Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"A sweet surprise has the power to dissolve the nightmares that plagued us throughout the night."
The darkness engulfed me like a thick fog, swallowing everything around me. I found myself in our old living room, but it seemed different-colder, more menacing.
The air was suffocating, and the warmth of home was gone, replaced by an eerie emptiness. My mother stood before me, her eyes cold and fulled with anger. I felt like a small, helpless child under her unforgiving gaze.
"You think you can just get by without trying?" she spat, her voice like ice, freezing every inch of me. "You think talent alone will carry you? You are nothing without discipline. You'll never be the actress you dream of being if you don't push yourself harder. Do you want to be a failure?"
Her words cut deep against my skin, each one a searing lash of disappointment. I wanted to explain to her, to tell her I was trying but fear stole my voice, leaving me frozen. Tears fell uncontrollably, but they did nothing to soften her cold expression.
"Stop crying!" she demanded, her voice growing louder. "Crying won't get you anywhere. Weakness won't get you anywhere!"
I wanted to scream, to shout back, but I was frozen, trapped in this nightmare. My body was trembling uncontrollably, shaking with the weight of her disappointment. All I could hear was her voice, growing louder and louder until it was unbearable.
I jolted awake, heart pounding as if it might burst from my chest, sweat soaking my skin and sheets. Tremors still rippled through me, and her voice echoed in my ears. The nightmare lingered, refusing to release its grip from me.
For a moment, I just sat there, staring into the brightness of my bedroom which shone in the sunlight of the early morning. My throat was dry, aching as I swallowed back the sobs that threatened to escape. I hugged my knees to my chest, trying to calm my racing heart. Breath, Meona. Breath.
Cutting through the oppressive silence, my phone rang. The sound was jarring, too loud, making me jump. My hand fumbled as I reached for it, the glow of the screen almost blinding under my pillow. I managed to swipe the screen, answering the call with shaky hands.
"H-Hello?" My voice was barely a whisper, still trembling from the remnants of the nightmare.
The other end of the line crackled for a moment, then a voice spoke-brisk, businesslike, and utterly devoid of emotion.
"Hello, Meona". A wave of warmth washed all over my body. Cecelia, my manager. "We need you to come in as soon as possible."
My heart skipped a beat, a surge of confusion creeping in and taking hold. What the actual fck? I looked at the clock- 8:30 a.m. "Hold up, I just woke up. Is something wrong?"
