Own Little World

Any bad feeling simply melted away as she entered the room. She smiled as familiarity filled her senses. The loud music hitting her ears, the vibrations it's volume caused beneath her feet.  She closed her eyes, slowly turning in a circle, arms out wide, allowing the music to fill her, immersing her completely. She could stay here forever. Here, in this room, with the music up loud, she felt like she was in a whole different world. A world where nothing could touch her and the endorphins flowed freely, like an endless supply. 

"This is my zone," she'd say to her family. And she was right. Any other noise, but for the music that filled her room would be lost on her when she was in there, simply enjoying basking in the feelings the music gave her. 

One afternoon, after a particularly long and stressful day, Jess could feel the tension rising within her. She couldn't keep the lid on the bottle for long, she knew, and so she knew where she had to go. She walked into the room, directly over to the stereo and turned it on. As the music washed over her, she felt all the tension, all the stress just wash away, and she lay on the lounge that sat against one wall, closing her eyes and allowing the music to completely engulf her, taking her somewhere far, far away. 

With each song came somewhere new. During the first song, she imagined swimming in a lake in the middle of the night, with the stars and moon shining down on her, completely away from everyone, the world somewhere else entirely. The next one took her to the stands of a rodeo competition, where an entertaining fight broke out between long time rivals, after that, she found herself watching fish, floating gently through the sky among countless white, fluffy clouds, sitting with a group of children as a relative sat before them, singing and playing her guitar. 

By the time the music stopped, Jess seemed, and felt, completely different. A little dose of her own world always did her good, she thought. She rose to her feet feeling refreshed, calm and revitalized, her happiness from earlier restored. In a way, music could be magic like that, and she knew, when the world got her down, a small little holiday to her own little world would always do her a world of good.

Safe Haven

The screams were so loud, he couldn't handle it a moment longer. He closed his eyes, longing to get away, and took a breath. The noise surrounding him, screams, shouts and all, just seemed to melt away as he began to run. Aimlessly allowing his feet to carry him wherever they may. Now, it was as if the screams were streets away, and he was hearing them from a distance. He didn't look back, didn't pause for even a second, allowing the gate to slam closed behind him as he ran. He ran faster, harder, as the thunder clouds began to roll in overhead and scream angrily to anyone who could hear.

Squatting down, hands on his knees as he panted for breath, the young boy felt a wave of calm wash over him as he saw the countless weeping willow trees surrounding him. Not knowing what else to do, he carefully climbed and into the trunk of the willow nearest to him. Closing his eyes and breathing a sigh of relief, the young boy finally started to relax.No one would find him here. He was safe now. As if to confirm this, as he closed his eyes, he could have sworn he heard the faint sound of singing in among the whisper off the wind through the weeping willows.

It was a long time before the young boy dared to chance a look out at the world beyond the safety of the willow, and by the time he did, night had fallen. The silver stars were out in force, twinkling and the moon shone down it's white light on the world. He imagined having winds and being able to fly up there, right up to the moon and around all the stars.

He could have stayed there forever, he thought. Not just there, among the safety of the weeping willows where no one would find him, but also in that moment, with the cool breeze swirling around him and engulfing him in it's embrace. the stars twinkling and moon shining harmlessly down at him from above.
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For Jordan Léser, who's music inspired this story.

Inspiration

The young girl's eyes were fixated on the dancers on the stage. She was completely mesmerised and utterly enthralled, not even noticing as her mouth slowly dropped open. At the end of the performance, the little girl stood, almost robotically, her eyes still glued to the dancers, now bowing as she clapped so hard her hands quickly turned red.

Her eyes lit up at the sight of the male dancer, surrounded by a crowd of people in the foyer outside the theatre. She tugged on her mother's arm. "Can I mum? Please?"
"I suppose Bailey," her mother said with a smile. She almost let go of her daughter's hand when she squeezed it and her daughter turned back to look at her. "But be a good girl Bailey, stand in line and wait your turn." Solemnly, Bailey nodded and her mother let go of her hand. Almost immediately, Bailey was gone, not giving her mother even a second to change her mind.

