Peace

The sun filtered down through the trees, giving everything a soft glow, hitting my skin at just the right temperature. I smiled, my checks sore from the little use of those muscles. I had no idea where my phone was, nor did I care, and the iPod that usually adorned my ear was nowhere to be seen. I didn’t need it to escape. There was nothing to escape from here.

Nobody else came here, no one tainted any memory of this place. There was just me. Just me and the sun and the breeze and perhaps the soft rustle of an animal. I let my mind go blank. I wouldn’t even think about the fact I wasn’t thinking. The stress, the work, even the people, everything I was sick of, couldn’t stand anymore, was gone. I was happy. That’s something I didn’t think very often.

I watched, still smiling, as a tiny butterfly flapped it’s bright blue wings past me. Blue. And green, and pink, and yellow. Colours I no longer associated anything else in my life with, all congregated here in a softened rainbow. Shimmering, glinting, calming.

I’d stay here forever if I could. I didn’t care if I was alone. People created conflict, and conflict destroyed peace. Peace was why this place existed. Peace was why I came here. Peace was what I needed.

It was a familiar feeling, though it did not come often. Ever since I first felt pain - not physical pain, but real, deep, emotional pain - I’d come here. Escaped. But it was not always easy. Moments here were short and far between.

I wouldn’t think about that. Wouldn’t let negativity come close to this place. No, I would savor the serenity. A soft sigh escaped my lips, content radiating from the sound. My eyes observed everything, remembering the colours, the shapes, the feelings. There really was no other place like this in the world.

And then there was a knock at my door. Someone called my name. And I awoke. Serenity shattered. Reality settled back in. My smile disappeared.