Home Under the Earth

I feel at home beneath the waving plains of grass. My little house isn’t visible to the naked eye, but I know where to find it beneath the ancient oak tree’s gnarled roots. It may not be magic, but it’s magic to me.

It’s my sanctity, my peace after a long hot summer’s day. The fire in the hearth: my warmth during cold, winter nights. Ivy crawls along the walls inside, all over the black canopy bed in the center of the bedroom. When I lie down to sleep, I’m surrounded by lace curtains and ornate golden scaffolding. I dream the sweetest dreams there and never feel scared, because this is the home I’ve always wanted.

Books line the walls on all sides of my bedroom, full of memories and yellowed pages from years of age and use. The swing I sit in to read is set into the ceiling so that I can swing to my hearts’ content. I swung my children in that swing every night as I read them fairytales of my adventures through life, stories of my adventures with their father every bit as special as I remember them being.

In the loft on the second floor, there’s a net that I lay on to meditate and relax, to read my stories to myself and to write the next adventures I’m going to go on. Plants are everywhere, in every corner, providing a deep breath of fresh air even though we’re underground. The only light that comes in comes from the skylight between the tree’s roots. They’ve long since grown into the middle of our family room, but we love and water them with a small creek in the center. The fish that live in it come to us when they see us because they know we’ll feed them well. The bubbling brook trickles over river rocks that I collected on my journeys and every stone has a meaning and a purpose in this place. At the right angle, I can see the night sky and find every constellation.

The kitchen, like everything else, has been well-used, but it’s spacious. It’s modern and dark, yet full of nature like the rest of my house. The most delectable recipes and spells are created in that kitchen, something for everyone to enjoy. I run my chocolate and baking businesses from that kitchen and only emerge from my little home to go into town when I absolutely need to. I have all the bells and whistles of a modern kitchen, but with the rustic appearance of a classic Irish home.

The outside world has changed a lot, but the field above my house is full of wildlife, cattle and horses. It’s a safe haven for nature. We never worry about food and my neighbors come to us to bring their goods to trade. The garage is underground, as well, opening up with the push of a button for us to leave when we need to. There’s no danger from hurricanes or tornadoes down here in the earth, no danger of the walls crumbling around us.

There’s a door to the outside, built into the hill and our porch swing sits there for us to enjoy the breeze beneath the great oak. The kids play outside there, running with the animals.

Off to the side, hidden in a separate room is my underground arboretum. My fruit trees live there, happy and thriving with all the plants I’ve brought in to cultivate. I have a bench that I sit on in there. The sun comes beaming through the glass ceiling, the perfect place for picnics with my little ones.

After a long day’s work, the green marble bathtub is there sunken into the ground. Like a natural spring, it’s forever heated with warm water. It was in a dream I dreamt once and like the other rooms, the plants thrive around it. The lights are dimmed for a romantic, relaxing glow. My cat loves this room just as much as me and you can always find her in there, laying near the water, enjoying the warm stones.

People come and go, but home is where the heart is. You see, it might not look like much from the outside, but it’s my cozy, quiet nest and where I can be connected most to nature.