Chapter 2 Stella Liz finally let me go alone, and I found a pathway out of the sky. I’d heard that reality was below us, covered by clouds, hidden from view. I found the edge of our island after a while— its location changes whenever an Imaginary leaves for reality or comes into existence. I got ready to levitate and jumped off the side. Somehow, I wasn’t prepared and began falling at a hurtling speed, but I caught myself just before the clouds and began to levitate downwards. I felt my hair; my crown was still intact. That was when I found reality. It was night, so I felt myself begin to glow, like how all Imaginaries do in the dark. I began walking. Kai I didn’t have much to do, so I decided to take a walk in the night, maybe even slip a chance to try drawing from the landscape. I decided to just go outside, but without the sketchbook. I just wanted to relax. I started thinking about the strange loneliness that I faced. Sure, I have a brother, but we hardly even talk, and pretty much all my friends have other friends that they spend more time with. Then again, I’d learned how to manage a nearly solitary life. So, that’s all good. When I got outside, I headed to the park to just sit down on a bench. I wasn’t really sure what to do, so I looked around me, possibly for inspiration or something of the sort. That was when I noticed a little flicker of light coming from behind a tree. Just a firefly, I thought. It moved away, and I noticed that the light source looked much too large to be a firefly. When I stood up to see what was there, I saw a little trail of flower petals wherever the light moved. Each petal disappeared eventually, adding to my confusion. Then I saw it. Sitting in a patch of grass, there was a girl. Somehow, she was emitting the light I had seen long before. I blinked and it all disappeared. But then, I heard the grass rustling and sure enough, she was there. She was wearing a pretty flower crown and a long, pale blue dress. I just have to speak to her, I decided. “Hey there,” I whispered, barely loud enough for her to hear me. Stella Only certain people can see Imaginaries. He’s one of them. I stood up. “You can see me?” He laughed. “Well, yeah.” I shook his hand to make up for the awkward entrance. “Stella.” He nodded. “Kai.” I smiled. “So,” he muttered, “Why are you bioluminescent?” I giggled. “I’m, how do you say it, I look human, but I don’t really qualify as one…” Kai tilted his head, seemingly baffled. “What do you mean?” “I’m a fragment of imagination,” I said. “Huh,” Kai mumbled. “How can I see you?” “Some people can, but only a few,” I explained. “Oh,” he breathed. Past the words however, I felt really… fluttery inside. I kind of think I like him. As in, I’m in love with a real person
