Alice awoke last night not with a dream but the absence of one. alice remembered that she never published her interview with the mountain. alice got out her tape recorder at 2am and heard the blue cyan erupting from a pool of raindrops in a shallow barrel. the mountain was nervous which alice knew from watching little ripples bubble outwards in the puddle. the ringlets followed each other faster as she climbed higher. the wind tried to whisper something but the tape recorder didnt know that frequency. alice remembered that was the summer when her hand lotion smelled like melted buttercream.

alice awoke each night in a warm dream that smelled like gingerbread but felt like licorice. alice fell nauseous promptly after which led her to sleep in beds of purple sunflowers. the mountain had prepared for this interview since the previous autumn when the last leaf sent word of an audition. the volcano in the east was growing old and everything knew that the artist would look for somewhere new. the last leaf fell just after telling the mountain to straighten its curves and stifle its echoes otherwise other peaks might overhear. alice climbed to the top of the mountain a few minutes after its shakes caused the rainwater barrel at the bottom to overturn.

alice remembered mountains were shy compared to volcanoes so she did not object when it propped her up against the gold light. alice awoke from her fatigue when waves of cinnamon spun in circles around her and settled between the dust in her hair. the mountain was nervous at first but as soon as alice pulled out her tape recorder began to hum like it did in spring. the rocks stood upright and stacked themselves sideways in an attempt to block the roar of the ocean. the ice stiffened and altitude increased and hawks circled and clouds diluted and the mountain screamed and screamed and screamed and screamed and screamed and screamed and screamed. alice didnt want to hurt the mountains feelings so she said she would come back next autumn. alice wasnt an artist anymore. alice couldnt remember why she awoke and got out her tape recorder.