace would be created by the skillful greats of the time and only marble floors would be allowed. All at once, in the middle of my dreaming, I awoke to a loud crash outside my window. I had allowed by greed and selfishness to consume my wonderful thoughts causing my soul to return to my body in the apartment in the city. I sat up quickly to access the crash that had awoken me from my dream. The volume began to grow as yelling combined with sirens and horns. Impatience does not even stop for those injured. I continued to watch the clean up for hours, until everyone was safe and the only sound was the same horns from before. I had taken my noise for granted and imagined a world of peace without realizing my world was very similar. There was still art appreciation, carriage rides, and kings of sorts. The only difference was my palace was made of brick and surrounded by impatient travelers. My love for the Victorian Era will never fade away, but my gratefulness for my current emanates and abilities would continue to grow until I appreciated them to their full extent.