Would you believe that a time ago, hot dogs were one dollar and coca-colas were twenty-five cents? I was once again a child, with my hair tied into pigtails that bounced whenever I jumped or ran. With my pink T-shirt, yellow shorts, and plastic sandals, I ran about in the summer heat catching the rays of the sun whilst sprinting through lawn sprinklers that watered the freshly cut grass.
One sunny day, after a tiresome afternoon of pure play, my childhood friends and I went to a nearby tree. We sat beneath the big branches that shaded us from the scorching coming from beams of sunshine. I heard the gentle breeze, which whispered through the leaves and through the dancing willows in the bubbling brook beyond the woods. As I sat in the comforting shade, I saw that the whole world was lazy, like us. The adults were on their porches gossiping away while sipping their iced lemonades. Other children held paper fans folded in haste by their swift fingers as they played hopscotch and sang skipping rope rhymes.
A ringing of bells unexpectedly cut into the summer air, which was filled with the warmth of joyous laughter. The faint 'ding-a-ling, ding-ding' drew distinctively nearer. To satisfy my curiosity, I squinted past the bright sun and saw the silhouette of a boy, not much older than us, riding a bicycle down our street. Behold! What was that he had trailing behind him? At that instant, we all knew. Every one of us dashed from under the tree to our parents, who were engrossed in their conversations under the porch, to plead for seventy-five cents. Interrupting their conversations, I tugged on my father's shirt and looked at my mother, asking them if they would be willing to give me my allowance a week early. I knew I would have to sacrifice whatever sweets I would be able to buy with that money, but it would most definitely be worthwhile.
I knew what I wanted. Along with the rest of them, I ran to the bicycle with my sandals chanting 'flap-flop-flap-flop' as it hit the pavement with each step. I patiently waited for my turn as five children lined up in front of me. Finally, after standing for what seemed like eternity, I did not hesitate to give up every penny for what would relieve and refresh me from the heat. Of course I chose my favourite flavour, strawberry. I had always loved the heavenly taste of sweet strawberries, in a mouthful of cool ice cream, with a bite of the crisp waffle cone. Uh-oh, what did the boy say? There was no more left! I hung my head with disappointment and began to walk away. With much effort on his part however, presumably after feeling sorry for me, he was able to gather enough for one last scoop. With my priceless treasure in hand, I hastily licked the sides of the cone just as a hint of strawberry ice cream began to melt. I could not allow it to drip onto the sidewalk and watch it disappear; I needed to savour every taste!
As I slowly walked back into the shade, my eyes were fixed on the waffle cone to ensure that the ice cream would not melt in front of me. The boy, who sold us the ice cream, had now gone to another street with his 'ring-a-ling' fading into the distance. I climbed the tree trunk and sat in the lowest branch with one hand holding onto the waffle cone, and the other, pulling myself up and keeping myself steady. I could finally begin to fully enjoy my ice cream cone without having to worry about the dreaded enemy, the heat of the sun. With my feet swinging from the branches, I carefully brought the yummy treat to the corner of my mouth.
To my utter disbelief, with the first lick at the centre of the strawberry ice cream, the scoop of ice cream fell out of the cone it rested on, and dropped from the tree onto the grass below. Instantly, the grass greedily gulped the melted puddle. With my eyes wide, I was left staring at my hand holding a waffle cone with a big gaping hole in the middle. Realizing what had just happened, I sat there weeping my eyes out at the tragic loss. My heart broke in two for my beloved sunshine had melted my cherished ice cream; it had become my childhood foe.
In spite of the chilly afternoon, a warmth that radiated from within the room tempted me to enter. As I stepped beyond the doors into the room, I noticed it right away. It sat upon the bare dresser: dead centre. Nothing else surrounded this miniature gold and red bordered picture-frame. Now, one would expect to find a picture of a loved one or of some sort. To my surprise, in place of the expected picture, all I saw was a black void, a darkness of . . . nothing.My eyes diverted its attention from the frame to the marks of the wooden dresser. Peering closely, the imprints that led to the edge of the dresser, resembled tiny footprints in the sand. It was almost as if someone had once walked across the dresser and went on to glance over the edge. I was bewildered at the notion of such existence. My fingers were about to trace over these marks when a glint reflected off the gold frame and caught my attention. I looked around the room and in puzzlement, wondered how the picture frame could have done that without the lights in the room growing brighter?! I continued to stare at the empty picture, for my eyes seemed to have been caught in a magnetic force that riveted them toward the darkness. With my fingers, I carefully picked it up and held it to eye-level.
To my utter amazement, the void of nothingness seemed to shimmer as if it was alive. Forcing myself to blink a few times, I cautiously examined it again. Indeed, something was happening. Slowly, almost unnoticeable, a hazy, gray silhouette took form. The outlined shape of a young girl, with sparkling eyes of youth, and a smile possessing a knowledge that I did not recognize, greeted me. She seemed to be beckoning me and I felt compelled to respond to her strong invitation despite my doubts.
My finger hesitantly moved toward the frame and touched the velvet material of the once dark picture. Suddenly, beyond my control, I felt this sensation of being yanked into the void. This deceiving girl held a strength that I lacked. Despite my efforts to take my fingers away, my entire being was soon engulfed by this darkness. I was the unsuspecting victim that fell prey to her bait. The magnetic forced pulled me into an unfamiliar realm. As I passed from one world into the next, she became free. She flowed into my body as I penetrated the separation and releasing herself from within me at the point where my being was to leave the accustomed world completely. I was speechless! Unintentionally, I had taken her place. I felt the evil in her; it was so strong that it was emitted through the velvet screen. I began to protest, with my lips moving in silence, for sound did not exist any longer.
To my horror, the seemingly beautiful girl picked up the picture-frame, and hurled it at the window. Instantly, it shattered and I knew that it was over; there was no more hope. I was to be forever trapped in the abyss.
(Winter 1998)