Childhood Dream

Vidia's head breaks through the surface of the water, but a hand smothers her face. She goes under again, shutting her eyes just in time. Salty, bitter water floods into her nasal passages, causing flaming sparks to set off in the back of her skull. Her chest caves in, convulsing in and out as it fervidly begs for air. 

The hand lifts off her and she uses her last strength to reach out above the water. With air accessible now, Vidia spits the water out of her mouth and fills her lungs. She breathes heavily, feeling returning to her arms and legs as she does so. 

Sickening laughs reign above her; the two perpetrators stand up, brushing off their knees from the dock’s dusty surface. Vidia feels nauseous from all the water she swallowed, and the burning in her nostrils stays stuck in between her throat and nose. Afraid that another hand will come down, she treads over towards an algae covered pillar, hiding beneath the dock. She can’t hold back her coughs though and soon enough a hand splashes into the water, pushing waves towards her. Vidia turns her head, the sea smell of algae now greeting her. 

She cannot tell if the salty taste on her lips now is fresh tears or the old water. With one free hand, the other wrapped around the pillar, Vidia covers an ear. The horrendous giggles above her go away a little, enough for her to pretend it’s just two young kids blowing bubbles to the sea. 

Tap. Tap. Tap. The giggling stops. Tap. Creak. The waves smacking against the dock’s pillars become a constant static behind the now silent scene. Then, Vidia hears the pounding as both kids abandon their places. 

A chill creeps throughout her, the already lukewarm water turning icy. Assuming she is alone now, Vidia swims to the dock’s edge and pulls herself up. Her soaking wet clothes slouch down, clinging to any surface they can touch. A puddle is drawn up with her, outlining her body as it lays down on the wood. 

Vidia catches her breath and closes her eyes; the salt still stings them and the beaming sun is doing nothing to help. 

A small jolt, chilling at its touch, reaches her shoulder; Vidia pushes up and scurries back. Her arms raise up and cross, shielding from whatever is coming. Her breath hastens with every second that passes. 

Nothing happens. Vidia lowers her arms and peers above her knees. Gentle eyes meet hers, belonging to someone crouched in the same position. They smile and inch closer. 

Vidia leans back as they advance, blinking at this stranger across from her. They stop, then reach out a hand, nodding to it. Vidia traces the hand with her eyes: she places a palm against the wood and the other in the grasp of the stranger’s hand. The two shake hands and the stranger’s smile grows, their eyes reflecting the sunlight above. A warmth spreads throughout Vidia’s body, something unfamiliar to her. 

The stranger stands and pulls Vidia up with them. Her drenched clothes leave a stain against the docks from where she used to sit. They walk towards the dock’s exit and motion for her to follow, happily skipping all the while. 

Elliot. Vidia writes the name on a post-it note when she returns home. The stranger had spelled it out for her after offering some towels to dry off with. She smiles at the six letters, closing one eye and tracing them over with her pointer finger. 

The sliver of silver moonlight creeping through the curtains divides the floor between her bed and desk. Vidia steps over it, leaving the post-it above her desk and climbing into bed. Once she’s snuggled in, the comforter tightly pulled around her entire body, she focuses on the name once more. Saying each letter in head one after the other, Vidia falls asleep to the rhythm her new friend’s name provides. 

Before the birds begin their early morning chirping, Vidia neatly makes her bed up. She grabs the stool and grabs some cereal, pouring it separate from her milk which she drinks from a cup. After the meal, the stool is put back and each chair around the dining table arranged in perfect order. Vidia had noticed a few were out of place when she first came down. She leaves a post-it note on the fridge for her father: Out with a friend. 

The summer is usually used to sleep in everyday until midmorning, to leave the house when the sun has already warmed up and the cicadas are already chirping. Vidia abandons her usual routine today. She doesn’t make a trip to the docks or the market. Instead, she happily skips to Elliot’s house.

