Drip, drip, drip...
The white voice of rain awakens me.
Gradually, I regained consciousness. Looking around to the familiar place, I realize I was back in my classroom, alone. I had fallen asleep.
The classroom is empty, and the clock above the whiteboard shows that it is 5:50 pm.
A realization hits me like thunder, could it be...
I pulled away from my desk, heartbeat racing, wildly looking around me.
Am I having another nightmare again?
"Student?" A voice startled me, practically had me get a heart attack.
I gasped in horror as the person I feared the most appeared at the front door.
"Student, are you alright? Why are you staying alone in the classroom?" The perfectly fine Mr. Bong asked.
No, there is something wrong with the setting. Am I returning to thi
It's late in the middle of the day, the sun is warm, a soft breeze gently ruffled her middle-length wavy hair. Naomi had just finished her Sunday part-time job, noticing the front gate isn't locked, she pondered whether her mother had forgotten to lock the door again. "Ma?" Her voice echoed into the empty house. Her mom isn't around, she sighed to no avail, her mother had gone out for the day, the dining table had been prepared with the meal, waiting to be re-heat. She looks over her surrounding, her sixth sense gesturing she isn't alone. A terror strikes as she found the door to her room was ajar. She never left her bedroom left unlocked! Her steps stuttered, unable to think for a moment. She purposely left the main door open wide, grabbing the handle of a broom which coincidentally was the most suitable weapon she found closer to her, she carefully entered her room. "
"Don't do anything stupid, Nora!" She hissed in anger. "I saw the opportunity why not, Naomi?" Nora replied with no remorse. She casually hoisted the stained uniform from the floor. The name embroidered on it had turned dirty dark brown. "I only need to take this with me." "NO!!!" Naomi seized it, clutching it tightly to her chest. "Oh Naomi, you don't expect me to be harsh to you, right? Give it to me while I'm being nice." She ordered in her rather restrained demeanor. "Get out!" Instead, Naomi decides to chase her sister out of the house. "Unless you hand to me that blazer." Nora forfeited, she trances to get it herself. "No!!" Naomi holds it more tightly to her, dropping herself into a defensive stance. A bitter frown creeping all over her face, the evidence is the main subject to her plan, she had to have it no ma
Arrays of shades with tints of red, yellow, and orange adorned the sky, and the sun began to disappear under the horizon. With the contrast streaks of colors between the skyline and the sea, it appears as if there are two worlds apart. The gentle waves washed ashore, and the crisp breeze induced an illusion of saltness sensation emergence from the borderless mighty ocean. Nelson inhaled the scentofthe sea he always loves, the girl he loves is farther ahead by the barbeque fire pit left by visiting campers. Naomi had insisted he stay where he parked his metallic greensuperbike, he very much doubted whether Naomi is hinting for a night under the sky full of stars. New norms of spending leisure time living in a tent, especially by the seaside is a popular activity these days. Someday, he told hims
At the end corner of the hilly side village, a house with the red chipped paint wall loomed. From far, it is the perfect illusion of an old building with grief history under the dim light at night. Indeed, it is... Naomi could replay the little girl version of her running around what had been her playground when she was little. Then years after, the place she called home embarking into her battleground, she was in despair. Since that day the law enforcement takes her father away from their house for murder charges, their life had been a misery with minimum financial support and the glare of the people around them as if they are criminals, life as a child had never been normal. One day, while expecting their father's homecoming, instead they only got to hold his urn of ash instead of himself. They said her father was killed in a fight in the cell. With his death, the case closed, a
That day was the longest night for Naomi, eyes were puffy, the nose was blocked and somehow sleeping was impossible. She lay curled on the floor, knees closer to her chest, do not bother to wipe away the tears from her cheeks, until the dripping salty water makes a visible dark spot on the hardwood floor. Her mother had dismissed herself to reside in her own room, and she too does not bother to further the conversation. Naomi loses count of staring blankly onto the wall, and when she realized it was yet another day as the sun shone through the curtains. She blinked a few times to cast away her groggy mind from the poor state of sleep. After all, sleeping on the floor is not a good idea, her aching body had her struggle to get up from the floor. "I need to get ready for school!" she mentally reminded herself. In her sluggish disoriented movement, she alerted that by this time her mother had prepared breakfast and she should be in her uniform already. Steadying
Nora's footsteps echoed on the floor that once had been a polished parquet. The abandoned house stood well over the years, beneath the flakes and dirt of years, the red brick walls and window frames still intact and still. A little spring cleaning is all they need to provide temporary shelter for them. The grand abandoned house is too luxurious for them, the spacious living area is more than enough for them to fit in a studio-type apartment. A single bed that held their hostage, a dining table at the center of the room, and by the doorway where they arranged the old fine upholstery leather couch and a coffee table. Halting to the man sitting on the couch who is packing the clear chunky crystals into a small plastic packet. With arms across her chest, she asked, "She mistakes me for Naomi, how much did you give her, Edward? It is almost ten hours ago and she is still asleep?" Edward looked up and stood up to face Nora, putting his business aside. His full stature draws attention to N
Beginning from a series of distorted ideas, a precise recognition of the condition I'm in becomes clear. I'm mentally wrestled to reset my coordination. I was finally able to flick open my eyelids only to find myself in unfamiliar surroundings. I shut them again. But the scene won't change. It is real, I was taken. The first thing I realized is the pain and tenderness in my nostril. It is usually triggered by allergies or dry weather. As my eyes grew accustomed to my surroundings, I noticed dust particles reflecting from the sunlight that had managed to get past the curtain seams. I also realised that the air circulation in the room is terrible and that the windows ought to be left open wide to let in fresh air because the large space appeared to have been abandoned for a very long time. I hissed to a sudden throbbing in my temples only to realize my wrist was tied. Now that I regret to cause such alertness to my abductor, a man indeed is in the room with me and he is rushed to c
A man and a woman's sudden coming blocking the doorway had me almost screamed to the top of my lungs.The woman is clearly, Nora.Judging by their droopy eyes, they are probably high on drugs again.Nora had a past case of drugs abuse, it must be it, I assumed.I pushed them away at ease, anytime soon the man locked in the washroom will get his way out, every second is counted.The white minivan is my only motivation.In an instant I push the door lock button once I was inside. Insecurity and exhaustion messed me up for a while before I shake them away.Adjusting the seat, my trembling hand put the key to the ignition, luckily its starts in one kick. Manual transmission isn't my best, and my driving practice is only from the few session with Samuel.No valid driving license and it is even illegal to drive on the road