Outside

"I don't understand it any more than you do, but one thing I've learned is that you don't have to understand things for them to be"- A Wrinkle In Time

Don't leave the box. The box is safety. The box is proper. The box is your life, in the past, the future and now. You are one with the box. Without the box you are nothing.

Gadixi started out his window at the wide roads that stretched ahead of him. Every road had a row of identical houses that followed it, and every house had an identical car parked besides it. This was all he knew. Everything was the same. Everything was consistent. Supposedly, everyone was the same too. Yet... he always felt different. His parents would tell him over and over to follow the norms, and don't stand out. But he always ended up doing it anyway. He tried to be perfect, and the same as everyone else, but he just couldn't figure it out. He had too many thoughts running through his brain. His mother sometimes said he had this thing called ADHD. Everyone who had it had died out long ago, but she said he was the last one. He was the odd one out, the big mistake of her life. He had to stay in the box, even if he had to force himself to. He had no choice. If not, he would die like the others. It wasn't always this way, however. At least, that's what his grandmother told him. She lived in the senior district, and she was different like him. She told him stories of days where they were free to do whatever, and everyone was unique and special in there own way. His mother told him not to believe these stories, but he did in secret. He knew he was like the people of Before, and he so dearly wished to see it in his own eyes. The town was quiet, because it was way past bedtime, so most people where in bed by now. Gadixi had a longing to go outside, and explore. A longing to find people who were outside of the box, like him. He hesitated, then opened the window, and climbed out.

He started walking down the street, staying as quiet as possible. He'd taught himself to walk quietly when he used to wander at night, and considered himself an expert. He soon came to the edge of the woods. They weren't allowed to go in the woods, and it was protected by a magic barrier, which only those who knew the code could open. Gadixi doubted this. Magic always had a loophole. He strode confidently to the tree line and stared into them. If he tried to go in, he might die. He might lose everything. He took a deep breath, took a step back, and ran into the trees.

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He opened his eyes and.... he was fine? He looked around for a moment, astonished. There had been nothing blocking him at all. He was free! He ran further into the trees, kicking off his shoes and gaining speed rapidly. He felt a feeling he'd never felt before. He felt like he could go anywhere, be anything. He laughed and began to cry. His longer was being satisfied at last. He danced through the woods, singing to a song he had never heard before. His heart beat like a drum in his chest, giving him rhythm as he let his feelings control his body. He was nothing but a vessel for the pure joy and satisfaction that his soul had longed for all his life. His freedom took control of his mind, sending him into a spiral of happiness and fulfillment. He was finally out of the box, finally in a place where he could spread his wings and learn to fly.

He continued traveling through the night, till his joy was stopped. He found himself at the end of the woods, and the land before him was a steep cliff. He was not free after all. In front of the cliff was a giant abyss, too far to see the bottom. He stared down into the pit, breathing heavily. All his joy, all his running was for nothing. He began to weep, falling to his knees. All he wanted was to be free. All he wanted was to be himself. The sun was beginning to rise. He could go home, and get in deep trouble, possibly being reported to the authorities. He could stay here, until someone came looking for him. Neither option had a good option. His longing for more, his curiosity had brought him to a dead end. He had nowhere to go, and he could never return to the life he once knew, after feeling the freedom he had felt that night. What was he to do? He laid down in front of the cliff, sobbing softly to himself, waiting for nature to take him away, praying that the cliff would disappear, and that magic was real. The words he'd heard his whole life came back to his head. Don't leave the box. The box is safety. The box is proper. The box is your life, in the past, the future and now. You are one with the box. Without the box you are nothing. They rang in his ears. Don't leave the box. The box is safety. The box is proper. The box is your life, in the past, the future and now. You are one with the box. Without the box you are nothing. He stood shakily, tears streaming down his face. Don't leave the box. He took a few steps back. The box is proper. The box is your life, in the past, the future and now. He clenched his fists, digging his fingernails into his palm. You are one with the box. Without the box you are nothing. All the words faded away as finally spread his wings and learned to fly. And this time, he was truly free.