MATTHEW'S POV
I woke up with a gasp. Cold sweat trickled down the side of my forehead. My lungs needed air, but it was so hard to breathe.
I looked around in a panic, immediately remembering the horrible feeling I was relieved when I saw the familiar walls of my bedroom.
I sighed in distress. 'It was just a dream... It's not real.'
Although their words, their tones, their facial expressions, the feeling... It felt and sounded real.
The helplessness and the fear still lingered in my chest. Their bitter tones plus the harsh words no longer echoed in my mind, but it was etched in my heart like it was forcing me to believe it.
I groaned and made a mental note. 'Don't go to bed sad.'
I tossed and turned on my bed, yet I still couldn't sleep. I looked at my clock and saw the time.
'6:35 in the morning.'
I was thinking of jogging, which usually helped me cool down whenever I had a nightmare. But recalling the man from yesterday, I threw that choice out the window. Instead of going for a jog, I decided to watch the sunrise. I always saw the breathtaking view of the sunset, and I knew the sunrise would be just as beautiful.
I grabbed a jacket, for it was cold early in the morning, even if it was summer. I opened my bedroom a little and took a quick peek at the perimeter. No one was awake, good for me. I could have the balcony all for myself. I tip-toed my way over to the balcony, occasionally glancing back.
The balcony was on the third floor. The said floor consisted of nothing but vacant rooms. I guessed that there were more elites in the earlier generations.
I opened the sliding door of the balcony and entered. The balcony was spacious, almost the size of my bedroom. There was a small white table and two chairs next to the entrance and a small brown bench fit for two people beside the railing. I took a seat on the chair, enjoying the summer air. I could see the whole city from how high up I was in the mansion. On the horizon from far away, light peeked out. It wouldn't be long before the whole sun could be seen.
Being alone, I was at peace. I tried my best not to remember the terrible dream.
'It'd be a shame to miss the sunrise because I was too busy thinking of something that isn't even real.'
A gentle breeze hit my face, making my bed hair sway with it. My eyes stung a bit, probably still wanting sleep but my mind and body wouldn't cooperate.
I was just relishing the sightly view of the rising sun when I heard hushed voices coming from behind.
"A-Are you sure about t-this, brother?"
"Yeah, don't worry about it. Stop acting like we're going to commit a crime."
"It's just n-no one uses t-the balcony so e-early in the morning."
"Exactly, we'll have the balcony all to oursel-"
His sentence was cut off when he slid open the door and saw me. The ones also awake at this hour were the Del Rosario siblings.
Samuel and Samantha stood there, staring at me. Samuel was in his white and black striped pajamas while Samantha wore a sleeveless pink shirt with floral shorts that stopped above her knees. Samuel blinked at the sight of me and Samantha had a faint blush on her cheeks, though it might have just been my imagination.
"Matthew? What are you doing here?" Samuel asked.
"I should be asking you the same thing." I stuck my tongue out and chuckled.
Samuel huffed. "If you must know, I always wake up around this time in the morning, and I wanted Samantha to see the sunrise I was talking about." The girl nodded in confirmation. "This location wasn't chosen for nothing. It gives a clear view of both the sun and the moon." Now, it was his turn to stick his tongue out. "What about you, Matthew? Entertain us." He grinned.
I glared at him, but a smile betrayed my effort in looking intimidating.
"I just couldn't sleep." Was my reason. Samuel looked smug as he spoke, "Yeah, no joke. Your eyebags are deeper than the pacific ocean."
This time, my smile faded and my glare intensified.
I opened my mouth to retort back, but Samantha interjected. "L-Look! The sun is s-so pretty!"
She was pointing towards the horizon. A big ball of fire was peeking from it, rays of light decorated the land, and I felt the heat from my face.
I was lost in the view when Samuel asked, "So, is there any particular reason why you couldn't sleep?"
Images from my dream came and flashed in my mind. It was so sudden that I stood up abruptly and knocked the chair backward. I probably woke a few people up with that one.
The siblings flinched at my actions, both of them looked worried and concerned. Samuel put a hand on my shoulder and Samantha picked the chair up.
