The sight of the sea was all that filled his eyes, how the sky wielded the sea into a canvass, smearing its blueness across the deep water. He was sitting on the seashore, feeling the cold sands beneath his feet, staring at the sea as it rolled and turned, roaring at the whispering waves, speaking a language full of water.
His sight ran across the sea, fixed at the horizon, where it seemed the sky and the sea had merged. The eeriness of this place had not left it, even after days of being a part of this tiny little world. No matter how beautiful the island was, with all the tall vibrant trees, the leaping gazelles, the white giant swans, and the mild sun, the fact that it existed in a realm between his world and the afterlife made it a place he wouldn't want to be in; trapped. They said he was trapped, because he had not been able to transit to the afterlife, something they would call 'coma' back home. This world is a world where all the beauties his mind had ever imagined lived and breathed. A world that was at peace with nature. They called it Eden, these people. Every night when the sun had gone behind the horizon, the dark sky would roll out like carpets, glistening with stars. Sometimes the stars would twinkle so low that if he reached out, he would touch them, giggling as they chimed at the feel of his fingers. Deep within he loved this place. He loved the sound of these glistening streams running over pebbles, and the way the rainbow painted the sky. He loved the sand castles the children built on the beach, and Amanda's smile. He loved the fact that he was the fastest runner on this island, he had beat the best the day before, and had taking the prize: a wish that would not be refused.
Soni used to be the fastest runner here, they called him the wind, because when he raced, a trail of haze followed him.
So the day Michael challenged him to the race, eyes bulged from their sockets, and jaws fell ajar. There was no way Michael could beat The Wind. He was a newbie after all.
The race had started with the roar of a lion. Soni shot out like an arrow, Michael raced him. Soni's feet were too swift, they left the ground even before reaching it. Michael started by making sure that even though he trailed, Soni would not go beyond his sight. He felt a weird form of energy surging up on is legs, he was beginning to notice his feet glowing. Soni's feet had a yellow glow while his were white. He noticed himself easily covering the space between them. Soni's face was distorted in shock at the sight of Michael's feet, he stopped running.
"He has the lightening!" Soni yelled, every other person saw it and said the same thing. He had not only won the race, he also discovered he was special, and much needed here, too. He would be a king here. The queen had been without a king because it was only the one with the feet of lightening who could rule by her side. What he needed to say was "I wish to rule with you", and it would be granted.
"I wish to go home".
Silence engulfed the whole island as his words rolled off his lips. The queen's eyes got misty, her hands began to tremble. "Done," she said.
Now he was at the edge of the sea, staring, waiting for the time to come. Amanda's voice came behind him.
"You'll be missed," she said with a pale smile, failing to hide the pain that brimmed in her eyes.
"if everyone in my world would smile like you do, the world would be a better place." Michael said, stroking her hair. He loved her, but he knew he needed to go back to his world, even though he came from a world of flaws, the thought of family made him longed to go home. The sea was beginning to rise now, lightening and thunder poisoned the atmosphere with fear. Michael was supposed to walk into the stormy sea, they said within there lay the path to his home. He needed to overcome one thing though, and it was this that guarded the path: fear. The sky had gone dark, and heavy clouds loomed, lightening raced across the sky. Amanda had melted into sands before his eyes, and everything else had gone, except the sea, and the voice of the queen.
"Say you choose to stay, and this will all stop."
Michael felt his lips trembling as he made to speak, "I'm waking up, I'm going home!"
He raced for the sea, the earth was beginning to sink behind him, almost swallowing him up, he kept running, and running. He came close to the swirling sea, and ran into it.
The only sound in this room was the beep of the heart monitor, the red radar had turned green. A woman was beside a bed, holding her son's hand, and praying. She opened her eyes to see her son staring.
"God! Michael! You're awake!" She said, bursting into tears. Michael was startled at the sight of himself on a hospital bed, and his mother crying beside his bed. He saw everyone in the room. Their was joy etched on their faces. He remembered everything he had gone through, and the joy in this room was worth more than everything that island could offer. He sighed.
"How long have I been here?" He began.
"Four days, Mike." His mother said, tears in her eyes. "You slept and never woke up, just like your father. But it doesn't matter. You're awake, finally."
A doctor ran a check on him and confirmed he was back to normal. He decided to go and have a bath before eating.
He tried to move but something didn't seem right. His mother looked at him and smiled wanly; then she brought out a wheelchair; his wheelchair. His mind snapped, how come he didn't remember? How come he looked so powerless in the real world?
"But, I walked... In. on the Island." He whispered. "So, I'm a disabled person..."
His mind went blank as they lifted him off the bed into the wheelchair, rolling him to the bathroom. He wished somehow that he'd remained on the island, in his dreams, where he could walk, and run, and be anything, and everything he wanted to be. A world where he wasn't a crippled guy.
