jia en's short stories

Once Upon a Dream

Once upon a dream, there was a little girl who lived in her own little bubble, in an unknown world. An unknown world, where colors were more vibrant, where the air was fresh, where the birds sing every morning. She would wake up looking forward to each new day, the future never able to scare her. She was an inspiration, even though she was only 7. At 7, the world could not pierce her pure, sincere heart. At 7, nothing in the world could bring her down. She was all so powerful and brave, only because she was naïve and oblivious. But that was her strength. I watched as she goes through her day without a fear in the world. She'd paint beautiful pictures in her head and shared them with everyone she knew. She didn't care what they thought, she always showed herself and expressed herself to the world. I wish I could protect her smile. I hope she would never be tainted. The clock ticked, mornings turn to night, days turn to years. She is now 16. The mornings were still beautiful, she still looked forward to each day. The air around became a little musky, but her heart remained pure. The only thing that changed was that she became...quiet. She became an observer, an avid observer. She'd observe and adapt to everyone she meets, always trying to fit another's preferences yet remain sincere. It was manageable. Everything was. A smile was still quite easy to maintain, but a sincere smile...she tried her best. The future was a little scary, but it excites her. She was excited to grow up. I watched her lovingly as she started to change. I wanted to tell her nothing would have mattered if she were more selfish and that it was ok for her to be. The future laughed in her face the year she turns 20. The scars on her wrists, the dark circles under her eyes and her unkempt hair spoke volumes. She never looked forward to a single day. Each night she wished she would never awake. The air was...suffocating. Each day it felt harder and harder to breathe. She'd smile. She was still sincere, but her heart was breaking. Her morals had been long violated and she was an empty shell, just surviving. Once upon a dream, I was that 7-year-old girl. Now I'm hitting 20, empty.