While I was asleep the other night I got the strange feeling that my bed was rocking. I woke up to find I was no longer in my bed, but in a boat on a gently swaying sea. There was no motor on the boat, no oars, nothing I could use to guide the boat that was drifting aimlessly. All of a sudden the boat ran aground on some island that was not there before. There was no reason to stay in the boat, so I went ashore.
I went inland a few yards and found people stumbling and wandering around. I watched them but no one seemed to see me. I had never seen these people before and I finally realized they were blind. I needed to find out where I was, so I went up to one of the people and asked him where I was. He turned towards me but did not say a word. He just stood there. I went up to a young lady and asked her but she did the same thing. I tried again but she just stood there. It came to me that maybe they were all deaf also. They were probably all mutes too. I couldn't stand it, so I went hunting for some people who could talk, see, and hear. I set off across the island.
I wandered all over and could find no one, so I sat down by a small stream. I was thirsty, so I drank some of the cool, clear water. Then I stood up and yelled, thinking someone might hear me, but I didn't even hear myself. I was mute! I began to run back to those people and as I ran I noticed I wasn't making any noise. My vision began to blur. I could barely see the people in front of me and as I reached them my vision was going fast. Suddenly I was awake!
© Copyright 2002 by Robert J. R. Rockwood. All rights reserved.