As I slowly opened my eyes, a multitude of shapes and colours appeared in front of me. I jumped up in shock as I tried to comprehend my surroundings. The environment was nearly pitch black, only lit up by a glowing humongous tree in the centre. The tree itself had glowing branches that had neon orange leaves growing from them. My feet were submerged in a dimly glowing liquid that stretched beyond the horizon. Miniature shapes danced about in the air as though they were showcasing a performance. Calling this a fantasy would have been an understatement.
"Where am I?" I questioned the air as I walked towards the tree. A feeling of warmth enveloped my entire body. As I moved closer and closer, the warmth inside me grew stronger. A hypnotic voice guided me towards the tree, telling me to touch its luminous surface. Once my hand grazed on the tree's trunk, a flurry of images flashed in my mind at once. I felt as though my head was about to explode from the sheer volume of information entering my brain. I screamed in pain as my skull started to feel like cracking.
Suddenly, an image of a mysterious girl staring into my soul appeared in my mind. Her jet black, silky long hair complemented her equally dark-hued eyes. Her rose-like smile complemented her petite face. Even though she wore our school uniform, I could not recognise her. She slowly sauntered towards me, holding her hand out. Without any hesitation, I grabbed her hand.
"Hey, boy! Are you alright! You shouldn't be sleeping here you know!" A raspy old voice woke me up from my slumber. I was shocked to see that the bright sun had been replaced with a glowing luminescent moon. I worriedly asked the senior what time it was to which he replied that it had just turned 9pm.
"9pm!" I shouted, "I have to go home before she murders me!" I thanked the old man and sprinted towards my house, wondering what had happened to me in the hours I was unconscious.
As I entered my house as silently as possible, a sudden murderous aura stopped me at my feet. A middle-aged slim woman, the source of the aura, wearing an apron whilst carrying a frying pan appeared in front of my irises. "Mom, I can ex-"
Woosh! The frying pan flew barely flew past my face. If I hadn't dodged it at the last moment, I easily would have been knocked out. I ran up the stairs as fast as I could, towards my room but I was stopped by a razor-sharp knife that zoomed from my mother's hand and blocked my path. Bullets of sweat began to drop from my face as the dangerous presence drew closer.
"Why are you late?" My mother interrogated in a cold tone.
"Ummm," I tried to think of a satisfactory excuse," I was studying in the public library and lost track of time.
Damn, that was a terrible lie. She's obviously going to see through that… I stared directly into her eyes, prepared for what was coming next.
"So you don't want to tell me the truth, huh?"
I gulped in fear as she tried to read my mind. After an eternity of silence, she pointed towards the dining table and returned to watching television. I sighed in relief and finished the fried rice on the dining table as fast as possible before returning to my room. "Thanks for the food," I whispered before I walked up the steps.
My mother and I haven't had a conversation since my father passed away 2 years ago. We used to be a jovial family but everything changed after the accident. My mother was completely heartbroken and shut herself from society for nearly a year. It was up to me and Yuki's family to sustain the business and our lives. She slowly got better but it's obvious that she had been permanently scarred after the incident. I forgave her for leaving us but the permanent wedge in our relationship remained.
As I rested on my bed, I tried to recall what I saw inside the tunnel. Where exactly was that place? Who was that girl? These questions racked in my head for nearly an hour before I drifted into slumber.