𝑩𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆 𝒂̂𝒎𝒆 | 𝑺𝒂𝒊𝒅𝒂

39

You feel an urge to pry your eyelids open, and when you do, you are welcomed by the sight of a field of flowers and a large tree shading you from the sun. You did not remember getting here, but it wasn't assaulting your mind, so you think it's okay. It's okay as long as it doesn't hurt you. The thought wasn't exactly your primary question. Matter of fact, you don't have any curiosity in you, the more you realize.

You look around and past the horizon—you are not able to see the end of the field (like you're stuck on some kind of a never-ending earth-like planet.), the flowers are not familiar by name, but they curve a deep semblance of belonging as you let your fingertips brush the purple petals. Enticing you further. You sighed and heard a voice call for your name. You can't hear what it says, but you know that it is calling to you. You just feel it wanting you.

You looked around, you didn't feel danger by the sudden change of tone of the voice, as if it was asking something urgently. Instead, you felt an ache from beneath your ribs and the soft skin of your body. You felt confusion seeping through your mind as you spun your head around to look for someone, someone who owned that voice. Even if you don't know who it was.

And as if on cue, a woman materializes before you. She owns a familiar face, and you know to yourself that you had a haunted look on yours for some unknown reason. You don't know where she came from, but you don't dwell on the thought. Instead, when the woman reached out, you hoist yourself up, preparing to run but a look of abject horror dawned on you as you realized that you couldn't move from your place. "Hey." Now you can make out what she's saying. You feel your knees quake at the gentleness of her tone. And you gasped at the feeling of something falling into place when you saw her face. Very, truly, weirdly familiar. It's the feeling you get when you look in the mirror.

Then without you even taking far much longer to think of the reason she was recognizable towards you, you hear yourself answer her absentmindedly. Like you are programmed to answer her just as fast as she called, "Mom." You expected tears to prickle at the edges of your eyes but there was nothing. You expect yourself to cry your heart out but instead, you feel delectation. You felt...fine. Whatever that means. Or more like, unbothered by it. "It's been a long time since I last dreamt of you." You admitted.

Your mom smiled softly and took both your hands then put it close to her chest, you felt nothing, not a heartbeat or the warmth you expected. She felt so cold. You wondered why, the field was not cold it was hot under the blazing sun and the only shade you had was from the large oak tree up the hill, you felt safe under it. Your mom opened her mouth and, for the second time even if she was standing so close to you, you did not catch the things she said. But you know, you know when there are several words retained in your mind. "Can't stay. Go back there." There? Where the hell is 'There'? The echoes of her words in fragments squeeze your lungs. You look back up to your mom's face to ask yet find nothing but another sight of the flowery fields. She's gone...so fast. You gasped but you're not surprised. Your hands feel cold as she disappears, just as cold when she held it—it didn't change. There's no trace or evidence of her existence, it was as if she was not even there in the first place.

Chills run up your spine.

And for a moment you let yourself curse under your breath as you searched around for her. She's missing again! You opened your mouth and let out one indignant shout. Because how could she leave you here? Alone. Again. But no matter how hard you tried to push out a yell, there's not a sound coming from you. Like the place blocked out any forms of sound forthcoming—even the whip of the wind breeze from earlier. A world devoid of sounds, how ludicrous.

You felt icky suddenly, then you looked down below to find that the flowers had all tangled themselves on your ankles. You panicked, kicking them away and you decided to run as fast as you could, but then find yourself unable to move from the place. Your heart beats faster, you gasp and try clawing the flowers away from your body, but it only makes them come back a few seconds later. You're running out of breath, and somehow you know that you're running out of time.