Footsteps could be heard coming this way and the sliding door was opened. The owner of the footsteps was Ashley. She burst through the door in her black tank top and red sweatpants.
"I heard something fall. What happened?" She asked.
"My question exactly." Samuel spun me around to face him. The three of them gasped when they saw my eyes getting glassy and my breathing unsteady.
"Hey, Matthew! What's going on with you?" Samuel shook me gently and Samantha took a hold of my arm. Ashley came closer with her eyebrows knotted.
Before I could stop the words, they sputtered out of my mouth. "What do you guys think of me?"
They were taken aback by the question. I could see their faces fill up with confusion.
"Is that a trick question or...?" Samuel joked to lighten up the mood. When he saw the look on my face, he sighed. "I'm joking. Why do you ask?"
I looked away but regretted it when the sun hit my eyes, so I looked the other way. "Just... Answer it. Please."
'I need to know.'
"I-I think you're a g-great guy!" Samantha spoke up. I was surprised. "Y-You try to be a b-better person everyday! Even i-if you don't have any experience i-in a certain thing, you s-still give it your all! You try your best w-with everything you do, and you d-do it with passion. I-I think that what m-makes you so great!"
I was touched by her words and I felt the tears coming back again. Not because of the dream anymore, but I knew what Samantha felt and think of me. It brought me great comfort and boosted my confidence. I think the sun just became even brighter in the background.
To express my gratitude, I stood in front of Samantha with a big smile. She stared at me with red cheeks. Without warning, I hugged her tightly.
'The words she said in my dream... Thank god, it wasn't real.'
I heard Samuel let out a low whistle and Ashley seemed to pull him back inside the mansion. Samantha flinched when I hugged her. She hesitated before hugging me back.
"Thank you." I whispered. She responded by humming. When we broke apart, she asked, "W-What was that for?"
"You have no idea how much your words meant to me." I patted her head. "It gave me strength. And to tell you the truth, those words just motivated me to stay strong."
I put my hand on my chest. "I don't know how to thank you."
The girl smiled cheekily. "H-How about taking me to t-that cafe you bought the smoothie f-from?"
I chuckled and shook her hand. "Deal."
We chatted for a couple of minutes until Samuel stood at the doorway. "Okay then, is it my turn?"
I couldn't stop a grin from forming. "All right, captain. Let me hear what you got."
Samuel cleared his throat and with a poker face, he spoke. "You're a butt."
With that, I chased him around the mansion. With my stamina being superior to his, I caught him sooner than he expected.
"Take that back right now!" I demanded.
Samuel wiggled from my headlock. "Never!" He managed to escape, but I caught him again not a minute later.
"That's not fair." He whined. "How do you get to be so fast?"
"I was in the track n' field." I stated. "Their warm-ups are brutal. And that's just the first part."
"Noted." He mumbled. I pushed him jokingly and he dusted his shirt. "Wanna have breakfast?" He asked.
I nodded vigorously. "Yes."
We went to the kitchen to see there wasn't actually a chef. I was baffled. "Wait... So who cooked those pancakes for me a few days ago?"
"Who? Well, the one and only, of course." He motioned to himself. I put a hand on my waist. "Do you do the cooking around here or something?"
"We cook for ourselves. But in your case, I'll make an exception." He said.
'Bless this guy.'
"Thanks. What are you gonna cook anyway?"
"Do you prefer pancakes again or eggs and bacon?"
The thought of sunny-side eggs and juicy bacon made my mouth water and my stomach growled.
"Definitely eggs and bacon."
Samuel got to work. He pulled out bacons from the freezer together with eggs from the cabinet. He snatched a pan and some oil. He washed the pan with a bit of water before putting it on a stove and turning the heat on low.
As bits of water evaporated, he asked. "So, what made you ask that question, Matthew?" He poured a dot of oil into the pan.
I didn't want to tell him the dream. I just didn't want to talk about it in general. If I said the reason, it would seem childish.
"Oh, I was just feeling... A bit... Erm... Insecure?" It came out more of a question. I mentally face-palmed at my poor attempt to lie.
Samuel blinked. He cracked four eggs in the pan. Sizzling could be heard as the eggs cooked. He sprinkled a pinch of salt and pepper on it.
