Dreaming in Reality

Chapter 3

I had managed to get to Art on time, but just barely. Literally, the second I sat down, the bell rang.

"Ooo, somebody's late!" Leann said. She sat at my table.

"No, did you see that? I sat down a second before the bell rang!" I defended myself.

"Well, somebody's also cranky!"

I laughed, "Am not!"

"Are too!"

We laughed, and then Mr. Dawson quieted everyone down. He was the Art teacher, and an artist himself. I know that sounds funny, of course he's an artist if he teaches art! But you'd be surprised at how many Art teachers in this school couldn't draw a thing!

Currently in Art, we were doing a project about perspective. Each table had to draw the same thing, but each person had to draw it from a different point of view. I thought it would be an awesome project. Our table had to draw the inside of a gold mine. My perspective was from one of the rocks on the right edge. There were three other people here at my table, and therefore, three different perspectives. But we couldn't tell one another anything about our drawings, because when the project was done, we were going to try and guess where each other's perspectives were.

All period we just drew. That's why art was another one of my favorite classes, next to orchestra, because I could drift into daydream-mode anytime I wanted. And that's exactly what I was doing just then…

I was in an underground gold mine, but still dressed in my regular school clothes. I stood out next to all of the other people in the mine; they were all dressed in dirty, black, mining clothes. They were all working hard, mining for gold.

I was just exploring. Looking around, I saw a small tunnel in one of the walls. Curiously, I walked over to it. When I got there, I bent down and looked through it. It was really dark, so I couldn't see without a light. Instinctively, I reached in my pocket, and surprisingly found a flashlight. So I turned it on and shined in down the tunnel. Something white flashed through there. I blinked my eyes. It had looked like the white tip of a foxtail! What was a fox doing down here? Underground in a gold mine? That didn't make any sense at all. So, of course, I had to check it out. Getting down on my hands and knees, I started to crawl through the dark channel.

I took my flashlight and held it in my mouth so that I could see and use both my hands at the same time. Right about where I'd seen the fox's tail, there was a three-way fork in the tunnel. I chose to go right; I was sure that's the way the fox had gone. In the tunnel, I had only about an inch or two of space between the walls and I. The whole time, I had to tell myself that I was going to be fine, because I was claustrophobic. But I had to find out where the fox had gone.

After crawling for a while in the same direction, I came to another intersection. I took the flashlight out of my mouth and held it in my right hand. Flashing it through the passageway to my right first, then my left, I saw it! He was creeping slowly through the small tunnel, his tail waving to and fro slowly. As I gazed at him, I noticed that his tail wasn't red with a white tip like a normal fox's tail should be. Instead it was an uncontaminated white color. Looking closer, I noticed that the sleek body of the fox was just like his tail. This was a truly beautiful creature. But, again, what was it doing down here?

Suddenly he stopped and turned his head to look straight at me. His eyes were a brilliant green. For some reason, I was afraid. This fox had the air of a powerful being. But I held his gaze. He seemed to be studying me, as if wondering what I was doing down here. After what felt like a really long time, he seemed to get bored and started moving again.

I didn't know if I should go back or not. Somehow, it seemed that the fox had wanted me to follow it; the way he had moved so slowly. Curiosity bested me and I ended up following in his wake. He didn't round on me, so I figured it was ok. I knew that he had heard me, for as quiet as I was trying to be. My clothing was making most of the noise. The fox, however, made not a sound. The pads of his paws silently moved him along in the dark, cramped passage.

After what seemed like hours, we finally came (to my surprise) to a small opening. As the fox approached it, he looked back at me again. He didn't just nod, did he? No, that's stupid; he's a fox, he wouldn't nod at me. But, on the slight chance that it actually was a nod, I guess it was the OK for me to exit the tunnel with him.

He jumped through the small cavity. I followed slowly afterward. When I'd gotten out, I had to shut my eyes completely. It was so bright, and especially after being in that pitch-black tunnel for a long time with only dim flashlight, my eyes really needed time to adjust. It took a little longer than usual, but soon I could see again.

Shortly after I'd opened my eyes, I received a huge shock. I had been expecting the tunnel exit to lead to another small mine shaft or something, but it had lead into an immense forest! When I looked around, I also saw a huge city rising up from the trees farther to the north. But… wait, I was underground, so how could this happen? They're shouldn't be a city or a forest underground!

