709 Words (Exactly)

I've done it. It only took me almost three hours but I've completed my 709 words for the day. And I must say, it sucks. Majorly. Writing has been hating me lately. I have all the ideas; I know what I want to say. I just can't say it. But at least it's progress. And progress is always good, right? (Right.) And because of this (and the fact I'm evil: Mwhahahaha! -cough-), I'm going to share my mass of crap with you. So here is 709 words (exactly).

The pressed dirt felt smooth against her bare skin. It was the perfect surface for running, not too loose so she’d slide but not hard enough to hurt her feet. She curled her toes, itching to stretch her muscles, but at the same time, knowing she was asleep.

    Cassie’s gaze drifted over the flat landscape. It looked the same in every direction, empty, lifeless. Scattered stalks of green were the only spot of color. She walked up to one of the waist-high plants and ran her hand over the top. It bent easily. The texture was familiar, like grass. But grass didn’t grow this high. At least it didn’t in the city.

    As she stood contemplating the plant, a swift wind sprang up, making the dust dance. It twirled her hair playfully making her laugh. Seeming to giggle, it tugged at her clothes and hair. Come on, she could almost hear it whisper, come on. “All right, all right,” she told it smiling.

    Wind dying down to a breeze, Cassie took quick strides. It felt perfectly normal to be here. It didn’t matter that she was alone. This place just seemed safe. And she was in a dream. What could hurt her?

    Dark blotches appeared in the distance. Cassie squinted, trying to determine their authenticity. They bloomed in her vision as she grew closer. Curiosity spiked, her dreams usually started in the middle of the action. What made this one so different?

    The wind picked up again, trying to urge her to hurry. Its excitement was contagious and she started to run. It felt amazing; her muscles loosened immediately, happy for the exercise. She had missed jogging that day, for Sam. Her hair blew this way and that, making it hard to see. She ran on anyway, only stopping when it became difficult to breathe.

    Her lungs gasped, straining for oxygen. She had pushed herself too hard. The thought made her laugh which made her wheeze. How could you push yourself too hard in a dream? Where you are supposed to be able to do whatever you wanted?

    It wasn’t until after she caught her breathe that she saw her surroundings clearly. The distant spots were buildings, very tall buildings. They towered over her on either side, casting long shadows. They appeared to be ordinary houses, ordinary houses built to extraordinary proportions. She gaped up at them, astonished. Had she shrunk? She felt her body frantically, patting her chest and arms.

    Someone walked by and she stopped immediately, feeling foolish. Another person walked by, and she froze as she looked at them, really looked at them. She looked around at all the people suddenly surrounding her and realized they were all like that, all short and slightly wrinkled with long appendages and facial features. Their translucent skin was the thing that made her stare. It displayed strange colors underneath, bright colors like blue and pink and yellow, colors that shouldn’t be on the inside of a body.

    None of reacted to her; it was like they couldn’t see her, like she didn’t exist. The wind tugged at her, trying to regain her attention. She followed it, still in shock at the tiny beings surrounding her. They were everywhere, all of them busy. What she didn’t understand was why such little creatures needed such gigantic homes.

    Her head was whipped around by her hair, the wind growing tired of her indifference. She stood in front of one of the houses; its walls splashed white. She was shoved towards the steps that led to the open door. Hurry.

    Cassie rolled her eyes, tempted to stay exactly where she was. She climbed up the first step anyway. Might as well finish what she started before someone woke her up. After hauling herself up the huge stairs, she stood in the light streaming from inside and felt incredibly small.

    Through the open door, a woman sat in a chair, motionless. Her eyes were closed and her head leaned back, but Cassie could tell she was not asleep. Puffy red circles showed that she had been crying, a tear still glistened on her cheek. Waves of red hair spilled down the chair back. And upon seeing her, Cassie knew why everything was made so (large.)