Michelle's Perspective
I hurried to my room to take a quick shower and get ready for class. I didn't want to be late again Mrs. Reyes would definitely scold me if I was. The thought of her stern voice already made my heart race.
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(An hour later)
Location: School
"Good morning, everyone!" Mrs. Reyes greeted the class cheerfully. My heart started pounding again because today was the day of the speech presentation. I barely heard what she said after that all I could feel was the nervousness settling deep in my chest.
This will be over soon...
This will be over soon...
This will be over soon...
I repeated this in my mind over and over, trying to calm my nerves.
Suddenly, a voice whispered beside me, "Nervous again, huh, bestie?" I turned to see Stacy, her face calm and relaxed, as if she had no worries at all. I envied her. She seemed so confident, probably used to situations like this.
"Yeah," I admitted with a forced smile. "I hate speeches the most."
"Don't worry, you'll be fine," Stacy encouraged me with a soft smile.
Then my name was called "Michelle! You're next!"
My heart pounded so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of my chest. I stood up, clutching the notes I had prepared. I took a deep breath and reminded myself again, This will be over soon.
Walking to the front of the classroom, I saw the expectant faces of my classmates. For a moment, I wanted to turn around and run back to my seat. But I stood my ground and started my speech.
Slowly but surely, I felt the nervousness ease up as I spoke. I focused on the words, and the weight on my chest lightened. When I finished, the applause surprised me. Maybe I wasn't as bad as I thought.
Later, after the presentations, Mrs. Reyes announced that I was chosen to represent our school in an inter-school speech contest. I could hardly believe it. My friends were excited, and even Mrs. Reyes smiled at me warmly.
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Right after class, I went straight to the library. I needed to find books about lucid dreaming and dream travelers. A friend told me that the school owner's child loved reading about these topics, and the library even had a special section for such books. But I heard that the child was sick and now in a coma because of a car accident.
I browsed the shelves, scanning titles one by one, hoping to find something helpful.
"Lucid Dreamer…" — No.
"Secret Traveler…" — No.
"Exploring the World of Lucid…" — Hmm, maybe.
"Gateway to the Inner Self…" — What?
"Creative Dreaming…" — No.
"Inner Work…" — No.
"Dream Travelers!" — This one! Finally.
I hurriedly sat down near where I found the book, opened it, and started reading. A few minutes later, a librarian approached me. I tried to ignore him and kept reading, but he spoke up softly.
"That's Tris favorite book," he said.
Tris... That was the nickname I heard before. oh the school owner's child.
"He always read this before he went into a coma from the car accident," the librarian continued. "He told me once that he wanted to become a dream traveler."
I paused reading and listened closely. This was interesting. Maybe I could learn something new.
I asked the librarian, "Are dream travelers real?"
He smiled and nodded. "Yes, but just between us, okay? When I was young, I woke up from a dream but not my own. I entered someone else's dream."
So Chris was telling the truth! But why did he suddenly disappear? So many questions.
I asked again, "Do dream travelers ever wake up?"
He grinned and looked at me. "Travelers have their reasons for becoming what they are sometimes because of nightmares, death, or maybe they were just taken there. Who knows?"
My heart started pounding faster. I felt nervous about what he said.
"I have to go now. Sorry, thank you for your time!" I hurriedly said goodbye, surprising the librarian with how quickly I left.
I couldn't wait to get home. Maybe Chris was already waiting for me in my dream mansion. I wanted to see him again. I needed answers.
At home, Mom greeted me with a warm smile. "Hi, how was your day?" she asked while taking my bags.
"Mom, I was chosen to join the speech contest!" I said proudly.
Her eyes widened in surprise. I never liked joining contests before. I wasn't sure why I had the courage this time.
"That's wonderful!" she said, hugging me tightly and kissing my forehead. "Carl, your sister is joining a contest!"
Carl ran out of the kitchen and smiled at me. I felt happy to have such a loving family.
"Good luck, sis! I want you to win!" he cheered.
I smiled and ruffled his hair. "Thanks, little brother. I have supporters."
Mom and Carl hugged me, but I quickly slipped away.
"Eat up, you might be tired," Mom said, leading me to the kitchen. Carl followed closely behind.
After dinner, Me and my brother both agreed to visit Dad. Maybe to share some good news or just to try to reconnect.
We arrived at his house, my heart pounding. I was hoping for a sign, anything.
Carl knocked on the door, but no one answered.
We waited for a few minutes when suddenly Dad's voice came from inside, cold and distant.
"I'm not seeing either of you."
I froze. "Dad… please, we just wanted to tell you something important."
"No. Not interested."
Carl's face fell. "But… we miss you."
There was silence. I felt tears sting my eyes but tried to keep calm.
"Why won't you see us? We're still your kids."
"I've moved on. You should too."
I looked at Carl. He looked heartbroken, holding back tears.
"We just want a chance, that's all."
Dad didn't answer.
Carl squeezed my hand. "Maybe he's not ready. Maybe it's not about us."
I nodded slowly. "I guess sometimes people hurt us the most because they're hurting themselves."
We turned around and walked away, heavier but somehow determined.
"We'll keep fighting," I whispered.
Carl nodded. "Together."
When we got home I went straight to my room and lay down. Sleep came quickly.
"Carl! Tell Mom I'm going to sleep!" I called out. I closed my eyes, ready to drift off.
But then, a familiar voice called, "Chris!?"
I sat up, looking around in frustration. No Chris. Just silence.
I sighed and got up to pace around. Where could he be?
I walked around for hours, searching for him, hoping he was nearby.
Suddenly, rain started pouring. Feeling lonely, I went inside and made myself a hot cup of coffee.
I decided to bake a cake to calm my nerves.
After eating the cake, I sat back on the sofa and turned on the TV. Hours passed, and still no sign of him.
I felt bored and restless.
I thought, Maybe I should just wake up.
Closing my eyes, I felt a wave of sadness.
I missed him. What happened to Chris? Why did he disappear?
I missed him more than I thought I ever would.
I suddenly woke up to the sound of my phone notification.
I sat on the bed for a long time, staring blankly at my phone but not really reading the texts. My mind kept drifting back to Chris his smile, his strange disappearance, and the mystery that surrounded him.
What if he's trapped somewhere? What if he's hurt? The thought made my chest tighten painfully.
Suddenly, my phone buzzed again. It was a message from Stacy.
Stacy: Hey, are you okay? You seemed off today.
I hesitated before replying. How could I explain all this to her? Dreams, secret worlds? It sounded crazy even to me.
Me: Just tired. Speech contest and stuff.
She replied quickly.
Stacy: If you want to talk, I'm here. Don't stress yourself.
I smiled faintly. Maybe I did need someone to talk to, but could I really tell her everything?
Later that night, I finally fell asleep again. But this time, my dreams were different. The usual swirling colors and random images gave way to a quiet, clear place. I found myself standing in a vast open field under a sky filled with stars.
But still, no Chris around...