A Perfect Life
Haunting My Dreams
The world is dark. I look down street after street. Everything is bare. I can't hear anything around me. This world is completely empty, like my emotions have been the past few weeks. I walk and walk, letting my feet guide me. I find myself being led to the park. As I walk through the open gates, I glance around. Everything looks gloomy and dull. It all looks dead. I sit down on a bench. It's freezing to the touch, but I get used to it quite rapidly. Arnold! I hear my name echo from afar. Arnold! My name echoes again. The voice is getting louder. It reminds me of someone I know, or at least, used to know. Hey Arnold! There she is. Standing at the gate of the park is an old friend of mine. Well, at least I considered her a friend most of the time. She was my tormentor since preschool. The most unlikely bully dressed in pink. She's not the older teenager I knew only a few weeks ago, but the nine year old girl, who to me, had still been completely shrouded in mystery.
She walked up to me putting her hands on her hips. "Hey Arnold! Whatcha doing here, Football Head?" She walks over to me and sits down. Next to me, she feels warm. I shuffle a little closer to her, intrigued by the warmth. Helga just scowls at me and shoves me back. It's funny, for once I am looking down on her, and trust me, she looks a lot less frightening. I snicker at the thought. She glances up at me, "What's so funny?"
I feel so good. This is the first time I've laughed, subconsciously or not, in a long while. Helga just sits there looking up at me, puzzled. I calm myself down. I start to think about the past years, wondering where I'm going with my life. I sigh.
"Is something wrong?" I hear Helga's voice question sincerely.
I look up at her and speak for the first time, "No, it's okay. Nothing I can't handle on my own." I say it while keeping my eyes on one particular rock on the ground. I don't want her to see through me and frankly, I believe my eyes are most vulnerable to that.
"You know Arnold," she speaks again, "lying isn't one of your best points." I look up at her almost startled as to how fast she figured me out. Am I really that open? "Arnold, why won't you tell me? I promise I won't insult you." She looks up at me with pleading eyes. How can I refuse? Besides, maybe she can help.
"Okay," I give in, "I have a friend that is… well, gone. I miss her. I don't know what to do. I feel so lost." Helga is looking intently at me, drinking in every word I say. "I'll never see her again and it's my fault. She told me that she loved me and," I'm cut off by Helga.
" You didn't love her back, is that it?"
"Yeah," I sigh. "What should I do?"
"Well, if she really loved you, than she would never have intended to hurt you this much. You should move on. Not completely forget about her, but not slave over her loss either." Even though this is my subconscious, I still can't help but notice that Helga really was that mature and wise for her age.
I smile, "Thanks for understanding, Helga."
"Ya well, don't get used to it, bucko!" Helga scowls then gets up to walk away. She turns back one more time and smiles, "Anytime." She continues to walk and the dark world begins to fade.
I open my eyes and see the sunlight pour in through the windows above. Helga, thank you.
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~ Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself. ~ Chief Seattle
Wow, this fic is turning out to be a chapter fic! There's something I didn't plan on. Anyway, now I have a story line to go by, so expect more (hopefully soon)!
~ Dreamer
