Her heart is beating fast, sweating all over her body, everything seems tensed. Her professor arrived together with the paper she is holding in her hands. A student was asked to distribute the papers to its owners. Now, she can breathe normally. She smiled with confidence and she has her position laid back. She got the paper. Her eyebrows frowned and her eyes enlarged. She took a closer look and she got a grade half to her original score.

Tried to insist, define to exist, and run to twist. The moon shines brightly wherein the gloomy atmosphere aroused and the deafening silence could make a traveler quiver and get goosebumps. There were tall pine trees swinging with each other while the wind whispers harshly. Snakes slither and move their smooth and scaly body everywhere. Despite the serene and peaceful labyrinth, a woman named Irina has entered the forest alone. An air of melancholy surrounded her while her expression resembled a different creature filled with markings of life.

She sat among the enormous rocks stacked on the edge of the running river. She’s pale and lacks energy. Her eyes looked tired and puffy. It is as if all the colors in the world were gone. It terribly sunken and carved every positivity on her face. After taking a deep breath, she stood up and turned around. She was about to go back to town when somebody appeared in front of her. It was a ferocious and magical creature that she knew not until now. He’s voiceless, but his whole body is covered with knives and chains. He has an ugly face and big and unorganized teeth. The white shirt and blue jeans he’s wearing are old and torn.

Irina cannot believe what she’s looking at, that is why she was unable to utter a single word. All she did was to stare blankly at the creature. The surged of emotions made her think twice about how she felt at that moment. Unfortunately, she wasn’t aware that the creature was holding a sharp ax ready to take any action that will surely be satisfying for his hunger. When he raised the ax, Irina realized that she has to run. “I have to escape or else I’ll be trapped”, she said to herself.

She ran as fast as she could in order to prevent an imminent danger causing her to suffer more aside from her daily problems. Since she’s running and always looking backward, she stumbled upon a stone and she can’t easily stand up. Her heartbeat rises, a presence of cold sweat, and irregular breathing. The creature is coming near and yet she’s doing nothing.

Apparently, a light coming from the tunnel near the forest shined brightly. In an effort to lift herself, she was able to run since the creature was afraid of the light. He is the one who is weak because he refused to break free from his destiny. Now, Irina has the freedom to do whatever she wants.

She was successful because she managed to prevent herself from getting caged into prison and from dying. She refused to let the darkness consume her only positivity and that her life will soon get better. There are times where surrender is the best option, but it’s still important to make an interesting fight. Deviate not to annihilate, but to create opportunities.

Early in the morning, I caught myself staring at a windowpane. It looks stunning and extravagant. The raindrops suddenly fell down in the window. As I wait for my order, I saw the people outside. They were smiling and living comfortably. However, others do not. That’s when I realized that people were like different dishes with variation and unique taste.

A vivid tang caught my attention. It felt surreal that I will eat a premium steak in an exclusive restaurant. As I was about to take a bite, unexpectedly, I woke up.

The tears fell down from my eyes and my heart started aching. Sadly, it wasn’t the reality. Yes, I know. It was my dream. As I stood from my bed, I felt weak and fragile. The happiness that I’ve felt was gone. I’ve been living a miserable life. Honestly, I was trapped in my worst nightmare. Every night, I’ve been wanting to not wake up for the better. In that way, I wouldn’t be troubled, and I’ll be able to escape my anxiety towards my irresponsible parents. Oftentimes, I hear them shouting and fighting over financial matters. My ears keep ringing everytime that happens, but there’s nothing I can do. They won’t listen to what I have to say because each of them we’re proud of themselves. Compromise was never in their vocabulary.

In a blink of an eye, I woke up, again. I had a false awakening. It was my past and today is my present. I can’t breath and my mind is a mess. This is a familiar smell, a hospital. Now, I’m facing one of the most difficult battles, and that is fighting for tomorrow. In my whole life, all I ever wanted is to be happy, but it never came true. I grew up being jealous about how my classmates and friends were comfortable with their family. Nevertheless, when my parents visited me, I saw that they’re okay and are present to give me the best gift that I’ve been longing for. Even though, they have different partners now, I felt like they’ve supported me in my fight. After cherishing that precious moment for an hour, I closed my eyes and smiled gratefully.

This time, I won’t wake up from my dream or my nightmare.