by Simran Gohel
My eyes fluttered open to an alluring scene of bright blues and oranges mixing in the sky. My hair wasn't in my face anymore, but rather behind me, with the wind blowing against my face. Weird, but when I looked down, it made sense. There was no ground near me. Instead, I was in the sky.
Then, what was I on? What was keeping me up in the sky? How have I not fallen yet? I thought to myself. My hands touched the surface of something white and fluffy. A brown, furry arrow also extended across the beast’s body. Suddenly I realized where I was: my childhood dream. Below me, was the bison named Appa.
Oftentimes as a child, I would dream of the Avatar world. The breathtaking adventures of the amiable Avatar gang made me jealous of the lives they lead. I recall thinking, Oh how I wish I could be in their world. I guess it came true.
I pointed to a familiar red building: the Fire Nation Royal Palace. Its red tower contained a beautiful border of gold which jutted out of the rest of the structure. Its colors complemented the ever-changing sunset. Appa descended down towards a group of teenagers: all laughing from below with smiles imprinted on their faces.
I jumped off of Appa and pet him as a thanks. While I ran towards the group of people, a feeling of home overwhelmed me. This was all I wanted, no, everything I wanted. Their smiles easily put a grin on my face as well.
A familiar hand with that same arrow as Appa, but blue, reached out towards me. “Time for the next adventure!” Aang said excitedly, just like how I always imagined him to say it. His childish voice lit up the whole scene like how it would light up my bad days back home.
My hand reaches towards his too, but my vision suddenly blacks. That beautiful world as I know it is disappearing, slipping away from me.
Don’t go. Come back.
Suddenly, I was back in bed. Rain pounded on my window, with gray tones dimming the room. My face was wet with tears. My escape from reality was gone. My dorm room was a mess, and it only held me. My textbooks were stacked up on my desk, waiting for me to finish my assignments. Why did I have to be born in this universe? I had left the show “Avatar: The Last Airbender” accidentally running beside me on my laptop. I closed the computer and sighed.
All alone again, I guess. Reality is truly disappointing. They were just a dream away.