It’s not the street I usually go down, but for some reason that day, I turned down a different road.  Not only was it a different street, but it was a different town.  A strange, small town with one stoplight and a small, run down corner store with a sign reading “Betty’s.”  I assumed that this corner store was similar to any common convenience store I would find in my hometown, so I proceeded down the cold, grey sidewalk to the single stoplight standing in the center of this country town. 

You see, I was in that very tiny town to visit my aunt and uncle, Marge and Henry, who lived together in a typical ranch house outside of town.  This particular town, more of a village actually, is called Norsten.  Norsten, like many country areas, treat life as a game. They live slowly, having the most fun that they possibly can.  My aunt and uncle own a farmthere on which they grow apples and raise cattle.  I guess you could say that they are well off, certainly considering the economy of Norsten, in which they chose to make their homestead.  Although I could not travel there by car, because I did not own one at the time, I was content with walking from the small train station on the other side of town.  I expected my mother’s sister and her husband to be the normal hillbilly stereotype that I had passed many times on the way to their home.  But those people were not who I thought they would be, nor was that very small town.

Turning onto Farming Lane, I looked down at my feet to discover a turtle. This turtle was purple, with orange claws and eyes as blue as the oceans.  I was skeptical at first, but then I noticed that this turtle was leading a parade with an array of colored animals!   Behind it I saw a green fox, a teal cat, and a yellow dog.  I began to sprint toward the red house that my aunt and uncle owned, panting and fumbling the entire way to the doorstep.  I glanced back to make sure I wasn’t losing my mind and out of the corner of my eye, I saw a pond.  Before I looked away, a fish jumped high out of the water, displaying his purple fins!

Running into the house faster than I had ever run before, I tumbled across a protruding corner of the large carpet in the center of the living room.  Marge caught me in her arms, quieting my sobs with a warm embrace.  As I looked to her face, she kissed my cheek and asked why I was so bent out of shape.  Before I could answer, she started to the fridge and returned with pie, along with a fork and knife.  She expected me to eat at a time like this?!  I shoved the dessert away and once again, sprinted from the house.  Outside I encountered Henry, eating chocolate ice cream from a porcelain bowl with a silver spoon.  He seemed nonchalant, just as Marge did.  I spoke aloud, asking myself, “Did we ever learn about animals like this in school?!”  I did not answer myself, for I chose not to display any strange behaviors that could be mistaken for insanity.  Deep in my heart I knew we had not.  These animals were strange and different to me, and I had a very hard time sorting out whether I was actually seeing these things or just developing them with my colorful imagination.  Either way, I was sure that my aunt and uncle must be a different breed of normal.

Marge finally burst through the door and caught up to me.  I shrieked once more and with arms flailing, she finally convinced me to sit down.  She and Henry explained to me that they had something to tell me.  Seeing as I was unsure of my reason for being sent to their home anyway, I was very interested in this news.  Marge grabbed her bike and gave Henry’s to me while gesturing for me to follow her. As I pedaled slowly but persistently, we turned off of Farming Lane and passed by the last car I was ever going to see for the rest of my life.