Where Am I?

I woke up in a large room with chartreuse walls. I had no idea where I was but, strangely, this did not bother me. I was in the most comfortable bed I’ve ever been in; firm in all the right places and with pillows of eiderdown and the softest blankets that smelled of lavender. It felt cozy, like snuggling up on a cold day. 

“Good morning Mister.” a small voice said by the door. 

I turned and saw that the voice had come from a small boy. He smiled at me and said “You’ve had a very long week. It’s the weekend now. I’m glad you’ve come!” HIs voice was strangely familiar. His eyes were soft and seemed to emanate a calm and caring empathy.

“Thank you.” I said. “Um… where am I?”

“This is Neaveh. The city of love.” He seemed to be speaking a foreign language but his tone and presentation were full of kindness. It was confusing and disarming.

I pulled the covers back and expected to be greeted by a chill. But there was no chill. Instead, that feeling of warming up to a comfortable temperature continued. It felt like I had been outside in a cold night for a very long time and was now warming beside the coziest fire. Slightly cool, but warming up, constantly. “How far am I from Stragoth?” I asked.

“You’re not far. It will be very difficult to go back though.” the boy said. He smiled again at me and his eyes showed the slightest concern. “You’re welcome to stay here as long as you’d like. All of your friends and family are welcome as well. In fact, they’ll be along before you know it.”

“Is this a magical place?” 

“This is the city of love. There is nothing magical about pure love.” I let out a sharp guffaw. “You don’t believe me?” the child asked. His soft smile was constant. His skin was a caramel color and his features were small. He had long and curly red hair and freckles on his slight button nose.

“How can a boy so young know of love?” I thought of the ridiculousness of this situation but the boys eyes were so familiar. When I asked him the question his face lit up with joy.

“I am far older than you. Residents of Neaveh choose their own physical age. When I came to Neaveh, I was not unlike you; a man of the world outside. I cannot remember where I was from at this point. But that is trivial information. I know all I need to.” he moved away from the door to a small sun colored table top. There was a wooden pitcher on the table there. “Would you like some juice?”

“Um… sure.” I was so comfortable sitting on the bed there and speaking to this child. He poured me a cup and handed it to me. The small brown cup was made of a soft wood and contained a clear-yellow liquid inside. I took a sip. “Oh my goodness! What kind of juice is this?”

“It’s Agaberry juice. Of course you won’t be familiar with the agaberry. It’s native to Neaveh. Delicious though, isn’t it?”

The juice had a very mild sweet flavor when it first touched my tongue. As I drank more, I discovered the complexities of the fruit. It had a tartness too that accentuated the sweetness. Each sip seemed to change the flavor in a subtle way; here slightly sour, here a little more tart like a fresh strawberry. It was the most wonderful fruit juice I had experienced. 

“I’m glad you like it.” the boy said, smiling. “Like I said, you’re welcome to stay here. You’re friends will be along before you know it. Until they arrive, you’re welcome to explore our gardens. If you’d prefer, we can play a game. You’re also welcome to sleep here some more if you wish.”

“You said it is hard to get back to Stragoth?” I asked.

“That is true. I did say that. It is hard to get back. Would you like me to tell you how to get back?” The boy asked. His smile softened a little. He seemed to have pity in his voice and eyes.

I opened my mouth to speak. I had been ready to say, ‘I should go back, I have a lot of things I need to do there’ but the words did not form in my mouth. The thought of leaving Neaveh stung a bit. 

The boy nodded. “It is very hard. You are more than welcome to stay or leave. If you do wish to leave. You can get to Stragoth by following the road north of our gardens. It will lead you to our Northeastern gate. Continue northeast on that road and you’ll reach Stragoth. I think you’ll be around the Southwestern gate of the city.” The boy said.

“So we are southwest of Stragoth?” I asked. “Are we very near Tamblear then?”

“We are near to everywhere.” the boy stated. “Tamblear is due south right now.”

“I would very much like to return here.” I told the boy. “I have something I must do.”

“You are welcome to stay here. If you leave, I cannot say whether you’ll find us again.”