An orchestra of colors unfolded in front of her eyes as a myriad of sapphire, sand, maroon, onyx and marmalade snaked through the air, making a variety of whimsical designs. The glittering ribbons continued to frolic, the abstract spirals and shapes acted as confident time thieves, snatching the attention of Jennifer. The mysterious mesmerizing scene faded and the reflection against her glasses soon appeared to just showcase her wide brown eyes. Standing at the top of a series of low rising and falling hills of green, she could see what the world in front of her had to offer. Jennifer’s eyes could now trace the horizon of green introducing itself to the lavender sky uninterrupted. She shifted her weight from her left foot and then to her right, trying to give great consideration to the distance stretched out before her. Since time passed slowly and the sky never indicated a shift between day and night, it was impossible to determine or even keep track of hours or minutes or even days. Jennifer could have been wandering around the sea of grass for years and never once known when her birthday was or when she ought to celebrate Christmas. Those annual traditions had no place where she was though. Those annual traditions were born on Earth and would eventually die on Earth. Just as she had. After thinking to herself, Jennifer shifted her weight back to her left foot as a means of silently reassuring herself that her choice to continue forward was the right one. As she carefully treaded down the gentle slope, her bare arms brushed against her dark blue jeans, no longer expecting to feel the rough fabric singed and tattered. And by all appearances, Jennifer appeared to be without a bruise, scratch, burn or broken bone. The only evidence that she retained during her final moments were emotional ghosts that whispered in her ear when she thought they weren’t looking over her shoulder. Jennifer sometimes felt feet dash across her back as she weaved her way through the grass that smelled of green apples and lemongrass. When she first felt them, she would freeze and remind herself that she was alive and existing someplace else entirely, that the pain couldn’t reach her when she was light-years away. Now though, whenever she was haunted, she would keep walking to prove to the past, as well as herself, that the panic, fear, regret, anger, helplessness and sorrow were no longer worth her time. Sometimes it was easy to forget and hesitate with the next step but no matter how long it took her, she would continue to move forward, finding herself happy to lose count of the valleys of emerald she had traversed. Up in the sky of amethyst, no clouds nor birds passed overhead. In the small ponds of tourmaline, no fish nor insects swam in the shallow water. Only a sense of solitude kept Jennifer company as she hooked her right thumb in the belt-loop of her jeans and began to hike up the next wave of grass. As she made her way to the top of the hill, she could hear the faint sound of water trickling down into a pond and her eyes quickly tried to catch up to her ears. Up ahead and to the right about a half a mile was a thin long strand of water being emptied from a large landmass which just happened to be suspended in the air above. “This shouldn’t surprise me at this point but it does.” The child psychologist said flatly with a small shrug. The six years of higher education had not prepared the thirty year old for the odd laws of physics that the strange planet employed but since there was no soul to consult, Jennifer had to just continue to move forward. Well, forward and to the right a bit. Just as she started to head down the hill, she stopped and threw her head back to balk at the object in the air where the delicate waterfall originated. “Even if I get over there, how am I supposed to get up?” She huffed, her optimism quickly being brought back to the ground thanks to her experienced realism. Even with her doubt and dismay, there wasn’t much else around the area. Sure, there were other rocky structures which made curves that might resemble a hammock or an infinity sign but the ones she passed gave no indication of other life. And the floating island above her could be another layer to peel back and perhaps give her answers because she had a long list of questions. Where was she? Why was she there? How did she get there? Jennifer resumed her walk towards the golden waterfall, though this time she had more bounce in her step which allowed her long black dreadlocks to sway back and forth against the dark blue frames that protected and aided her eyes which were now filling with cautious hope. After an indescribable amount of time had passed, Jennifer finally found herself standing in front of the pond. Throughout her journey she hadn’t ever needed a drink nor bite to eat. Her sense of smell had given her all the gratification she seemed to have craved. And yet… And yet as she looked down into the deep pool of water, her lips felt dry, a feeling she had forgotten about. Crouching down, she squatted in front of it and extended her hand out to touch the water. The thin wet fluid brought back another sensation that had been buried for too long. Jennifer splashed some of the honey colored water, unable to think about anything except when she was seven years old learning how to swim for the first time. Her father had just picked her up from the pool and she ran into his arms, grinning wildly. The teacher had praised Jennifer for being such a fast learner and in turn, for helping the other kids who were less enthusiastic in the shallow end. The smell of her chlorine mixed with her father’s cologne made her feel so safe and so loved. That afternoon on their way home, they stopped for ice cream, back when you could get two massive scoops of raspberry sherbet for just a dollar fifty. “Those were…” Her voice trailed off as her hand went still. Those weren’t just “the days” as everyone said. “Those were the best days of my life.” Jennifer swallowed and looked back down and leaned over the pond. The past would not get the better of her. She cupped her slender hand and brought it up to her lips. The water was not cold nor hot, it was warm and comforting. Her tongue traced her lips, wondering if she had tasted cherry blossoms