I found myself unable to sleep as soon as I lied down for bed, which was extremely frustrating, as I wanted to know if my dream state would be active anywhere outside of the forest. I would not know this if I couldn’t sleep, so I tossed amongst my covers, irritable and uncomfortable throughout the entire night. All the while, the forest outside my bedroom was calling to me. The thick canopies of leaves whispered to me as I lay there, revealing all of my experiences from the previous day. I couldn’t stop feeling that sensation of falling through the air, watching Veda guide me in front of her, black hair flowing in thick curls behind her. I turned to crawl into the forest, begging her to take me back to this place; I wanted to see what mysteries of herself she would reveal to me. This enchanted place, with leaves scattered upon the ground, and no life present but a million stars in the sky, taking shape on this earth as insects that litter the air. Marvelous. The temptation was stronger than anything I had ever felt but I remembered Veda’s warning, “do not come during the night.”
I lay there still, with my clothes sticking to me, my back turned to the forest, staring at the chipped paint on my wall. What is considered night? It’s 3:06 right now,is that still night? Okay, I’ll wait an hour. I’ll get up at 4, that’s practically breakfast. Maybe not, but, it’s close enough.  By 3:30 I practically could not stand it anymore. The whispering had grown louder and louder, the stars shining brighter now, and the entire world was beckoning me to step outside the door. I burst out of the house as fast as I could, yet still careful not to wake Mother. Immediately, I stopped dead in my tracks. I felt the cold, dew-soaked grass between my toes and breathed in that fresh, crisp air, a mixture of summer days and cedar wood. I felt my breath leave my body heavy and warm. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and goosebumps covered my body as I inched towards the tree that held so many of my dreams and most importantly, Veda. I remembered the warning yet again. It will be fine, everything will be okay.
I let myself fall into the warm earth next to the tree, tall and mighty, with branches springing wildly every which way. And me, small, with my four limbs, growing my own roots into the earth and entangling myself into those of this mysterious terranean beast. I breathed heavily in and out, allowing my breath to flow through me, like waves. I began to shut my eyes slowly, and dipped underneath the surface of consciousness.
I am typically awoken by Veda, pulling my hand through the darkness; however, this time I saw a single, cosmic figure, one I had never seen before. Its appearance is not something I can fully comprehend; it seemed to be everything and nothing at the same time. A paradox, essentially. But, just like Veda, it guided me, and I followed. We went on for what felt like years, and then a sudden surge upwards and I saw something that even now I cannot fully explain. The galaxies of this universe, the stars, everything, sitting perfectly still as a body of water, that I was standing several feet above, suspended in air. I did the only thing I could think to do which was dive face first into this everlasting pool of space. It felt like swimming in the lake 20 minutes from our home, except everything was perfectly clear and I was breathing. I slipped upwards and felt along the surface. I floated, suspended in this vast ocean. Marvelous.
I finally stumbled across a wooden oar attached to a boat and began to spread the smooth oars over the water, like smoothing icing over a cake. I dipped the oars into the water, causing the slightest disturbances in the water and I pushed myself forward. I continued to paddle until I felt a presence from under me. If only I had known this would be the product of her warning