A Castle Made Of Dreams

THE HEAVENS WERE beautiful at night. Stars dotted the skies above Paige’s head that it seemed as though she was wearing a bejeweled crown. The smile on her face was so serene, filled with warmth and joviality that it made Wallace’s heart skip a beat just from basking in her presence.

Beside them, the young boy had long stopped crying. He no longer seemed afraid nor frustrated, all of his previously negative energy converted into curiosity and childlike wonder. His large round eyes watched the exchange between Paige and Wallace, trailing over their each and every word as if watching the conversation of two parents.

Wallace dug into his shirt, pulling out the acorn pendant. “You left the other day without telling me what this is.”

“Oh! You’re wearing it.” The girl smiled broadly at the sight. “And I told you, it’s a kiss,” Paige gently reminded. She stood up, dusting her dress at her thighs before adjusting the ribbons on her hat.

“This is an acorn pendant,” Wallace deadpanned. “Definitely not a kiss. I’m not an imbecile. But what is this for? Why did you give it to me?”

“I did say that it was to help you live out your dreams.” Paige tapped her own cheek a few times, staring at the pendant thoughtfully. “And I also said to put it on when you’re ready to be spirited away. Does this mean that you’ll come with me?”

“Come with you? To where?”

“Neverland! It is the world of dreams and where I come from,” Paige replied chirpily.

“I told you before that I have a life here.” Wallace frowned, his nose wrinkling.

“Oh,” the girl’s lips parted before pinching themselves together again. Innocently, she shrugged before placing two fingers to her lips, whistling loudly into the night sky.

There was a sudden gush of air, the wind picking up intensely as the leaves around them swirled like debris in a hurricane. From the skies, there came a glint that did not belong to the stars. It grew larger and larger until Wallace realized that it was a broomstick that had gold detailing, catching the light of the moon and street lamps easily.

Paige jumped high into the air, grabbing the broomstick with a hand before gliding on. Now perched on it with both legs dangling on one side, she lowered herself so that it was at a height that the boy could easily climb onto.

“Come on, quickly. It’s easier to find Neverland with the aid of the night sky.”

Paige ushered the little boy onto the hovering broomstick, making sure that he was seated properly before sending Wallace a mock salute. There was an unbothered grin on her face, as if what they were going through was something she had experienced time and time again.

“Well, Wallace, duty calls. I’m sure you’ll be able to find me whenever you need me. You seem to know plenty as a storyteller.” The mysterious girl happily chirped before patting the broomstick twice with her hand.

On her command, it started to rise, at first moving ahead slowly before eventually gaining speed.

“Hey! Wait! I’m not done with the questions yet!” Wallace yelled after her and he, too, started to run. A slow walk became a jog, and soon enough, he was running at full speed in an attempt to keep up.

In the night, the neighborhood could hear the giggles of a young boy and the annoyed pleas of an older one. However, even though they heard the voices of the children, none of them bothered to look out of the window to see what was going on.

If they had, they would’ve found Wallace chasing after a girl and a boy that were seated on the broomstick before he eventually pounced. Wallace soared, hovering in the air for a second just as the broomstick started to elevate further. His fingers grazed the straw at the end, clutching onto the strands tightly for his dear life.

One hand became two and eventually, Wallace had a firm grip on the broomstick. However, they were now far from the ground, soaring at heights that rivaled the birds and in the midst of clouds.

Although fear was lodged in his throat, Wallace could not find the energy in himself to scream. He merely looked down at the world below him as it grew smaller and smaller. Cities and towns soon became toy sets that belonged to children and eventually, they became mere glittering dots of light that were out of reach.

“How do we get to the world of dreams?” Safely seated on the broomstick with his hands gripping the wood, the little boy casually swung his legs with an excited grin.

Paige smiled, knowing fully well that Wallace had planted himself onto the tail of the flying broomstick yet she paid him no mind.

“You see that there?” She started, pointing off into the distance. At this height, the stars seemed bigger and brighter. “We follow the star on the right side of the moon, the one that glitters the brightest. When dawn breaks, we’ll finally arrive.”