He’s so beautiful. His golden luscious locks flowing from his head. His gorgeous eyes that look the like the sun beaming down on a hot summer day. He’s perfect. I’m perfect. We’re perfect for each other, he just doesn’t know it yet. I don’t believe he know who I am but that’s ok because he will know me soon. I know his whole schedule. When he wakes up, when he goes to work, what he does in his free time, I know everything. Everyday I’m just waiting patiently for a perfect opportunity. Just whenever he’s alone. That’s when I’ll strike. He will never see me coming. When he’s finally mine and mine alone, I can rest peacefully knowing that the love of my life is with me, forever. Tonight is the night. I will get him, he will come with me and he won’t be returning. I hope your ready for some fun.

“I don’t want you to go.” “I know but I have to, you know it isn’t safe for me here.” “I just can’t imagine living without you.” “I can’t either but I really have to go. What if they find me, I can’t risk it.” “How about I go with you.” “What are you crazy? If they find me they take you too, I couldn’t live with myself if you get hurt.” “Come on Ally, I have been there for you every single day, I can’t just let you go now.” “Josh. I have to go.” “Ally. What if this is the last time I see you.” “I’m sure it won’t be.” “But what if it is. Ally we have been friends for over 10 years I can’t just let you go.” “Oh Josh, Im gonna miss you so much.” “I don’t know if I can let you go, I’m coming with you.” “Are you sure, I would love for you to come but you know the risks.” “Come on Ally, this could be our last chance. Why don’t we just take it?” “Ok, fine. Come on let’s go.” “Oh Ally I love you.” “I love you too.”

Walk down the stone bridge to the garden path. Ivy and moss covers the stone and rocks. Walk under the wooden staircase till you see the well, deep into the garden. As you walk towards the well, notice the beauty in the place. Look around. Notice the ivy and moss taking over the stone and the walls. Notice the wooden pillars on the sides or the well. Notice. Notice the well. Sit down on the well and look around, and notice my presence. Find me down the garden path, where most children don’t come back.

The pain. The pain is like someone stabbing me over and over again. I can’t go on. I grab the sharp cold knife off the ground as I remind myself, “once I do this I will be free” finally I head the knife and plunge it through my chest and I feel relief. This sweet sensation of all my worry’s and cares in the world flow out of me like the red blood coming out of me. I can finally join the ones I lost long ago. Free, free from this pain and agony. Freedom, at last.

I love this world. We have come such a long way since 2022, where the ocean was polluted and people were throwing their trash on the streets and in the woods. Or where company’s were pollution the air with smoke and gas. A place where we could live in peace with the world, a place where the animals could live free without worry of getting caught in pollution. A place that was perfect. Everything was perfect. Until, I was walking in the forest to clear my head and I saw this tree that caught my eye. I saw something reflecting in the tree. I climbed up the tree to get a closer look and realized it was a camera. I took it out of curiosity. I was told we got rid of these things a long time ago because it was better for this environment. I took it back to my eco friendly dome and I started investigating. I have only heard about cameras but never seen one before. It wasn’t the ones where you could take pictures with the press of a button. It had to be a camera that just recorded constantly. I wonder if someone is watching us through this camera. I went back to the tree where I found the camera and put it back but as I was in the tree I saw something. I looked into the forest and as I walked closer I rammed into it. How is this possible. It isn’t real? The woods, the trees, the plants that extended into this forest were just fake? It was like a wall. I walked along the whole border until I felt something on the wall. A little bump. I felt it. Maybe it was a button of some sort. I pressed it. A hatch in the floor popped up. Of of curiosity I went down. As I climbed down the ladder into the shiny metal room I realized this world that I was living in was fake. Almost like another little world inside of another. I snuck out into a room full of people staring at my world! There were signs everywhere that said “ This is what our world would look like if there was no technology.” “Look at the beautiful world we have created” “ No pollution!” God it was like looked at a video of myself. What the hell is happening. I asked someone what is this place. He said it was the eco museum where we could see what life was like if we helped the world and made a change. All this time I have been living in a fantasy world! Now I had to decide if I wanted to stay in this world or go back to mine.

( Inspiration for this story from the book “Running out of time” Margret Haddix.)

All around me I see darkness. I am all alone, curled up in a ball waiting to find the light. I get up to my feet as I am struggling to find a way out. I have been stuck inside this darkness for months now. I feel no one can help me no matter how hard they try. I’m stuck in this pit of darkness forever. Then I see something. A sliver of light appears. The light slowly guides me out of the darkness little by little, until I can see clearly again. Now I know that no matter how far into the dark I am, the light will always be there to guide me back on the right path.

I feel his hand next to mine as we are dancing in the moonlight. We are almost gliding over the surface of the water as rain is pouring down on us. As we are dancing our eyes lock and we look at each other in a way we have never before. I take his hand as he leans in to kiss me. Beep! Oh god. I wake up to my annoying alarm clock ringing in my ear. It was just a dream. If only I could tell him how I really feel. Then maybe we could dance in the rain, for real.