I drifted to a dream once again.
I found myself lying down on a patch of grass.
Countless blades crushed under the weight of my body though never broken.
Oh yeah, I remember my dad saying something grass-blade-related…what was it again?
To be more humble as a blade of grass. To offer respect to all and expect nothing in return.
As the grass gets crushed under your feet but never protests or complains, it bends under your will and straightens up after a while.
Well, that's what he used to say to Mom when she scolded him for being overworked at his job.
Never worked for him though, it just made her angry.
"How well did that end for you, Dad?"
I pushed myself off the grass, patting off the dirt that may have stuck onto my pants.
I'd like to lay down there forever but staying still won't change anything.
Not anymore.
I took a look at my surroundings me. Though, there was nothing but darkness that stretched for miles on end.
Yet there was a cold breeze that didn't fit this empty void.
It hit against me, almost like it was telling me to go somewhere.
"…"
I heard footsteps creep up behind me.
I looked back and saw a kid.
He looked 10 years younger than me, gasping for air as he took a short moment to catch a break.
He looked left and right, almost like he was figuring out which way he should go.
"….."
His head turned to me.
He looked past me, to the direction where I felt the wind blow strongly against us.
I turned to face that direction but the moment I did that, the boy started running.
There was nothing left for me other than to follow him. So I started running as well.
We ran and we ran.
I felt my sweat trickle down from my forehead, each step I took becoming heavier from the fatigue of running this long.
I'm not a guy cut out for p.e, what can I say?
Still, I ran behind him, none of us uttering a single sound.
Eventually, he stopped and I stopped as well.
Seemingly close to his destination, the kid wiped the sweat out of his forehead.
He fixed his clothes and slowly walked forward.
Each step he took elevated him above me, he was making his way up a slope I couldn't even see.
I took a deep breath and followed the boy, my body leaning forward to keep my balance.
Sounds of branches were being stepped on, the air howling against this slop echoing into the darkness.
As we got near to the top, the kid stopped and started crawling instead.
He slowly and surely made his way up, carefully moving to not cause any sounds.
The kid seemed to be planning something but I ignored him and moved on.
I already know what he plans to do anyway, I would say I'm awfully familiar with it.
After a couple more steps, I reached my destination.
I took a deep breath, taking one final step and I finally got to see what awaited me.
I saw the back of a little girl just a few steps away from me.
She was standing near at the edge of a cliff.
The wind blew a bit too hard hard this time, the girl pulled her hair back down as she looked upon the invisible horizon.
I walk up right beside her and took a look at what's beyond but all I see is darkness on end.
I tried my best, trying to notice anything worth looking at although there is still nothing to see.
There wasn't even a hill anymore, we were standing on nothing.
I felt sick.
My mind was trying to process something that wasn't there, as it felt as though I was floating but at the same time, I didn't.
Nausea swelled up inside me as my sense of balance was being broken though I managed to shake the feeling off.
"Hooo…"
I let out a deep breath to clear my head.
There's only one reason I'm here…but how far can I go back?
I then tried to look at the girl but she was gone from my side.
She instead was with the boy who was spotted by her.
He crossed his arms and tried to play off his embarrassment of getting caught but she was just laughing about it.
Well, what I think is a laugh anyway.
She then grabbed the boy by the hand and dragged him right next to me, right where she left off.
She stretched her arm out and pointed at something in the distance…
I couldn't see it.
But the boy's expression widened as he broke into a big smile.
"What do you see?" I asked him.
Tell me, I want to know.
I want to remember.
But he didn't hear me, not a single thing I said.
He said something to the girl yet I can't hear it.
Suddenly his shoulders drooped down, covering his face in the process.
The girl comforted him, placing her hands on his shoulders as words came out of her mouth.
She then took something out of her pocket.
It was a small star-shaped necklace.
She took the boy's hand and placed the necklace inside it, wrapping her small fingers on his.
In an instant, I found myself in a different perspective.
I found myself inside the boy's body.
We were face to face with each other yet I couldn't see her expression.
It's been like this for the longest time, is it because I don't remember?
I felt the grip on my hand grows tighter…
"We will…see each other again right?"
No.
We won't.
I can't anymore…
But…!
"Why don't we—"
Before I could finish, I felt the ground beneath me crumble into nothing.
The next moment I blinked, I found myself lying down on my bed.
"....."
Fuck this dream.