Bailey was still enchanted by the dancer as she watched him while waiting in line, and to her great suprise, the female dancer was there too, kneeling down so you could only see she was there from up close.
"H... Hi," she said, suddenly nervous when it was finally her turn.
"Hello,"sad the female dancer, offering her a friendly smile.
"Did you like the performance?" asked the male dancer, sinking to a kneeling position too.
"Yes," Bailey answered as she came forward, having found her words. "Very much so. You were beautiful," she said, returning the smile of the female dancer. "And so strong," she said, her smile unwavering as she looked at the male dancer.
"Thank you," said the dancers together.
"Would you like a picture?"
Bailey nodded, then frowned. "I.. I don't have a camera on me."
"That's ok," said the female dancer. "We have one. Come in between us." The dancers kindly motioned what Bailey presumed was a friend over, who took the picture. "We'll put it on our website," the friend told Bailey. "I'm sure you can find it from there."
"How can I be like you?" Bailey asked curiously, turning back to the male dancer.
"Determination, and lots of practice," he said. "It's not too late to start. My partner here started when she was three, but I didn't start until I was twelve," he said, and any nerves that had built up immediately dissipated.

Going away that day, Bailey took the dancer's words to heart. She really had meant what she'd said, and  begged her mother to let her start ballet lessons. She was enrolled the very next week, and with the picture of herself with the ballet dancers sitting beside her bed as motivation, Bailey practiced with every spare moment she got.

Years later, Bailey had the same role as the female dancer in the very first ballet she'd seen, and she swelled with pride as she performed. This was a dream come true, and she only hoped she could inspire other young children as the dancers she'd watched had inspired her, though she remembered clearly what had enchanted her the most. The love story behind the ballet was what initially had her on the edge of her seat, and she was kept there both by the story and the dancers themselves, particularly the two leads. She and Drew, who had been cast as her partner on the ballet, had quickly become an item, and it was on grand opening night that she was to meet his parents for the first time. She'd heard they were legends, and dancers themselves, lending Drew some of their natural talent.

Bailey was amazed to discover the same two dancers who had inspired her all those years ago standing at the dressing room door, smiling at her partner. "Mum, Dad this is Bailey," Drew said. When she failed to respond at all, Drew came around corncern on his face. "Bailey, are you ok? What's wrong?"
She shook her head, snapping out of her trance quickly and meeting his gaze. "Drew, your parents were the ones who inspired me in the first place. "

Words Of Wisdom

I couldn't help but smile at the look in my grandmother's eyes as she reached for my hand. "Hi Grandma," I said, sitting on the chair beside her bed in the hospital.
"Amy," she said, her voice so quiet and weak I could only just hear her. I offered my hand and she clutched it tight in both of her own.
"Amy, I won't be here much longer," she said, but I stopped her in her tracks.
"Please don't say that Grandma,"
"But there was something I wanted to tell you, dear," she said, as if I hadn't spoken at all. "You only get one chance at this. You only get one life." I said nothing, simply holding her gaze as I leaned in close, waiting for her to go on. "Amy, I want you to grab it, in both hands, and never let go. You've got to live with all you've got. When you're in my position, in many years to come, I don't want you to have a single regret. Can you do that for me?" I nodded solemnly. I would do anything for my Grandma. Though at the time, I didn't quite understand what she was asking of me. Not completely.

My grandmother left us not long after that heartfelt request, and walking away from her funeral, I vowed to keep my promise and fulfill her wish, and as I grew older, I began to understand just what she'd asked of me all those years ago. "Grandma," I'd ask, looking up at the sky. "Why did you ask this of me? It's impossible! How can I do the impossible."
It was as if she'd heard me, I thought, for a fresh gust of wind began to blow then, and I swear I could almost hear a whisper in the wind. "Amy," it said, "I believe in you. Do it for me." And it sounded just like Grandma too. Smiling, I continued on my way. I could do this. I had to. If for nothing else, than for my Grandma.

