The Lasting Vows

𝕭𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆

ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴀʀᴛ

Heavy breathing, gasping for air. I woke up with a heavy feeling. "What was that?" is a question that comes to mind.

That was such a hideous dream. It feels surreal. After a blank of thoughts that comes to my mind, I decided to get off my bed and go to the bathroom to freshen up.

As I stood up in my bathroom sink, looking at my pale face in front of the mirror, I could tell I got startled and felt afraid about what just happened in my dream. He seems familiar.

I drowned half of my body in the bathtub with the thought of forgetting about it. But I guess it didn't work. I'm very, very confused.

"Celeste Yvette Morgan!" I can hear my mom's scream up here. Very, very mad. I can hear her footsteps heading to my bathroom door. And there she goes. Knocking and knocking. "Yes, mom?" I replied.

"You're almost late, be fast there!" She said with a sigh of anger in her tone.

"I'll be there, Mom." I took my time to take a shower. As I hastily dried off and dressed, the remnants of the dream lingered like a fog in my mind.

It was as if a piece of it was trying to claw its way back into my consciousness, but I pushed it aside, focusing on the urgency of the moment.

Rushing downstairs, I grabbed a granola bar for breakfast, barely registering its taste as I shoved it into my mouth. Mom was already at the kitchen table, her expression a mix of annoyance and concern.

"Are you okay, Celeste?" she asked, her voice softer now, tinged with worry.

"Yeah, I just had a weird dream," I mumbled, not wanting to jump into the details.

"Well, try to shake it off. You can't afford to be distracted today of all days," she said cryptically, her eyes searching mine for something I couldn't quite decipher.

Mom's right, it's my first day of school, freshman year. Mom's so eager when it comes to academics. She wants me to be like her. Graduating as a validectorian and top of the class.

With a quick nod, I grabbed my backpack and dashed out the door, the cool morning air hitting me like a wake-up call.

But even as I hurried down the familiar path to school, the unsettling feeling from the dream refused to dissipate.

As I got to school, I immediately go to my designated class. Inside the classroom, the familiar hum of whispered conversations filled the air as students settled into their seats.

I took my usual spot since before that I will sit near the window, where I could catch glimpses of the world outside, a small escape from the confines of the classroom.

As I unpacked my books and notebooks, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that still lingered from the dream. The image of the mysterious figure haunted me, his face shrouded in darkness yet somehow familiar, like a distant memory trying to resurface.

Lost in thought, I barely noticed when the teacher began the lesson, the words washing over me without registering. It wasn't until Eya nudged me from beside that I snapped back to reality, her concerned expression pulling me back from the depths of my own mind.

"You okay, Celeste? It's our first day of freshman year" she whispered, her voice barely audible over the rustle of papers and shuffling of desks.

"Yeah, I guess. I'm fine." I forced a smile, nodding with response. But as the lesson continued, I found myself drifting once again, my mind consumed by questions I couldn't answer and a sense of foreboding that refused to be ignored.

After awhile, the lunch bell rang out its familiar chime, signaling the midday break, I merged into the stream of students flowing toward the cafeteria.

Wow, that's a lot of students.

Among the bustling crowd, my eyes briefly caught sight of someone who seemed vaguely familiar. His figure's, tall and somewhat imposing, stirred a faint something within me, but before I could place where I had seen him before, he disappeared into the administrative wing of the school.

Shrugging off the fleeting moment of curiosity, I followed Eya, my best friend, as she held us through the maze of tables toward our table spot.

The aroma of cafeteria food wafted through the air, mingling with the cacophony of voices and laughter that filled the room.

Taking our seats, we dove into conversation, discussing everything from upcoming assignments to weekend plans.

"Celeste, did you finish our assignment that our prof gave earlier?" Eya asked, her brown eyes sparkling with curiosity.

I nodded, relieved to have completed the task before going home. As we exchanged notes and brainstormed ideas for our next project.

"Woaah, you're really a good student Celeste!" She said while reading and a bit of laughter in her tone. I chuckles and shrugged in response.

With the lunch period drawing to a close, we gathered our belongings and prepared to head to our next class.

The hallways buzzed with activity as students hurried to their respective rooms, the chatter and laughter echoing off the walls.

The remainder of the afternoon passed in a blur of lectures and group discussions, the minutes ticking by as I focused on absorbing the material and completing assignments.

By the time the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, the events of the morning felt like a distant memory, blurred around the edges by the passage of time.

Stepping out of the school building and into the late afternoon sunlight, I breathed a sigh of relief, grateful for the respite that awaited me at home.

Before I could step out of the gate hall, I felt someone tap my back. I look at it's direction and saw Eya with her new friends. She smiled.

"See you tomorrow Celeste, Take care" she added, and wave at me saying goodbye.

"You too Eya, take care too" I wave back and smiling.

After awhile, My driver comes and pick me up heading to home. I look outside of the window and feeling the mysteries of the day could wait, for now, I was content to leave them behind and embrace the new beginning.