By Christina K Sangma
I had always imagined what it felt like to be in outer space, to see the planets up close, to float in zero gravity, to watch things gently drift through the air instead of falling to the ground. Even just thinking about it would make me so happy! And so, as I walked to the supermarket one sunny afternoon, my head was filled with stars and galaxies. I thought about how lucky astronauts were to see the wonders of the universe with their own eyes, imagine seizing a moment like that!
Lost in these spacey thoughts, I didn’t realise I was already near the supermarket when something strange started happening. The air around me began to slow down, really slow, as though someone had pressed the pause button on time itself. People and cars seemed to move in slow motion. I looked up, and suddenly, the bright blue sky twisted and shimmered into something completely new.
Right before my eyes, the sky had become the Milky Way.
Yes, the Milky Way! Swirls of stars, purple clouds of stardust, and planets blinking in the distance. My heart raced. I had always dreamed of seeing this, and now, it was here. I was seizing my moment in the middle of a dream-like adventure.
Then, I heard a voice, my friend! Actually, not just one, but all my friends. They came running from the other side of the street and shouted, “Get into the jeep, now!” Without asking questions, I jumped in. The jeep took off like a rocket down the road.
“Where are we going?” I asked, as the wind whipped through my hair.
“Something’s not right!” said the one at the wheel, eyes wide. “Didn’t you see the sky?! It’s not just you, it’s happening everywhere!”
And true enough, the sky wasn’t just space anymore, it had turned orange now, glowing with gleaming stars, like sunset and starlight had mixed together. We were speeding through countryside roads, and soon we reached a wide, peaceful rice field that shimmered under the magical sky.
But just when I thought things couldn’t get any weirder, they did.
The driver, my best friend, suddenly shouted, “It’s coming, jump!” and leapt out of the jeep.
“Wait! What’s coming?” I screamed, but there was no time. From the back seat, I grabbed the steering wheel, trying to keep the jeep straight. Then WHOOSH! a giant bamboo branch fell from the sky, smacking right onto the jeep roof!
We were heading straight for a muddy ditch and I braced myself for the crash when, Poof , I opened my eyes.
I was lying on my bed, tangled in my blanket. My lamp was still on, and a comic book about space lay open beside me. I blinked. It was just a dream.
But oh, what a dream it was.
Even if I never become an astronaut, my imagination can still take me to the stars, and maybe, just maybe, that’s the best kind of adventure there is.