In Your Dreams

Written by Alice Xu

          She was so angry when she shouted: “If I come next time and you are still playing, don’t blame me if I do something crazy!” Then, she slammed the door, leaving me outside. Alone. 

          My parents died when I was 5. I never knew how they died, but they went to a magical place called Heaven. At least, that is what my uncle told me every time I asked him. He was the only person who could make me feel warm and welcome in their family, until he died in an accident. They had a daughter, Aleida, who had just turned five. 

Laying down on the cold floor, I couldn’t believe I had now lived in this terrible family for almost 6 years.

          I stood up and walked outside, wandering the streets looking for a new home. I was tired of an  aunt who treated me like an animal, an annoying little freak that views me as a servant. 

When I walked near a pond, I suddenly saw a reflection of myself looking back there from the water. Skinny and weak, with scars tattooed in my skin where my aunt had whipped me. I fell to the ground in tears. 

          This was not the life I wanted. When I opened my eyes, I saw a cozy, small house with a warm fireplace. My mother is there, holding me in her arms and whispering stories. My father wiped my tears away. But when I closed my eyes and opened them again, they were all gone. I was still sitting near the pond, alone and weeping. My dream had seemed so real. I wondered, do other people only dream of what they have lost?

        I stood up and I ran.  I ran away from fear, away from loneliness. Miles and miles I ran without stopping; there was no way to turn back. Eventually, my body hurt from running, and  I had to stop to catch my breath. But I couldn’t stand up straight. I reached into my pocket, and pulled out the only picture I had left of my parents for comfort. I smiled peacefully, and closed my eyes. I didn’t realize that I was in the middle of the road, and I didn’t see a car coming from around the bend. 

          When I opened my eyes again, angels flew around me, and there were stars in the sky. I reached into my pocket, but the photo was gone. Instead, it was replaced by so many photos of my mother, father, and me. A family. I looked up, and saw my parents standing right in front of me. I rushed towards them, and my uncle who  stood next to them. 

       “It’s Heaven,” he whispered to me. 

        I didn’t want to wake up, and so I never did.