#fallingbodies

by fallingbodies.tumblr.com

I was in a dark forest, surrounded by apple trees and deserted cabins. They looked like they were filled with five witches, each. There were about 11 of those cabins. The bonfire in the middle had a hint of my camping memory, back in third grade. We were cooking up some s'mores. It was really good food, except the burnt stayed in there for a while. In this bonfire, though, there were dead rats in exchange for the marshmallows. I was scared, and it didn’t stop there.

A five-foot tall serpent walked (didn’t know they could do that) by me. I asked him if those were witches inside the cabins. He said in Latin, but I understood: “They are witches, and they are coming for your mother.” I ran away. I huffed and puffed, gladly. The witches did not see my escape. But what was around me seemed to be a pop-up book repeating over and over again. There were soldiers marching to a burning city. In a quick motion, I found myself inside a cinema. It caught backdraft. My whole family was there, except for my mother. I remembered the witches and started crying.

I opened my eyes. It was a nightmare, and my sheets were wet from the cold sweat and tears. I opened the night light and saw the time. It was 5:13AM. I woke up a little too early, but that’s okay. I didn’t want to sleep again. Ever. My mom took me to class early today, walked the same halls and talked to the same people. In history class, we discussed the Roman Empire and how it fell under this guy named Nero. I imagined him to be the Level 85 Boss in a Role-Playing Game. Level 85 is good enough to burn a whole empire, and I thought Nero belonged there, because Level 99 is reserved for the bad guys who are trying to burn the whole Universe. My mind drifted away for half of the class. In hindsight, I could see Claudia, the only girl living in New York, staring at me, wondering possibly: “What the hell is this dork thinking again.”

So we had lunch at the cafeteria where I saw marshmallows but didn’t want to eat them because of my dream. I wish those witches would disappear.

A few sleepless nights kept me occupied and allowed me to cut to the chase. Before I knew it, it was my 13th birthday. The candles were burning hard. I unconsciously blew them even before my little sister started the second verse of Happy Birthday. I think she cried a little. I wish she didn’t. It rendered all my birthday powers useless.

I went to my room and went through the same old stuff. Before going to sleep, though, our teacher in Literature asked us to read one poem everyday. Today’s assignment was i carry your heart with me by E.E. Cummings. At first I thought it was ridiculous how he wrote everything in small letters. But as the poem came to an end, I remembered Claudia. She meant everything to me.

My sheets felt different, as if they were specifically woven to cater to my dream tonight. They were cold and fleeting, surrounded by an aura of light. I turned off my night light and tried to sleep.

I found myself in a room exactly like mine, except for one detail: the walls were pink. Claudia was right beside me in my bed and I could actually touch her, and feel her. I felt feverish. My blankets were a garden of sweat. She said, “Happy birthday,” and kissed me. I remembered reciting the exact words of i carry your heart with me to her because my mom told me that poetry never fails to impress girls, and that was the only one I could remember. As I wrapped up my recitation, she burned so brightly I could’ve sworn it was heaven. It was like defeating a Level 99 Boss and singing my victory song over and over again. I don’t know why she had to burn, though.