Pineal World

       School is out and summer break is in! Eleventh grade is over! I can now sleep in, play video games all day, and I don’t have to worry about any dumb tests. This is going to be the best summer ever! As I kick the school door open I scream at the top of my lungs “WOOHOO!” I then run as fast as I can home. I bust through the front door of my house and as I run to set up my Xbox I am greeted by my mother.

            “Sammy.” mom said.

            Uh, Hi mom.

            “How was school today?”

            School was great! Did you know that I am now officially a senior? 

            “Oh really? I thought school wasn’t going to finish until a couple of weeks from now?” 

            Hmm, what makes you think that?

            “Stop playing dumbass Sammy. So you’re telling me that nothing out of the ordinary happened today?”

Uhhh, no mom, nothing that I can remember. Same old. Ya know?

As my mom stands there grilling me with questions my face begins to turn red and it feels as if I am about to throw up. Why? You may ask. Did I forget to mention that it is only April ? And the reason school is out is because I was expelled for sticking the middle finger at my principal. 

“Well, Sammy. I got a call from your principal today. Do you think you might know why    he called?”

            Mom! I swear he made me do it! I was just playing around with my friends in the front of the building when he and some of the other teachers came in yelling at us for no reason.

“For no reason? He said that you guys were acting like hooligans. Cursing, screaming and throwing trash on the ground. And when he told you to pick up the trash you stuck both of your middle fingers right at his face!”

No mom! That’s not how it went! He is not telling the entire story!

“Well Sammy. I am very disappointed in your behavior because I did not raise you to be such an asshole. We will talk about your punishment later. In the meantime, go into your room and do not come out until I say you can.”

But mom!

“Sammy! Go to your room!”

As I walk to my room there are millions of thoughts racing through my head. At Least on the bright side I still have my Xbox. 

“And bring that dumb PlayStation, video game whatever into my room!”

            Goddamn! I whispered under my breath.

            “What the hell did you just say?”

            I didn’t say anything mom.

            “Oh, that is what I thought. And while you’re at it, bring me your phone, computer and iPad.”

Well, now there are billions of thoughts racing through my head. All I can do now is go into my room and go to sleep. I could contemplate my actions but I did what I did. There is no going back. No reason for me to think about it now, the damage is already done. What I thought was going to be an amazing summer is already off to a terrible start. As soon as I get to my room I plop right into my bed. I count down from sixty and before I know it I fall into a deep sleep. 

BOOM! BOOM!

            I jump out of bed after hearing this loud noise that sounded like thunder. I run to go look out of the window, but it is still a beautiful sunny day. I’m so confused. Thunder? Thunder on a day without any clouds in the sky? Super weird. Let me go back to sleep.

BOOM! BOOM!

            What the hell is going on? I run to go see if my mom hears what I am hearing, but I can't because my door seems to be locked. Really mom? I'm pretty sure this is illegal. But, whatever, I guess I deserve it.

BOOM! BOOM!

Am I going crazy right now? 

“Hey man you aren't going crazy. Just open the damn window”

The window? I whispered.

“Yeah, right over here! I’ve been knocking for over thirty minutes now!”

I slowly walk over to the window and try to peek out to see if anyone is there. I do not see anybody so I open the window. Once I open the window, I peek my head out with caution to see if I can determine the culprit that has been disrupting my sleep. What I see is something that I have never seen before. I don't even think I am on Earth anymore. The sun is green, the grass is multicolored, the sky is purple, and the trees are enormously huge! I pull my head back into my window, close my eyes and slap myself in the face. 

I have to be dreaming right now

“No, actually you're not! You’re in my world.”

I have to be going crazy right now because how is there somebody in my room? My door is locked and my room is three stories from the ground. I am shaking. I turn around very slowly. I almost faint after seeing what is in my room. There is a ten foot, colorful, floating entity with a huge smile on his face.

“Greetings Sammy! Ummm, why are you looking at me like that?”

            Uh, Uh, Uh…How , how did you even get in here?

“Don't worry about that. Just know that they send me to all of the naughty kids' houses.” 

            But, but, I'm not naughty.       

“Look kid. They did not send me here for no reason. So, you, my friend, are going to be coming with me.”

            What? No I don't want to.

            “Well, you have no choice. You must be cleansed.”

Before I can get another word out of my mouth he pushes me through the window where I fall into the weird and vibrant world. When I hit the ground, I immediately bounce up, almost as if the ground was a trampoline. 

Wow I fell three stories out of my window and the landing did not even hurt.

            “Yeah man. There is no pain over here in Pineal World”

            No pain? Wow. Is that where we are ? Pineal World?

            “Yes, no pain!”

The entity winds up and slaps me as hard as he can.

            “See no pain. And YES! Pineal World!” He says.

            Wow, that's amazing!

