I cannot return to my sleep; the flamingo in my dream lingers in my brain. I lie awake in bed for some time, twiddling my thumbs and watching the window curtains gently flutter. Then I notice an envelope hanging from one of the curtains with a paper clip. Tiptoeing so I don’t startle my escort, ...

My childhood memories end abruptly when the setting sun catches my eye. My escort and I decide to return to our hotel room and go to bed for the night. We fall asleep the instant our bodies lay in the soft beds. Once again, I find myself dreaming. I’m naked and floating in a large ...

My heart skips a beat as I see the pink dot flying away. I nearly leap out of my beach chair, but a closer look reveals it to be a small balloon that left a child’s grasp. I sigh and lie on my back in the shade. Listening to the gentle waves landing on the ...

We wander into our hotel room and lay on our beds. I look out the window and notice the sun is still high up. I go over the morning’s events in my mind. The encounter with the flamingo never leaves my thoughts. My escort breaks my concentration. “How are you feeling now?” I sigh deeply. ...

I fall onto the ground and stifle a scream by putting a hand to my mouth. The rosy pink bird stares at me for one minute then walks off to a nearby water fountain to drink. I get back up and tiptoe over towards the bird, attempting not to disturb it.

My massage lasts for 2 hours, though I’m asleep throughout the treatment. While dreaming, the pink light reappears in front of me. I try to approach it, but I can’t go any faster than a snail.

 The sun shining through the window wakes me up. I hear water running in the bathroom, signifying that the supervisor is getting ready for our spa day. I pull the covers over my head and close my eyes to fool her. It does not work, and she lifts me out of the bed and escorts ...

A supervisor joining me on my ‘vacation’ escorts me through the airport. She says she wants to help me relax. More likely, she wants to get a free vacation for herself. I do not argue, though. The flight consists of screaming children, snoring, obnoxious passengers, and rude flight attendants. I swear in the hopes of ...

It was 8 pm when I returned. The last six hours were akin to listening to a ranting relative during Thanksgiving dinner. Instead of having a delicious meal to distract me, I only acquire brain freeze and extra calories. My good judgment decided against using my car, but it hadn’t counted on the rain worsening. ...