-Is this another "feeling"? Who is it? Damn it, one was a lot to handle now another one?-
He looked up and the hand was still moving really fast. -Bright yellow. She has to be-
Ashlyn: "Let's go meet her." She says cutting off His thoughts. But he looks unsure of going up.
Miles: "I don't know if I want to..." he says looking at the afterimages the waving hand makes.
Ashlyn: "Just H O P E for the best Miles, remember?"
He looks back at her and calms down a bit. The voice sounded cute and child-like, feminine too.
They start climbing up the very very high tree. Good thing he's still in condition. The average person wouldn't make it to the top. But he's presented with a universal problem. Ashlyn climbs on ahead of him so...
-Don't look up don't look up don't look up. Just, eyes forward. Whoa this tree is uhhhh made of wood whoa. And whoa! The grip for this ladder is good. Also made of wood. Nice.-
He thought doing his best not to peek under her dress as she climbed up. He doesn't know if Ashlyn is like the girls in the "real world" but he couldn't look up either way. As a gentleman who respects himself and women, he just couldn't. But.
-One peek won't hurt, right?
His cheeks were even more red now. He cranked his neck a couple degrees when-
Ashlyn: "And no peeking, okay?"
Miles: "-?!?! Uhh uhhh yea yea no worries I-I'd never do that no worries." He said stupidly tripping on his tongue.
-Okay never mind then..."
For now, his hormones have been defeated.
They keep on climbing. He looked down and back for a bit to see how much they climbed and realized very late, if he slips and falls, he dies.
-Ahhhh fuck we are high up. Seems like Ashlyn is used to this eh...-
She was climbing up with no worries as if it was a normal Monday to her. After a couple more feet, Ashlyn reaches the treehouse and stands up on the flooring. He climbs a bit more and gets up too when suddenly-
???: "YOU'RE HERE!!!!!" The girl says running at Ashlyn and hugging her tightly.
???: "MILES!!!!"
Miles: "AHHHHH HOLD. UP." He says cutting off her run towards him.
Miles: "Wait just a second." He says as he starts analyzing her in utter confusion.
Ashlyn: "Miles c'mon." She says in support of him getting tackled by the girl's hug.
That's right. A girl. She looks like maybe a 12 year-old girl. He started analyzing her and was astonished too. Her skin is bright and blonde, basically yellow and radiant and smooth. Her hair is a little shorter than her shoulders and green, messy but cute. She's smiling from ear to ear with excitement to the point it's scary but her face simply cannot actually scare you. She has perfectly soft facial features and a cute smile, bright bright white teeth, and soft-looking pink lips. Just like Ashlyn she's wearing a sundress, but this one is green and white.
-She's harmless. She- ?!?-
???: "You're taking to long!!!"
She said as she suddenly attacked him with a ferocious hug.
???: "Ahhhhhhh I'm so happy to finally see you!!!"
Miles: "Wa- hey! Wait. I never said you-! You. Y-y-you could..."
-Wait, what is this...? This feeling is-
???: "You figured it out?" She said still holding him closely and turning her head up, looking at miles with her chin on his chest while he had his arms up awkwardly.
Miles: "H-Happiness?" He said half-smiling.
Happiness: "YES!!!!! Finally! Took you a bit." She said STILL hugging him. But then he began to lower his arms slowly. She, in the same position. Waiting, until Miles finally hugged her fully.
-Is this Happiness? This has got to be the nicest feeling ever. My feet are so light now. It's like I'm on top of the world right now. Nothing can take me down from this tower.-
Happiness: "Come in guys. Lets have something to drink maybe... a juice!" She said excited still hugging him.
Miles: "Uhhh. I can't walk like this."
Happiness: "-?"
Happiness: "Oh right, sorry." She said laughing and letting go of him. She walked into her tree house.
The tree house was big and very very well-made. They were standing in the "porch" of the house. Then they looked at each other and followed her.
There was a sign on the door. It was just a paper stuck to it with tape. It read "SMILE ALWAYS!!!" In childish handwriting and many colors. The type of thing you would draw in elementary school. When they entered the tree house was actually mostly empty. It was odd. It had a little kitchen. And a "living room" where a couple bean bag couches were. Nothing else. It was odd for the simple fact it didn't fit her. How could such a hyper active girl be living in such an empty place.
-She most likely jumps from couch to couch all day to waste her energy.- That was the only explanation Miles could come up with for her empty little house. At least in the kitchen there was a small table with 3 seats. Normal wooden chairs.
Happiness: "Ok guys! Take a seat in the chairs or in the couches if you wa-"
A moment of silence.