I still think Grandma heard me that day, because when I went home, I found things that answered the reason behind her request. I'd found Grandma's journal, which told a story of a love she'd lost, her dreams of the different paths she could have taken and how her life may have been different. The last entry, on the very last page of the journal had been written not too long before she'd gone.
Throughout my life, I have had many different choices. There have been many different paths I could have taken, and though I have wondered what would have happened had I taken those different paths, ultimately, I am happy with where I am, right now. I have lived a life which, when I look back and reflect upon it, I can be proud of, and leave behind with a smile.
So maybe Grandma didn't regret anything, I thhought after reading that. But I knew my Grandma, and I think that love she'd lost was something big for her. I think it was one of those things she'd wondered about if she'd taken the path, what if... I smiled at the thought when I realised the reasons behind her request. She was trying to save me from the same heartache that she had felt, the same regret, and for that I was grateful.

Out in the garden that afternoon, I looked up at the sky again. "For you Grandma," I said, smiling, "for you." Again, she could have heard me, for the sun beat down it's warmth a little more on me, and the birds began to sing.

Choose Your Battles

She shook her head, allowing it to fall with a slap into her cupped hands as the young boy got down onto all fours on the ground, beginning to rock and make loud groaning sound. Everyone was starting to stare, and she couldn't think of anything else to do but close her eyes and breathe for a minute.
"Oh, Harry! Please!" she said in a whisper, kneeling beside him.
Feeling her near him, Harry extended his arm, beginning to throw it wildly through the air around him as if he were swatting a fly.
"Oh Harry, love, just listen to me," she said, edging away a little. "Look," she said putting her hands in the air. "I'm nowhere near you. Harry, please..."

There was silence for a few minutes but for Harry's continued groaning before he slowly looked up, finally meeting his mother's eyes.
"See? I couldn't touch you even if I wanted to. You're too far away."
Harry nodded in acknowledgment, continuing to hold her gaze as he waited for her to speak.
"Harry, you can't fight every single thing you come across." Harry rose to his feet. "But that man threw his cigarette butt on the ground. He did not dispose of it properly. He left it on the ground and that is illegal. He should be arrested," he said pointing accusingly at where the cigarette butt lay a few metres away before folding his arms across his chest.
"Well maybe, but that's not for us to say," said his mother.
"Smoking should be illegal," said Harry in response.
"It's not, Harry," she said, "and there's nothing we can do about it, so there's no use worrying, is there?"

At that, Harry got back down on the ground again, rocking and groaning. His mother let out a heavy breath and looked up at the sky before looking helplessly about her surroundings.
Spotting the seemingly distressed woman, a policeman approached. "Are you alright Ma'am?" he asked when he came close. "Is he alright?" he asked, eyeing Harry, still rocking on the ground and making groaning noises, though they were softer than before.
"He should be fine," said Harry's mother with a sigh. "He does this all the time. He's autistic"
"Oh," said the policeman. "I see."

"Mother, is that a policeman?" Harry asked, lifting his head ever so slightly from the ground. His mother didn't answer, for the sight that met Harry's eyes when he looked up further answered his question instead. "Oh good," he said, rising to his feet again. "Officer, there was a man, over there and he dropped his cigarette butt on the ground when he was smoking, and that is illegal. You should go and arrest him."
"That is bad," said the policeman, quickly winking at Harry's mother. "Thank you for reporting it, young man. I'll get on it straight away."
"Oh, and officer," Harry said as the policeman made to move away, but he turned back to face Harry. "Is smoking illegal?"
"I don't know son," said the policeman. "Perhaps."
"Well it should be," said Harry definitely. "Can you do that Officer? Can you make smoking illegal?"
"Well, i suppose I can work on it," said the policeman, walking away.

