Dancing
Though we emerged into light, this field is now being shrouded by night time. Robbie and I have been walking for quite a bit. A faint sound of music stretched out to my ears. I don't say anything, for it might be from exhaustion. I follow Robbie further, and begin seeing lights of all colors flickering in the background. Now I am worried about my sanity.
"Welcome to my home," Robbie says.
Yes, my hearing was correct, as was my sight. We are standing a few yards away from a giant carnival. A big band is playing somewhere. The brass and percussion hit my brain as if I've never knew what music was. Neon signs and rides are lit up. A Ferris-wheel stands proudly on the back left corner. I can hear children laughing, women giggling, and men boasting about shooting games. Robbie guides me into the carnival and I am overwhelmed by feeling welcome. Stringed lights sway over my head in the wind. I am again speechless
"I don't understand. What is this? Heaven?"
Robbie laughs and grabs my arm. He pulls me to an open area just as a ballad begins. We begin to dance together. I momentarily forget how awkward this night is.
"Pinky," He continues while swaying us side to side, "You can stop worrying. This is not Heaven, Hell, or any afterlife. This is another world."
"What?"
"When my nightmare machine blew up, it didn't kill me. It opened up a portal to another world based on my dreams. I pulled you through the entrance after a year of studying the land. Everything here is safe. It is wonderful here. But it is missing you. I'm not saying you need to stay here. I'm saying I am alive." Robbie pulls me closer and whispers, "I am not dead."
I shuffle thoughts in my head like playing cards. "You have been alive for a year and there was no way of getting in touch with me?"
He responds, "Not until tonight. I knew on this night you would be snooping around my home, trying to find pieces of my past. I knew it would be the perfect time to get you here. I tried to travel through the portal every single day, but found out it only allowed me to on days that meant something to both of us. On your birthday, it let me through. On the first day of summer when we started to talk, it let me through. I couldn't get out of my buried home, though. I was barricaded in. It is you who has come to rescue me this time."
"I need to sit down." I suddenly felt very dizzy. All of this was too much. It was too big.
"Stephanie, all this time I've been here, there hasn't been a day I didn't think about you. I'm no softy, you know this, so take these words before I start to make trouble. I brought you here, finally, and we can work together to fix everything."