He turned around to Ashlyn wondering why Happiness went quite. Then he looked at her again and followed her eyes. She was looking at the chain.
Miles: "Oh, uhh this is the reason I came here. Do you know anything about it?"
Happiness:"——" she stared at it with a sort of pained and saddened look, ironically.
Miles: "Hello?" He said waving his hand after she stayed silent for a bit more.
Happiness: "Oh! Uhhh no, no I don't know anything about it." She said weirdly forcing a smile. And changing the subject to what flavor of juice they wanted. He went and sat and the table and Ashlyn did too. Miles was apprehensive about her response. It seemed like she knew something but didn't want to talk about it. Like a parent hiding a problem from their child. But what was it that she was hiding? What could an innocent feeling like
Happiness have to hide.
He said he wanted to have orange juice. Ashlyn said apple. Then he noticed a window in the kitchen right in front of Happiness. And a branch of the tree was peeking in.
Happiness: "Alrighty then, I'll make them."
She then, with her index finger touched the branch. And held her finger there. Then Miles noticed something odd. Leafs started to grow on the tree. Then oranges. Literal oranges started growing.
Miles: "Huh?! HOW?!"
Happiness: "Oh, this? This is how I make juice."
Miles: "Yea yea I could figure that out b-b-b-but how did you make oranges just grow???" He said absolutely amazed.
She cut off the oranges and started cutting them with a small knife. Then she just said-
Happiness: "What do you mean 'how?' I'm H A P P I N E S S it's what I do."
-What?- He didn't get it.
Happiness noticed the confused look on his face so she decided she would explain. She put the knife down and turned around to face him fully.
Happiness:"I'm H A P P N E S S. I give life to things. I give a meaning to you too. H A P P I N E S S is what you wish for, isn't it?" She said smiling showing her bright white teeth. He looked into her eyes for the first time correctly. And saw they were a mix of blue and purple and green with normal pupils. They were beautiful.
Happiness: "Everyone pursues it. Without H A P P I N E S S then there is no purpose in living. What's the point of living a life where you have no time to sit and drink juice, to go play around, or to lay down and listen to the birds sing." She said in her childish sweet voice.
Ashlyn: "Life is a constant H O P E for happiness after all." She added.
He was barely processing these words.
-I haven't been feeling happiness, only when i was with Jessica in the morning today. The rest of the day is anything but happiness. I do nothing with my life. Have I really been living if I'm not pursuing happiness? If being with Jessica was the only time I felt happy, then, does this mean I'm only living when I'm with her?- He came to this reasoning in a single second. Dangerous reasoning.
Miles: "But then, what the hell is even happiness?"
Happiness: "Ignorance." She replied with a small smile.
She again noticed an empty and sort of confused look on his face.
Happiness: "Look, let's drink the juice then I'll take you somewhere you can experience it."
She squeezed the oranges into a small wooden cup and gave it to him. Then she touched the branch and it grew apples.
Ashlyn: "Actually, just give me the apples." She said in her angelic voice.
Happiness then sat down with them and looked at Miles.
Happiness: "———." She was just staring at him. Her head resting on one hand with her head tilted to the right. Smiling from ear to ear like a little kid. Staring at him with her beautiful eyes. As if they were on a date. While Ashlyn was just eating her apple, holding it in too hands.
Miles: "——?"
Miles: "What?"
Happiness: "Hehehehe. Try it."
He had yet to try his juice since he lost in deep thought about Happiness and what it means and is to him.
-Well I might as well try it.- He decided.
He picked up the cup and put it to his lips. He lifted it a bit and-
-?!! So sweet!!!-
He instantly closed his eyes and smiled at the flavor. It was the best thing he's ever tried. Just amazing.
Then he opened his eyes to see Happiness' face right in front of him smiling and looking into his eyes with a mischievous smile.
Miles: "Uhhh what..."
Happiness: "Say it." She said maintaining eye contact inches away from him.
Miles: "——."
Happiness: "hehe... say it."
Miles: "Ok...it was good. Very good." He said breaking eye contact.
Happiness: "Ahahahaha. I KNEW IT!" She said standing up and putting her hands on her hips and sitting back down. Proud of herself.
-She smells nice...-
Happiness: "Ash, you done?"
Ashlyn: "Yes, I'm done."
Happiness: "You too, Miles?"
Miles: "Yea, thanks."
Happiness: "Alrighty then lets go!!!"
Miles: "Where are we going?" He said wondering where he would go this time.
Happiness: "Hehe. Don't worry about it at all. Just follow me." She headed out the door and went down the ladder really fast. The other 2 went calmly and slow compared to her. She was at the bottom when they were barely even halfway down.