or if that had just been her imagination. Before Jennifer could have another taste to test her hypothesis, she found herself being lifted off the ground by something strong and invisible. Her heart rattled against her chest as she gave a yelp, her appendages dangling carelessly as if she were a toy being pulled up by a kid playing a claw machine game. Since her back was facing the low valley, she had the opportunity to inspect the island more closely. It was made of a brown colored rock which she would have guessed was igneous based on its smooth construction, but since this was not Earth, Jennifer quickly moved on to another point of observation. The rock had patches of green grass on the sides and she began to wonder if this was just Level Two of her quest to cross every damn valley the planet had to offer. Where the water was escaping was where she was headed, a straight vertical line upwards and soon she found herself being lowered onto the solid ground. Jennifer saw the waterfall was actually coming from a floating black basin which seemed to never empty itself. The water continued to drain from the spout which then traveled down into the pond where she had just been drinking from. “My my, we haven’t had an Earthling here in a while.” An elderly woman spoke and Jennifer snapped her head up to see not a wrinkled woman but an orb of light which had just a hint of teal. “You have traveled far and have endured so much.” It continued to speak with a casual soothing tone that assured Jennifer that whoever this was, had to be wise, much like a grandmother of the ages. The orb could see what Jennifer looked like in her final moments of life on Earth but it she could also discern what the peach colored woman in the red lace tank top and black camisole looked like now, like life. “Please follow me and I’ll take you somewhere so you can have a proper rest.” The orb then flew around to Jennifer’s side and bobbed up and down in the air slightly. Jennifer could imagine a woman waving her hands to her in a sweet urgency, a need to care for her in a way. It made her want to smile. She didn’t though. “Where am I? And who are you?” Jennifer asked, her most pressing questions now holding more importance than getting sleep or nourishment. Her eyes wandered around new scenery. She seemed to be in a courtyard made out of grey flat stones. The same colored bricks had used to make rounded buildings that rose high into the purple sky. They reminded her of castles but she warded off the silly notion of her being some princess in a fantasy tale. That was preposterous. “My name is Syx.” The spherical light source said though for Jennifer, she just heard the word “six.” “And where am I?” Jennifer asked again, trying to keep her tone neutral, a tone she had sometimes used when she was trying to extract information out of the kids at school. “That I cannot answer, only you can.” Syx told Jennifer and began to float away. “Your eyes cannot lie like your mouth, come rest.” She insisted and Jennifer followed behind her. The light led Jennifer down a darkened hallway and took a left and went through another low curved opening to reveal a cozy room. Inside there was a wooden bed which had several quilts laying atop it. Next to the bed was a wooden table which then had a wooden jug and cup, along with a mirror surrounded by a black shiny oval frame with a flowery handle. “You may rest as long as you like.” Syx said and flew over Jennifer’s head when she entered. Syx then moved behind her and lingered in the hall. “Thank you for your hospitality, Syx.” Jennifer turned around to face her only form of companionship. How long had it been since she had someone to converse with? It was impossible to say but clearly it had been a while since the atheist had no intention to question, at least right now, the logic of an orb of light communicating with her. The orb gave what Jennifer had to guess was a nod before it dashed off, leaving Jennifer alone, a feeling she had just started to shake. A small red candle had been lit on the floor in the only open corner which defended her from being completely draped in darkness. She sat on the bed which made no noise under her weight. She bent down and pulled off her shoes which had been new once. She had bought them specifically for her lecture at her alma mater and now she found herself grateful that she hadn’t gone for high heels but had instead taken a chance on some polished black sneakers that looked fancier than they actually were. Once they were untied, she set them under the bedside table and pushed herself under the covers. A heavy feeling keep her rooted in place as she rolled onto her left side, facing away from the doorless opening in front of her. Jennifer only had to close her eyes and count to five before her mind succumbed to the task of drifting away from everything. Her body relaxed slightly as she migrated through sleep, attempting to decipher between dreams and memories. Silence and the smell of smoke were ready to greet her when her body felt ready to accept consciousness. Jennifer pushed herself up and began the routine of untangling strands of her dreadlocks but it only took at most ten seconds each morning. Turning to the side of the room where the doorway and candle were, she saw the light had gone out, leaving a funky scent of wax and smoke behind. She let out a deep sigh and pushed the covers off her body, the heat quickly vanishing as her arms had to readjust to being bare. Jennifer got her shoes on and took poured herself a cup of water, something she wished she had done before going to bed. After she chugged down two cups, she savored and sipped the third one before she got to her feet and walked out of the room, paying no mind to the mirror on the table. “Excuse me.” She said and wandered back down the hallway and out into the courtyard she had ascended to. “Syx?” Jennifer called out, slightly more loud. Of course she didn’t wish to be rude or disruptive but in her defense, she had no idea where she was or what was going on. “Your rest has been enjoyable?” “Yes, thank you very much.” Jennifer smiled, finding herself a little more at ease. Though there was still a nagging need to know more about everything around her. “Is there any way we can talk? I