Reality On a Deathbed
by Rosie Whoo
As Rosa saw it, there were two possibilities: either he was insane, or he wasn't. She hoped it was the latter. A golden leaf fell from a tree nearby, fluttering in the cool breeze before coming to rest on the ground below. Rosa, her arms folded on the top slat of the fence, found herself wondering if this leaf told another on the ground that it was from a world of fantasy, when it had actually come from the same tree as the other. Did the other leaf believe it? Did she believe Eric?
She turned away from the tree, stepping down from the fence to continue her walk on the country road. The splendors of fall were all around her, but she never noticed the ripe pumpkins or ears of corn. Multi-colored leaves continued to fall from their trees as the hair falls from an aging man. But Rosa kept her eyes on her feet, preoccupied by her growing dilemma. He wanted to see her; she wanted to see him. She desperately wanted to know he spoke the truth. Eric hailed her as she approached the crossroads.
"Rosa! I'm so glad you came; I have something to ask you!" He ran toward her.
"What is it, Eric?" she said, believing she knew the answer and dreading the moment of truth.
Eric surprised her. "Do you believe in me?" he said, concern showing in his eyes.
"Eric," she sighed hopelessly, "I really want to, but it's so hard to believe! You cannot imagine how odd your story sounds to me, especially when you speak of magic."
He smiled, having expected such an answer. "And you cannot imagine how odd your world seems to me, especially when you speak of science."
"Don't mock me, Eric! I like you so much that I do not want to doubt you, but magic is a fairy tale!"
"I understand that your world is different; can you not understand that mine is also? Where I come from, science is a fairy tale, literally! Before I came here, I doubted science as you doubt magic. Can you not come with me and abate your doubts? Can you not experience my world as I experienced yours?"
The question startled Rosa, who had never thought about his views. Why not visit his world and experience magic for herself? Because she realized immediately, if she went to his "world", she would know whether he had made it up or not. Did she really want to know? Was it too late to reverse the direction in which her feelings for him were flowing?
Abruptly, the decision was made. "Take me there," she said. Relief washed over his face. He reached for her hands.
Rosa did a mental double-take. Relief? Wouldn't that mean he was glad she'd decided to go? And wouldn't that mean he expected to take her to his world?
It was not too late to back out. She had expected to call his bluff and failed. She wanted to apologize and go home. But she found that she could not move or speak; a strange paralysis seized her and held her tight while the rest of the world walked away. Where was it going? A feeling of unease swept through her like a fire; burning as the familiar trees as farms fell from beneath her feet.
As the darkness came, the flames of her world of science began to die. As a last act, it put all its strength into a tongue of flame which devoured her doubt. All she had of her prior life was gone.
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