Just A Dream

White crystals with heavy shades of blazing yellow dotted the empty skies with their promises of gracefulness and unfailing beauty was the scene Hope had gazed upon that cold winter night. Unblinking eyes watched over the stable moon with clouds covering its radiance with darkness and misery. The kid had her doll close to her chest, afraid to lose it to the weird lady who cats loved to follow for no apparent reason.

“Mom?” Hope asked breaking the silence of rushing wind and snow. “What’s life like before you met dad, before all of this happened?” she asked with a slight gloom evident on her face. Wide eyes surprised Darla which peered over the darkness as the flickering bulb from a light post finally gave up that day.

Darla opened her mouth, ready to utter a word but held it back for a moment. “I’m tired–“she yawned at the middle of her sentence“–maybe tomorrow,” her eye bags and wrinkles hid the once blooming and elegant face of which time shaped.

Hope no longer permitted to ask childish questions prepared their beds as they get ready to slumber, “Mom–“ she stopped and let the sound of a grumbling tummy speak.   

Darla coughed before answering, “We’ll get something to eat tomorrow.” Darla can’t promise anything to Hope, she herself hadn’t eaten for days; she only made it with some few pieces of bread which she shared with Hope and some water.

  

Hope took out a magazine which she hid under her pillow. It was a very old issue, but not too old that she can no longer relate, “I wish I was star, I’ll be surrounded by people, no longer hungry, screaming fans. That would be the dream.” Hope touched the face of her favorite singer, wishing that it would be her in that issue one day.

“But you’re a star. In my eyes, you’ll always be.” Darla gently stroked Hope’s hair until she felt sleep kicking in. It wasn’t hard. She could really feel her tired body taking over.

“I’m cold, snow’s starting to fall, and soon it shall be Christmas.” Hope said with a hint of sadness, she had never experienced Christmas with gifts and merry people to share it with. In fact she had never celebrated Thanksgiving, Halloween or any other holidays that she wanted too. She quickly understood that her life was never going to get better, but she loved to dream of it improving.

“Soon,” Darla gently closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep, so did Hope;  she held her magazine close to her and wished that when she woke up, all of her dreams will come true.

Hope soon realized that she was in a dream, but a very strange dream. All she can see was darkness, she saw her hands when she looked at them but everything else was just pitch black. She tried running around but the place she’s in was just one wide empty space. She tried calling out for help but she doubted anyone can hear her.

Hope bended down to her knees, covered her ears and started singing songs from the radio. She leaned back and forth as she tried to wake herself from her nightmare. She felt the cold gush of air through her clothes; it was cold, colder than snow itself. She struggled for warmth.

A blurry beam of light came out of nowhere, a small dot in the wall if you could compare it. Hope tried to stand and follow the light while her feet were shiver. The light slowly illuminated and Hope felt the warmth it was bringing, she no longer trembled but rejoices to find salvation.