Imagination

Imagination

Written by Kathryn G. Mischnick

     “Come on!” I yelled to my little brother, Ethan. He grinned and leapt to his feet. We dashed away from the blazing campfire and toward the dry, dark field behind my house. I smiled back at Ethan and stepped into a gap between corn stalks. Into the entrance. 

We were transformed. 

Into our secret world we spiraled.

I was Jessie.

He was Nik. 

We were no ordinary humans. We were changers. 

We could become animals or humans. 

I was fox. 

He was coyote.

We were on the run.

Weaving in and out of seemingly endless 

rows 

and rows 

and rows 

of corn.

We fled from ani-changer armies. Hundreds of men and women

who trained to hunt us down. Search planes buzzed overhead, 

and heavy footsteps thumped behind us. 

We hid in a small clump of trees just outside of the 

giant, 

maze-like 

field.

There, we wait for the first, power-filled wave of soldiers to pass.

Then, we began our stealthy journey back.

Back

To 

Home.

     As soon as we left the field and stepped into the light of the warm, cozy campfire, we were transferred back to the real world. Breathless, we stumbled to our camp chairs and collapsed into them, sinking into the fire-warmed fabric. Our parents smiled big smiles, like they understood. Of course they didn’t. They hadn’t just been running for their lives! All kids know that adults have no sense of imagination, so they were no different. I shared a secret eye roll with Ethan, and he smirked.

“Ready?” He asked. I sunk farther into my camp chair.

“One more minute,” I begged. He sighed, obviously irritated. As soon as he sat down, I leapt to my feet.

“Let’s go!” I whooped. He startled, and glared. I grimaced momentarily. He had one evil eye when he wanted to

“Race you,” I teased. He was on his feet before I could bat an eye. I took off, him not far behind me, and we dashed, without hesitation, into our secret world.

I was captured.

Sitting in a 

damp, 

dark, 

cold 

dungeon cell, 

I reflected on how it happened. 

We had used the same plan. 

That was the mistake.

My thoughts roamed, 

and in the process, 

a rhyme popped into my head. 

How to find the thing all changers 

wish 

they could. 

They still haven’t.

With a stick, I wrote.

Poured out my thoughts.

And before I erased it all,

I signed it with the 

official symbol 

of changers.

+(@;*34#

More of a code 

than anything else.

     For awhile I sat on the pile of firewood, waiting for Ethan to come and get me. But food must have started up again, and eventually I joined him. After stuffing ourselves with s’mores, we cautiously approached the field. We were worried what moving the story outside of the field would do. I glanced at Ethan hesitantly and stepped in.

Nothing had changed, except for the fact that the soldiers were gone.

Nik and I race through the rows, 

carefree.

Hollering at the 

top 

of our lungs.

Not fleeing anymore, 

we weave.

In and out.

In and out.

In and out.

And we turn to face the faint light of the fire.

I one bound, we were gone.

In our place was 

Fox 

and 

Coyote.

Jessie 

and 

Nik.

Going 

Home.

     “Time to come in, kids!” Our parents finally called. My mouth sore from hollering our freedom, I started in. We were almost zombie-like with exhaustion by the time we made it to the house. I crawled into bed, not bothering to brush my hair, and was asleep before the sheet settled.

As I slept,

Dreams came.

I bounded into them, 

A new 

World,

Waiting.

So was Ethan.

I joined him.

And then,

Oblivious to the real world,

The awake world,

I let

Imagination

Take

Over.