Story of the Little Mouse and the Tree

         “Look. Just look,” said the mouse in the garden. “Who are you?” asked I. After a moment of rest I lifted my head off of the soft grass, looked and appreciated the vast greenery; the flowers hugged the hills as the soft breeze tickled my neck. The little gray mouse scampered away and so I followed it. What a fast little mouse! Then I leapt after it, skipping and dancing through the softest, prettiest, garden nature can withstand. I feel safe and believe I am safe. It is like a dream, but the smell of the young trees and the sight and sound of the woodpecker and the woodpecker’s daughter feel real. The mouse finally reached his endpoint, “Climb with me, climb the tree!” I climbed the windy tree, “Oh what fun!” I yelled. Suddenly, another breeze touched my left ear and with the quick westerly turn of my head, I noticed a city. The city was stunning; it looked as if the sky opened up just to cast its heavenly light upon it. The city called to me it shouted, “Come enjoy!” The white domes on each rooftop of the buildings made the city look grander. It was symmetrical and holy. I turned to the opposite direction and the beauty strengthened me. A brown soiled path navigated throughout the brown woods. The paths met in unity the closer it came to kiss the tree. “Where am I?” I asked.

Now, I sit next to an oaf. He snarls, snorts, laughs at anything. We stare at a projector screen and I don’t know what I’m doing here. I enjoyed the flowers, and the garden. I miss the gray mouse. I wish I were a child again, when I dream and wonder. This place is so large and no one is here! I look to my left and he turns to me and smiles, a big grin (that I would like to punch). Yes, I sighed, right. This is my boyfriend. It would be so much better if I weren’t here. What is he laughing at? “Enjoy the movie! It’s cool!”He is so juvenile; he stares at anything and is entertained. Can pigs be this stupid? Yes, of course, the movie is so colorful and full of giant robots. That would be the only thing that can catch two seconds of his attention. This must be proof he is a child. I try to concentrate on the big projector. Explosions and sickening camera angles is the filming style. I wanted to yell, “I am so sick of you!” If there was a millisecond of dialogue he would have a hard time understanding. Listen, now think. He should think. “Where am I?” I wanted to yell at the top of my lungs to free me from the dungeon.

This is what I love. The blue sky shines on me and the domes look like clouds. I must be in the sky. The mouse squeaked, “You are where you should be. The garden and the freedom you feel here will always welcome you. Come, I want to show you more.” I giggled and playfully chased him down the path that meets the tree on through the woods. The woodpeckers followed us and chirped their songs to motivate my mood. The mouse shouted back, “the first question you asked was who I am. My name is Gray the mouse and I am who you want me to be.” I was so delighted to hear his name that I lost attention, stumbled and fell, scraping my knee on a rock. Then I cried because it hurt so much. Mr. Gray mouse lifted his compassionate, blue eyes, and ran to me. He sparkled with magic and whispered that he will take me to an enchanted stream to cure my cut. We arrived at the stream and it made the gentlest, most welcoming sound. I dipped my hand in the cool water and Mr. Gray mouse assured me the water bore mysterious powers that can cure anything, even sadness or fear. If you feel unsure about anything he said to think about the stream. The little mouse was a perfect companion, he helped me with so much and I couldn’t tell why, I finally lost patience and asked him if it was a dream. He said I visit him and the mysterious garden whenever I needed them for guidance. Mr. Gray mouse comforted me by telling me that wherever I go, they follow, and will ensure my safety for as long as I live. I wiped my tears finally and felt at home.

In reality, I’m at the movies with the boyfriend who doesn’t like me and I surely do not like him. We finally leave the theater. It seems like we have survived the longest winter yet. But, spring is approaching. I turned to my boyfriend and started, “Justin Tyler Wilson, I’ve been thinking. I think it’s over.” The process in which he changed was appalling and made me regret ever meeting him. He turned pale and cold. It seemed as though he would faint or his eyes could pop out if I just gave his head a helping knock. He stammered a few empty words, “But, you are everything to me. I can’t live without you.” Then he walked away. That was quick.