Rapping thrice on their back door, Vidia rocks back and forth, clasping her hands behind her back. There’s no answer, but a small head pokes out from the corner of the house. Elliot knocks against the exterior to get her attention then emerges fully. Vidia lets the corner of her mouth raise up a bit and walks over to them. 

When she arrives in front of Elliot, a sneaky smirk develops on their face. One brow of hers raises; Elliot brings their hand out from behind their back, revealing a faded red colored bucket. It's the kind used to make sand castles on the beach, but neither is dressed in beach attire and the nearest sand shore is seven miles North. 

Elliot takes her wrist and gently tugs towards their backyard. Through the trees it overlooks the nearby docks; there is a small twisting path that leads down through bushes and trees towards more commonly used paths. With the bucket and Vidia’s wrist in hand, Elliot begins to lead the way. 

They embark on their adventure through the path, the surrounding neighborhood blocked out by branches and leaves. Elliot finds their first ingredient and crouches down, promptly pulling up some grass from a rounded bush full of the greenery spiking in all directions. Watching, Vidia observes as their small hands pick handfuls and push them down into the derelict bucket. She soon finds her own ingredient, reaching over to collect some yellow-white pampas grass. 

Further down the path, she and Elliot discover elderberries and pile them into their little potion. Vidia adds some purple petunia petals and several yellow daffodils, and Elliot finds his own small components as well: wild strawberries, buttercups, dandelion seeds. With the bucket half filled, together they find a stubbed stick and begin to crush it all together. 

They take turns, while the other sits in the grass waiting and soaking in the sun. When their potion is well crushed, Elliot hands a large leaf to Vidia and a small coil of twine. Using their hands, the two of them pinch bits of their creation and sprinkle it into the middle of each leaf. Bits of grass and dirt collect beneath Vidia’s fingernails as she digs into the bottom of the bucket, scraping out the last of the potion for Elliot. They gently fold each corner of the leaf over and tie everything up with the twine, teaching Vidia as they do so. 

With the bundles in hand, Elliot points to a tree stump and carries their precious package over. Unsure, Vidia observes while her friend swipes the dirt off the stump’s surface and gently lays the leaf near the center. Elliot looks back at her and smiles, then waves their hand and nods. 

Vidia approaches the area, twigs snapping under each step. The package potion is cupped in her hands; she lowers it, placing it directly next to Elliot’s. Elliot claps and kneels in front of it.

Following their actions, Vidia kneels as well and looks out towards the treeline. She sees the sun beaming down, the trees gently waving to the rhythm of air. Vidia inhales the sweet scents around her: the fresh smell of greenery and newly bloomed flowers, the callous smell of trampled dirt, and a faint scent of strawberries. 

The world around her stills, her thoughts falling away off cliffs that threaten her every move. For now, though, Vidia sits on the edge, lazing in the open and sedated environment. 

Elliot exhales next to her and lays back. Vidia stays in her head, listening and feeling the buzzing around her, until she leans back and joins them in the grass. With her friend by her side, Vidia points out every shape she sees in the sky. The leaves above cover most of the clouds, but each gap is a new shape to mold into some kind of creature. Elliot connects several of them, creating a story for them to watch unfold above. 

Late into the afternoon, Vidia returns home. Her father scrunches his nose upon seeing her appearance. Leaving her shoes and socks by the door, she immediately goes to take a bath and wash off all the dirt collected on her clothes. 

Vidia rises with the sun, giddy hoping out of her bed and carrying out morning chores before leaving another note for her father on the fridge: Out with Elliot (my friend) again! 

Today, Elliot waits outside their house. They take up Vidia’s hand and lead her to the forest pathway. With no bucket today, Vidia and Elliot spin their own tales within the small world contained in the backyard. First Elliot pretends to be trapped by an evil witch, Vidia, an honorary knight, saves them. Next, Vidia is a commoner who happens to unveil a plot against the royal heir, Elliot. Together, the two fight against corrupt guards and navigate through the mysterious misty forest to find the stone that can protect them from all harm. 

