• One day while I was hiking, I saw something that glistened under the blazing summer sunshine. That something caught my inquisitive eye. What could that be? I questioned myself. I wanted to know so badly that it burned deeply in my mind, curiosity feeding the flames that incinerated my heart.
    I walked slowly to the wondrous creature. Hiding behind a tree I noticed that the being that had caught his eye was not just handsome human, it was a mythical creature, half of an elegant woman and half of a prize-worthy horse.
    I was intrigued by the creature, and started coming to the forest every day. Soon my body became covered with scratches and bruises from falling on wild, viscous branches with no respect for an uncoordinated person, like myself. I wanted so much to discover more about the astonishing centaur.
    On one lovely day the weather was ideal and the trees provided enough shade for it to resemble a cool, air conditioned room, I fell into a deep slumber while observing my wonderful friend. When I awoke I was in a completely different world. Nothing was like it was before my refreshing nap. The trees were gone and replaced with mountainous statues of creatures I hadn’t seen before in my life time. Suddenly a swarm of fairies passed by.
    “I must still be dreaming.” I said, not knowing to whom I was talking. Then my centaur ran by with more of her kind. All just as beautiful as the first one that I had seen. I lifted my stiff body off of the unfamiliar ground, immediately after stumbled on some slippery rocks that I had not noticed before. Gliding on the ground with amazing speed awoke my dulled senses, which I wish that it had not. When I came to a stop I had gone a surprisingly far distance, and there was no way that I would find my way back on my own, getting lost would be a definite part of my day.
    Rising, I realized that if I didn’t start walking the blazing sun would set and returning would certainly become impossible. Making decisions was always my weak point. I extended my arm and pointed my finger, took the hand which was free, covered my eyes, and began to spin. Which every direction that I stopped at me would go that way, no questions asked. I stopped. My finger pointing in the direction of a hill covered with extreme greenery. I decided to walk to the hilltop.
    On my walk there I ran into many unexpected creatures. When I passed a river I decided to stop for a drink, I needed to be careful incase there was no more water nearby I did not want to become dehydrated. I stooped down to sip from the crystal clear water. Sipping from the palm of my hand, I looked up. There, less than five feet away from me was a white unicorn. We starred into each others’ eyes for seconds on end. Finally the unicorn looked away and broke our almost telepathic bridge. The mystic creature galloped away, I stood there amazed, for as it ran it left behind a glittery trail.
    After I left the stream, I walked for countless hours. I finally reached the hilltop; I saw glistening red hair underneath the passionately red setting sun. This time, I would not let the opportunity slip away from my unsure grasp. I was not completely positive that centaurs spoke, and if they did would they be able to understand my language? I had not a trace of a clue, but I was ready to attempt failure.
    “Hello,” I said. I was hoping for the best, and expecting the worst, when the charming creature replied
    “Greetings, you’re a human, correct?” Said the centaur, she was standing in just a way that the sun bounced off of her body to create a mystifying glow.

    “Y-yes.” I said hesitantly. Had this beautiful creation never seen a human before? No, that is unlikely. Her home is in a very public forest.
    “Good. I apologize for bringing you here without notice.” She said, completely serious. She had no clue that I didn’t have a clue. Going along with what she was saying I thought listening might give me my answers more easily than questions. I sat down and began to listen to the whole tale.
    She began again; “My name is Ardere, meaning fire. I brought you here by a complete accident and I give you my full and honest apology. But, I have noticed you gazing upon me, is there something that is distasteful about my appearance?” Ardere said she was such an amazing person. I sat there starring at her for some time, then I noticed that I was making her suffer with my long and disrespectful pause.
    “N-no, not at all,” I was so nervous talking to the being that had caught my interest many days ago, I started again after collecting my thoughts “Nothing is the matter with your appearance. You are actually quite beautiful. It’s just that I have never seen such an astonishing creature before in my life.” I was certain I was going too far. But I could not stop myself. It was like being in her presence had cast a spell upon my tongue to declare all of the things that I had thought about her. Knowing what was coming next I prepared myself.
    “You interest me,” Ardere said chuckling. Heh heh I thought, right back at you. It was getting dark, and I still didn’t know where I was. But, I was tongue tied and could not think of a word to say to save my life, and even if I did, would it come out the way it was supposed to be said or would my tongue subconsciously twist the words to carry an unwanted meaning. Talking was just too risky to be done.
    “At this moment you are in a rip in the universe, the place where lonely souls rest, and disloyal creatures, like myself are sentenced.” Her head lowered, and her voice became so weak it was almost a whisper. This reminded me of listening to old stories by a campfire, replacing the fire with Ardere’s fiery red hair. I wanted to know more about this humble creature’s life.
    I sat there on the mossy hilltop listening to Ardere’s stories, and ever so often telling her one of my own. She seemed just as interested in the human world as I am with her and her kind. We talked until the moon was high in the sky; soon I drifted into a slumber.
    The gentle sunlight warmed my jet black hair, birds singing a sweet tune for leaves that danced to their song; those were the things that I awoke to the next morning. I was back in the forest where I once watched a magnificent creature from afar. That creature had sparked a flame of curiosity that burned and now I craved to understand their way. That same creature had taken me to a small tear in the universe and told me of many things that rest in the bottom of my mind, images forever turning countless times in my every day thoughts, questions that have but an infinite amount of possible answers, and a yearning to see my beloved Ardere once more.