We got separated and I went with one of them.
We walked through the hallway looking, trying to complete our portion of the mission.
We heard voices ahead, and looked to each other alarmedly. We looked around the corner and saw several patrons and some workers milling about and in conversation. It looked like the hour before an opera when people are starting to show up.
"Let's go," we said to ourselves.
As we tried to get through the gate we were stopped.
"Don't you need to help us get this working?" The security guard said as he pointed to a malfunctioning gate.
"Oh right, well I don't have my equipment," said my partner.
"What, is he new?" The guard asked me.
"Yea, I know right," I said mockingly.
My partner pushed the buttons on the key pad. After a few minutes he had it working and went through to the other side, because that was his skill.
Alarmed, I tried to follow. I was dressed in a white t-shirt for sleeping and the guards stopped me.
"You don't even have your key card pass," they said, pointing to my chest where it was meant to hang.
"But I HAVE to get in there!" I explained, whining.
"Why don't you just go right around to the side where the keypad is?" They asked, bewildered.
"Oh right," I said, moving away so they wouldn't ask if I was new, too.
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***Later, you and I are given a special key from a butler after doing a good deed...***
I took your hand and started walking down the lawn. Happiness filled my heart as the key given to me by the smiling man behind the door jingled and stuck in my left pocket.
"One more thing about me in this place, don't be scared, but I can fly."
"I'm not scared," Stacy said.
"We may get a couple stares, but people here are mostly used to it," I said, as our feet left the ground.
You held on to me tightly as we soared into the air, gathering speed and elevation.
We veered off to the left, swooping past an old brick and stone archway, grey with years and unuse.
As we flew higher the city of NY in the other world came into view. It was dusk and the lights of the buildings were coming on. We flew over the water and I looked around to get my bearings. It had been a long time and much had changed.
"Let's see if we can get higher so I can see where we need to go. The house where we are going is at Long Island Sound."
You smiled at me and held me tighter.
"This is amazing, Sal", you said.
Old ships like pirate frigates were docked against the piers. We soared past them all. We moved closer to the city on our right and shot forward with speed, the wind zipping through our hair. I started feeling apprehensive because still nothing looked familiar.
"This place does that..." I said to myself.
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Let's try the other side of the island," I said out loud. "Let's get some altitude and see if we can fly over it."
From the sky, the city was beautiful. The ships, made of wood with sails creaking in the water, dried behind us as we sped ahead. The buildings below were old, brick, tall, majestic, of various types and styles, but none familiar. It was the city, clearly that I remembered, but none of the familiar landmarks were there.
We came down to the top of some buildings and almost got caught up in an archway, we zoomed lower and did a barrel roll with my arms around you and you laughed, carefree. We saw water, foggy, impressioned between the buildings ahead, bust barely seen.
Some young people were walking nearby and I shouted to them, starting to lose hope. They were walking down stairs on the side of the building, against the street below, a few of them apart. I shouted to them as they looked unalarmedly up at us floating by.
"Excuse me, is Long Island Sound near here?"
"Yes, that's it just there," a young lady said.
"Thanks!" I said with renewed excitement. I took your hand and we descended towards the water we had seen. We were almost home. More questions you would have soon, but for now I just needed to get back to that special place. It was very exciting. We were close.
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As we approached the water we saw lights. We took some altitude and I tried to determine which lights were the house. Directly below us I saw some promising lights.
"I think that's it!" I exclaimed, hopeful.
I wanted to nose-dive, but you wouldn't let us. You had learned how to fly, in a short amount of time, but would still need my hand for a while longer. So I righted myself w/ feet downwards and we descended slowly with your facing in front and me with my arms wrapped around you.
But as we approached the lights below, I noticed something strange.
"Something is wrong," I said.
The lights were pinpricks on a large group of lily pads. It wasn't an island and we were still too close to the buildings of the shore. I felt myself waking up. The vividity of the dream was breaking up, fading.
"Not yet, please," I said to myself.
With renewed fervor I grabbed your hand and shot out towards the sound, over the water, frantically searching.
With vivid clarity the boats and small islands in front of us shot into view and behind us.
"We are going to make it," I said to myself.
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Then, as a ship passed to the left, I saw it.
"That's it! That's it!" I said. I was overjoyed.
The house was rectangular on the sides with a cylindrical entryway with a flattened front. The lights were on and welcoming. I started crying tears of joy.
For a moment I panicked but I still had the key in my left pocket.
Trembling I looked inside the tall window near the door and saw my familiar painting/clock facing the entry way.
I took the key from my pocket and placed in into the lock. It fit perfectly. And brought back the memories of the place. I turned the lock and with a satisfying click the door swung open. I rushed inside to go look around but was dashed by emotion, as I saw the first "playroom" of decorated blue walls and unimaginable childhood wonder, I was overcome with emotion and fell to the ground weeping on my back with my arm covering my face.
"Thank you, thank you," I told you. "Thank you for helping me find it."
-THE END
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