The girl could picture the maddening, every-female-fan's dream scene as she walked along the foggy path. It would indeed be a dream come true to meet Michael Jackson: to see him, to talk to him, to feel the touch of his hands, to simply forget her own presence and allow herself to melt into the moment ...

No, she eventually decided. I will not, if I get to meet him.

That's the entertainer side of Michael Jackson. She wanted to see him ... in a different way.

But if truth be told, she could be a pretty crazy fan. Or how else would she imagine herself crying into his shirt?

I'm going to try hiding that part of me. she told herself. If I really do see him in person.

Between delving into his embrace and knowing his true words, the latter would be a source of comfort forever. The former would somehow ... vanish, evaporate – if she were to lose that fangirl craziness.

The fog was gradually clearing. She could hear sounds: the laughters of children, the happy barks of a dog ... even an elephant's trumpet?

She quickened her pace, heart pounding in excitement. Soon, she emerged into an near-fictional realm. The place was like a park, only without buildings and other dull, man-made facilities. She could see several kids running, screaming in delight as a dog chased them playfully, wagging its tail. Not faraway, some were playing with a ball, and there were a few others who seemed to be playing hide-and-seek ... Here, no one was isolated or ostracized or bullied.

The girl walked slowly, unable to believe her eyes. A smile involuntarily spread across her face and her eyes widened in amazement; she had not experienced such joy and freedom for a very long time ... Growing up had made her forgotten about the wonderment of fun. The space of her imagination became restricted, possibilities became limited ...

This matter seemed to belong to another universe, though. Now, her mindfelt enriched and more opened. None of the academic books she had read achieved this effect.

The girl continued to explore her new world. The children who ran past her waved warmly, and she smiled and waved back. Then, a gentle voice carried across the grounds to her ears. She stopped in her tracks.

"Benny the Bear ate all the honey, not realizing Mother Bear had come home!" the voice was narrating. A series of laughter followed.

There was something familiar about that voice, but it couldn't be ...

The girl turned and jogged towards the direction of the voice. She kept herself half-hidden behind the thick trunk of a tree and watched attentively. There was someone sitting on a bench in an area bathed in soft sunlight. Several young children surrounded him.

"What happens to Benny next, Michael?" a little girl asked.

Michael.

"Ohh ... let's see," Michael flipped the pages of a book on his lap. "Now, Benny here – Yes, Jenny?" he asked, as the child tapped his shoulder and pointed at the girl behind the tree.

Michael looked in the direction of Jenny's finger and saw the girl. She smiled. A mixture of emotions rushed through her: a part of her was shrieking and literally losing all common sense ... but another part of her felt relieved, calm and contented: Michael was safe and happy here.

"Hello,"the girl greeted, waving timidly.

She could tell that Michael knew that she knows him, but that he pretended as if he didn't.

"Hello there," Michael smiled. "Why don't you join us?"

"Can I?" the girl asked, unsure. In this world, of innocent children and animals, she was a seventeen-year-old who had been on the verge of violently tearing her assignments into two and spitting profanities to vent out her anger. She was almost considered an adult, and she didn't possess a pure essence – she lost it.

It was as though Michael could understand what she was thinking. He said encouragingly, "Of course you can. C'mon," he beckoned her.

The girl walked shyly towards them and sat beside Michael, but all of a sudden, Jenny and the other children disappeared.

"Where have they gone?!" the girl looked wildly around her, alarmed.

"Don't worry, they have simply left for a while. They'll ... come back later," answered Michael.

"...Okay," said the girl. Her usual perception probably wasn't applicable here. This place was special, not one that had been shrouded by a narrow mind. Besides, Michael wasn't one to be dishonest. And speaking about Michael ...

"Erm, what's your name?" she asked, just in case.

Michael raised his eyebrows, surprised and amused. "You can call me Michael. What's yours?"

The girl told him her name and they simply talked. They talked about their favourite pastime, the shape of the clouds, how centuries-old books were preserved, the cuteness of the rabbit snoozing beneath a tree, what creates the created ... All sorts of things – everything!

Hours past, but it was quite hard to tell exactly; time didn't seem to exist here. The sky didn't turn dark and the girl couldn't find where the sun was, but she felt that it was time to go.

"I have to leave, don't I?" she said softly, her eyes downcasted in disappointment.

Michael placed a hand on her shoulder. The girl looked up. "We'll meet each other again. You can come here whenever you want," he said.

They both stood up. The girl held out her hand for a handshake, but Michael, instead of holding out his hand, extended his arms and embraced her gently.

It was this moment that tears threatened to overcome her. Her heart pained; she wanted to stay with him forever, she didn't want to go.

White hot tears began to strew down her face. "I miss you," she whispered.

"I'm always with you, in your heart," Michael said softly, patting the back of her head.

The girl took a deep breath and bit her lip to control herself. "Thank you, Michael. Thank you for everything," she said thickly.

Michael chuckled and ruffled her hair affectionately, as though saying, Silly, you'll see me again soon!

The girl gave a watery smile. The next thing she knew, she was laying on her bed, the morning sunlight filtering through the bedroom curtains, her cheeks wet.