text: “Tell me about it all William. I need to know so I can help you OK?” 1 Week earlier It was a dark rainy day in the small town of West Hembrook. The rain had been pouring for the last 3 days. The rhythmic tapping on the windows accompanied by the mighty howl of the wind through the suburban streets was annoying and made it to hard to sleep. I lied awake on my bed. Staring at the ceiling. Moving my gaze only to check the time. 2:56 a.m. 4 Minutes. 4 more minutes till that hour. Till that other world opens. Till i can escape and explore that bizarre yet inviting taste of a reality not so infected with the human disease. Plagued with nothing unlike the world I live in now. The world I live in now has nothing but war. Crime. Sickness. Cold. I crave that other world. An addiction so euphoric I don’t need substances to escape from the death that’s plagued my life. I hear the faint creak of my closest door. I look over to see the door slowly open. I stare at my closet waiting for it to appear. A tall well dressed figure. Clad in a suit you’d expect to see in a 1930’s movie or at a celebrity party. A top hat atop it’s dark what I’d expect to be it’s head with it’s black and white gloves and fancy dress shoes. It’s face had two beady eyes that would seem to glow and a smile that would be ear to ear if it had any. I had felt under dressed with a grey hoodie and blue jeans with some white sneakers. It slowly emerges from my closest. It stands there almost reaching my ceiling. It must be at least 8 feet tall if not more. It extends its long slender arm with an open hand as it awaits me to take it’s hand. I get up out of my bed. Walk towards it and take it’s hand without hesitation. It speaks to me in a voice that’s almost raspy and dry but yet comforting. Relaxing. “You know the rules young William. Correct?” It says. “Of course.” I reply in a voice almost confident. Truth is I'm kind of scared. This figure brings comfort but unease at the same time. “Then please repeat them to me before we make way.” It says softly. “I must never spend more than 3 hours at a time in your world. I must never reveal this world to anyone else from my world. I must never take anything from your world to mine. And I must never fall asleep in your world. I believe that is all of them.” I say unsure. “You are missing one. Never ever go to the garden. You understand? Tis the only place off limits young William.” “Oh yeah. Of course. What is so important about the garden?” “Tis a place of sickness and death. Much like your world. Unlike your world the garden will mystify you with it’s enchanting beauty. Before it corrupts you entirely and feeds upon your darkest desires as it slowly drives mad.” It explains. “ Oh.” “Promise me young William. Never go near the garden. Promise me.” It demands. “I promise.” I reply. “Very good. Now we can be on our way.” “I never did ask. What can I call you?” I ask. The curiosity had been gnawing at me for some time. I never had the courage to ask it though. It might have been I felt uncomfortable or I was just too rude to even want to. “Ahh. Young William you can call me Oswald.” It replies. I nod my head and it leads me into the darkness of my closest. Just like before Oswald cover’s my eyes with it’s hand as it mutters something under its breath. I feel a cool breeze and suddenly the sound of birds chirping. The smell of roses and strawberries. The feel of warm sun upon my skin. The sound of a running river. Oswald removes it’s hand from my face. I look around and smile unable to hold my excitement. I almost laugh as I turn in a circle taking in a such rare beauty. No darkness. No rain. No howling wind carrying the scent of pain and death. Just the smell of roses and a world full of the most positive things I could imagine. Deer ran free in a field just left of me. A town just down the road made of stone full of creatures not human but friendlier and more human than you’d ever find in my world. Free of the emotions that drive the greedy man or the violent psycho that roams free in that cesspool of rotting happiness. “Now young William. You know what this is.” It says gazing down at me. “Of course. It’s a Homeward orb. It'll bring me home.” “And this?” It asks as it holds a golden dial attached to a bronze circle with series of different suns on it. “It’s a sundial. You use it to tell time using the sun's location. When it gets to the sun in the middle I set it down and step on the orb to go home. If i don’t something bad will happen. Right?” “Ah yes. You’ve got it all. Now run along young William. The clock is ticking.” It says. I smile at it and bolt down the stone road towards the town waving as I run as fast as I can. Oswald waves back with those beady eyes staring me down and that smile filling me with unease. I don’t fear this creature. But I just cannot be fully comfortable with it.