Lena woke up feeling warm and safe, like she was still in her bed. But something felt strange.
She opened her eyes.
The sky above her was not blue. It was bright pink. And there were not one—but two suns shining high in the sky.
She sat up fast. “Where am I?” she whispered.
The ground beneath her was soft and purple, like a thick blanket. The grass felt smooth under her hands, not like the scratchy grass in her backyard. Around her, tall trees with silver leaves moved gently in the warm wind.
“This isn’t my world,” she said out loud.
She rubbed her eyes, hoping it was a dream. But when she opened them again, everything was still there—the pink sky, the two suns, the purple grass.
She looked down. She was still in her blue pajamas with tiny stars on them. Her feet were bare, and the ground felt warm under them. She stood up slowly, her heart starting to beat faster.
Everything was silent.
There were no people. No cars. No houses. No birds chirping. Only the soft wind and the sweet smell in the air. It smelled like candy and flowers at the same time.
Suddenly, something moved behind a tree.
A small creature came out. It was round, with tiny legs and big, kind eyes. It had no mouth, but it didn’t look scary.
The creature held something out to her. A glowing fruit. It looked like a small orange, but it shone from the inside like a little lantern.
Lena stepped back, unsure. The creature stood still, waiting.
Carefully, Lena reached out and took the fruit. “Thank you,” she said softly.
The creature floated into the air like a bubble and disappeared into the trees.
Lena stared at the fruit in her hands. It was warm. It glowed gently, like it was alive. She didn’t eat it—she wasn’t sure if it was safe—but she kept it with her.
“I need to find someone,” she said. “I need to know where I am… and how to get home.”
She began walking through the strange land.
The purple grass made soft sounds under her feet. The sky above stayed the same—bright pink, with two glowing suns. She saw glowing birds flying slowly, like jellyfish, their wings moving gently through the air.
Time didn’t feel normal. The suns never moved, and there was no clock. But Lena kept walking. She felt tired, but she didn’t stop.
Then, far ahead, she saw something.
Buildings.
Her heart jumped with hope. “Maybe there are people,” she whispered. “Maybe someone can help me.”
She started running.
But as she got closer, she stopped.
Her eyes grew wide. Her mouth opened.
She knew this place.
It was her town.
Her school. Her street. Her house.
But something was wrong.
Everything was upside down.
Her whole town was floating in the sky, hanging above her head. The buildings, trees, even the street signs—all upside down. The swing at her school was moving, as if someone had just sat on it.
Lena couldn’t speak.
She stared up at the floating town in shock.
Then she saw someone.
A girl was standing outside her floating house.
Lena gasped.
The girl looked exactly like her.
Same hair. Same clothes. Same face.
The other Lena smiled and waved.
Lena felt cold. Her heart pounded in her chest.
The girl didn’t speak with her mouth, but Lena heard her voice in her mind. It was soft and clear.
“Thank you for switching,” the girl said. “You can’t go back now.”
Lena stepped back. “No!” she shouted. “I didn’t switch! I didn’t choose this!”
But the other Lena just smiled again.
Then she turned and walked into the floating house.
Lena stood there, frozen.
Her legs felt heavy, like stone. Her hands were shaking. Her mind was racing.
Was that really me?
Did she take my life?
Am I stuck here forever?
She looked at the glowing fruit in her hands. It was still warm, still glowing softly.
She looked back up at the sky, at the upside-down town—her town.
Someone else was living her life now.
Tears filled her eyes. She felt like sitting down and crying.
But she didn’t.
“I have to stay strong,” Lena said to herself. “I didn’t ask for this. But I’m not giving up.”
She held the glowing fruit close to her heart.
Maybe it was important. Maybe it could help her find her way home.
“I will find answers,” she whispered. “I don’t know how yet. But I will.”
She looked around at the strange world—the pink sky, the silver trees, the glowing birds, and the quiet wind.
This wasn’t her world.
But she was stuck here now.
She started walking again, slowly at first. Each step felt hard. But she didn’t stop.
She had no map, no plan, and no idea where to go.
But she had hope.
And hope was the first step back home.
-----Jiya Tanwar
VIII A
Air Force School,
Chandan Nagar.
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