Dreaming with my eyes open

Corbin jogged along the path the familiars had created, happy and naïve to potential dangers created by the statues.  Ever since the day he had been allowed out of the den this was the scenario the boy had found himself in.  Corbin watched as a few butterflies circled the area, acting like miniature sniping birds as they flew into the grass and then back up.  After that, the two fluttered their wings more like other wolves would recognize as more normal.  Corbin's tail swayed back and forth with evident glee at their behavior.  A paw raised up, wanting to playfully swat at them but then lowering.  They weren’t normal, he wasn’t supposed to mess with them.  Ok, well, they were normal to him but mom and dad had warned him to be cautious.  Oh well.

“Hello!” The boy chirped a playful hello to the flying bugs wondering if special flying bugs would even understand.  He watched them a bit longer but they seemed to have their own interests and ignored the puppy.  Shrugging after a few minutes he continued joyfully down the paths.

Colors seemed to float in the air about him and Chade thought it was the greatest thing.  This was also abnormal from what he’d been told.  Chade made games of trying to leap over one color and into another.  Of course, it was sometimes hard to tell midjump if he had reached his achievement since there was no solid item below him.  Well, in the boy's mind he had.

The gases floating about that affected his senses were Corbin's favorite part.  He didn’t fear what was or was not real.  At times instead of having his one sheep Rocky, it was like he had several sheep, at one point they had danced around him, making the boy giggle and try to match their maneuvers.  The boy would hop onto his back two legs and try to spin about, ending up in a tumble to laugh about it.

He had to guess at points what was or was not real but that was part of the game.  The only bothersome part was a few times a crow had dove from the sky to attack him, causing the boy to run away from it.  He’d look back after a short distance and no longer see a crow.  The real one from a few days ago had made him nervous about the birds.  Hallucinations could be good or bad but with limited bad experiences, they didn’t have a lot of bad things to draw out.

Another time he spotted Rocky ahead of him, the sheep had its head lowered and called out a challenge.  It was headbutt contest time!  Corbin growled playfully and ran at his sheep who was surely running at him as well.  Corbin leaped forward at the least perceived moment to slam into his sheep and instead just skidded across the ground.  Looking about the place he spotted Rocky chewing on the grass nearby.  The miniature sheep's tail twitched back and forth enjoying itself.

More butterflies flew about and Corbin raised a paw up, “hey, hey.  Want to sit here?  I can be a perch?” The boy remained still as long as a puppy can remain that way but none came to land on him.  Were they real or more hallucinations?

Corbin imagined it was time to head back, turning around.  Maybe it was time to go back.  Corbin turned around, jerking his head up in surprise.  Who had put that hole in the path?  Could he jump across that huge hole?  Corbin walked tentatively to the edge, peering down.  Where was the bottom? Corbin squinted his eyes but it was so dark the pup black pup with his brilliant orange markings couldn’t see anything.  Was it a hallucination?

Thorn tentatively put a paw over the hole, then tapped, and where he expected to find air he found firm ground.  It was safe!  Despite what his touch told him, the pup's eyes were still lying and it was unnerving.  Corbin took slow, cautious steps as he walked across the imagined hole.  This was about as brave as he’d ever been.  Looking down it seemed like he was truly walking on air.  Halfway across Corbin considered the idea.  Walking on air? Awesome!  Even if it wasn’t real it was great!

Corbin pranced around in a circle of pretend, leaping back and forth, rolling with laughter. “Flying, floating.  Hey, butterflies!  I’m just like you now!” Eventually, the game grew old and Corbin stood back up.  “Thanks for the fun!”

That done Corbin started running back.  He played a game of leaping over autumn leaves.  He jumped at one as it floated in the breeze.  Really, it was normal antics for a young pup.  Wait until he found his sisters and told them about walking on air!  Would the hole still be there later?  He could show it to them if so.  The weather was the perfect temperature as well.  Corbin had stepped out of the autumn magic bubble once and quickly rushed back in.  Who would want to be out of the autumn bubble?  

"Corbin"