Escape

She looked around her, but everything she saw was a blur. None of it made sense. It was all just one big rainbow of colours, all bleeding into one another. Then, the world began to spin. Slowly at first before picking up speed. Faster and faster it went until the already blurred world became hazier still. There was sounds; shouting, screams of terror and squeals of delight, all at once. A blur of overwhelming noise and confusion. Like that merry go round at the playground when you've ridden it one time too many. She wanted the world to stop. She wanted to get off. 

Yet, like everyone else in the world, she was stuck on this crazy ride called life. But in the few moments the world stopped spinning and she was able to look at the people around her, she felt the worst of all. It didn't seem like anyone else's world was spinning. No one else looked as green as she, the child who'd ridden the merry go round too fast and too much. Everyone else was still, almost like they were on a merry go round that was a tenth of the speed of hers. So much slower it seemed they were not moving at all, or at the pace of the slowest snail on Earth at the very least. Yet, they were all moving too. 

And then, she looked up. Up at the sky over their heads. The sky that, but for a few fluffy white clouds, was not moving at all. The sky, that unlike everything else, was still.  The sky that made her smile. Because, even if nothing else made sense. Even if everything else was a huge, confusing, overwhelming blur, she still had the sky. Even if they could take everything else and turn it all into one big, blurry mess, they couldn't take the sky. 

So she lay back and stared up at the sky, basking in the beauty and peace of it's stillness and the solace it brought her. Still, around her, the world continued to spin, though she didn't seem to notice as much anymore.

She closed her eyes, the image of the sky and clouds overhead etched in her mind. It happened both quickly and in slow motion. One moment, she could feel the cool wood beneath her back, the next, the sensation had gone, and she was floating. Floating upward, like she was in an indoor skydiving chamber, or an anti-gravity thing. In any case, she moved slowly, like a feather being carried gently by the breeze. And so she floated up toward the sky. Away from the confusing, blurry mess that was her spinning world. Up she floated, and away. Away to the sky. Away to an escape. To freedom. 

In My Dreams

I remember it feeling like the world had ended when you were stolen away. I remember feeling like it would never be the same again. The world, all of a sudden, had gone dark. Pitch black like the lights on a stage when the show's over.

But then, light appeared to illuminate the way and suddenly, I could see again. You were gone, and that hurt, sometimes it still does, but the world wasn't ending. Not anymore. At least, not for now. No. Instead, the world had just... Stopped. For a while. And then, strangely, the world just continued. It resumed, like nothing had happened. Like it, and me, had not just sustained a huge loss. Like you hadn't gone at all.

Sometimes, I'd forget, then, I remembered again. It'd hit me like a slap in the face. I could almost see you and your sweet face, smiling back at me. I could almost feel you beside me, a feeling I was afraid I'd forget. And sometimes I did, but when I remembered, it didn't hurt as much as it once would have.

Then, there's now. Finally, the world was starting to feel normal again. Until I got a cold, hard slap in the face, so painful it started raining from my eyes. The rain brought with it memories of you that it seemed I'd forgotten, and suddenly, I'd been catapulted back in time, if only for a moment.

And now, it's the end of the world again, and there you are. You've come back to me, just like I always hoped you would. But, it's different now. Because it's not dark anymore. Because this time, there's a light surrounding you and me. You're holding me closer than I can ever remember being held before. Can we just stay like this now, until it really is the end of the world? Cause you've finally come back to me. In my dreams.

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Inspired by the incredible Kate Miller-Heidke's 'Last Day On Earth'

I Wish...

"Anything! It could be anything!" said Scott, his arms spread wide. "What have you akways wanted? A car? A house? A million dollars?" Alan shook his head, at which Scott sighed heavily. "Seriously?! There isn't anything you'd do with a genie from a magic lamp who offered you three wishes?" he asked. "Alan, just picture it. Just imagine it. You've found a lamp, within which is a genie who offers you three wishes. What are you going to do with them?"

Finally, Alan shook his head, sighing in defeat. "Ok. I find a genie. We have an adventure. A big grand one. I don't know about my other two, but with the last wish, I'd say, Genie, I wish for your freedom." Alan closed his eyes, a big grin spreading across his face as he pictured the moment. "I'd say Genie, you're free!"
Scott's shoulders drooped and his mouth fell open. "That's it?"
Alan shrugged. "Yep. I wouldn't need any wishes. If I found a friend in Genie, he would've fulfilled all my wishes without me even having to really wish for them."
"You've got a friend in me," said Scott.
"Don't I know it!" said Alan, slipping an arm round his shoulders. "But think about it. If you had a genie for a friend, you'd have never had a friend like him!"
"Well that's true," said Scott. "What I wouldn't do to have a genie friend!"
"Why?" asked Alan. "What would you do if you had three wishes?"
"Well I could do just about anything. I could wish for a new life."
"You don't like the life you have?"
"I never said that!" Scott walked across to the other side of the room. "Um... I could wish for a more comfortable. Enough of a fortune that I would never have to worry about money again."
Alan nodded, seeing the logic in it.
"I could wish for the trip of a lifetime."

