"Dark…! I'm scared!"
My hands fumbled through the darkness, reaching for something anything but there was nothing. Just emptiness. The air around me, cold at first, suddenly turned unbearably hot. I started crying.
"Someone... please... Mom...Dad..."
My chest tightened. My breath broke between sobs.
Then, the voice came.
"I will find you."
That whisper the one that haunted me sounded so close, yet I couldn't see anyone. It was too dark.
"Who's there?" I called out. No answer. Just silence.
Then I heard laughter. The same voice it's laugh made my skin crawl.
Without thinking, I turned and ran, blindly into the endless black, not caring what I might crash into as long as I could get away from that terrifying sound.
Suddenly...
Thud!
"Ouch!"
I fell out of bed, the blanket still wrapped around my legs. Morning sunlight poured through my bedroom window, lighting up my face, damp with cold sweat.
My heart was pounding like crazy.
"Another nightmare" I muttered, rubbing the spot where my head hit the floor.
Knock... knock... knock.
A familiar voice followed the knocking.
"Aurya! Open the door!"
Yep. That was definitely Mom.
I glanced at the clock-7:40 AM.
"Oh no, I overslept!"
"Rya, hurry up! How long are you going to sleep?"
The knocking grew louder, like the door would burst open if I didn't move fast.
"Yeah, yeah! Coming, Mom!" I quickly unwrapped the blanket from my legs, stood up, and walked to the door.
"So loud this early in the morning," I grumbled under my breath quietly, so she wouldn't hear. That'd be dangerous.
I opened the door and, sure enough, there was Mom, arms crossed and scowling like I'd committed a crime.
"How long are you planning to sleep, huh?"
Ugh. My ears are already screaming and the day's barely started, I sighed inwardly.
"You're a girl! Girls should wake up early!"
And just like that... the lecture began. Relentless. No mercy. I felt like my ears might go deaf.
"Okay, okay! I'll be late for school," I cut her off before she got to Chapter Two of her rant.
I quickly shut the door. As it clicked shut, I sighed in relief.
"Phew... My ears are safe, for now."
I began getting ready for school. Once I was dressed, I opened the door slowly. Tiptoed out like a thief in my own house I had to avoid Mom or she'd start again.
Just as I reached the front door and was about to open it, I froze.
"Rya, have breakfast first."
I flinched. I knew that voice. Dad.
I turned, and sure enough, there he was sitting casually on the couch with a newspaper and a cup of coffee.
"Don't worry. Your mom's already gone to the market," he said, reading my mind as I tried to sneak away.
"Oh... hi, Dad." I scratched my head, caught red-handed.
I glanced at the clock. Almost 8:00!
"I'm late, Dad!" I said in a panic.
"You'll get sick if you go to school without eating," he replied calmly.
True. I might get stomach acid again...
"Here, take your allowance. I'll give you extra today," he said, handing me two red bills.
My eyes sparkled.
"Dad, you are my true love!" I said dramatically, staring not at him, but at the money.
He raised an eyebrow. "Am I your true love or the money I gave you?"
"Both… hehe," I replied quickly, grabbing the cash.
Dad chuckled and shook his head. I kissed his forehead and dashed to the garage to grab my bike.
Hi. My name is Aurya Lumina Velaz, but everyone calls me Rya. Sounds kinda boyish, right? I used to hate it and even complained to Mom. But she told me the name means light. She said, when I was born, there was a strange light coming from my body and that's why she chose it.
I'm just an ordinary girl. An only child, living a normal life with a nagging mom and a dad who's too kind for this world.
My dad, Sylas Velaz, is 40 years old. He's a historian and researcher of ancient artifacts obsessed with lost civilizations and forgotten texts.
He's gentle with the family but dangerously obsessed with his work. He hides a lot of secrets about his discoveries. A few weeks ago, he found a strange parchment. I saw it on his desk once, and the moment I reached out to touch it, he appeared behind me out of nowhere, snatched it, and locked it in his display cabinet. Then warned me never to enter his office without permission again.
My mom, Seraphine Velaz, is 38 and works as a librarian at the historical museum. Every time she comes home, she brings a pile of books and tells me to read them.
If I ever try to protest, she always says:
"History is important. Study it well."
I've heard it so many times, I could recite it in my sleep.
She may seem strict disciplined, perfectionist, easily angry when I don't listen but deep down, she's kind and loving.
I'm 17 now, in my second year of high school. But tomorrow, I'll turn 18 and move up to senior year. Guess that means my parents married young.
Anyway, that's enough about them.
The weird part is, lately, I've been having the same dream over and over again. And somehow it feels real. Like it's more than just a dream.
That morning, like always, I rode my bike to school. After parking it in my usual spot, I walked to the gate.
Only to find...
"Oh no. The gate's already closed". I panicked.
I looked around, trying to find a way in. At the back of the school, I checked to make sure no one was watching.
"If I can enter from the front gate's, then time to climb!"
"Man, I'm a genius," I said confidently.
I chuckled and climbed the gate without hesitation. I wasn't about to face the school counselor or my mom's wrath for skipping class.
As soon as my feet touched the ground and I started walking toward the building
A voice stopped me in my tracks.
"Finally I Found you"....