Harry turned back to his mother. "He was nice."
"Yes," said his mother, a tiny smile escaping her lips. "yes he was."
She shook her head as Harry noticed another piece of 'criminal activity' going on. Sighing, she picked up her pace to follow after him.

"Harry," she said, holding his gaze firmly. She would have liked to have held his shoulders, but she knew what that would result in. "You can't fight every single battle, love," she said.
"Why not?"
"Because no one can."
"But the policeman..."
"Harry, you need to choose your battles."
"What do you mean?"
"Choose your battles," repeated his mother. "because you can't fight every single one. So you need to choose which ones are the most important and fight them. Choose your battles."
"Oh." Was all Harry said.

Break The Rules

"Do you know when..." she started to say, pausing as she thought about what to say next. "when you see something, or something happens and it takes you right back? Back to, like, a time in your past that you haven't thought about for ages?"
"Oh!" he said, laughing a little. "One of those... Those blast from the past kind of things! Those are cool! Wait, good or bad?" He asked upon seeing her expression.
"I... I don't really know. It definitely took me back and made me think about things I haven't thought about in ages."
He stood, keeping eye contact but staying silent for having no idea of what to say.
"I didn't even know what to feel. Still don't know what to feel. It wad just..."
"It rocked ya," he said, nodding understandingly as she smiled gratefully back at him. "Ok, so from what I can gather, this person was involved in a part of your life you'd rather not revisit. Right?"
"I guess, yeah," she said.

"Can I tell you something?" He shuffled into a new standing position, waiting before she nodded in answer. "The other day, I had one of those blasts too. Only, mine was one of those ones where I desperately wanted to break those rules. The conflict of interest ones that say you can't help or take care of people you already know outside of work. I know why they're there, but..."
"For people like me," she answered.
"Exactly, but that's not the point."
"So what is?"
"Maybe it'll be your turn next time," he said, a smile on his face. "Maybe, next time, you'll want to break the rules."
"Yeah," she said, starting to smile herself. "I reckon there's a few people out there I'd be desperate to break the rules for."
"See?" he said. "Everybody has people they like and others they don't. All of us are bound to come across someone we don't like or who bring up stuff we'd rather not think about again. It just happened to you know, and do you know what I reckon?"
"What?"
"I reckon all of us'll have more people we want to break the rules for

Secret Life

The dogs ran quickly, chasing each other round the grassy area of the park, pausing to rub their noses and sniff one another every now and again before resuming play.
On the park bench not too far away, their young owners sat, talking them and watching their dogs play. The girls were neighbours, and over time they'd developed this routine. Every day, one would knock on the others door and they'd do their homework together before leashing up their dogs and taking them out.

Though the girls, Ida and Kelly enjoyed it, it was debatable who enjoyed it more. The girls, or the dogs. Unknown to their human companions, the dogs shared a secret. What secret? Unknown to the girls, or their families, Daisy and Pal met up again, at night, once a day. After they were certain everyone in their household was asleep, only just asleep so there wasn't a real possibility of them waking up again anytime soon, they'd sneak out. The two would meet on the street corner, rub noses and run across the road and into the bushes on the other side.

Hidden deep in the woods, well away from the world and safe from prying eyes was a small shack. And every night, within an hour of the last time, two people; a man and a woman, would emerge from the shack's front door, slipping seamlessly out into the world.

A few nights later, a tired Kelly noticed Pal heading for the door, and worried about where he might go, decided to follow. She quickly pulled on her slippers and padded as quietly as she could after her furry friend.

