Inside the Sunset Clouds

You find yourself in Aetheria, a place unlike any other. You float as if cocooned in water, yet you feel none against your skin and breathe easily. The world around you is colourful and ever changing. Clouds float with you, each a unique colour and texture. Beneath you is a cloud that looks almost ordinary, with its cotton ball fluff and sunset hues. To the right of it is a cloud that looks like it is made up of purple sand, swirled as if by some strong wind you cannot feel. In front of you is one of the odder clouds, a mass of foamy bubbles in a rich blood red.

Beyond the clouds is a misty looking sky, above you the mist is shifting blues, below you an expanse of pale greens can be seen beyond the clouds. Behind you the sky is blood red, in front you can't see it for the clouds.

The cloudscape arouses with in you a great sense of curiosity with a little helping of fear. This cloudscape is so beautiful, yet you can sense there is something dangerous about it. You look for a place to go, a landmark to use as a guide but can see none. It seems to matter little though, as you do not know how to move in this strange environment.

Almost as soon as you think of moving you feel yourself shift ever so slightly in place, forwards towards the bloody bubbles. You are repulsed by the thought of entering that cloud and find yourself floating back away from it. Perhaps it is not so hard as you had thought to move around.

Your eyes rest on the sunset cloud and you decide to make this beacon of normality your destination. Almost as soon as you make this decision you begin to float towards it. The harder you focus on your destination the fast you seem to go. You strike out in your favourite swimming stroke and movement seems even easier. The cloud beneath you grows larger and larger till you are within its magnificent sunset interior.

At first you can't see anything, not even your hands as they strike out in front of you. Then you enter what seems like a cavernous vault inside the cloud, an opening of clear 'air'(?) in the centre. The cloud below is joined to the cloud above by pillars of gold and red. In the distance the cloud is visible only as a pale orange mist. This cloud alone possesses as much beauty and wonder as the entire cloudscape before had.

You strike out, weaving between the pillars, trying not to touch them, not to disturb them. Somehow you just know that disturbing them is not a good idea. Part of your mind wonders whether you should have swum through the outside of the cloud.

In the distance you see something different, something to break the cloud. It peaks between two pillars, at first only an enticing glimpse of soft blue and emerald green.

Closer and closer you get, trying to see what this place is, for a moment it seems as if nothing could be more important than seeing that. The pillars seem to conspire to block your view, leaving you wanting more.

You think you see a tree, with leaves that merge into the cloud in their autumn glory and a dusting of bright green at its base. Another time you think you see a window, reflecting the golden pillars as it peeks from a soft blue wall.

Then, so suddenly you have to remind yourself to breathe you see the full picture. A small chunk of rock floats in the cloud, its top dusted with green grass. On it is built a small blue cottage, made to seem smaller by the huge tree which shades it. Though the tree is resplendent in autumn colours not a single leaf mars the emerald green grass, or the path of white stone which leads to a wooden door.

You land gently on the path and look to the house. It couldn't hurt. You walk to the front door and knock. Who will answer?