Alyssa passes by the park outside her apartment on the way home. School's finished for the week and she still has a load of homework she needs to get done this weekend.

Her eyes wander across the familiar play structure looking at an empty sandbox and a swing set. Today however, the light from the neighboring lamp post hits the swing set in such a way that it looks so lonely. It almost looks like it's inviting her to come sit and relax. It's been a while since she's swung on the set. She recalls memories of swinging with friends, swing alone, always competing to go as high as possible and to reach out and touch the sky.

Everything was so clear then, so present. Even though the sky was so far away she felt like she was inches away from touching the sky if she just swung hard enough. She's bigger now, a backpack on her back and a hoodie to keep warm. She's a bit too burdened to swing as carefree as she used to.

Alyssa puts down her backpack and proceeds to sit on the left swing, her head resting on the plastic chain. She slowly rocks back and forth, all the while letting her mind wander.

 

The wind rustles....

 

the swing next to her sinks a few inches, Alyssa pays no mind to the person.

Alyssa feels someone's eyes on her, it feels familiar somehow, a bit judgy, inquisitive, and scanning her in a innocent way.

Alyssa's too deep in thought to care about this familiar stranger.

The swing next to her seemingly respecting her peace doesn't swing, but also proceeds to silently sit next to her.

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[   ] picks up their feet off the ground and crosses their legs in the air. Their feet and body leaves contact off the earth and is fully supported by the swing. The feeling provided by the sensation of being in the air and their body no longer supported by their legs, makes [   ] feel like they're flying.

 

[   ] rocks back and forth, not interested in anything present in the sky. Looking to the left [   ] sees someone, they don't feel too present.

 

[   ] doesn't interact with them, although [   ] notices the stranger has a good figure and they have decent looks. The stranger looks so lost, [   ] imagines them going home to a nice home cooked meal. [   ] thinks about what they're going to have for dinner.

 

[   ] is thinking about inviting the person [   ]'s been staring at back to their house for a meal. It might be nice to make friends with this lonely person at the swing. [   ] likes to talk while swinging, but [   ]'s too shy to disrupt the person next to them.

 

[   ] then sets their eyes to the grassy ground below them.

The ground is filled with unpicked and unblown dandelions. So many wishes that [   ] and [   ]'s friends could make tomorrow.

 

[   ] almost absentmindedly uses two hands to grab onto the chains of the swing. [   ] wonders what's coming up and how to deal with various school classes.

 

[   ] has a project assigned by a teacher. What would someone younger than them think about what they do, who they are, and who they'll become.

In turn [   ] thought, "What would [   ] think about someone older than them?"

[   ] thinks that an older person would definitely be smarter, they probably know so much more than [   ]. They'd probably dress differently, her parents obviously wear different things than people younger than [   ].

anyone younger than [   ] always have more time to play and more friends. they don't care about things as much as [   ] has to. [   ] doesn't like comparing themselves in response to the question.

 

Why is the teacher doing this to them? Just because the teacher is older, doesn't mean he should make everyone else feel old.

 

[   ] thinks the teacher is trying to make another point again. [   ] is worrying if the assignment will take up the whole weekend.

 

=====================================================================================

 

Alyssa finally looks at the sky, she's returned back to the present. The sky is so bland, if it was her friend they would know all the constellations and tell the stories like how a librarian knows where a specific book is. They might even turn into a narrator-like figure when Alyssa's in a good listening mood. 

To her all the shining stars are so dim compared to the lightbulb shining on her side of the swing. At least the moon and clouds are fun too look at, they still have some texture and shadows compared to the numerous, but boring starry sky.

Alyssa's more of a cloud person, cirrus clouds, cumulonimbus and stratus clouds. Clouds are so much easier to come up with stories or imagine shapes, although she doesn't have the time to look at the clouds when she's walking.

Alyssa's backpack is too heavy and she's always to concentrated on the floor of where she's walking. It's always about thinking where your walking to, personal relationships, and what's next. It's so hard to stop and stare at the sky for a while.

Alyssa wishes that the world could just stop long enough for her to get a few minutes to look at the clouds in the blue sky. Maybe enjoy the sound of rain once in a while.

Although, her backpack has been with her for a long while. It has seen so many things and attended so many events with her, it’s hard to let go of it. When she takes it off her back, it feels so light that there's a weird sense of discomfort. It's like she's missing an essential part of herself.

 

She then proceeds to swing. Pulling her legs in and extending them out, she slowly starts to gain momentum. One swing and she's at a height of a few inches. The second swing and she's at a steady half-foot cycle. A third swing and Alyssa feels that weightless sensation when the elevator stops rising. That feeling continues to get stronger and stronger. The ground feels far away from where she is.

Higher and higher she swings as she maintains her fixed course, and once again she stops before she goes over the swing set. The night sky and the stars seem to have gotten brighter.

