The Young Writers Project is a creative, online community of young writers and visual artists that started in Burlington in 2006. VTDigger publishes the writing and art of young Vermonters who post their work on the site each week. youngwritersproject.orgIt is a free, interactive website for young people aged 13-19. To learn more, please go to: youngwritersproject.org or contact Executive Director Susan Reid at [email protected]; (802) 324-9538.

Dreams take us to unknown places, sea bottoms, mountain tops, scattered clouds. But only when we are lucky do our dreams return us to the cozy safety of our pillows and allow us to reorient ourselves into the world of the living before facing the day. This week’s featured author, Belmont’s Oliver Ellis, takes us on a serene dream journey through time and space, the ocean and the sky, and then gently brings us back to reality.

when i fly

Oliver Ellis, 13, Belmont

I was cold. I shivered in my sheets and looked out my window at the night. The moon was cold as a stone and it made me shiver even more. I lay back, hit my head on the pillow, and pulled the blanket over my head. I started to feel dizzy.

I felt myself spinning and rising at the same time, and a million thoughts filled my head. I felt like I was going to explode. My eyes couldn’t see well; Instead I felt like I was staring into the abyss of night. A bright, white light flashed in the corner of my eye, and in the middle of it all, I screamed.

My scream echoed and echoed again and I found myself going higher, but I wasn’t sure where I was. I tried to look down but it was dark. All I could see was the dark shadow of my house below me.

Was I swimming? Was I flying?

I continued to fly upward in the darkness until it was no longer dark. On the contrary, it was bright and I couldn’t see anything. So I closed my eyes and realized I didn’t have to see anything. Because I was above everything. I was carefree and careless and nothing mattered. I felt myself rising and swaying in the calm breeze. And I was pleasantly warm. I was as warm as you feel when the sky is blue and you lie on the green grass and the sun comes out from behind a cloud and hits you with a ray of sunlight.

I continued swimming forward and upward until the mist cleared and I saw the bright, warm sun. I looked down and saw a white sandy beach full of palm trees and coconuts. The water sparkled in the light, a shimmering light blue ocean of possibilities.

I felt myself floating downwards, descending through the mist. I closed my eyes for a while and enjoyed the moment. Then my feet touched the sand. It was soft and warm; I started running along the shore. The beach stretched for a long distance, with turquoise waters at one end and a lush green forest at the other. The ocean waves were sliding invitingly over the white sand, and I changed direction to run towards the waves.

The water touched my toes. It was perfect. Soon I was in the water up to my chest and started swimming. I swam for kilometers, leaving the beach and forest behind. I swam and swam. Finally I saw another small island. It was just big enough for a house. Palm trees surrounded the house. A memory came to my mind of me trying to sleep at home and feeling very cold. I remembered that I got up from my worries and troubles and went to the peaceful beach. I went ashore and opened the door.

I went upstairs to my room and got into bed. I laid my head on the pillow and looked out my window at the dark sky and bright moon. My eyes closed.

I woke up. I was warm and comfortable. For a moment I remembered a beautiful island beach. I would visit again one day. In my dreams again.