"What's there to be insecure about? If the others said something bad about you, tell me and I'll-"
"No, it's not that." I shook my head. Samuel became even more puzzled. "What is it then?"
I wasn't in the mood to talk about it further. "Can we just... Drop it? I don't like talking about it." The truth was, I didn't want to remember the words they spat at me with so much venom. If I did, maybe I would start to believe it all over again. I turned my attention to the eggs, its aroma entered my nostrils. I grabbed a spatula and gave it to Samuel. He scooped the perfectly cooked eggs and placed them on a plate.
"Sorry for asking then." He muttered.
I didn't respond. The whole time we were in the kitchen, I silently helped Samuel in cooking by giving him the seasonings or plates.
Finally, it was done. The bacon looked so appetizing, its juiciness seeping out. The eggs looked so perfect, with thoroughly cooked egg whites, a melty yolk, and bits of salt and pepper scattered on it.
The mixed smell of this simple yet delicious-looking dish made me almost lose control and eat it in less than five minutes.
"Where's Ashley and Samantha?" Samuel looked around when we brought the dish over to the dining table. I shrugged in response. It was thirty minutes past seven, but we were still the only ones awake.
"What time do the others usually wake up?" I asked in hopes to forget the conversation from earlier and break the torturing silence.
"Around nine or ten. They always miss breakfast." Samuel sighed. "It's the most important meal of the day."
I offered to search for the girls. "Go get 'em." Samuel told me. I wandered around the mansion. I knocked on their bedroom doors, checked the balcony again, and my last option was the garden. There they were. I was about to call them when I happened to be eavesdropping on their conversation.
"Matthew's being loud first thing in the morning." Ashley snarled. "I woke up not at the sound of my alarm, but a chair that fell? Also, how could the others not hear that?"
As Ashley rambled on, Samantha would sigh every now and then. After Ashley finished, Samantha spoke up. "Back t-to our topic, you were a-alone with him. W-Were you able to talk to h-him?"
Ashley, in contrast to her constant complaints a second ago, went quiet.
"No." Ashley whispered. I was surprised I heard it from this far.
"O-Oh." Was all Samantha could say.
I marked their conversation as the end. So, I stepped forward in their line of sight.
"Hey, just wanted to let you girls know breakfast's ready."
Ashley stared at me up and down before squinting her eyes. "How long were you standing there?"
'Uh-Oh... Am I caught?'
I gulped when Ashley stomped towards me. "Don't you dare mention to anyone what you heard. If I figured you uttered a word to someone, I'll hunt you down."
I nodded nervously at the threat. Was it even a threat? It sounded like a plan to her.
Ashley gave me the side-eye, her blue orbs holding so much ferocity.
The blue-eyed girl went back inside the mansion. Samantha looked at me worriedly. "Are you o-okay now? Ashley could b-be scary at times. B-Believe me."
I gave her a reassuring smile. "It's fine, Samantha. I kinda expected that from Ashley."
Samantha giggled. That sound made my stomach have butterflies. I couldn't help but divert my eyes from her. When I did this, I was in awe. Colorful flowers bloomed under the sun's rays. Flowers ranging from roses, tulips, sunflowers, daisies, carnations, and more made me glad I got to witness a beautiful sight.
There were so many beautiful things in the world that were yet to be discovered. People could enjoy greatly just by standing and taking in the great view. It was the complete opposite of my dream. The trees didn't have leaves anymore, and it was so cold. The place was driven off of colors and the land looked bleak and was nearly barren. It looked lifeless.
I remembered the reason now. The reason why I decided to keep pushing no matter what others may say. I wanted people to see more of these pretty views, and keep on enjoying what they loved to do like watching the sunrise and set or going stargazing. They could travel around the world to see rare sightings that could make their hearts full. They would continue to laugh and smile throughout their lives and die peacefully without regrets.
I wanted to keep fighting, for the lives of the innocents and my friends. I wouldn't let a dream stop me from pursuing my goals. Dreams weren't real, it could never be real. It was just videos that your mind created based on what you experienced and felt on that day. It wasn't real.
Or was it?