She wasn't asleep. She wasn't awake. Standing in her long, blue, satin nightdress, Sarah made her way across the room. She could see everything clearly but nothing stood out. She tried to capture what each object meant and nothing came to mind. There was nothing here. Bears, dolls, clothing, shoes and books passed by her line of vision and she couldn't remember what each thing was worth. She couldn't even dismiss them, as surely they meant something. She was in such a stupor, as she reached the mirror, that her image startled her. It was so sharp, so startling and bold. Everything else had been hazy, but she hadn't had anything to compare it to until now. Too bold, she was too sharp. The desire to hide washed over her and then drifted off, leaving her confused as to its origin. What had caused her to feel so suddenly exposed?
The air smelled sweet. She took in it, hesitantly, afraid to acknowledge it and so scared that it would go away. She had to appreciate it before it was truly gone. Her mind was so tired, she could not truly appreciate the scent. Yet, a part of her asked, was it important?
Then the lights turned from white to pink, and the air grew heavy. She closed her eyes and felt her body go limp.
When she woke she felt happy. She didn't know where she was, or what had happened to her, and yet all she could feel was joy. The air was light and she could make out the faint smell of sugar and spices. There was music playing, she was certain of that. She couldn't hear the music so much as she could feel it. She strained to listen, but she could hear nothing. It was all going on in her mind and her mind knew it was there, even if her ears couldn't pick up on it.
She stood and examined what she could see of herself. She was still wearing a satin gown, but it was white, a wedding gown? She stroked it lovingly, her eyebrows furrowed, her lips trying to work out the right words to express her emotional state. Was she to marry, and if so who would be her husband? She felt some fear but it was only in the background and her mind couldn't quite grasp it well enough to pull it forward.
"Where am I?"
He hand came to her mouth and she felt, for a moment, alarm. Why she felt this way and what it meant was unclear to her, and as soon as the feeling had come, it had also gone.