don’t know what time it is but if it’s possible, I’d like to ask you some things.” She tried to be gentle, tried to rein her urgency and anxiety. “Rather than use words, I would like you to look around for yourself and discover on your own.” Syx replied. That did not please Jennifer who was starting to lose patience. All of her skills and tactics as a psychologist were apparently nonexistent. Jennifer was now left with a bitter taste in her mouth and a strong urge to punch Syx though if she did, she wasn’t sure if the flippant ball of light would even feel it. It was tiny details like that, that bothered Jennifer who was guided by facts and reasoning, not ticklish whims and riddles. “Okay.” Was all she could say in response after a long pause of considering violence but ultimately disregarding it as rude. The woman looked around and saw several other openings to other hallways and she figured Syx wanted her to poke around and immerse herself, rather than take the shortcut of hearing some explanation. Jennifer tried to use her other senses to give her an indication of where to go but no sound was evident. No smell either. The only senses she could really rely upon were her taste, sight and touch and clearly her words weren’t making any kind of progress so Jennifer came to the amusing but annoying conclusion that she had to go around touching everything, licking everything or looking at everything. The final option seemed the most logical, and though logic was now subjective, Jennifer decided to try the leftmost hallway. She used her hands to feel the smoothness of the stones on either side of her as she kept walking until an opening came into view. Like her room, there was no door or curtain to distinguish one area from the other. When she did transition from hallway to opening, she found herself in a lush garden of flowers and other greenery. There were trees with white feathers and blue bushes with grey berries and flowers that looked like a five year old may have drawn them. Jennifer was in awe of every strange discovery she made. She walked over to the large tree with a black trunk and branches and reached up to touch the white feathers that arched downwards. Her fingertips captured a small feather and felt that it wasn’t soft as she expected, it was solid and cold like a block of ice and yet by all outside appearances, the tree was so thin and delicate. Looking around to ensure no one or orbs were around, she leaned in close and sniffed the thin black trunk and found it smelled like dirt. Not something covered in dirt, but actual dirt. “How extraordinary.” She breathed and took a step back, unwilling to have a taste. “That is a weed.” A voice said behind her and Jennifer turned to see a bright orb but this one was a little smaller than Syx and had a slight tone of baby pink. “They sprout up and disrupt the natural life, things freeze and infect everything if actions are not taken quickly.” The voice was male and raspy, aged just like Syx. “I am Wyx.” He then said to her, and in her mind, she just heard the word “wicks.” “Hello. Is this your garden?” Jennifer asked first, though she was still curious about the weed. It was contradictory and beautiful. “No it is not, I simply cared for it and helped construct it long ago. This does not belong to anything except the world itself.” Wyx told her. “I see.” Jennifer frowned a little, not really understanding as she said. “No you don’t, but that’s alright. You’ve just arrived from Earth and you’re just as new to us as we are to you.” He chuckled but then corrected himself. “Actually, we’ve had visitors of your kind before so in a sense, we still have the upper hand but don’t be discouraged.” Jennifer gave a nod, finding herself understanding a bit more. “So this weed is here and it’s harming the other planets? What do you do to kill it?” She asked Wyx. “This one is dead.” He replied. “It hasn’t grown in a very long time and is therefore harmless, here to serve as a reminder of how unpredictable things are.” Jennifer’s eyes now traveled across to where she had seen the navy blue bush with light grey berries that looked like misshapen marbles. “That is a Bulya Bush, those berries are known to give one immortal powers.” “Really?” She looked back at the orb who laughed. “No, their properties work different for each soul. But it may be possible for one person…” Wyx trailed off. Jennifer then wondered if he’d be more receptive to her questions. “Where am I?” “Where do you think you are?” “Well I know I’m in a garden that you once helped create and that it’s floating on a giant rock in the sky but aside from that I am completely lost.” Jennifer replied. “Then you know exactly where you are.” Not exactly. But Jennifer was getting tired to asking and getting cryptic responses. She was trying and that’s all she could do. “I’m going to keep looking around then.” She smiled weakly to Wyx and waved before she turned and headed back down the hallway that she had came from. Once back in the round courtyard again, she stood where she was and turned around and around, trying to remember her mother’s name, her first boyfriend’s eye color, her password for Facebook or when the last time she had a home cooked meal. All of those answers weren’t coming to her and yet that didn’t alarm her as much as she thought it would. Her past was truly fading away, making room for the new present which would inevitably become her past. All her preconceived ideas were slowly evaporating and being replaced with leaves that looked fuzzy and yet were just like ice. She looked up at the sky and saw the very same collection of glittering colors dancing around, ribbons would intersect and create nameless hues which she had never seen before. They would swim around the large stone towers and then dive down, spinning and leaving trails of vibrant colors in their wake. Jennifer watched in awe, comforted by their fourth appearance. In a way, she felt as though she was where she needed to be, that the fizzing tangents had been guiding her every since she woke up and began her new life. And now that she had arrived, she could start to look at everything and in turn begin to understand everything because Jennifer would always crave knowledge, no matter what planet she happened to call home.