 

She's probably worried her parents, although considering she sent a text about taking some time to herself tonight, it shouldn't be a big deal.

Imagining her parents, they're probably still busy with work.

 

Passing by the other swing, she faintly grasps at the character of the other person alongside her on the swing. They're not in the light so she doesn't get a good image of them, nor is she really concerned with them. However, they seem to be deep in thought, almost as if trying to discover something about themselves in this period of reflection.

Alyssa prefers to think while in motion, and slowly the swing starts to fall away as she once again re-enters her thoughts.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

After a few moments [    ] gives up. Others care not for what the future holds, why should [   ]?

 

[    ] wants to enjoy the present.

 

[   ] has a notebook and pencil in hand and starts to sketch. [   ] sketches the sky for a bit, although the stars are too boring and so [   ] excludes them. In an attempt to stay in the present, [   ] sketches the scene in their mind. In an uncharacteristic move in the book [   ] sketches themselves inside the drawing.

 

[   ]'s pencil moves across the page, flakes of graphite fall off the tip of the pencil. From a white canvas shapes start to emerge. Slowly and faintly curves become more solid, the structure of the swing emerges. The ground starts to gain a soft texture and the dandelions are roughly added.

 

[   ] starts to add the people, first sketching themselves quite briefly. For [   ] has sketched themselves many times before and once more is no different. The person next to [    ] however is moving, so instead [   ] imagines another version of [   ].

 

[   ] imagines the new character’s parents, drawing from [   ]’s own as inspiration, [   ] imagines their disposition and attitude imbued into this character. [   ]  takes [   ]'s father's nose and [   ]'s mother's eyes. From this springs a character, an imaginary character of [   ]'s making. [   ] references this and takes a few aspects from the stranger [   ] saw, a hoodie, some pigtails, and cute pink shoes. 

 

[   ]'s hands move along the page, back and forth. Repetitive motions similar to that of a swing, [   ]'s pencil marks become darker and visible. Some lines are soft, ethereal and vague. [   ] has a bit of trouble with proportions, a head a bit too big, their arms are a bit awkward, but in the end it's a decent quick sketch.

 

[   ] captures a moment in time, old fashioned with paper. In this park, without any surveillance, her phone at home, [   ] returns to paper. It's been a while since [   ] was using something so common for something so rare. Like the chains of the swing, the paper has seen many things go by, it's older than her brand-new school supplies. It's been sitting on [   ]'s shelf for a while, sitting unused. For today must have been special to be pulled out once again, like an old friend whose paths has inexorably crossed with them. It's been a while since this paper got to meet a pen, this pencil, [   ]'s pencil.

=====================================================================================

Alyssa exits her thoughts and observes the person next to her, she’s got nothing to do. Short hair, school uniform, and in the dark. It’s hard to see through the dark being under the park lights.

Alyssa swings fiercely for a moment, then she swings slowly. The feeling of the seat has completely disappeared.

Alyssa swings with nothing on her mind, random thoughts coming and going. Alyssa ceases to remember her school, her parents her homework. She just exists in this moment, leaving behind her body.

Only the swinging sensation is on her mind as she stares forward into the dark environment. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[   ] stops, it’s not finished and it’ll have to do. “Time to go home!”, [   ] thinks to themselves. It was fun hanging out, [   ] wasn’t alone this time at the park.

[   ]’s friends has stopped coming to the park and one day [   ] will stop coming too. Maybe the park will be gone before [   ] leaves it behind.

[   ] doesn’t know and with this she goes on with her life

--------------------------------------------------------------===============================================

 

time passes by, the stars slowly shift, and the moon continues to rise. The curved moon getting smaller and smaller amidst the night sky. The park is getting quite dark and the air's much colder. The environment continues to be silent, making the scratches of the pencil, the creak of the chains sound foreign. The only sounds anywhere around is the sounds near the swing set. These sounds, which the creators ignore, continue outward looking for someone to hear them.

 

Lights of nearby apartments turn on, the yellow light casting outside, squarish shapes appear. Some darken returning the environment to black, but more turn on. The surrounding area are covered in spots of squarish light, some close and many in the distance.

 

===============================================--------------------------------------------------------------

 

The straight rows of lamp posts line the streets. However, the light of one particular lamp post gets harsher and harsher, a soft breeze carrying a fine mist causes the light to throw off a triangular ray onto the swing.

 

Alyssa slowly starts to slow her swing, each repetition brings her back to earth. It was fun to pause and get away from her life. Returning to the present is but a moment away, and something leaves her. The swing next to her lies empty and she's here all alone.

 

Alyssa stands up and dusts off her clothes. She grabs her backpack. Proceeding to walk into the surrounding darkness, she continues on her way.

 

FIN