Dream Of An Old World

I drifted in an endless darkness as I fell unconscious. It felt cold at first, but then there was a spark of light somewhere in the distance. The light grew and grew until it covered my sight. My vision blurred, then slowly clarity came back to it. I was laying down, staring at a familiar ceiling. It was dark but I noticed a small circular light on the ceiling in the middle of the room. I turned to my right, still lying down, to see fully drawn curtains next to the bed I was on top of. White light peaked through the edges of the curtains, offering little brightness to the dim room. I sat up in the bed to look around and found myself in a place that felt oddly cozy. The room was small with all white walls. At the corner opposite of my bed, a tall bookshelf stood, filled with many different sized books and a couple of small plants. To the left of my bed I saw a desk with a computer and some papers. There was a wooden door to the right of the desk that was sunken into the wall. and another door to the left of the bookshelf. I found it strange that despite suddenly being in a new place, I recognized everything immediately. This was my room and everything in it was all mine. I laid in bed a little while longer, taking in the familiar atmosphere, then there was a sudden knock at the door.

A voice called from the other side. Its speech was garbled and incoherent, yet its tone was warm and carried much concern for me. The voice of a woman very familiar to me: my mother. Though not a single word was understood, I still got the message. I stood from my bed and walked over to the door. I strange feeling of hesitance washed over me once I touched the doorknob. I wanted to open the door, yet I couldn't bring myself to do it. Soon, I heard footsteps getting further and further away from the other side of the door until they were gone. By the time I could no longer hear them, I decided to open the door. At my feet I saw a tray with a full meal, a glass of water, and utensils on it. I knelt down to pick it up, closed the door with my foot, and I carried it over to my desk. I set the tray down gently and looked at the freshly cooked meal. Its aroma filled the room with nostalgia. Just from smell and sight alone I could tell that this meal was made with a lot of care. I pulled the chair out from under the desk and sat down. I put a utensil in each hand and began to dig in. Each bite was warm and fluffy, leaving my stomach with an irreplaceable feeling. With each spoonful of happiness my vision got more and more wavy. Then, tears began to roll down my face and onto the food. I wiped my eyes as hard as I could but the tears would not stop. Why had I began to cry? I wonder. It was as though this food had given me something I was longing for for a while now. I scarfed the last of it down through my tears and drank the glass of water in one gulp.

I sat in my chair just staring at the ceiling, tears rolling down my face. I truly missed this place despite not knowing why. I understood that it had been my home before waking up in a new world, but I didn't understand why I felt so strongly about it. I wanted to get more of this feeling so I did what I must. All my instincts for whatever reason have been telling me to not open the door, but I persisted. I walked out of my room and looked down the short hallway. There was only one other door which was right across from me, and at the end of the hall were stairs leading downstairs. I slowly walked towards the stairs, trying to listen in on any noise, but all I got was silence. I continued until I went down the first step, still hearing absolutely nothing. Then I got to the first landing and still not a single sound. I could see the first floor at the end of the last flight of stairs. I pressed forward slowly stepping down until my feet touched the hardwood. In all it's glory, I saw the first floor of my old home. The kitchen was just to my right and to my left was a closed door. I knocked on it, but I got no response.  Ahead of me and to the left I saw a small couch, a coffee table in front of it, and a flat screen TV on a table. Just ahead was what seemed to be the front door which was stationed between two large windows. There were various pictures framed on the wall, but I couldn't make out a single one. There was still one thing missing: my mother.

I looked around trying to find her, but the silence of the house had told me she might've left. I decided that I'd look out the window to investigate further, but something was off. The light outside was unbearably bright. As I inched closer toward the window the light got brighter and brighter, refusing me of any visibility to the outside. It was as if the house was floating in a bright white void. This left me with only one more option. I made my way toward the front door. As I got closer I noticed a bright yellow square right in the middle of the door. It was a note that had words of care poured into it: "Please, if you finally find the courage to leave the house today, promise me you'll find a way make up with them. I love you." With that I opened the door to the bright light outside. My eyes opened and I found myself back in the dusty bed, staring at the vines entangled in the ceiling.