our daily work has you walking through the city. Car horns blaring, echoes of a nearby construction site hammer through the streets. The infinite murmurs of countless conversations surround you. All of  a sudden, your feet begin to drag and it takes significant effort to keep your eyes open. You find a spot to rest on a nearby bench and immediately drift into a deep sleep.

You see the forest.

Branches and twigs litter the soft soil, crunching underfoot. Great corridors stretch in any and all directions, walled in by the great trunks of the surrounding trees. There is a roof over your head: a roof of leaves and branches reaching out, one to another. The canopy envelops the sky, bright greens mixing with dark shades, every so often a ray of light shining through so beautifully that you might think it is divinity.

The air is clear, a cool breeze runs through the forest.

Walking forward with closed eyes is comforting. There is no danger here, only birds among the trees, chirping a melody of highs and lows, calls and returns, beginnings and endings.

You are certain that you tread safely upon the less-beaten path.

At one with nature, there are no ailments, no debilitations. You feel a part of the forest, at home among the trees and birdsong. The soft grass was made for you to tread, leading you to a haven of peace and tranquility.

A warmth comes over you.

Opening your eyes, you see the radiant light has filled a meadow. The grass is tall yet ever so soft, the flowers rise, displaying vibrant colors, supporting the butterflies that flutter in the air. The grass is warm underfoot, and the cool breeze balances perfectly with the heat from the sun.

The canopy recedes, and in its place expands a great sky, ever so blue, dotted here and there with white clouds. The bees buzz from flower to flower, adding to the chorus of the birds.

The warmth swells, growing and growing, feverish. The emerald greens and brilliant blues warp with the heat.

ed flashes before you. Molten, burning, insatiable. There lies a volcanic mass. Bright lines of red zip across the blackened ground, fiery cracks forming within the blackened ash. Sweat forms on your skin. The air is heavy, and the ash chokes you. Your feet burn, and the sky is a dark crimson. Sparks of orange fly from the underground, flames erupting from the barren land. The earth is angered. The land rises, with rivers of molten red magma gushing from the very core of the planet. The wind pushes down upon you as the fires roar, and the ground cracks under the strain. A great gust of wind rushes through you.

The heat dissipates and the world is now dark.

The darkness wanes.

As your eyes readjust, you see white specks rushing toward you. The sky behind is gray. There is a great mountain, towering above the world. The wind bites at you, and the mountaintop is covered in ice. Your limbs begin to slow, and your core shivers. Snow pelts you from the empyrean, blinding you to any path. It takes all your strength just to move forward. Your legs sink into the snow with each step, failing to find solid ground. Each gust of wind piercing your core, and each howl of the night cuts straight to your mind.

Ahead of you is the peak: the apex of the storm, the height of frigidity, the barren pinnacle. The clouds disperse and the light shines through. The radiance warms you, returning strength to your body. The wind grapples with you, compelling you to stay, but this is not your end. With all your strength, you leap to the sun. Feeling returns to your body, your fingers move in fluid motions once again, and your muscles loosening.

You land upon cracked earth with the sun beating upon your back. You push up to your knees and feel the sod and sand gripping your skin. The air is humid, oily like a cage surrounding you. The land is arid, the horizon waves and shimmers, and the sky blinds you with distinct and bright yellows.

The ground bursts with dust as you step forward, the horizon seems to move further with each step, and the sweat begins to trickle down your body. The dry heat poisons your throat, the thirst weakens your legs, and the bright sky plays tricks on your mind.

The desert will claim you, and your dusty bones will be another verse in the song of the sands.

he light of the sun disappears, grey clouds darken the sky as thunder roars. The ground loosens—earth gives way to mud as the first raindrops splatter. The rain swells into a storm, and the land becomes fertile. The rain pelts harshly upon you, and mud holds you in place. Your skin is weighed down with water. Your hair clings to your head. The water rises, swallowing your legs. Your feet can’t break free, despite your desperation.

The abyss claims you, the water tugs at you, pulling you in every direction. The ocean pushes down upon you. Your limbs are heavy as you move them. The water stings your eyes, but you keep them open.

You sink so far that the light can barely reach you. Your hands feel as if they are a thousand miles away, your feet like they are reaching towards a ground that never arrives. Your heart beats and your lungs burn. Your vision fades, the abyss slowly disappears.

All sensation leaves your body, and there is nothing.

Now you feel it. The solid ground beneath you, the buzz of people going to and from their daily business. Your limbs are free and your mind present. Your eyelids blink, your breath returns.

Your eyes open and reveal the concrete walls of the city, just as it was before you dozed off. The car horns still echo, and footsteps ring out, but among the noise you can hear the chirp of birds somewhere in the air.