The waterfall

Quick note, this is something from my Ooladada universe. Very simply, it's the land of shared, and stored imagination.

-------------

It was pitaful, the tall oak's wood was nearly rotten, it's branches nearly gone. My place of security for so long sreamed for help, help that I couldn't give. "Why?" I screamed, "OF all the trees in this great forest, why this one? Why my oak?" I'm not sure if I was expecting an answer, I knew it wouldn't come. Turning, I walked the few steps to the gully's edge and gazed down. It was nearly a ten foot drop down to the bottom of the crevice that ran through the woods down to twin lakes. At this time of year, the roar of water could just be heard. "Will you anser?"

I sighed, turning. Then, something made me pause. I'm stil not sure what it was. But I know it called to me. I felt the femilure weight settle upone my forehead before the vortex opened, and pulled me in.

You see, this isn't your normal spot in the world, but rather one of many doors into the land of Ooladada. I was but seven years old when my sister and I discovered this door and we found ourselves on an adventure to rid the land of two rulers, a king that enslaved characters to do their bidding, and one who robbed them from their anka's control. It was then that my sister and I dicovered the true power of our imagination and gave us abiluty to burth it into something more.

As I was pulled through the door I felt the femilure weightlessness that came with the steady decline into Ooladada. I wasn't afraid, though I normally went using dream rather than the 'door' in the woods. I knew I'd be safe when I finally landed, falling neatly atop of Pillow Mountain. A gient pillow larger than pike's peak, that housed a toy barn to end all known collections on earth. For like all 'keeps' this one held not just the toy in use today, but every toy ever made, or ever would be made. The keeps were quite inpressive, if you stopped long enough to look.

Many an Anka, or anku, the 'real people' who visit this land in their imagination. Don't even know this is all here. Many of them don't even know they can contact other 'real' people while here. They can though, if they try hard enough. if they stay out of the solatude valleys.

Finally, I land. The great feather mountain is as soft as I remember, I land on a 'wrinkle' in the fabric half way down. I take a moment to get used to gravety again. After weightlessness it is a great change, then stand to look around.

One thing I've always loved about Ooladada, is the fact that the land never sits still. you can land on this same mountain every time, and go to completely new places each, and every single time. The first time I got to visit the great library. I think by this point I've actually seen all the keeps... but then there are so many, who knows. The Giver just might suprise me one day with one I haven't viseted.

Using my Ankulen, a pice of jewlry that destinwishes me from a rogue character, in my case a elven loral, I spy threw the center ruby like I would a spy glass looking out to see what I can see.

Smiling, my eyes alight one one of the either most beautiful, or boreing places in Ooladada. I really just depends if you are into such things. The art gallery. "Why am I not suprised?" I say outloud. "It's not the armory, or the theator, but I'll take it."

In my opinion, the day I spent with a half dozen of my best friends in the theator was one of the funnest adventrues ever. With access to every skript ever written, past, present, or future, I'll tell you we had a ball looking into the future of different seriese we followed. sometimes even acting a few of them out.

I scrambled down the fluffy pillow, never tiring till I finally reached the bottom. I knew, if this was earth, I'd been konked out before I had reached a tenth of that distance, but as I said, this isn't Earth.

Squaring my shoulders, I used my Ankulen to call up a mode of transportation. I had already done moter Bike, regular bike... car, train.... what else? Lemo? Nope, I had never done a Lemo before. Not that I had any idea what to expect. I've never see one in real life. That doesn't mean I can't pretend. Shoot, what is the good of an over active imagination if you can't bend the rules of reality onece in a while.

So, after my long, black Lemo pulled out front of the great Pillow Mountain, and a dashing young door man opened the door. I entered for the next leg of my adventure. A leg, I was going to take in style.

I honestly felt silly indulging. Especially since the lemo looked more like a rental car than what all the books ever described. Only difference, All seats pointed so you could see out the back windows. Talk about riding blind. At times like these, I question my sanity. If I even have any... *Checking* The computer says. *It's official, Anka La'Vannan has no sanity at Two in the morning*

I roll my eyes, Never ask a computer, especially when it is stuck in your own head.

