I’m sprawled across my bed, the fan in the corner of my room buzzing, and the light of the streetlights leaks through the blinds covering my window, painting the ceiling of my room with streaks of light.
My eyes feel heavy, I don’t resist the grasp of sleep, and I let it slowly lull me into the realm of dreams. Suddenly, I have been transported into an unfamiliar place. I’m in a room, the soft glow of a lamp illuminating the walls which are plastered in a striped, floral wallpaper.
Laying on a bed underneath a window lies what appears to be a pair of young siblings. I tread softly over to the side of their bed, and gently, I turn off the lamp, trying to be quiet so as to not wake them. The room is darkened, my eyes are trying to adjust to the darkness, but suddenly, I am whisked away into a new, different place.
I am now standing in a large, sprawling field. The grass is green and lush, and there are large, looming trees providing areas of shade in the bright, afternoon sun.
Running around, chasing each other are the boy and the girl from the bed. The young girl stops and kneels down, looking at something in the grass; the boy joins her. I take a step forward to try and get a look at what they are examining. In her hand sits an orchid mantis, and the vibrant pink color is striking, exceptionally so against the green and blue scenery.
The boy turns from looking at the insect and stares, almost as if he recognises me. He starts to approach me, and sooner than I expected, he is standing in front of me, staring up at me.
“Come see what we found.” He invites me.
I walk over to where the girl is standing, and the closer I get, the more visually striking the bug is. The pink color seems to be more vibrant up close than far away. I reach to pick up the bug from the girl’s hand.
I am jolted awake. My heart racing; my breathing is fast and shallow. My eyes dart around the room, trying to figure out where I am when I realize that I am back in my room.
I turned my head to look at my nightstand, sitting on my nightstand, in red numbers “2:01”, again, I glance back at it “2:02”. It seems as everything is back to normal, so I lie my head back onto my pillow, and try to fall back into the arms of sleep.
I am awoken by the beeping of my alarm clock. I get up and go to the bathroom, I find my reflection in the mirror, it surprises me, my hair is matted and tangled. After brushing my teeth, I dazedly make my way to the kitchen and start my coffee maker. I pull out one of the chairs that is circling the table and sit down. My eyes feel heavy as I sit there, trying to fight against sleep. Abruptly, the coffee machine beeps.
I pour my coffee into my mug and make my way back over to the table.
I sit back at the chair which I neglected to push back under the table, steam still coming off the top of my mug. I look into the deep brown color of my coffee, and a face meets my gaze, I see myself in the reflection.
I look down at my bowl of ramen noodles, my reflection looking back at me in the leftover broth. I walk over to the sink and discard the extra broth, putting the bowl in the dishwasher.
I make my way to the bathroom, and meet my reflection in the mirror. I brush my teeth and get ready for bed.
I lay down, putting my head on my pillow and pulling the covers over myself. I reach over and turn off the lamp by my bed. The room is dark besides the cool light of the streetlights creeping in through the gaps in my blinds, streaking the ceiling of my room in light. I close my eyes, and let sleep take me over.
I am standing in a kitchen. I hear talking coming from another room. I follow the sound to find the source. Sitting on a couch in a living room is a man and a woman. I eavesdrop on what they’re saying.
“You are the love of my life.” He whispers to the girl, almost like he doesn’t want anyone to hear.
Though the woman is only a few feet away from me, I can’t make out what she is saying. I get closer to see if I can understand what she is whispering. Then I see her face… It is me.
My alarm rings, and I am startled awake.
