Have you ever wished to witness your life on a TV screen, observing the past mistakes and memories you've accumulated throughout your journey? If only you had the ability to pause, rewind, and fast forward through certain scenes...
Whether I desired to do so or not, I am simply doing it- watching my dreadful life unfold before my eyes.
As I walk down the dark empty cinema, memories of my distant past are flashed on the big screen.
"Michael, how could you be so heartless! She has been in a coma for years now and you just decided you want to pull the plug now?"
"I am not being heartless; I am being realistic. Do you really think she will wake up soon!?"
"No, but at least-"
My mother's voice stirred up unwanted emotions within me. What did I do to deserve watching a nightmare like this?
An unfamiliar voice chimed in from a recliner, loudly munching on popcorn, "Hey cheer up! This nightmare cannot get any worse. Just take a sit down and relax."
"Who are you!?" I shouted in a trembling voice. I swear I was the only one here. Also, how could a room be so dark?
"I am your past life," The unfamiliar man gets out of his chair in the dark and starts to walk closer to me. I am scared. Why am I here and who is this man?
"Do not get closer," I cried out, my voice trembling with fear. Staggering, I hastily took a couple of steps back, hoping to keep my distance. But it was already too late. As he drew nearer, I began to discern his face, and my heart raced.
"Savin?"
Laughing now, the man begins to speak, "Well, I certainly am. You see, right now you are astral traveling. Have you never done this before?"
"Mom, like I said before, we are wasting our money at this point!"
"What do you mean? Astral traveling? What is that?" I ask, my voice filled with confusion. "I am so confused at the moment. What is really going on? I thought I died."
As I stood there, perplexed and disoriented, Savin's laughter echoed through the dream world. "No, you are currently in the dream world," he said with a hint of amusement. "Somehow you managed to learn how to astral project and forgot that you did that? I do not know, but welcome to the dream world, I guess."
"We have wasting our money since the beginning. Why give up now?"
Confusion filled my voice as I asked, "Why are you here, though? Why are you in my dream if I am astral traveling?"
With a knowing smile, Savin explained, "Hey, this is my favorite spot that you intruded in. Think about it this way... You always wanted to go to Italy, right? Now imagine if you got to travel there right now. Now you could actually go there if you close your eyes, imagine you are out of your body, and eventually, your soul actually leaves, and bam, you are there. That is what you did to get here."
As I tried to wrap my head around the surreal situation, Savin continued, his voice tinged with a sense of nostalgia, "And this is my favorite place in the dream world, so that's why I am here. However, the movie today is very different than usual. Are you really sure you want to pull your sister's plug?"
The words hung in the air, heavy with meaning, and my mind raced to make sense of it all.
Frantic and overwhelmed, I pleaded with Savin, "How do we switch the movie? This is awful! I do not want to see my life. Also, why are the doors locked? How can I get out of here?" My heart yearned to return to the safety of the real world, where the boundaries of dreams couldn't hold me captive.
"I'm sorry to break it to you, but you'll have to endure the entire movie before the doors open. And listen, since you're new to this, be extra cautious if you encounter anyone. Don't let them catch on that you know you're in the astral world. There are some truly malevolent spirits around, and if they sense your awareness, you might find yourself trapped here."
My anxiety surged as Savin delivered the unsettling news. Does he usually watch his own life? That sounds torturous.
"I have to sit through the entire movie? And what do you mean by awful spirits? Also now to think about it, you said that this is your favorite place... Are there are other places than this?"
"Yeah, of course. This is the dream world, and it's filled with numerous realms. As we speak, Keiko is in the party realm. Right now, we are in the Memory Carousel realm."
"Memory Carousel realm?" I responded, my stress mounting. The surreal nature of everything overwhelmed me, leaving me feeling like a lost puppy in an unfamiliar place.
Savin's expression softened, "Like I said before, take a chill pill and relax. For right now, lets just enjoy the movie and I can show you the way out afterwards. I can see that this place is obviously not for you."
"I do not want to talk about this anymore. I am going to hang out with my friend Keiko now, I will talk to you later Mom..."
