Birds are lucky. They are free, flying wherever they want without a need or care in the world. Their silky, graceful bodies blend in with nature: the sticky hard bark of a sappy maple tree, the baby blue painted sky, the sweet smelling, blood-red petals entwined on a vine, the blinding ball of light shining down on our beautiful world.
I think of being free at last! To run outside, swirling and panting, as I flop down on the stringy green grass. To swing on the highest swing, just to jump off and get that brief moment of flight. To float mindlessly in the pool, staring at the slowly setting sun, creeping away like a frightened cat. To be free of the burden carried in life, nudging me every second like an annoying little kid you can’t get rid of.
As my mind wondered from summertime to autumn, I thought of the bird that sits at the top of our oak tree. From up there, he can probably see everything. From the dark, mysterious forest, to that fast rabbit in the open field.
I was there again. On my deck, watching the seasons change slowly as I let my mind travel. I shook my head, sending the light brown waves of my hair dancing. The sun gave it a shiny, silky look; like long strings of gold. As I turned my head, I stared at the sturdy, oak tree again, next to the purple butterfly bushes and narrow river.
A breeze swept by, causing one of the oak trees’ leaves to break off. The branches on the trees swayed back and forth, dancing to the song of the wind, and waving goodbye to the leaf as it flies in the air. I tried to imagine what the leaf could be thinking, “Finally! Free at last!”
I smiled as the leaf soared through the crisp, autumn air. It wiggled and shook as if it had a life of its own now. However, the wind decided the leaf’s path. It flew high in the sky, only to sway down into the tiny river in my backyard. It sent ripples through the water and began to slowly float back and forth, before it completely got wet and sunk to the muddy, sticky bottom. I wonder what it feels like to be a leaf…



“Tori? ... Victoria!” Mr. White is in front of my desk, staring at me with his dark, soulless eyes. “Well?” he asked.


“Huh? What?” I looked up as gravity pulled me back down to reality. My heart began to beat louder and louder, until I was sure the whole class could hear it. My dark, chocolate colored eyes grew wide, and I blinked once as my long eyelashes tried and sweep away my confusion. But I couldn’t let him know that I was day-dreaming. I couldn’t show any signs. Thus I wore a mask as I nonchalantly let my eyes meet his. I was in the worst place known to man. I was trapped in a box; a box filled with spikes closing in on me… I was in math class.