Daydream

There was once a young boy who wanted to be an explorer. One day he fell asleep under a tree in the garden, and woke to find himself in a steamy rainforest, wet and green.

The young boy slowly made his way through the humid jungle, which was peppered with danger and vibrant with life. Using his shiny new machete, he hacked through the undergrowth with ease. After a while, he came to a tall tree, one which surpassed all the other trees.

As all young boys are apt to be, he was curious. And, so, heaving his pack into a secure position on his back, he took out some climbing gear and began to climb the green giant.

He climbed and climbed, even higher then the crowns of the other trees, beyond the clouds, and up towards the stars, which winked at him from their heavenly abode. He climbed on and on, and the tree seemed to go on forever. He looked up, but could not see where the tree ended.

He kept on climbing. The place was silent, and he saw not a single bird. Yet, he kept on climbing.

Eventually he came to a branch, and he was so weary from climbing that he fell asleep. When he woke up, he found that he was wearing a space suit, and the topmost leaf of the tall tree was just below him.

He kicked off, intoxicated by the feeling of weightlessness he experienced, doing somersaults and tricks in mid-air. He felt as if he were the wind, a lazy summer breeze smelling of earth and rain.

Reaching for the nearest star, he cupped it in his hand and examined it. It felt hot, and with a flurry and a squeak it broke free, whizzing off into the vacuum. He spent some time playing chase with the stars, a little cherub clad in metal.

He realized that he could get around more easily if he moved in a swimming motion. Lazily propelling himself across the darkness, a cloud of stars gathered around him, their song echoing in the silence, soothing him to sleep.

Moments later, he woke with a start because something was tickling his nose. He glanced at the source of irritation, to find...

...bubbles?

He was now in the underwater world, wearing a black wetsuit with bright green piping to match his goggles and tank. He saw many wonders, including those that were now lost to humankind. The ocean bed was a mass of darkness, and he was glad of his torch to illuminate the way.

He met many creatures, great and small. He felt as if he had gone to a totally different world. He played and played in this underwater playground, forgetting all time and space. He forgot which way was up, forgot to check the gauge on his air tank.

He was trapped in a gilded cage of the underwater world. Without oxygen and not knowing the way out, he would die. Slowly, his mind clouded as it was deprived of the precious gas. Strangely, the water pressure did not affect him, and in this way he was lucky.

He fell into a faint, a deadened stupor. He thought was going to die, knew he was going to die. He smiled weakly to himself. To have seen the secrets of Mother Nature, and then to die in her domain. Such was the irony of life.

He was surprised to find himself waking back under the tree, and his mother was calling him home for tea. "Just like Alice in Wonderland," He thought in amazement to himself.

He stepped back into the house with a secret smile on his face, as if he had seen God face to face, and lived to tell the tale.