Now that we are nearing the Art Gallery, I better explain to you what it looks like upon nearing the location. It's quite big... well, on the inside. It actually looks like Nagra Falls from the outside. If you dare to go to the water, and touch a painting, you'll enter the gallery. Many an Anka, or an Anku has taken one look at the foaming brime and taken for the hills. But I guess taking Rainbow Express kinda killed my fear of the keep's exterior prowess.

As the Lemo pulled up outside everything was as I remembered. The roar of the water, the sharpness of the rocks... not to mention, the uncanny paintings that hung in the water. Or the fact that unless I wanted to, and I'll tell you I did not,, I couldn't get wet. The water can hit you, but you will never feel it. "Taking a Bath in Dry Water" As I remember one Anka singing while standing right smack in the middle of it. I can't help but laugh at the memory.

Taking a deep breath, I walked out onto the water, making my way to the nearest painting, Mona Lesa. My hand reaches forth to touch her slight smile, my eyes clintching cloased as I get ready for the shift.

In a blurr of moement I opened my eyes to find myself in that all so femilure location. The gallery, Bruch' is of course the first one to greet me. I smile as I reconize the keeper. A native of the land, neither imagination, nor person who's sole job is to tend to the care of the Keeps.

"Bruch!" I cry throwing myself at him as if I still was a child. He smiles, catching me with a level of strength that is unmatched anywhere in the universe. "You have grown."

I look down, "It's been a while." I say.

"No matter Anka, it is your own will that determines whether you come, or not. But that isn't why you are here."

"I was called, i felt that, is it the two headed darkness again?" I asked worried, remembering a trip I had taken not a year previous.

The Keeper's face darkened, "That is not why you are here, but it still is a threat to our land, i fear that Anphibian swamp is now completely gone."

I cringe, a tear coming to my eye. It had been one of my favorite places to visit. A vast network of bridges mostly, that sat atop vast lakes filled with every reptile, or anphibian ever thought up by man kind. Or had ever appeared on Earth itself. I always found it relaxing. Especially the resteraunt that served every dish ever made, or ever would be made with such creatures.

A hand on my shoulder returnes me to the present, but despite it, I my ankulen makes it posible for me to both see, and hear what is going on in that swamp at that very moment. Looking through the eyes of my once friends. The dinner now deserted by it's keepers.

"Anka, you can do nothing. That is not why you are here, come."

Reluctently, I follow the short gnome-like man through the winding maze of halls. "What I'm about to show you, you have never seen before, but you will see again. But not until it comes to be." He says, before opening the door into the 'yet to be made' section.

I find my eyes covered by a cloth as I enter. My stomach catches in my throught afraid of what I might see.

"Ready?" Brush' askes me.

I nod, umable to say a thing. The cloth comes off, and I can't help but stand in awe. "Do you know what you see?" He asks me.

"Is this my gallery?" I ask, hoping he answer is no. I look into his eyes, but there is only affermation. This is my section.

"What are you saying keeper?" I ask, fear creeping in. "I want to work with animals the rest of my life! I want to train horses!"

"But you are afraid of your art. Just as you were afraid of your writing not long ago." He says.

"I can't desert my dreams!" I cry, the talent I'd grow gazing back at me as I slowly turned to survay the different pices on the walls.

Brush looks me in the eye, "I'm not saying desert your dreams, I'm saying, I don't want you to be afaid of your gift. You have a talent, a light here.... Don't hide it under a bush, or else."

I watched as one by one the paintings, the drawings, the sketches flickered from before me. "It will be gone, all of it, gone as it never was. And you will never know what you could have given to your world. You are an Anka, it is your duty to shine your light. If you write, or if you draw. It doesn't matter. This is what you could be, but only if you want it, onlly if you take hold, and do it.

"Can you do your dream? Yes. Can you do this and do your dream. Yes." But you have to want to.

-------

The next thing I knew, I was waking up with my black mutt standing over me. "Toffee! You stink!" I complain.

The dog scampers off into the woods. I glance around me, everything, was as it was- or was it?

---------------

I do hope you enjoyed this adventure. Ookadada is one of my favorites. Everybody have a good week, and a great Thanksgiving.

Cowgirl out.