Today was like any normal day. Wake up, go to school, come back home, and repeat. As I got on the bus to head home. I knew today was gonna be a long day. The stench of body order and sweat lingered in the air it was also kind of hot since it was December and the heaters were on. I hate public transportation only because they don't carry car fresheners. The smell is still hurting my nostrils, but at least I can listen to music.
As I'm putting my headphones on.
I sit in the back next to the left window. It's getting dark even though it's 4:30. Only 32 minutes until I reach my destination.
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When I finally get off the bus, feel so happy that I can finally breathe fresh air. Walking home is always nice. I have to pass under these huge cherry blossom trees. When the wind blows they fall and cover me. I don't mind it, they feel magical and I get lost in the moment. Skating under them is even more magical.
As I open the door I'm greeted with the smell of Tamales and incense. As I lock the door my grandma greets me. My mother is in the kitchen waiting for the sound of the coin.
"How was school?" she asks
" The same " I respond
Sometimes I make up something just to spice life up or tell her how it went, but not today. Today I'm tired.
" Do you have homework? " she asks
" Nah, I finished it during class." That was a lie because I have good grades.
She doesn't ask more about it.
As I leave the kitchen I take off my shoes and discard them somewhere in the hallway. I can hear my little twin siblings playing in their room as I reach mine. I close the door and drop my backpack and plop down on my bed. I can hear the air go out of my mattress as I sink in.
I turn around so that I'm laying on my back. I can see the faint glow of the stars my parents glued on the ceiling when I was 11-year-old. As I'm about to close my eyes and take a fat nap. I can hear my little chihuahua named Bullet scratching and whining at my door.
"Why me God? Why me?" I groan and get up. I walk to the door and as I barely open the door whoosh-
My dog Bullet is on the bed in no time. I think you can see why I named her Bullet. I chuckle as she wiggles her tail at me. How can I stay mad at her she's so cute. I pick her up and cover us up with my blanket. She snuggles somewhere by my side and stays still.
My breathing slows down and the pull of sleep crawls over me. I close my eyes and let sleep consume me.
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Noise.
Shuffling here and there.
Small thumps and clicks.
Sleep.
Something that can make you lose all sense of time and thought. It can confuse your mind and have you see the greatest or scariest things your mind could ever conjure. I speak from experience. Night terrors were a common thing when I was a child. Images of bloodshed, demons. Anything that could scare a child.
Thank God those only lasted for a short while. In my middle school years, I desperately wanted dreams that made the heart skip a beat. I desired to see stories unwind and for terror to consume me. Now at 17, I nap and have a sleep schedule that would make a college student rip their hair out. I don't even know how it got to this point. As anyone could guess I mostly stay awake at night and nap throughout the day or pass out anywhere. I try to be on track and get rid of this habit. There just always seems to be something that needs my attention at night.
I'm still in that magical trance that makes you feel like your floating. A sensation that brings me to bliss.
Weightless like a magician's assistant, conducting a parlor trick.
Dreamless and floating.
My eyes are closed, but I can feel that it's dark in my room. I wonder what time it is?
Noises.
Clicks.
Thuds.
As I open my eyes a faint glow of white light is over me.
Is this a dream?
The air feels heavy, there is smoke in the air. This has to be a dream. The smoke in the air reminds me of Swan Lake, Peaceful and elegant. Except for the clicks and thuds.
I must be half-asleep.
The noises have to be background noises from my family doing whatever that it is that they are doing. I pray that this isn't a Nightmare. As if on cue a deep chuckle echoes. Sending a chill throughout my body.
I freeze.
I stare at the darkness and feel it staring back. I feel myself floating closer and far away from the light. A pull that has a grip on my core.
The pulling sensation ends, but not completely. I can still feel the grip. The faint glow of the white light shines behind me. It can't illuminate much, it's too dark to see what's out there.
I can hear and feel something breathing like it's right in front of me. Another chill overwhelms me to the point of making my neck stiff. A low chuckle echoes even louder. It sounds too close for comfort. As the echo fades.
A puff of white smoke blows comes out of the darkness. The rays of the light make it able for me to see it. The smoke feels like the wind when it collides with my face.
I close my eyes.
Squinting, I can see tiny embers sparkling here and there as the smoke swallows me. My eyes begin to burn, tears start to slip from the wind the smoke created.
And just like that.
I'm awake as if the smoke transported me to reality.