Drawing

 

            Kurt stared at his backpack for several minutes before picking it up and walking over to his desk. With such a huge mountain of homework, he should probably get started. He’d do his art assignment first—that would be the easiest.

            The assignment was to draw a place that you would like to visit. Kurt immediately got to work creating a place where time didn’t exist. If he could visit that place, he could spend as much time as he wanted there doing only the things he loved to do. When he was ready to leave, he could return at exactly the same time he’d left.

            What he really wanted to do right now was to go outside for a hike, so he drew a beautiful mountain scene in the background, and a trailhead in the foreground. He was a fairly good artist, and the pencil strokes came naturally. When he was finished with the scenery, he added a signpost that said: Time Doesn’t Exist Here.

            Surveying his work, he was satisfied with the result. Now, if only he could actually go there. As he started to put it away, he noticed something odd. He had drawn everything in pencil, but the trees were filled in with color. As he stared at the picture, the rest of it was being colored in.

            Kurt leaned closer to the page as he tried to figure out what was going on. Suddenly, he felt himself being pulled forward, out of his chair. He landed with a thud on a dirt path. What had just happened?

            In a panic, Kurt looked wildly around. To his right stood the signpost he had just finished drawing. Did I fall asleep? It was the only thought that made sense. If this was a dream, he might as well take advantage of it. He set off up the trail.

            This is the best dream I’ve ever had. The mountain air helped to calm him as he felt his worries about homework slip away. When he reached a magnificent waterfall at the end of the trail, he tilted his head back and enjoyed the sunshine. Now he felt ready to do anything. He closed his eyes and breathed in the sweet, earthy scents of the forest.

            When he opened his eyes, he was sitting at his desk, staring at the black and white picture that he’d drawn of the trailhead. He felt rejuvenated and refreshed. “Best nap ever,” he whispered.

            Glancing at the clock, he was startled to discover that half an hour had passed since he’d gotten home. He felt like he’d been hiking for hours. I hope that happens to me again, Kurt thought as he started on the rest of his homework. That place was amazing.