I wind up to slap him back but when my hand lands on his body I fall right through him almost as if he is a ghost. 

            What the hell are you?

            “I am whatever you want me to be Sammy.”

            A genie? 

            “Sure Sammy I guess I am a genie today.”

            Wow. I want to be a genie! How can I float like you?

            “It’s pretty easy. You can be, have and do anything you want. Your wish is your command”

            Well, I want to float!

Poof

            WOW! This is amazing! I want to be one-hundred feet tall!

Poof

            Uh, hey Genie! Genie! Where are you! I want to be next to Genie!

Poof

            GENIE! I missed you! This is amazing! So, anything I say will come true here in pineal land?

            “It's pineal WORLD!” Genie said. 

            Sorry, Sorry. Yes. Pineal w o r l d. 

            “But yes Sammy. Anything you say will come true! Sort of similar to life on Earth.”

            Similar to life on Earth? Hell nah Genie. You must not visit Earth too often. This is like a simulation. Like a video game or something. I love it here in the Pineal World so far.

            “Yes. Pineal world and Earth share many of the same qualities. You can do, be and have anything you want on Earth just like here in Pineal World.”

            Impossible Genie! I have been living on Earth for seventeen years and I have never been able to make a wish that comes true that instant.

            “Exactly! Instant gratification! That's the only difference between here and Earth. In the pineal world your wishes will come true immediately! You see, on Earth it is a little bit different. Your wishes are made up of your thoughts, actions, feelings and words on a day-to-day basis.”

            My thoughts, actions, feelings and words?

            “Yes. What you think, how you feel emotionally, what you do in the physical and what you say all ties into making a wish in your universe.”

            Why is it so much more complicated in my universe than it is here?

            “Simply because each universe has its own laws. Your universe has twelve while mine has over one hundred!”

There are laws of my universe? What are the laws?

“Well you have:  Law of Divine Oneness, Law of Vibration, Law of Correspondence, Law of Attraction, Law of Inspired Action, Law of Perpetual Transmutation of Energy, Law of Cause and Effect, Law of Compensation, Law of Relativity, Law of Polarity, Law of Rhythm and Law of Gender. These are the keys to living a happy and successful life on Earth Sammy.”

The keys? What do you mean?

“Well, Sammy you see, the twelve laws of your universe are LAWS and not opinions. Just like the law of gravity in your universe says that if you jump off a twenty-story building you will fall all the way to the ground. The twelve laws of your universe are just like the law of gravity. They must happen! And they have actually been happening since the day you were born, and they will continue to happen until your time on earth is up.”

What if I don't believe in the twelve laws?

“Well, Sammy the universe doesn't care if you do not believe in its laws because it will continue to carry out its duties day in and day out. Once again. They are LAWS! They must happen!”

Well can you tell me some more at least?

“Sorry Sammy we are running out of time, you are going to have to wake up soon.”

Wake up?! You mean that I am dreaming right now?

“Not so much dreaming. More so astral traveling. I was sent to give you the secrets of success. And here they are. Now that you are aware of the laws of your universe you will become the best version of yourself.”

But Genie I don't know what they mean! You did not explain what they mean!

“I will see you soon Sammy, I have to go now. Just remember that you can do, be and have anything you want. Your wish is your command”

Genie! Genie! Wait!

A bright light flashes before my eyes and Pineal World begins to disappear. The grass is turning back to green, the trees are shrinking back to normal size, the sky is turning blue and I could hear someone in the distance calling my name. 

            “Sammy!”       

            “Sammy! Wake up!”

            Huh!? What? What? Who is there?

            “Sammy are you okay? I have been trying to wake up for the past ten minutes and you are burning up!”

            MOM! Oh my gosh I love you more than you can ever imagine!

I jump out of bed, reach out and give my mom the biggest hug I have ever given her. She returns the love by squeezing me as hard as she can.

            “Oh Sammy I love you too, but did you forget that you are still punished?”

            I have to tell you mom. I had the weirdest freaking dream ever!

            “Wait, before you tell me about that I have something to tell you. After talking with your principal, he and I came to an agreement. Instead of expulsion we agreed that you will be home schooled for the remainder of the semester.”

            Home schooled?

            “Yes, in fact, your home-schooling teacher is here right now and Sammy I better not…”

As my mom continued to babble on and on, I noticed a man walk into my room. The first thing I notice is how unusually tall this guy is. He has on a purple hat, blue sunglasses and a shirt with every single color on it. He is wearing red boots with outsoles that are transparent which almost makes it seem like he is levitating off of the ground. As he walks closer and closer to me the smile on his face gets bigger and bigger. He reaches his hand out for a handshake.

            “Greetings Sammy! My name is Genie! It's great to meet again! Ready to pick up where we left off?”

Ali Brightwell