Are the doors unlocked?

[Part 8] 10/20/1990: 2 days to fade

''An army is being built''

''Be attentive tomorrow''

''You got lucky''

Replaying in my head, all the time, I'm afraid. I'm standing in a forest. Big trees are around me, this feels like a cage. I see both of them, looking at me, saying those words endlessly. The atmosphere turns orange, as the trees start to turn on fire. I can't move. Many people start to appear from the shade behind the trees and bushes surround me.

''22 October'' Someone screamed behind me.

And I woke up.

7:26 am. I remember dreaming that during the whole night. I woke up sweating, my T-shirt had a huge stain that was pure sweat, my sheets had fallen to the floor, and I had a very bad headache.

My house felt like a prison. Like a pressure cooker about to explode. I had hardly been out at all in the last few days, just to go to school. I felt short of breath, I didn't feel the sunlight for more than 30 minutes a day. My skin was pale, but my sister's was worse. She looked like a colorless and emotionless person; the only thing that made her laugh was maybe a laugh from me, but nothing else. I was worried, but I had to apply my survival instinct and think of myself, as selfish as it sounds.

I needed air; I needed to go out, to see the sun, to see nature. So, I decided to grab my bike, and go for a ride around the neighborhood.

It was a nice bike actually, maybe one of the best things my parents bought for me. It was red, and you could go as fast as a car. My father had bought it at a garage sale a few years ago. I don't remember how he decided to buy it, but it was probably very well priced. My mother surprisingly agreed, after my father tried to convince her.

I went to the bathroom, not before checking how my sister was, she was sleeping. I was happy, she was sleeping after what she had gone through, and let out a sigh of relief. In the bathroom, I started to feel frozen. The images of last night were starting to repeat again in front of my face. I could feel the tension I experienced a few hours ago, as I started to wet my face with some water to try to clear my face.

After changing my clothes, I picked up my bike, and I was determined to leave this place of hell at least for a few hours, without thinking about what could happen.

I started to pedal; I felt I had freedom after many days. I felt the morning breeze hitting my face, and a smile lighting up my tired face; I had hardly slept for the last few days. I could feel my body relax, and the tensions went down. I believe, at this moment, that this was one of the best moments of my life, the moment where finally, after 16 years of existence, I felt free for the first time.

As I was pedaling, I noticed something. I passed next to a building I realized I've been inside before. I stopped my bicycle, and I saw it was my uncle and aunt's house.

That old house where we spent many celebrations, like Christmas and birthdays, was as scary as I remembered. I looked through the windows, and began to remember every square meter of that house. I got goosebumps when I realized that the two people, who are making my life miserable, once lived inside of that particular house.

I tried to get out of there, and started pedaling hard. Again, the things I've experienced for the last few days began to blur my vision as flashes, and I felt the atmosphere become unbearable. The sky, which until a few moments ago was completely clear, was filled with clouds threatening rain. I saw how lighting began to fall, it was totally paralyzing.

From one moment to the next, the visions disappeared, as if they had never appeared. When I took control of my own actions, I found myself pedaling frenetically towards a curb, and there was no way to stop, it was too late.