I saw it. An elongated, quaint figure. It stood tall. Confident and firm, he looked at me. His eyes were transparent. His eyes inspected me. They detected the hollowness I held, the void, the black hole of emptiness.

Fearful, I stood behind to the cupboard. The cupboard didn’t mind me standing behind it. I needed protection; the cupboard was the only barrier that stood between me and him. I hid behind the cupboard hoping that he would leave, he looked at me- what else does he want? I was hollow that’s all he needs to know. I have nothing to offer. Clinging on to the cupboard, I moved my head slowly, scanning the room for him. My eyes fell on the old rusty door. It was ajar. A column of light pierced through the empire of darkness that reigned in the room. He must have left.

I tiptoed my way across the room. The moonlight guided my way to the door. Finally, the light from the hall and moonlight merged together to create a path of safety. I was going to get out. Safety was in my grasp. I grabbed the door knob, pulled it it with all the strength I possessed. It was cold as ice. The cold shot through my skin. It hugged my skin and softly caressed my nerves. This was it. I was on the cusp of freedom. A voice within me rose and proudly declared that I am victorious. For a second, I forgot the void. I felt whole. Sometimes the void plays tricks on me, emitting delusions of strength and security. I had no time to question those delusions. I had to leave.

Placing my feet firmly at the threshold, I looked ahead. Scanning again for him. He was nowhere to be found. The moonlight followed me as I walked down the corridor; it penetrated every curtain that stood in its way. It shone brilliantly, instructing the dust particles to move in a synchronised dance- gathering and dispersing.

Along with the dust particles, I moved my body to the rhythm of the moon in hope of reaching safety. Through the endless passageways, my strength and courage dispersed and gathered. This was it. I saw the mighty door. The door I have fantasised about. The door of freedom. The door was large in size, it was littered with locks and iron bars. Getting through this door requires a sharp mind. How does one unlock all these locks without losing hope and falling in the ever-expanding abyss of despair? I looked at the door with an intense stare. I was only a few metres away from it. I began counting the locks. The dust settled. The darkness came back, slowly veiling my vision. I squinted. Counting the glimmers bouncing off each lock.

All of a sudden, everything went black. A hand touched mine, akin to the doorknob I held onto. It was cold but not like ice, no, it was different.