The Other Side

Tracy, Amy and I were skipping down the hill that led us away from our neighborhood, over the creek and to the community pool. We loved spending our days at the pool and never got tired of it.  I started my day at the pool with swim team practice from 7 to 9.   Then I'd head home for some food and then back to the pool with my friends.  

We always laid our towels out in the same place, by the deep end.  We always played blind tag in the corner or shark across the deep end.  We didn't really ever have to discuss what we were doing and we were never bored.  Time really seemed to move quickly when we were hanging out at the pool.  

Most of the time, during rest period, we would snack on things we brought from home or just lay on our towels and talk.  One day though...  I'm not sure what got into us, but we decided that we were going through the infamous tunnel to see what was on the other side...

"Come on Tracy," I said temptingly,"I know you want to find out what is over there.  I do too.  I would pay to find out what is over there."  

"My mom will kill me if she knows I went through that tunnel, let alone over to the other side," Amy said, unsure.  

"Our moms never need to know," I coaxed.  

We walked out of the safety of the fence surrounding the pool toward the tunnel.  The grass was tall so it grabbed at our legs, as if slowing us down enough to make us change our minds.  I just jumped through to the edge of the creek.  

With a no looking back attitude, I ran into the tunnel, all the way until the concrete met the water.  I looked on the walls and saw the dark thoughts of the local teenagers, along with warnings to go no further.  

I hesitated only for a second.  I didn't want to chicken out as I had many times before.  Slowly, I put my foot down in the water, hearing my mother's warnings in my mind.  Nope...  no hole...  I went on.  I could hear Amy and Tracy breathing behind me.  We didn't say a word, so that our echos were silent, not giving us away. 

When we were almost to the other side, I could see the light filtering into the tunnel.  It was very green out there.  I could see little flowers growing on everything, along with the brightest moss I had ever seen.  All I could think of was...fairies. It was like when Dorothy walks out of her black and white world into the world of Oz.  

Amy, Tracy and I stood there, side by side, looking out at this unexplored world before us.