"I wouldn't want to waste my wishes if ever I had any," said Alan honestly.
"You think my wishes are wasteful?" Scott walked toward him, arms folded across his chest.
"No. I just think that no amount of money or magic in the world will buy you happiness." Scott raised a brow.
"You have to make your own magic," said Alan simply. "You have to make your own happiness."
"Huh," said Scott breathlessly. There was certainly no arguing with that.
"I want to make my mamma proud of her boy. No amount of wishes or magic in the world, nor any genie, let alone one from a magic lamp is going to do that for me. I have to do it for myself."
"Right."
"So what's the point in wishing for material things?" asked Alan. "They'd probably only bring you temporary happiness anyway."
"So, what would you wish for then?"
Alan scratched his chin. "Hmm... I'd probably wish for some kind of experience. Something that would give me memories to treasure for the rest of my life."

Following In My Father's Footsteps

Gus shook his head. He could still see himself and his mates when they were young boys, playing games of war. Never again would war be a game, he thought. It was real now. Before this, it had never seemed quite real. You could watch the protests on the TV, you could hear about people setting their papers on fire and going to jail. It was not until his number was the one pulled from the barrel that it hit him that all of it wasn’t just a work of fiction constructed for entertainment. No. This stuff was real. There was a war, and he was headed straight for it.

Once, back in his Granddad’s day, there would’ve been a line out the door of young boys volunteering to go out to war. To fight for their country and do their part for Australia. In his Dad’s day, they made some go, but a great deal still put their own hands up, his Dad included, having had the importance of doing his bit ingrained in his mind. Not anymore. Now, they had the balls in the barrel and the birthday lottery with no winners. Now, they’d make you go, whether you wanted to or not.

Gus remembered the war games played as a child. He knew, staring up at the canvas ceiling of the tent he lay in, that war would never be a game again. His grandfather and his father had both done their part, now it was his turn to do his bit for Australia. But unlike them, he wasn’t so sure he was so eager to go to war. Not that it mattered. He didn’t have a choice anyway. But still. The fearful cries of his mother when they’d pulled his number, his birthday from the barrel had him on edge. That woman was never afraid of anything. She was the strongest person he knew. So if it was enough to scare her into tears, then there must be something to be concerned about.

“Gus!” The sound of his friend’s whisper from the sleeping bag beside his own caused Gus to jump, and he gasped at the unexpected break in silence. He rolled over on to his side to see his friend, Ernie, was covering his mouth with a hand. Slowly, he let it fall away, before speaking in a voice that was softer than before, if that was possible. “I’m sorry! Did I wake you?”

“No,” said Gus, his voice equally quiet. “I never went to sleep. Haven’t been able to.”

“Thinkin’ about tomorrow?” said Ernie. Gus nodded. “Yeah, me too. But, some say this’ll be the last bit of piece we’ll get for a while. We want to make the most of it. How’re we possibly gonna sleep in a war zone? I wouldn’t be surprised if I went of sleep deprivation rather than something to do with the war.” Ernie chuckled, but Gus remained silent.

“I’m sure we’ll find a way,” he said, choosing to ignore Ernie’s last comment. “I just… I don’t know that I want to go out there,” Gus said, more to himself than to Ernie, but he still heard.

“We don’t have a choice though mate. What’s the point of dwelling on it?”

“I don’t know. Grandad and Dad were both excited when they went off to war. I’m not. If I’m completely honest,” he said slowly, “I’m scared.” 

Ernie’s face softened. “People know more about wars now, All your dad and his old man had to go off was the excitement and push of everyone else. They had no clue what it actually meant to go to war.”

“That’s the thing Ernie,” said Gus. “They’ve been to war, yet they’re still telling me I should go, when they know what it’s like. Why would they do that, once they’ve been exposed?”

Ernie shrugged. “You got me mate! I mean, we probably weren’t. It was a whole different time when they went to war. Back in their day, going to war was honourable. So, when they’ve had that instilled in them their entire lives, and told what heroes they were for going out and fighting, of course they’re going to drum it into us.”

Gus nodded. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right. I just… I don’t really want to go. Not after the look on Mum’s face when they called me number.”

