Donald awoke with an abrupt loud noise of an alarm clock ringing next to his ear. He was always one to snooze and never set the alarm. “What is this noise and where did it come from?” He thought to himself while the struggle to open his eyes continued. The room had an atmosphere of a dark, chilly Sunday morning up in a wooden mountain cabin, as if it wanted Donald to succumb to the comfort and go back to sleep.

Shutting of his eyes, he waved off to sleep again. But, in a short second, he realised that the alarm clock wasn’t his and sat up scared of where he was as the realisation set in. He looked around the room from under the soft bedsheets, to the left was the window as big as him covered with two sets of curtains, on the right there was a door leading to the bathroom and a small table and chair. He spotted a trolley bag which was half open on the floor near the bathroom door. It looked like it was packed for at least two or three days of travel.

There was nothing more, nothing less in that room.

He could not recognise anything at all. The room started to spin, and he felt like he was going to puke as his heart beat so loud out of his chest. The panic started to set in, and he clutched onto the sheets and clasped his eyes shut until he could be confident enough to get off his bed and check the luggage to hopefully find a clue about where he was.

More importantly, why.

Just then, as if God was giving you a clue to help you out of your disdain, there was a gentle knock on the door. “Good morning! Dr. Mammoth, we are waiting to depart, please meet us in 15 minutes?”

Donald couldn’t help but wonder, “Dr. Mammoth? Who does he think is in this room? How did you end up here? Did I get kidnapped and put in the wrong room? Is this doctor somewhere here, maybe dead? How the hell did I end up here? Didn’t I just have pizza at Marie Ann’s party last night and went home to sleep?” As all sorts of thoughts came into his mind, he was terrified and could only think of the worst.

The doorknob started to turn slowly, as a harsh and strict voice from behind came once more, “Dr. Mammoth, we are coming in, we have to get ready and depart in the next 5 minutes. Please cooperate with us!”

I sprinted up from the bed and rushed to the bathroom and locked it behind me. That is when I saw ‘IT’ in the mirror. I slapped my hand on my mouth and covered a huge gasp that had almost escaped.

In the mirror stood a wrinkly old man about the age of 45 to 55 years. Dark, puffy bags under his insomniac looking green eyes, white beard and soft hair. This was NOT Donald. Thought’s raced inside him at the speed of light, “Where am I? What is going on?”

Suddenly a voice came from behind the bathroom door, “ Doctor? We hope you are ready to deliver your speech, it is time to go.”

Muttering up the courage, Donald asked “What is the speech about? And… where are we right now?”

“Oh! You’re to give a speech on the meaning of live, we’re in Ontario right now, Doc. Are you feeling okay?”

Donald quickly or a pair a formal trousers that were hanging behind the door, and neatly I and blue sure that have been waiting for him, and a blazer coat. “Yes! Totally fine, let’s go!” He exclaimed.

Donald, who was an 18-year-old American student up until last night, could not wrap his brains around what is going on and decided to go with the flow and probably figure it out along the way.

“Good morning everyone! Today we talk about the MEANING OF LIFE. But how can we, when we will only understand it once it’s not ours anymore. Value yourself everyday, live and love deeply, laugh because these memories you create, the precious life you very much hold won’t come back. Life, is precious and a one time opportunity, no re-dos or retakes. So enjoy, and just LIVE.”

An applause filled the entire auditorium as Dr. Mammoth completed his quick 5 minute speech and took a bow.