Episode 3: Cold home

The only word she’d said to herself. She walked weakly towards her mother, shaking, trembling. She doesn’t know what to do, no tears flowing as she reached her mother her world turned into her reality. It was only a dream.

She shrugged her head, shaking off all that happened. She got up from her bed and ran to her door, leaving the cold and dark room. She ran downstairs to see her mother, sweating cold a grief in her chest that no one can explain.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but still… I don’t want to have the wrong thought of this reality.” She said to herself, catching her breath as she reached down the kitchen.

“Mom…” The words that only spitted out from her throat as she caught her breath.

“Breakfast is ready, Akira.” Her mother said holding a plate with fried egg inside.

Akira’s feelings were drowning in the dark; she felt a big burden in her chest as she saw her mom making breakfast. She stepped closer to the table, her steps silent the only sound she heard was her own breathing. Her hand settled on the chair as she pulled it out, and her mom put down the breakfast she’d made for her.

Akira looked up at her mom. She’d noticed the look on her mom’s face, and felt regret for what happened last night. The thought that she was a burden still weighed on her heart nothing could heal those wounds unless… the longest life she’d wish for would come true.

Both of them ate breakfast in silence, no words exchanged only the sound of spoons clinking against plates. Akira finished eating and got ready to leave. As she touched the door, her mom walked toward her.

“Akira… Here’s your lunch.” She held it out to give to Akira. It wasn’t much, but that lunch could make Akira feel a little better, if only for a moment.

Akira took the lunch her mom gave her. “Thanks, mom. I’ll go now.” A word that flow at the silent surrounding

Akira started walking away, leaving her mom alone in the apartment where her mom was living in that darkness.

Her mom waved goodbye to her, staring until Akira’s footsteps faded. Akira walked on the sidewalk, gripping her bag, looking down as always. She didn’t want to meet others’ gazes; her face was covered by her hair, scared of what people might think about her. As long as she could draw, her life had meaning.

Akira stopped for a moment when a fresh breeze swept over her. She looked to her left and saw trees with pink flowers sweet, colorful, and happy trees. It was a cherry tree. She held her hand out in the air, catching a falling petal of cherry blossoms.

“Do you want to leave that world that doesn’t have any color?” A voice flowed into her ear.

Akira looked everywhere, but there was no one around only her, standing below the trees. She shrugged her head and started walking away. It was only her imagination, she thought in her mind.

The sun started to rise more, casting an orange glow over her surroundings. She sat on a bench under a tree, opened her bag, and grabbed her sketchbook. She admired the place with no more people around at that time. She started sketching on the page, moving her hand up, down, up, down. The motion of her hand, sketching and sketching. She already finished her sketch, closed it, then put it inside her bag. She started walking to her school.

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