Dream

I wake up and find myself in my childhood room. Sitting on my bed with the sunlight streaming in from beside me, I look around. It’s just as I remember it. The walls are painted blue, the sheets are a mess on the bed, and the desk onto my right is covered in knick-knacks from vacations with the family. I hear muffled voices outside my door. I feel like I was doing something, but I can’t remember what. My memory is fuzzy. [[Lay down and sleep->Lay Down and Sleep]] [[Go outside the room->Go Outside Room]] [[Explore the room more->Explore Room]]

I get up and head towards the door. The voices seem to get louder and louder with each step I take. //Why is anyone up this early to begin with? // I latch onto the handle and swing it open, prepared to tell my siblings to shut up. Instead, I’m met with a bright light, and find myself in the middle school halls surrounded by classmates. Dazed and confused, [[I look around->School Look Around]]

My eyelids begin to feel heavy and the voices behind the door fades. It’s a weekend after all, why get up now? My eyes close shut as my mind previews new stories for me to star in. I snuggle back into my sheets, and drift off to sleep [[And I dream->Intro]]

I look around some more, and find a certificate for best-behaved student award from Grade 6 hidden in the sheets. My face is scrunched up with a giant toothless smile, as I proudly present a crudely cut paper medal pinned to my shirt. My mother must have framed this to show off to her friends. But, theres a crack in the glass that runs across my face. I don’t remember it breaking. I set it down gently onto the side desk and watch as the sunlight glistens off the frame I feel like I was doing something, but I can’t remember what. My memory is fuzzy. [[Look around more->Explore 2]] [[Go outside the room->Go Outside Room]] [[Lay down and sleep->Lay Down and Sleep]]

The walls are lined with tattered green lockers and the floor patterns with dull cream colors worn out over the years. Chatter fills my ears. Some juniors and seniors are in the corner of the hall gossiping, while the freshmen scramble to find their next class. In my hands I hold a schedule and a few schoolbooks. I precariously balance the two so I can read where my next class is. I can’t quite make it out, as everytime I look away the words seem to change, but I think I’m supposed to head to [[gym class on the bottom floor->Gym Class]]

The toxic smell of chlorine fills the air. People around me groan and bicker about the swimming section this year as they begrudgingly slip into their swimwear. As the bell rings, we all head towards the pool. Trailing behind a few people, I blindly find my way to the water’s edge. I look down warily upon my reflection. The water is as opaque as the night sky and leers back. Shivering, [[I wait for the teacher's next instructions->Wait]]

Looking around the room, I spot a few rowdy guys attempting to push each other in the pool. Shuffling over a few feet, I avoid their behavior for the time being. Turning my attention back to the teacher, I wait for his next instructions. I wrap my arms around my body as a shield to deflect people looking my way. [[I’m not much of a looker anyway->Pushed]]

I relax. Why struggle? I’m not getting anywhere anyway, no matter how hard I try. The faces above me begin to fade as I sink deeper and deeper. It’s not so bad once I give in. In fact, it’s almost comforting. I take a deep breath, and let the water seep into my lungs. [[And I dream->Intro]]

I continue to swim up regardless. My lungs feel like they're about to burst. I kick with all my might, and my fingertips nearly reach the surface. But then, something below me wraps around my leg and drags me back down. The faces above me begin to fade as I sink deeper and deeper. I open my mouth to scream, but the [[water fills my lungs instead->Drown]]

The sound of a car alarm penetrates my ears. I sit up in confusion, looking around for the school pool and cruel classmates. All that meets the eye is my current room filled with posters and fairy lights adorned with [[polaroids of this past semester.->Wake up 2]]

I wave my arms and kick my legs in panic and attempt to swim up. I don't seem to be getting any closer. My lungs burn. [[I can’t breath->Pool 2]]

Without warning, I feel a shove from behind followed by laughter. I heavily hit the water as the breath is knocked out of me. I look back up at the surface as it warps the faces above into hideous smiles staring down at me. [[I can’t breath->In the Pool]]

I try to scream to get the other’s attention somehow. Anyone, anything. I CAN’T BREATH. [[Keep Struggling->Struggle]] [[Relax->Relax]]

My head spins from the lack of oxygen and I feel my body get heavier. //Am I dead?// I peel open an eye to search for the gates of heaven or hell, but only see black. My body is both warm and cold. Embraced by the warm darkness, yet I shiver in loneliness. I curl into myself and close my eyes for one last time. But then, something bright flickers at the edge of my vision. [[Look->Look]] [[Don’t Look->Dont Look]]

I’m tired of trying anymore. Let me sleep. I want to sleep. I curl even tighter to block out the light that grows even brighter. Soon, the light passes and once again I’m surrounded in darkness. [[And I dream->Intro]]

Out of curiosity, I open my eyes once more and look around. I see a faint light far off in the distance. It seems to be getting brighter, no, closer with each second. I reach my hand out instinctively, like a child to a mother. I watch as it envelopes my body and [[showers me in golden light->Wake Up]]

My roommates yell at eachother from the other room about who should turn the alarm off and the house gives off the scent of fried eggs and bacon. It’s only 10 am, and the sunlight streams through the window, beckoning me to get up. I exhale in relief and throw the blankets over, exposing my skin to the cold morning air. The car alarm finally ceases, and one roommate claims that breakfast is ready. I slip into some socks to combat the wooden floorboards and [[stumble half-asleep out the bed.->Wake up 3]]

Before I open the door, I pinch myself a few times just to be sure. Sure enough, here I am, real and wake. I take a deep breath, open the door and prepare myself for another day in the present

I rummage through my closet. I find an old sweater I wore at christmas when I was 7. The red and green knitting is hanging off every which way with a gravy stain embedded on the front. The little painted christmas bells are shedding its color as they hang on by a thread. I picked this out when my parents brought my siblings and I shopping so they could figure out what to get us for gifts. I loved it so much that my parents had to force me out of it so they could do the laundry. It’s safe to say it was put to good use. I try to jingle the bells around, but I hear nothing I put it back into the closet and sit back on the edge of my bed. I feel like I was doing something, but I can’t remember what. My memory is fuzzy. [[Go outside the room->Go Outside Room]] [[Lay down and sleep->Lay Down and Sleep]]