"Like a flower in the desert

I had to grow

In the cruelest weather,

Holding on to every drop of rain

Just to stay alive

But it's not enough to survive,

I want to bloom

Beneath the blazing sun,

And show you all the colors

That lives inside of me,

I want you to see,

What I can become."

It's a dark, cold night in the middle of a thick forest. It's raining heavily as if the sky was crying out in pain and agony, even in that heavy rain the sky seemed clear, I can see the moon in its full round form until the spread of black smoke appeared covering the moon.

There is a dim light among the thick trees where the smoke seems to be coming from.

'What is happening?' I asked myself standing in the middle of a forest covered in mud and now soaking in the rain.

All I heard what seems to be the screeching of a car as if it was trying to avoid an unexpected accident but then a loud thump sounded like the car hit a tree or something.

I followed the sound.

The trees are on fire even in this much rain the fire didn't put out.

The car hit a tree and the front is completely smashed, with no chance of the front passengers being alive.

There are shreds of glass on the ground, and a tire apart from the car.

I walked towards the car to see if there is any sign of survivors. The smoke is coming from the car

As I reached the front passenger side, I froze in fear. Unable to move even an inch of my lips.

My body stiffen and my blood ran cold at the terrible sight. I was terrified, unable to breathe. I looked at my hands covered in blood, My heart throbbing. I gasped for air, my one hand on my chest and the other in a fist thumping over the chest as if I'd choked on something. My vision got blurry from lack of breathing and soon I collapsed to the ground. And that's all, complete darkness.

I gradually opened my eyes, in a blurry vision I scans my surrounding. It appears to be a room and I'm on a bed because I can feel the mattress beneath me, my head on a soft fluffy pillow. I looked to my right, there is a large panel aluminum window through which the sunlight is entering illuminating the room. The room has a similar feeling.. I regained consciousness, staring at the ceiling with a fan spinning in a moderate way. I know where I am, it's my room.

And it happened again. The dream that has been dreading the life out of me, it's perpetual.

NARRATOR

Laura makes her way to get up from the bed, rubbing her eyes. In a grey sweatshirt and yellow shorts with a little print of Winnie the pooh on the side. Laura ties her hair into a little messy bun when she hears a knock on the bedroom room. The door opens up and a girl in her mid-twenties entered the room hurriedly. She has black hair braided in a curly ponytail, and the structure of her face is diamond-shaped with deep almond eyes of green emerald color. The most beautiful eyes anyone could have ever seen. She gave a concerned expression upon entering the room.

"Laura!"

"Are you okay?" asked the girl.

"Irene, what are you doing here?" Laura replied.

Irene Lockwood is my best friend, we've been together ever since we were in elementary school. Our houses were next to each other well kind of considering she belongs to a very noble rich family. They had a big country-type house surrounding so much land. They even had their own stable, and oversized garage that can park up to 12 cars simultaneously. They had a massive backyard with a swimming pool and I remember always playing there during our summer days. Her family owns a big tech company, Irene always wanted to be independent of her father so she left home and started working for herself. She just simply didn't want to be under his father's shadow but rather wanted to have to achieve something on her own.

I've never seen her this worried before, she's been with me ever since that incident and has never left my side. She even moved cities because of me. I've never settled in one place for more than 6 months. The nightmares won't stop, I've tried coping with them by doing counseling, therapies, rehab, even spiritual rituals, and stuff but nothing is effective, it's like I'm slowly drowning in a vast ocean with nothing in sight, only waiting to meet the rock bottom.

"You haven't been responding to any of my texts!"

"Do you even know what time it is?" Irene asked me with a disappointed expression.

I was completely perplexed as to what she was referring to and then it hit me. I have an interview with the biggest textile company in Manhattan. I specialized in fashion design and well as I'm always moving from between places it is hard to secure a job anywhere. It's an Italian company known as DeLuca Textiles, it's also where Irene works. Thanks to her I even got an interview with him. It's a very popular company and I've heard people rarely get jobs there, only the best and highly qualified, now all of this thinking is making me worried.

I look at the time 8:15 on the wall clock and my interview starts at 9:00 am.

"Shit! I must've overslept"; I replied to Irene.

"Jesus Laura, just get ready quickly. I'll be outside waiting in the car for you"; Said Irene.

I put on high-waisted denim jeans in white with a matching colored turtleneck top. It's quite chilly outside so I added a tan-ish jacket and to top it all, a pair of strappy gladiator wedges to create a more professional look that also screams yes I've got a damn good fashion sense. I did my makeup in the car and we reached there at 8:50.

...….........

Sitting in the waiting area made me more anxious I really need this job if I'm to ever survive my coming days. The money I saved from my previous jobs is wearing thin. I'm barely able to get groceries let alone pay the rent. I hope this works out. There are two ladies beside me gossiping about something, I don't mean to pry but this whole waiting scenario will kill me with boredom.

'Do you know that the CEO is taking the interviews himself' said the woman sitting next to me. No way! This has never happened before but I heard the CEO is a womanizer, perhaps he's looking for his next prey.' Both of them giggled.

I still can't believe how some people with this mentality even exist. Shortly after a women come out of the office, she has this beautiful copper tone skin shade and dark brown braided dreads. She appears to be in her thirties. I guess she's the assistant.

"Do we have Miss Laura Crawford here?" said the woman

As soon as she said my name my heartbeat got fast. I can feel my pulse throbbing in my wrist so I clasp my other hand over it to calm my nerves down. A rush of adrenaline and anxiety merged together. I take a deep breath and stand.

"Yes. I'm Laura Crawford" I said in a shaky voice.

I don't know why I'm so nervous about this job. Is it because of what the women were gossiping about? Or is it the adjusting part in this unfamiliar city or the thought my nightmares won't ever let me find the peace I want or perhaps something really bad is going to happen.. something really terrible.