I looked around for the fox. He was sitting down in front of me, giving himself a wash. Now that it was bright, I could see him better. The fox had beautiful white fur, which was even more beautiful against the light, plus a sleek, bushy tail. He probably sensed me studying him, and stopped washing to look up at me. Then he stood up. He turned around and started walking. As he walked away, his tail swished, just once, behind him. I was incredulous. He was gesturing for me to follow him! So I obeyed, but clumsily, I was still kind of in a state of shock.

As I followed him, I started thinking.

This is silly, why am I following a fox? He did NOT gesture for me to follow him; that must have just been a coincidence… This is a really weird daydream, how did I get from dreaming about a mine to a white fox?

Then I realized that the fox had come to a halt in front of me. I hadn't been watching where he was taking me as I was enclosed in my thoughts. He had taken me into a small clearing in the forest. In the clearing, there were small dens located everywhere. Though, it seemed deserted.

He turned around and sat down in front of me. And then, as if I needed another stressing surprise, the fox actually spoke!

"Hello, Kiera," He said. His voice was very deep, and when he spoke, he showed teeth white as snow.

I was speechless. First, he spoke, and now he knows my name?

He smiled, "You're probably wondering how I know your name,"

"Y-yes," I stuttered, gaining my ability of speech back a little.

"Well, there's a lot to explain, and right now, I don't have too much time," He said, "Let me start by asking you a few questions."

"Ok," I said.

"Firstly, you are Kiera Nelson, correct?"

"Uh… yeah," I replied.

"And you are a Visionary?"

"A what?"

"A Visionary. I'm sorry, let me rephrase that. You have very vivid daydreams, right? As you Humans call it," He asked me.

You Humans? What does he mean?

He seemed to have read my thoughts.

"I'm sorry. As I said, I have little time, so I'm unable to explain. But, please, tell me, you do have daydreams?" He asked again.

"Um… yeah, I do. But everyone at my school does," I told him. I didn't know if he knew what a school was, but he looked satisfied with my answer anyway.

"Excellent. But now, I'm afraid it's time for you to leave. As you go, please remember this: We'll meet again, and really soon, too," the fox said.

Everything vanished before I had time to say anything.

I shook my head. When I was fully back on Earth, the first thing I saw was my Art paper. While I was daydreaming, I had been doodling, too. There, in the gold mine, was a white fox. Unconsciously, I had drawn the fox I'd seen in my little daydream.

I thought everyone would be looking at me, because I sometimes talk in my daydreams. But as I looked around the room, they were all leaning over their papers, trying to get excruciating detail in their pictures. Well that was good, at least I didn't have to worry about people spreading rumors about me talking to myself.

I looked up at the clock. It had only been fifteen minutes? That was impossible; the dream had lasted for hours! To be sure of myself, I check my wristwatch also. It confirmed it; it really had only been fifteen minutes…

"Whatcha got there, Kiera?" A voice startled me.

"Huh? Oh, um… I don't know… a fox?" I said.

"Well, uh, not everyone at your table is drawing a fox in the gold mine. It's a really good drawing, but, um, why don't you erase it and just draw the gold in the mine, like everyone else?" Mr. Dawson, the Art teacher, said. I could tell I wasn't in any trouble, because he was smiling.

"Yeah, ok, right!" I replied. Everyone at my table had been watching, and started to laugh. I felt my face turn red, but I smiled and laughed along a bit.

"What a loser!" Leann said lightheartedly.

I laughed, "Yeah, I know!"

The moment Mr. Dawson left, I took the piece of paper I'd doodled the fox on, and folded it up. Then I placed the paper in my pocket, and ran up to the supply table for more.

I didn't dare daydream for the rest of class; for some reason, that daydream had seemed real.

What am I thinking? That was just a simple daydream. It only lasted fifteen minutes. If it had been anything special, if would have lasted longer, I thought.

Soon I'd gotten over it, convincing myself that it was just a daydream.

By the time Art class was over, I had re-drawn my perspective of the mine, and gotten halfway through shading it. At eleven forty, the bell rang. I took my paper and put it in the box, along with everyone else's.

Leann ran to catch up with me as we exited the Art room.

"Hey! It's finally lunch!"