The door slams, and a lock clicks. My head snaps up, I’m not expecting anyone. A figure with a knife is staring at me. I freeze.

"You have five minutes to prove you’re worthy of living. Go."

I stand up. I feel the tears streaming down my face. I can’t think, I can’t breathe, I can’t do this. I look into its eyes. "C’mon, we don’t have all day. If I’m getting bored, I might just kill you now." it says, twirling its knife. "No!" I yell, voice shaking. "I’m 15. I’m not even 16 yet. I haven’t lived life. I haven’t learned how to drive, and I’m not even an adult. I haven’t experienced anything!" It looks up at me. "Okay. Go on." "My name—my name is Sophia. I have a younger sister, Eva. She’s 12. I have an older brother, Matt. He’s turning 20 soon. I have a family." My voice quivers with every word, I can barely breathe between my words. I pause, to try and breathe. "A minute left. Make it worth it, or..say bye!" fuck. "I’m so young. I’m someone’s daughter! I’m someone’s older sister and I’m someone’s younger sister. I haven’t gotten to experience love yet. I’m a person. Please, I’M A PERSON!"

I think that individual found joy in hearing people plead for their lives, cause all my efforts were in vain.

"Living is such a privilege?" I hear it a lot. And, it is. kind of.

Living is truly a dream, when you’re with your best friends, and you’re living such a meaningful moment that you start to miss before it even ends. or when you get a good grade on something you worked hard for, everything you did was worth it.

But the world doesn’t work like that. Of course; why would it?

What would you do when you watch your best friends slowly drift away, or when you know you’ll never get to see them again. Or when you’ve tried and tried and tried again, but you keep failing. you’re not enough, no matter how hard you’ll try.

This can and will destroy you. But remember, the world doesn’t end when you fail a test, or get a bad grade. And remember that the benefits of living really do outweigh the benefits of not.

So, don’t give up. though life may not always be a dream, it’s still worth living for—especially the moments which still feel like a dream.

What matters in this world? Everyone, and everything.

Every action leaves a mark. an imprint, a trace.

Everything which has existed, though maybe now forgotten, has done its part. and maybe by now, you forgot her face.

But you won’t forget everything she did for you. How she made you laugh after you felt empty for weeks. Or how if you wanted to do something, she would do it too.

Even if someone—or even something becomes a distant memory, Their impact will forever be reflected on the world.

Because, we live in a land where the footprints of ghosts linger.

I can see their eyes, the way they stare where the soul lies. I see their cold stares, I see everything there.

I see their figure looming; standing there, stationary. I see their smiles, growing increasingly larger as I watch carefully.

Look at their eyes, don’t you see? How every time I look, they look right back at me? I can see their cold eyes, and how they stare into mine.

I can see their movement; subtle, yet present. They’re coming closer, and closer, and closer. I can see them. Can’t you, too?