Midori has been in the hospital for a week. She was slowly getting used to the ambiance, just like how she got used to not being able to see. She was laying on her bed, wishing every second to not be there anymore. In that moment, her door was opened. She already knew who it was and what they were going to do. It was her nurse, bringing her the daily meal. That day's meal was a small bowl of rice with a side of chicken. Of all the meals they give her, that was Midori's favorite.
The nurse left the tray on the table that hovered over her bed. She sat up without saying anything and waited for the nurse to leave her room before taking the cutlery. She took a bite and had a taste of it for a moment. Just a few moments after that she started to feel dizzy. She brought her hand to her head, holding it tightly. Everything was spinning around her. In an instant, she passed out on her pillow.
— Ugh… I really like this place, but… I should at least be able to control my dreams in some way… —protested Midori—.
Even though she was protesting, Midori was completely happy to be in that place. The oasis was her escape from reality. It was the place where she could be herself, she could see, and above everting else, she had someone to be with. That someone, who was spending too much time in Midori's head.
She got up from below the same tree she always wakes up in, cleaned the dirt that was on her legs and stretched her body, lifting her arms up.
— Where should I go today?
Midori asked herself, subconsciously making her way to the waterfall. Once there, she brought her hands to her waist and looked around the place. She tried to look for a path she had yet to venture. After a few minutes, she noticed a small trail of footsteps. They were fresh. Midori got closer to them and crouched down to look at them from up close. They seemed human-like. She smiled unknowingly, knowing to whom those footsteps belonged. She stood up and followed the path with her eyes to know where it was headed.
— Where could he have gone to?
She made her way to the woods, following the path religiously. She quickly noticed they were taking her to a path she had never been to. Midori started to feel excited, like a kid in an amusement park. The feeling of going to an unknown place filled her with excitement, making her quicken her steps as she was getting deeper and deeper into the woods, the adrenaline getting higher with each step.
In the distance, Midori noticed sometime big and luminescent. She squinted her eyes trying to see what it was. It looked like a Ferris Wheel. Midori frowned, looking at it with doubt. "What is that doing there?" she asked herself. Her body going completely numb.
"I used to go there with him..."
— Dad, dad! —exclaimed Midori excited—.
— What is it? —he answered while driving—.
— Look, look! —she pointed through the car windows to the Ferris Wheel that could be seen in the distance—.
— Do you want to go there?
— Yes, yes! Wanna go there! —she said with excitement—.
— I promise you we'll go soon, okay?
Midori fell down to her knees. Tears started streaming down her face. After a while she sighed and stood back up, cleaned her face with her arm and decided to keep walking towards the place ahead. Midori bit her lip; she couldn't deny that show was terrified. The anxiety taking hold of her.
With every step the Ferris Wheel started to get closer and closer. In just a few minutes she arrived to the front entrance of the park. She looked up and saw the sign on it. Her eyes were devoid of emotion, her expression blank. Suddenly, the place that looked like a paradise was starting to torture her.
The park was completely alive. All the lights were on and there was music sounding through the speakers. The smell of food was everywhere and Midori could see all the typical things from an amusement park. Popcorn stands, cotton candy, a big clown doll that was holding balloons. Midori approached it and took a green balloon.
She continued to walk through the park. She was starting to feel overwhelmed with all the things around. Many rides were on and ready to use. Midori passed by each one of them, imagining how she would look having fun in them. In the furthest part of the park was a roller coaster that was being used. She tried to find the cart that was on the rails and when she spotted it, her eyes opened in surprise. She felt how the light returned to them.
She could recognize that white hair anywhere. There Atlas was. With a smile from ear to ear, Midori had never seen him smile like that. She noticed that her cheeks were starting to slightly blush. It was impossible to look away from him.
Midori's eyes were completely focused on Atlas. She was simply entranced. That smiling and happy figure made her feel a warmth she hasn't felt in a long time. It didn't take long for Atlas to get to the end of the ride. When he stepped down, Atlas noticed Midori was there. He tilted is head to the side and smiled. Midori was still looking at him, Atlas walked to where she was, stopping in front of her.
— Midori! How are you? I didn't know you were here.
Midori opened her mouth to speak, but she felt so nervous the knot forming in her throat didn't let her speak. Atlas waited patiently for her to be able to talk. After a few seconds, she calmed down enough to talk.
— N-never…
— Never?
— I've never been to an amusement park. —she said with a blank face, still a little overwhelmed by the thought of her dad—.
— Me neither, honestly. It's my first time, and so far, it's been really fun.
She was slowly feeling better after talking to Atlas. Even though her first time in an amusement park wasn't with the person she wished, she still wanted to have a good time and try a few of the rides.
— Do you want to get on the rides with me? —she shyly asked—.
TO BE CONTINUED.