Kraina

Kraina

We drove up the snowy, winding road towards the cozy A-frame cabin. We had been in the car for at least six hours and time couldn't go more slowly. I used the car window as entertainment and couldn't help but start to feel sleepy as the road twisted and turned, and the sky swirled around little drops of cotton balls. It was as if the snow was collecting to make a soft pillow for my head to rest on. I yawned and for the 100th time, I asked my parents “are we there yet”?, and before I could hear my mother’s response, my eyes started to drift, and then, finally, they shut.

When I opened my eyes, I was standing in front of the cabin. Its entrance was magnificent and had a magical glow. I stepped inside and found the interior to be just as breathtaking as the exterior. The whole cabin was filled with warm, glowing tones and the wood was shining. I could barely contain my joy and excitement. I started sprinting through all the rooms, until my mother yelled “Charlie!”. I had known that meant “stop” for all 12 years of my life, so my running immediately came to a halt. As I froze, a glare caught my eye. I turned to see what it was and way back in the room to my left was a closet. Inside that closet there was a glimmer of light peeking from underneath the doorway. I caught a glimpse of it just in time, because just as soon as it appeared, it was gone. I crept to the closet door, and, like ripping off a bandaid, I closed my eyes and threw open the door. When I opened it I was puzzled. There was absolutely nothing inside. Just some worn down hangers and a piece of paper that read “Kraina”. “Charlie,” my mother yelled. “Time for Dinner”.

After dinner, my mother and I unpacked. We filled all the rooms with our stuff and the cabin was starting to feel like home. I was already thinking of how we would have to leave in a couple days and was dreading it. I just wanted to stay there forever. My mother helped me get ready for bed, she tucked me in and then kissed me goodnight. My room was right across from the room with the closet. I laid in bed and looked up at the ceiling, trying to calm my ecstatic thoughts about all the fun things we would do tomorrow. Then suddenly I saw a flicker of light. “There it is again” I thought. I ran straight to the closet. I opened it. My heart was racing and then it stopped. Nothing. Once again there was absolutely nothing inside the closet. I was so confused. I saw the little slip of paper and examined it closely. “Kraina?” I said. And then just like that the closet door swung shut and the room started spinning. The bright light I kept seeing was shining so bright it was blinding, and in a blink of an eye, it all stopped. I didn't even have time to scream. I slowly opened the closet door and stepped out. I looked up and what I saw made my jaw drop. I was not in the cabin anymore. In fact, I wasn't even anywhere I could recognize. I was in a wonderland.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The ground looked like snow, but felt like a soft heated blanket. The air was warm and soft. The trees still had their leaves, and some leaves had colors of purple, blue and pink. The clouds were fluffy and bright and the sky had a sunny glow with a crystal blue tint. In the distance, there was a beautiful lake that looked like it had the purest water I have ever seen. I was completely stunned. I ran out towards it all scooping up the blankets of snow and splashing the water around like I was five years old. I grabbed a leaf and ate it. My mother would have killed me for doing that, but it tasted like a marshmallow. As I was reminiscing, I saw a big white creature hiding behind a tree. It looked like a deer, but bigger, and it had the head, mane and tail of a lion. Its antlers were majestic and branched into the sky. Although the creature was beautiful, I suddenly became absolutely terrified. I stepped back trying to at least get away from its eyesight. As I took a step back I heard a crack. I had stepped on a branch hidden beneath the snow. I snapped my head towards the creature to observe its next move , and to my horror it started to sprint towards me. I started running but I was slower than the creature. I could hear the creature screaming my name “Charlie!, Charlie!”. He was catching up to me saying “Charlie, wake up”. I turned around and he jumped on me. Everything went black. I opened my eyes to my mother saying “Charlie wake up”. I couldn't believe it. I was back in the car. She continued and said “Charlie I said we are here! You only asked me like a million times”. I looked around and sure enough we had just parked in the driveway of the cabin. I got out, ran inside to the closet door, opened it and there was nothing. It was all a dream. I was so confused. It felt so real.

I told my mother about my dream the entire night. I told her about the closet and the paper. I told her about the snow and the leaves and the water. I told her about the beautiful white creature. She listened to me and told me that it was just a dream and that I needed to go back to bed. We ate dinner, and got ready for slumber. My mother took me to bed and tucked me in. She kissed me on the forehead and said “Goodnight charlie, sweet dreams” and left. As I went to turn off the lamp, I saw a white slip of paper on my bedside table. I grabbed it, opened it up and there on that little piece of paper, read the word “Kraina”.