Mike woke up early on graduation day, despite not being able to fall asleep the night before. The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was his Cobalt blue cap and gown, hanging on the closet door in its plastic sleeve.
The ceremony started at 10:00 am on the football field. He imagined he would sit with the other graduates, everyone sweating in their polyester robes under the full sun until, finally, they received their diplomas. Then, they would all toss their caps in the air. At least, that was how Mike envisioned graduation based on TV shows he’d seen. He didn’t actually know how it would go, since everything about graduation was very hush-hush in Walkers Falls. All he knew for sure was once you graduated, you were sworn to absolute secrecy; Rumor had it that graduates received NDA’s with their diplomas.
Mike couldn't seem to settle his nerves. He drank a big glass of orange juice, but couldn’t choke down any food. "Nervous much?" his dad teased, dropping a heavy hand on his shoulder with a chuckle.
"Weren't you nervous when you graduated?" Mike asked.
"Of course! Everyone is, it's normal. Just don't overdo it. Try to relax and enjoy the day as best you can."
When they arrived at the high school, Mike's mother smoothed the wrinkles out of his gown as they stood by the car. "You should have let me iron this for you," she fussed.
"Leave the boy be," his grandma grumbled. "It's too hot to even talk about ironing today." Like Mike, she was already tired and cranky from the heat.
Mike left his family to file into the stands with the rest of the spectators and joined his cohort in the gymnasium. Two industrial sized fans turned briskly up by the high ceiling, but did little to cool the atmosphere below. Mike found his spot in the long line of students waiting to process, and thought that this might be the last time he smelled the sweaty gym sock smell here in the field house.
Then one of the faculty members blew a whistle, and it was time to go. The long line of students snaked out the door, moving a measured pace. Mike kept his eyes straight ahead, trying to see beyond the sun dazzle as they moved from the dark gym into the bright sunlight.
As his vision cleared he could see there were no rows of chairs. No podium. No gathered dignitaries ready to give speeches. All Mike could see was a single faculty member, also dressed in Cobalt blue robes, handling out diplomas by a door that stood in the middle of the field. As each student accepted their diploma, the door opened and the student stepped through to a round of cheers from the stands.
Mike frowned. What was a lone, ordinary looking door doing out on the football field? And where were the students who were stepping through it? He didn't see signs of anyone beyond it, and by now half of the class had already gone through. By rights, there should be quite a large group behind that door by now, but the other side of the football field looked empty in the baking sun.
Then it was his turn. He stepped forward and took the black-bound diploma the faculty member handed him. Mike's eyes widened as the door opened. His mouth rounded into a circle, but no sound came out. Instead of seeing the other end of the football field, he saw the Milky Way spread out before him, cool, dark and glittering with stars. The student who had graduated just before him was shooting through the sky, heading for a distant star, arms outstretched as if swimming, gown streaming behind them like a cape. Mike took one look back at his family, cheering in the stands. Then--his nerves forgotten--he stepped through the door.
#Fantasy
#SciFi
#MagicalRealism
#FlashFiction
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