Remember Every Moment (part 2)

You notice something tickling your fingertips as they relax in the sand. Suddenly green grass begins invading the beach as if you were watching a time lapse photography project. The world begins to shift as land surrounds the ocean, and the briny scent that had filled your nose is gone.

A giant willow tree erupts from the earth, manhandling the freshly sodden floor, and what was once a great expanse of ocean before you is now a lazy river. Sitting in the lush grass, it smells like rain. You notice a sizeable yin yang carved deeply into the enormous trunk of the tree, and below it hangs a sign: The most inspiring route from one place to another is not always a straight line.

An outburst of sound startles you! A marching band comes sloshing down river, dressed in formal uniforms that represent every color of the rainbow: red, green, blue, purple, and yellow. The colors become a kaleidoscope through the splashing water as you sit stiffly on the river bank and observe. Upon further inspection, you notice that the band consists of your closest friends and family, some of this world and others who have moved on. Words escape your lips, but no one notices. You are nothing more than a ghost to them. Following closely behind the band is a peculiar individual perched atop what appears to be a brilliant silver and blue wing that once belonged to a Boeing 747. It’s as if he were Huck Finn navigating the Mississippi. The stench of death slowly permeates the air; spoiled fruit ravages your tongue. The figure creeps by on the makeshift raft and turns to face you; it’s like staring death straight in the eyes. RUN!

The woodland becomes a blur at full speed. Thorns tear at your skin, and glancing back you see that the man cloaked in his sinister smile has taken chase. The echoing sound of your feet thumping the ground resonates through your head, but wait…there’s something else. Are those…horns? Car horns? Without warning the grass beneath your feet becomes hot, sticky asphalt, and the timber surrounding you has been replaced with massive buckets of emission-spewing steel, barreling toward you. From behind, you feel a cold, clammy hand collapsing onto your shoulder. PANIC!

With eyes bursting open, heart palpitating, and body contorted you are thrown into reality. Your consciousness—blinded. You are awake.