A CARTOON'S RADIANCE

Burning Pain [Prolouge]

A BREATHTAKING PARADISE

Darkness is all I see. I pitch black, hearing the sounds of strong winds, yet I feel no breeze. All I could see was a light fading away each time I tried to get closer. Behind me, Is a red light more blinding than the sun, more beautiful than the galaxy. However, beauty can take many forms, like Saint or Sinner, like yin and yang. When something looks so beautiful, you seem to never realize the danger you're in. Breathtakingly dangerous. Before I was able to break from the trance, it was too late. I was dragged in as if I was being swallowed by a black hole. It feels like my body is ripping and breaking apart every second; it feels like pain. It feels like torture. It feels like my own personal hell. I couldn't scream or move. All I could do was sit back and endure the pain. Endure the suffering, their suffering, maybe I deserve this. Did I?

RESTLESS NIGHTS

A few days have passed, and as I'm writing, I'm getting ready for bed; these nightmares are never-ending, progressively getting more and more terrifying yet unrecognizable. I've strived to get a good night's rest. I own a king-sized bed with pillows for maximum comfort. I even tried scented candles to make me sleep better. Yet, no matter what I do, my nightmares keep getting worse every day. It had become so hectic that I was screaming in my sleep. My parents had to wake me up to make sure I was alright. What I've thought of is to make a journal entry every time I wake up from my nightmares so I won't forget. I'll also write them on my phone just in case I ever lose my journal.

UNRECOGNIZABLE, UNKNOWN, UNFOUND.

As I'm pulled back into my nightmare, everything still seems the same. A light fading rapidly, and behind me a red light more beautiful than the galaxy. However, something seems different. I feel like I can hear the echoes in my head saying “What's happening? Where am I?” “I want to go home” “The fire is spreading!”. These aren't my memories. These aren't my thoughts. That wasn't even my voice. “You're correct, it's NOT your voice.” I felt a chill in my skeletal structure; it felt like I was losing control of what was left of my sanity. This is only a nightmare, yet it feels unrealistic. “Come on, Edwin, don't you remember me?” These voices in my head made me question “What's wrong with me?”. Before I was able to say anything, the light in front and behind me expired. It looked like it would've made a loud noise yet…silence, then I saw something in the distance. It looked like a child wearing some type of mask. Their skin feels charred like they just came out of a recent fire. “You've had to let go”. I've tried many times to forget, and I've tried EVERYTHING! “Of course, you're too weak to forget.” Stop it, please. “You will stay torturing yourself in your nightmares. You can't find peace. You will never find peace until you find me.” What? “Find me, Find me, Find me, FIND ME.”

SHARDS

The second entry of my restless nightmares. It's been some days now, and I still feel at ease after the last time I slept. My little sister Emily was in my nightmares this time. I could hear her thoughts and memories. It felt like an empty hive mind. It felt like I wasn't in control of anything. It felt frightening. I've looked over the voice recordings, and it seems that I was saying something in my sleep. “Find her” or “She's not gone.” The weirdest one I've gotten all day was, “The anomaly seeks to the lowest peak, once you find him scatter free, till death and dawn make everything wrong; you have one chance, Edwin, or it's all gone.” This is getting weird. Emily can't be alive, right? “Who said I was shattered?” Is it possible? I'll have to look into this more.

PIECES

It's been a year ever since the first time I've seen that…version of my nightmare. It kept repeating over and over again. It's been the same for 3-5 days straight. I haven't recorded anything since then. I've been worried more about my grades. I haven't been able to have a good night's sleep ever since the first nightmare. My friends suggested that I should get a therapist and tutor. However, my family hasn't had a lot of money ever since my mom got unfairly fired. So I don't think I'll be able to get a tutor. The school does have its therapist, so I'll look into that tomorrow. There's a history project I need to do, and I have to research. I'll be heading to the library within my school with Wilbur tomorrow.