Exhausted from their adventures, Elliot leads Vidia out of the forest to the docks. She hesitates, checking the area for anyone else. Elliot stays by her side; they hold her hand along the pathway to the docks. It’s empty, save for a few squawking birds resting on the tops of anchored boats. 

At the edge of the wood is where they perch, the tips of their feet dipping into the water. Vidia stares down into the water, swirling the aqua liquid with her toes; it reminds her of the experience a few days ago, water forcing its way into her throat and nose, finding its way to her lungs and making her stomach lurch from it’s overly salty saturation. A hand lands on her shoulder, a light touch that she barely feels. Elliot offers a smile, staring down into the water as well. Their reflections waver upon the surface, but Vidia can feel the effect of their smile regardless. She lets herself smile. 

Commotion sounds behind them, Vidia whips her head around. Two familiar faces stare into her. Every function of her body stops. 

The two people across the way freeze in their tracks. They stand by the entrance of the docks, but don’t make any motion to move forward. With her heart pounding, Vidia can only move her eyes to follow the people as they turn away from the docks: leaving the area and her sight. 

Vidia blinks once. Her brows furrow, but her shoulders lower and she turns back to Elliot. They offer kind eyes, the ones she first saw when meeting them here. The docks become warm again, even with the sun sinking below the surface of the sea. Elliot shifts closer to her, they place an arm behind Vidia. 

Sleep begins to greet Vidia, and soon, her temple meets Elliot’s shoulder. They adjust for her to be more comfortable, the stars just starting to make an appearance in the water’s reflection as Vidia’s eyes give in and close. 

Gone to hang out with Elliot again, Vidia scribbles on another blue post-it note. She adds a little smiley face and seals it against the fridge door. Vidia can already hear her father stirring, having gotten up later this morning, and heads for the door. She hopes to make it in time, but as she reaches for the handle the floorboards creak behind her. Taking a deep breath, Vidia opens the door and takes one step out; a hand keeps her from going any further with it’s grip around her wrist. 

She meets her father’s eyes. Seeing his titled head and raised eyebrow, she promptly extends a finger to point to the note on the fridge. Her father reads it, then turns back to her. He looks out into the neighborhood, meanwhile releasing Vidia’s wrist. 

Vidia changes her finger’s location to Elliot’s house: located in clear view. Something changes in her father’s eyes when he sees the house. It’s tattered shutters, crumbling roof, and termite infested walls register in his mind. 

“Nobody lives there.”

Vidia looks at him. After a few seconds she shakes her head and points to the post-it again. He is wrong, that is Elliot’s house. 

“Nobody lives there…” her father slowly speaks again. Her breathing quickens. He reaches out for her but Vidia steps back, head unconsciously moving back from right to left, left to right. 

“Nobody–” Vidia bolts. She doesn’t want to hear it. Elliot it real. Elliot is her friend. Elliot lives in that house. Father is wrong. Father is wrong. 

She strains her calves, not caring about their aching pain as much as the ache in her chest and blurring pounding in her head. Vidia makes it to Elliot’s house and hopelessly knocks upon their door. No answer. Vidia shakes her head. A twisting sensation begins to take over in her abdomen. Vidia squints as a pain pulses from her chest into the tips of her fingers and toes. 

She sprints into the forest, searching behind every tree they played near, looking for any signs of Elliot. Signs they were here. 

Near the edge of the pathway, Vidia spots the stump: their stump. Her knees buckle, landing her directly in front of the lone leaf packet resting upon the surface.

A single sob escapes from her. 

At the docks that night, Vidia’s eyes glaze over the water. Stars above flicker back and forth in the reflection, mocking her, pretending they are there one second but disappearing within the next. 

She never found Elliot. 

Vidia holds onto her wrists, shoulders hunched up near her ears. A breeze drifts through her from the sea, a salty stench touching her lips. 

Her head begins to quiver and her chest begins to shake. Pulling her knees in, Vidia bites her lip and lowers her eyes. To hold it back, she counts the stars on the water’s surface, until her vision turns blurry and drops of seawater fall from her eyes.