You rest in the sanctity of the woods, dappled light falling all around you. The trees whisper peacefully for you to sleep, to relax and drink in the warmth of summer.
Lovingly, the breeze teases at your hair, showing the energy and playfulness of the day. Birds sing softly around you, glorying in the abundance of food. Cicadas drone, buzzing loudly, drowning out the soft violin sounds of crickets.
Absentmindedly, you stare across a wide meadow, golden green grasses swaying in a soothing dance. A delicate scent of wildflowers and rich earth greets your nose as you inhale deeply.
Swallows dart and glide, reveling in the freedom of flight. They chirp to one another, teasing, playing and cajoling each other into greater aerial acrobatics.
Your eyes lock on a bird with a cream shirt and a dark green tailcoat, flashing emerald in the light. A forest Swallow, just as daring as it's red-shirted, sapphire coated cousins.
Trilling a call the Forest Swallow dives down, down, down, pulling up abruptly so that he now glides across the grass. You continue to watch as the other birds follow suit, swirling upwards in spirals. Diving, chasing after one another.
You feel yourself growing heavy, the ground itches at your feet. Slowly, everything around you grows larger, till a shaft of sunlight spills out of the trees and welcomes you upward.
Air fills your lungs and the wind sings for you to join it. You are as light as the sun; a twig could hold your weight.
The ground continues to itch, your brothers in the air call to you, daring you to join them. With a sudden rush of wings you are in the air, chirping your prowess in flight. Light falls on your wings making your green coat shine brilliantly in the sun. The Forest Swallow joins you, 'fly with me!' you call to him.
Twirling upwards in a spiral with your Forest friend you mimic his dive and plummet down. Faster and quicker than your brethren, your wings flash out at the last moment and you gliding across the tall sweeping grass, the tips tickling the undersides of your wings. Twisting up into the sky you dance with the wind, singing to your brothers and playing air games that make your heart rush with exhilaration.
The sun starts to sink below the horizon and you are drawn back to a tree, your peacefully sleeping form beneath it. Landing on your Body's shoulder you chirp a farewell to the Forest friend who is watching you from the branches above your body, intelligent black eyes shining brightly.
Slowly you sink back into your form, gaining weight, the ground lessening its itch on you. You breathe in and the clouds in your mind disappear, a soft fluttering causes you to open your eyes. They lock on the Forest Swallow who is sitting on your knee, staring at you with what looks to be amusement. Carefully, you stroke your friend's head. "Fly to your home, my friend. Wind to thy wings," you whisper softly.
"And wind to yours," the Swallow chirps back to you, as he flutters into the darkening night.
You remain outside as the stars twinkle and wink at you from the sky above.
A boring science class does serve a purpose. I hope this brought as much peace and exhilaration to you reading it as it did to me writing it. BTW: 'Forest Swallow' is my name for Tree Swallows, who are cousins of the Barn Swallow (the red and blue ones) mentioned in the story. Tree Swallows however, are more commonly blueish-green than solid green. But this is a story, so there! :o)