I'm just a beetle that lives in a tree.

Well, it's more of a sapling, but it's big enough for me.

Each day I wake up and look at what lies beyond

and think "No thanks, I'll stay where I spawned."

"Enjoy yourselves, and good luck!" exclaimed the bubbly employee as she shut the door to the small room. The four people left inside nervously laughed as the slight twinge of claustrophobia spread over them as the door loudly locked.

“That's where you grew up? Like, seriously?" Corrin's voice buzzed in my ear as my family's estate came into view in the moonlight. She continued, her voice getting more overwhelmed with each sentence, "The pictures showed that the house was big, but I didn't expect a damn compound.”

The gunshot reverberated around the packed theatre as the magician prepared for the grand finale of his show. He stood motionless with his back towards the audience, surrounded by fake trees, purple and blue beams of light, and a sparkling backdrop that made the stage look more like a fairy-infested forest at midnight, than a century-old room hosting a show at noon.

Kayla's eyes were entranced by the stark white, fluffy clouds. If you told her they are all one, she would have believed you.

"We are going so fast, Papa," the 6-year old exclaimed.

"...if you have any questions, I'll be walking the room. Otherwise, you have 15 minutes," I said to my 5th period class, started the timer on my phone, and sat it upon the ledge of the white board at the front of the room.