The Unbreakable Resolve in a New World

Magic. A figment of reality that was thought to be an impossibility disproven by science.

Someone flying off the ground, fire shooting from your hands, or even being able to move objects with your mind. The list goes on.

All science has dictated that magic is impossible and we are stuck in our normal everyday lives.

But who would have thought it would all change that day.

… A forest, flourishing in every direction for as far as the eye can see. Filled with trees of unnatural colors, vibrant blues, yellows, and even pinks. Something straight out of a fiction novel. A sight that was breathtaking, filled with animals and creatures never seen anywhere else. Water falling from chunks of floating sky, splashing against the ground endlessly. The sound of nature filling the air, birds chirping, the waterfall crashing into the ground, and leaves rustling in the strong breeze. A forest full of wonder and…

Smack… .. . As the water fell from high up to the ground, so did Rayleigh.

Falling face first with a scrunch of his face and a groan, he was rudely awakened by his restless sleeping. Rolling off his highly suspended bed he was greeted by the floor at 7:00 in the morning.

Standing up he did that refreshing over exaggerated morning stretch releasing all that tension.

From his arms stretching fully to the ceiling, to his back arching back, and legs tightening, his whole body stretched all the morning stiffness away.

Turning and looking into the mirror he was greeted by his unkempt morning hair dew in the mirror. His long black hair shooting out in every direction with grease shining from the sunlight that slipped through the curtains and lit up the dark room.

Leaning onto his dresser putting his head down, he lets out a yawn, bringing tears to both his eyes.

"Fuck….. I'm tired".

Walking over to the window with that morning unsteadiness Rayleigh threw open the curtains. Instantly blinded, his face had two streams of tears fall.

"Might as well get an early start today".

Rayleigh is a senior in college now, he had started freshman year despite his concerns about attending college financially for his family.

"I don't have to go to college mom, I can just start working and help out". Rayleigh plead

With no time passing, his mom snapped back

"No, you will be going to college and don't even think about working, school comes first".

And that was that.

Nothing else was said and with that Rayleigh started college at Stark College about 20 minutes from home. Graduating high school with no real passion for anything Rayleigh was without any idea for what degree to get.

And four years later he had achieved little to nothing to that effect...

Present time Rayleigh started his senior year and had a meeting the day before school started.

The meeting was a career counseling meeting, a meeting he had plenty of times. The same counselor he had freshman year, was the same one he had a meeting with today. By this point they had quite the relationship.

The kind where you are real with each other and are outside those stereotypical conversations.

Walking into his school that day, walking down that long hallway in the advising building empty all the way to the end. Turning into the office, Rayleigh was greeted by his counselor with a sigh.

"Ray, Ray, Ray".

This was the nickname Rayleigh had through most of schooling.

"Come on in".

Rayleigh walked into her office sitting on the other side of her big desk cluttered with pens, pencils, paper, and folders.

"How have you been, Miss Pender". Rayleigh said cheerfully

Plopping down into her rolling chair she slides across the desk leaning back in an over relaxed way.

"Ray, so am I crazy in thinking there is a chance, that you might know what you want to do in your life today?".

"Honestly Miss Pender, I think you have gone crazy"

Rayleigh chuckled after saying this.

"Yea your right, that was quite the crazy thought wasn't it"

Miss Pender also chuckled after saying this, putting her hand up to her face and leaning further back in her chair.

"Ray, you really do need to find something in life you want to do. I know you enjoy laying on the roof of school gazing out, but Ray that won't bring money to you or your family."

Miss Pender getting slightly worked up in hopes to instill drive in Ray.

"I know Miss Pender, I know" (Trust me I know…)

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I have known all along that if I want to change my life or the life of my family, I'll have to work hard and provide for my family.

Every day I go to school, it eats me away that I can't provide any income to my single Mom.

Working two jobs, in the morning stocking shelves and at night loading packages.

My sister, now thirteen, is also going to school helping around the house all the time filling in for our mom wherever she can.

We live in a small house on a block lined with houses looking no different from ours except for what is decorating them.

We have one car that Mom and I split, leaving me walking to school some days.

We don't deserve this, we don't deserve this, we don't deserve this, we don't… we just don't.

And to top it all off I have no idea what I want to do, how pathetic that I can't decide after all my mom is doing for me and our family. Not to mention all that wasted time trying to escape reality on the roof.

Dreaming of somewhere else, a place away from everything.

(Tears now streaming down his face on his walk back after his meeting).

Tomorrow is the day, no matter what it is I will set myself up for success and start on my track to give back to my family.

I will change.

Still walking back now looking down at his outdated iPhone 7 he couldn't help feeling better after making a resolve with himself.

Looking up at the sky, which was that beautiful orange from the rising sun, Rayleigh let out a genuine smile, the kind of smile Rayleigh hadn't made for years.

Feeling the warmth on his face he felt freed from his normal life. Closing his eyes still wet from tears still smiling he said aloud to himself

"Man, I wish I could stay like this forever".

Words he would soon regret.

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Rayleigh with his eyes still closed is completely greeted by darkness.

In a state of confusion, he opens his eyes.

Wondering what could have made him feel as if he was in a dark room.

Upon opening his eyes Rayleigh loses his breath standing there in disbelief.

Slowly that disbelief turning into fear.

A black hole.

That was the only thing Rayleigh could think in that short time he had been looking at this 'thing'.

It was huge about thirty yards into the sky; it completely eclipsed the sun and any light for Rayleigh.

Blinking once quickly, trying to convince himself that this is somehow not real.

But is then once again greeted with reality.

Something is in the sky, and it is huge and unnatural.

Rayleigh's next instinct was run.

Run and don't look back or ask any questions.

Turning and taking his first step his heart immediately drops.

His foot missing the pavement soon makes him realize that he is being dragged into the large black hole.

Rising, faster and faster he flails his body around, desperate to grab a hold onto anything.

However, it was to no avail as within seconds of that first foot leaving the ground, he had traveled up the whole thirty yards.

Entering the black hole, Rayleigh looked back outside filled with so many emotions, trying to yell, but no words came out… Rayleigh had been completely consumed by the dark hole that had appeared above him.