Under The Blue Sky

Alfred walked and walked.

Alfred walked endlessly just observing the strange place he found himself in. It all seemed a little too surreal for him, even though he was surrounded by regular, everyday things. The grass looked too juicy and green as if it where directly from paradise. The way it swayed gracefully in the cool breeze took him by surprise. The forever stretching blue sky also looked too good to be true. It was the purest blue he had ever seen and it didn't seem right. He pondered over over the nature of this place for what felt liked hours and for the first time in a long time he felt calm.

What he didn't realise was that his brain was finally starting to catch up with everything that had just overwhelmed him. Suddenly a flood of questions gushed out from the back of his mind.

Where was he? How did he get there? Is there anyone else here? How would he get......

His mind started racing as he thought about his home. His son, his wife, everyone he ever cared about were further away then he could of possibly imagined. Enraged by this realisation, he threw himself into an incredibly panicked fit. He grasped at the air around him and balled his hands into fists. Those fists somehow found themselves flailing crazily over his head as he started hyperventilating. The rushes of air through his mouth prevented him from shrieking but he actively tried to. He wanted to desperately scream all of his life out and lay on the grass which would soon be his deathbed.

After he managed to catch his breath and think about solutions to the millions of problems that made his other list look like grocery shopping, he noticed a small silhouette on the horizon. He placed his hand over his eyes to try and block the sunlight that was obscuring whatever he was seeing, but as soon as he did the silhouette seemed to gallop away out of sight just before he could catch a clear glimpse.

Now Alfred was a smart man, so he knew that it ran away because of that motion. He figured that it didn't want to be seen by him. This did not amuse Alfred. This was not some sick game of hide and seek he was playing, he needed answers and he needed them now. If he had any hope of finding a way back home, or anywhere for that matter, this person was it.

Alfred started running, sprinting desperately to catch up with who he had just seen. The beautiful, clean grass and therapeutic sky were all a blur of blue and green to him as he rushed forward. There was nothing that could distract him. As he ran he thought about his little baby boy and his future. He thought about everything, the laughs, the tears, the precious memories that were created with him in his life. His heart wouldn't allow him to even consider the possibility of leaving him alone, with her. This sudden motivation pushed him to his limits and he tripped to the earth below him.

He hit the base of the hill hard, really hard. So hard that he could almost hear his ribs shatter from within. As he struggled to find his feet he raised his head to see an extremely large area covered with trees. Recovering from his embarrassing fall he came to conclusion that these were apple trees after seeing a few littering the shadows beneath them. Then out of the corner of his eye he caught it again. The silhouette was moving quickly towards a large building in the distance. Alfred could see the person more clearly now that he had a better view of the land. This 'person' looked very strange from what he could see. 'It' was small, a little too small for an adult so he suspected it was a child. It also seemed to be wearing yellow clothing. He couldn't tell if it was a jacket or a full onesie. Either way it looked particularly jarring.

He found himself so lost in the puzzle of putting this person together that he almost lost track of what he was doing. As he snapped back to reality he quickly paced down the hill and walked in the same direction. He figured that now that he knew where he/she was going he didn't need to hurry as hastily as before, especially after his last fall which still pained him slightly.

The trees he passed felt very similar to the grass and the sky, in that they were a little too 'perfect'. He didn't hate it because it was different, in fact he found it all quite interesting. He didn't even know that a place this colourful and strange existed. It wasn't the grey and dull surroundings he was used to, but it was a nice change.

As he approached the towering building that he had seen from a distance he was amazed at how large it actually was. He could've sworn that it wasn't as huge as when he spotted it. He figured he was losing his sight as well as his mind. The building was a ripe red colour which looked pleasant to him. But now was not the time for sightseeing, he did not come all this way just to gaze at a wall in awe, even though he felt like he could. He marched around the side of the building but slowed his movements suddenly when he could hear light whispering. He couldn't tell where it was from but he assumed that it was a two way conversation. He also assumed that one of them was a young girl from the sweet high pitch sound of her voice. The other sounded elderly and they both spoke with a southern accent which surprised Alfred.

Suddenly the conversation stopped and he could hear one of them moving to his location. Having been filled with fear and anxiety just as quickly he snuck back behind the building, hoping to catch a glimpse of just who he was hearing. The movements grew louder but they didn't sound like footsteps but more like, trotting?

Alfred was faced with an important choice. To either approach this person and greet them or turn and hide to hopefully see what he was up against before meeting it. He wanted to make a good impression so he could gain their trust and discover all the answers that would complete his questions. He mustered up all the confidence he had and strolled around the corner.

"Hello, I'm......."

His greeting was met with a ear piercing scream. A scream so powerful that it shook the earth beneath his feet. He collapsed to his knees with his eyes shut as he heard whatever he just saw gallop away frantically.

He thought about what he had just seen. He looked to the ground, then to the sky, and then to the ground. He began to hyperventilate again.