“I don’t really want to go either,” said Ernie. “We’re just doing our bit. We’re doing what we’ve got to do. But hopefully, this’ll be the last generation to go out and fight. Hopefully, our sons won’t have to follow in our footsteps like we followed in our Father’s.” 

I Just Want To Hear You Sing

As she weaved her way through the tables, collecting as many empty glasses as she could on the tray she carried, Katie happily hummed along to the country music playing over the loudspeakers near the bar. Temporarily forgetting where she was, Katie even began to sing along, her voice soft and sweet. One of the regular patrons, seated at the last stool by the bar's edge smiled at her as she passed him. "You've got the voice of an angel, Darlin'" he said. Immediately, Katie's cheeks turned a bright shade of red as his comment dragged her back to the reality of the bar. 

"Thanks," she said sliding away from him with her tray, toward the sink to wash the glasses she'd collected. I think. As she washed and dried, Katie went back to her humming, soon becoming lost in her own little world.

"Hey, Katie!" The voice of her manager, Troy, made her jump. She looked over her shoulder to see him leaning against the doorway leading to the staff area. Well, a small anteroom with several doorways, leading into the break room, the staff toilet and Troy's office. 

"Are you working on Tuesday night?" Troy asked when she reached him. 

"I don't know," she said, scrunching her eyebrows together as she tried to picture her calendar. "I don't think so." 

Troy's face  fell momentarily. "Could you?" 

Katie looked at him. His eyes were wide and sad, like a puppy dog begging for food. She wanted to scold him for pulling that face. It was a cheat. Everyone knew you couldn't resist, couldn't say no when someone pulled the puppy dog eyes. But, he was her boss. So instead, she said, "sure," causing the smile to return to his face. 

"Thanks Katie," he said, making to head back toward his office. "You're a star!" 

Katie never gave Troy's request a second thought. He asked her to work extra shifts all the time, or to cover for one of the other girls who worked at the bar. Who was she to deny them? It was extra money after all. There was nothing out of the ordinary. What she had forgotten was that Tuesday was karaoke night, and little did she know, Troy had heard her singing softly to herself when she had thought she was alone and away from prying ears or in the moments when she temporarily forgot where she was. 

A smile spread across Katie's face when she walked in for her shift to find them setting up. "Hey Katie!" called Nate, Troy's nephew, waving at her from where he was helping set up over by the makeshift stage on the other side of the room. 

"Hi Nate," she called, waving back as she hurried to put her things out the back before her shift started. Katie shook her head. Somebody had to tell that young boy that there was absolutely no chance that what he was hoping would actually ever happen. She knew it wouldn't, but wondered if he knew it too, because if he did, he had a major case of denial happening. She shook her head, feeling bad for him as she emerged from the break room to start her shift.

As she always did when she was lucky enough to be rostered onto a shift on karaoke night, Katie enjoyed listening to the songs and humming along to the tunes, most of which she knew off by heart. As always with karaoke, there were those who surprised everyone with their talent while others made her want to cover her ears to block out the noise, of what to them was singing, but to everyone else was a whole lot of wailing. All of this, Katie had expected. What she hasn't was what Troy said, up on the stage after what she thought would be the last act.
"Well, folks," he said, "I hope you've enjoyed our karaoke night. But, it's not quite over yet. If she'll oblige us, we have a very extra special treat for you all tonight! She's one of our own, and it's her first time on this stage so please put your hands together and give a warm welcome to Katie!"
At once, it seemed the whole room was staring at her, causing her cheeks to grow hot. She pointed to herself, glaring at Troy, whom she had a clear view of seeing as the crowd seemed to have parted like the Red Sea for her surely imminent ascent onto the stage.
Troy nodded, a small smile on her face. Suddenly, Katie understood his request for her to work that night had not been as innocent as it had first seemed. He beckoned with his finger, but she stood her ground, folding her arms across her chest and continuing to glare back at him.
"Well folks, it looks like she might need a little encouragement!" At once, there was the loud steady rhythm of clapping as the crowd repeatedly chanted her name and Katie knew, should have known all along, that there was no getting out of it this time. Just as she was about to step out, she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked over to see the man from the other night. "It's alright Darlin," he said. "We just want to hear you sing. Troy's heard ya! He knows how great you are! He just wants to share it with the rest of the world. An angel's voice like yours'd be selfish to keep to yourself, don't you think?" Katie shrugged and looked back toward Troy before taking a breath and taking that fateeful first step.

She could have laughed when she reached Troy on stage. Well, at what he said as he handed her the microphone. "I just want to hear you sing."