Paradise

The road stretches out in front of your for miles. There are no lights, there are no people. It is only you and the desert now. The top of your car is down and the warm air rushes by, engulfing you in its sweet smells and memories of cool nights in late summer when you were a child. Those September nights spent lying in overgrown grass, staring up at the stars as they twist and dance around each other, rush to the forefront of your mind and you smile to yourself. There is a faint scent of cherished memories as you shed a single tear for the self you once were.

You glance at your surroundings. The desert is unfamiliar to you; you have never been here before, and you are not quite sure where it is you’re going, but you are not lost. There are no flowers on the cacti here, but instead comforting whispers blossom from the plants’ waxy flesh. The cacti grow tall in this desert, taller than you’ve ever seen. It appears as though a stray needle could easily puncture the clouds, sending them spinning as though they were helium balloons released by hands too small to hold on tightly.

Few clouds rest in the sky tonight. They float by lazily in the soft night air, gentle pink pearls against a dark emerald sky. A small number of them drop flower petals into the sand, and wherever they fall, an orchid blooms, pulsating faintly with a deep, black light. You can hear them singing.

The wheels of your car spin faster as you accelerate down the cracked pavement of this lonely desert road. Stars drop from the sky, one by one, leaving in their wake glittering tails of blues and purples that shimmer with unignorable intensity. As they descend, you are reminded of your mother. You feel sad, but you do not know why.

Young stars litter the ground around you. You look up; the moon remains steadfast above, watching you, guarding the precious secrets the universe holds so dear. It’s full tonight and takes up a large portion of the sky. Its silvery light illuminates the road in front of you and reflects off of the sand. Here it’s a dark, passionate blue, and under the watchful eye of the moon, it sparkles in your hair, laughing softly.

Faster. Faster. Your foot pushes the pedal to the floor and your knuckles turn white as you grip the steering wheel harder. There isn’t anybody around, and there is no stopping now. The car has no breaks.

Stars fall more frequently and transform the sky into a modern masterpiece of blues and purples haphazardly splattered across an eager canvass. The light they once provided is lost and the night begins to dim. You can see the end in front of you; in this moment, nothing is in the way. You loosen your grip, close you eyes, and as the road comes to an end, you let go.