Happiness: "Hurry you two!!!"
Ashlyn: "Going!"
When they got to the bottom Miles noticed something odd about her. Beneath her feet, was grass. Full grown green grass. Only beneath her feet. The rest of the area around was ugly and dead but right beneath her feet there was life. He just stayed staring at it.
Miles: "So does anything you touch come to life?" He asked surprised.
Happiness: "Well, yes, basically, I suppose." She said quickly and innocently.
Happiness: "Well anyways, let's hurry up and go over there. C'mon, follow me!" She said as she started to skip.
They went southeast of the tree for a bit. Not much and then they came across live trees. All lined up. Just like the one that had a tree house. Tall and strong. He could see in the space between them only a little. Happiness ran to the trees and then between and disappeared. Ashlyn followed along. Then Miles did too though he walked and was much more careful. When he walked past the trees he saw it. A field of grass. All the opposite of the rest of the forest. Couple small trees scattered. It was about the same size as the Field of Hope but in the middle. Instead of being an empty middle there was a small playground. One of those you see at kids' parks. Just a playground. Ashlyn and Happiness ran towards it and got on the swings. He was still at the trees that separated the field from everything else.
There was a sweet smell too. The whole place smelled like vanilla, strongly. It made him instantly smile. It'd been a whole since he smiled so sincerely. It was summer in this playground. There were butterflies flying around without a care in the world. Birds singing all around, singing sweet melodies. Happiness was seen all around.
Happiness: "Come over here Miles!" She called waving from the swings.
He ran over there. Like he ran as a kid. He ran without a care in the world. Like when he ran to his dad's arms as a kid. He got to the swings and they went up and down, back and forth, all 3 laughing without a single thing to worry. They played tag. They ran around. They did everything a child would do in a playground. For what felt like nothing. He couldn't tell if a ling time had passed by or if it had been barely a minute. He was happy.
Ashlyn threw herself on the ground. Then Miles. Then happiness. All in a triangle. Tired from playing around, now they were resting looking at the sky. Watching clouds form and pass by. Finding shapes in the clouds. And she asked-
Happiness: "Do you understand H A P P I N E S S now?"
Miles: "Yes." He said reaching his hand to the sky and watching as a butterfly landed on his finger.
Happiness: "Time doesn't exist here. It feels like hours but no time has passed outside of this place. We don't have worries here. All that matters is there is a smile on your face."
Ashlyn: "This is what we all H O P E to have forever in life. This is what we desire. This is what we wish for. At all times."
Miles: "Yea... I understand now."
-I thought happiness was simply a fairytale feeling. I guess it's real. I haven't felt like this in a long time. I don't want to have to leave. This is somewhat what I always wanted I guess. To be lost in a place where I have no worries and I can just lay and rest. I don't need a reason to be happy. I just have to ignore everything in the world and be happy. No reason to worry about what happens to me. I just have to smile. Then I'll wait for it to go away. That's how I will get happiness.- he thought.
Miles: "So time doesn't exist here, you said right?"
Happiness: "Yes, BUT you can't stay here forever."
Miles: "Huh? Why not?" He was confused at this answer.
Happiness: "Because then you won't be able to distinguish me from sadness."
-What? What does that-
Happiness: "So c'mon, let's go home." She said getting up quickly and skipping back. Ashlyn following.
Miles: "?? Huh? W-wait. Ughhh fine." He followed them too.
They got out and back into the horrible forest. He didn't want to be "here" anymore if he couldn't be in those happy places. What the hell was the point?
Miles: "Hey Ashlyn, could you get me back to... 'my world'?"
Ashlyn: "Are you sure you want to go back? Weren't you going to follow the chain?"
Happiness made the same look again. The same pained look. He noticed it. But he didn't say anything yet again and just ignored it.
Miles: "I'll come back maybe some other time. Mom must be worried."
Ashlyn: "Okay then, let's all go."
They walked back a couple minutes again and finally got to that same hole he fell from. Before he left he asked-
Miles: "Hey Happiness, what's your name?"
Happiness: "Call me Avighna. Because I'm ignorant." She replied smiling with one finger on her cheek and tilting her head.
He gave a quick chuckle and said "Right because Happiness is ignorance."
They parted ways and he went home by getting in that little cave and climbing up the hole and getting out. He was back at that huge tree. The chain still led there and just got longer when he walked away. This time the chain felt a bit heavier and hurt a bit. But it was acting the same way. Nothing except his state of mind had changed. Then he walked back home. Knowing that his happiness and reason to live was always in the same classroom as him.
And so he came to the conclusion...
-The only person who can give me those good feelings I felt today is...
Jessica."