Kelly followed him as he came to the street corner and waited, hiding behind the side of the nearest house in case Pal were to look back and saw Daisy come to meet him. She followed them across the street and into the woods.
Kelly flattened herself against a wall of the shack the dogs led her to, peering cautiously around the corner as one after the other, Pal and Daisy squeezed past a loose wooden board to enter the shack. Taking a breath, she decided it was safe to come out and as quietly as she could, Kelly emerged from her hiding spot and dashed quickly to a nearby window, tightly gripping the sill with her fingers a she bent her knees just a little so that should anyone look, she could crouch down completely, out of sight and if anyone did catch her, from the inside, the most they would see were her eyes.

Too lost in what she was seeing to notice what she was doing, Kelly's mouth dropped open, forming a small 'o' that grew wider with each passing second. Inside, Daisy and Pal were miraculously changing shape. Slowly, they morphed and after a few minutes, they were no longer dogs, but humans.

Kelly was unable to stop blinking at what she'd just witnessed as she ran back home, her mouth still stuck in the 'o' that had formed when she'd been watching through the window.

She was practically jumping on the spot as she waited for Ida to answer the door after school. "You are never going to guess what I saw last night!" she said excitedly, jumping even more as her friend opened the door.
"What?" Ida asked in an anticipative whisper as she pulled her inside.
"Pal and Daisy," Kelly said, the smile inerasable from her face. "It's not like we think."
"What?"
"Pal and Daisy..." Kelly said, pausing for dramatic effect. "Are people!"
"Meet me on the corner tonight," Kelly continued on her friend's confused look. "I'll show you."

Ida's eyes widened, her mouth dropping at what she saw when they watched through the window, just as Kelly's had the night before.
"See?" she asked, hands on hips when Ida finally pulled herself away from the window and turned back to her friend.
"You were right," she said breathlessly before getting excited. "I don't believe it! This.. This is so awesome!" As they wandered slowly back home, Ida and Kelly made a plan. They'd return the following night and film what they'd seen through the window. Then, they'd show their parents.

Kelly's mother visibly shuddered at the sight her daughter was showing her.
"Ugh! That's disgusting! Turn it off!" her father ordered loudly.
"That thing is too weird!" said her mother. "It's got to go!"
"What?" Kelly asked, her face falling.

"Wow!" said Ida's father, eyes lighting up at the sight. "That's.. That's... I can't find the right word to describe it, but..."
"You said Daisy was always your best friend sweetie," her mother said with a smile. "Now she really can be!"
"We can still keep her?" Ida asked, giving her parents the 'puppy dog eyes', not wanting to get her hopes up before it was confirmed.
"Yes Ida," said her mother, smile widening. "We're not going to tear you away from your best friend. "
"Yes!" Isla said, practically squealing as she jumped around in her happy daze. "You two are the best! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

"Mum says Pal's got to go," Kelly told her friend, watching her dog with sad eyes as he played with Daisy.
"What?" Ida asked, covering her mouth with her hand as it formed a small 'o' of shocked surprise.
"She doesn't want a 'freak of nature' in her house."
"What did you Dad say?"
"What Mum says goes," Kelly answered, shoulder slumping.
"I'm sure there's a way," Ida said hopefully, resting a gentle hand on her friend's knee as she looks up to meet her eyes. "Why don't you try catching Pal when he comes out of the shack tonight?"

The next time Ida saw her friend, she had a smile on her face. "I'm guessing it all worked out then."
"Yep," Kelly said. "Pal's going to live in the shack, and I can still come see him."
"What are you going to tell your parents."
"Pal will 'run away' from home."
"Ah," Ida said, returning the smile. "Very clever. And everyone's happy. We get pet dogs and best friends!" Ida and Kelly high fived one another as the full extent of the smiles they'd been suppressing erupted on their faces for sheer joy. Just at that moment, Daisy and Pal came racing up to them, stopping at their owner's feet and vigorously wagging their tails. When they bent down to pat them, Daisy and Pal caught the girl's hands before they touched their fur, starting to lick them and the girls threw their heads back in laughter. Everyone was happy. The happiest they'd ever been in their lives.