Nine

"Daz-u, what colors do you like?"

Dazu, is what she called me. The way she emphasized the syllables made her sound cute and innocent, like a younger sibling who looked up to me.

"I don't really...have a preference."

At my apathetic answeres, she would tilt her head as if to ponder for a moment. Then lifting it back up, she swung her arms behind her and smiled.

"I think blue is nice. Light blue, like the sky." She stretched her neck back, to look up. "The sky would be a nice place to visit." Her optimism somehow balanced my indifference.

Somehow this dream seemed more real than others. It seemed more like a memory. I did not question it or wonder when I would wake up. Of course, that is how dreams usually are, but I felt at home here, in this meadow I so wished to return to. It was a cruel mix of nostalgia and homesickness.

"I wouldn't mind visiting it either." My gaze above me stood unbroken.

The breeze that carried the clouds carressed my face and caused me to relax even more. I felt like drifting away.

"Let's promise then." She stood resolute.

"Hm?" I turned my head slightly in curiosity.

"To the sky. Both of us." She grinned widely. "I want to see what it's like. You too, right?"

No, it's different for me. A different type of homesickness crept into my heart. I had no idea why.

"Mhm," was all I could murmur, which she took as agreement.

She giggled softly and laid down next to me to gaze at the sky. "I can't wait," she said.

To this day, I wonder, if that promise was even possible to keep.