***

It’s dark and cold

Dark and cold

Nothing else

Everything’s just dark and cold

A bright light grows and you see the world

Burning around you

But you’re even more engulfed in

Dark and cold.

***

Chapter 2 – Crack In the Mirror

Mey helped me get up and I obviously thanked her for it, she laughed but shook it off and helped me home. She didn’t have to do it but she insisted on it, like if she wanted to be my guardian or something. Still, I didn’t bother. She was just a buddy of mine, right? Oh well, I didn’t consider it. We were friends and that was it. I got home cold and fragile both outside and inside, my mom ran to me.

“ Oh my god sweetie, what happened? “ mom said but I didn’t react, it all became a blur to me. I cried myself to sleep and had a dream about a post-apocalyptic world where everything was on flames. Still, through the fire and flames, I could see a grin, smiling at me. I felt freaked out and screamed at myself over and over again to wake myself up.

     Suddenly I woke up and it was in the middle of the night, raining outside, I saw a note attached to my window saying:

“ Hey, it’s me.

I didn’t have the courage to say it to you in person but…

I love you, and I have since when we first met in fifth-grade.

Please meet me behind the cafeteria at 4 o’clock tomorrow.

Love – A close friend. “

     After that I couldn’t fall asleep again, so instead, I started reading a book called The victim’s sacrifice. A book about how the world is never really how we view it, how sometimes everything is an illusion or a hoax. That book gave me a thought; What if every dream or fantasy was really what was real and vice versa? That thought terrified me, that every time you wake up you’re something or someone else. I shook the chills off of me and fell asleep reading.

     When I woke up I heard my mom yelling to me that one of my friends was outside waiting for me. I wondered why they were here this early until I checked my phone…

“ 08:38! “ I screamed and got my clothes on, ate breakfast and got ready for school in what felt like a minute. I ran to Oscar who was waiting for me.

“ I’m sorry that I am this late! “ I apologised and we hurried to our class.

     We got to school in five minutes, running for our lives like if the black death was chasing behind. We got to the lesson and I almost fainted. I felt sick to the brim of my being, a mixture of wanting to puke and spiritually dying, for being someone with proper health and care, this was new. Both I and Oscar ran to our different lessons faster than a chicken laying an egg. I got to my lesson safe and sound. I even got there on time which I was really happy about. I did forget some things like my computer and a pen but during the lesson we just watched a movie about what makes an atom an atom and what makes a molecule a molecule, then we discussed about it and many good points were brought up. I wanted to contribute but couldn’t cause I had spent the day thinking about who it was who sent me the letter. Who could it be? Could it be…?

     I cut myself off of that thought because I thought it was ridiculous. No way in Christ himself could that be true. Now, I obviously know I was wrong but it is funny how our minds can’t connect the dots, split up between different moments and information, scattered across time and space. But I was just paranoid at the time, I thought it was impossible. But it wasn’t…

     The lesson ended and I wanted to be alone to be able to think. Obviously, I didn’t get to be alone at all and was forced to zone out from reality and focus on me and the thoughts circling my head. Mey came up to me and asked why I was so quiet. First I didn’t even notice her but she just had to wave in front of my face to catch my attention.

“ Why are you so quiet? “ she asked once again. I didn’t know what to answer.

“ Promise me to not laugh, please? “ I said, wanting to tell the truth.

“ I promise I won’t laugh, “ she said with a grin, a grin that was sweeter than sweet. I thought she already had figured something out, but I wasn’t a hundred percent sure.

“ Someone, I don’t know who had attached a letter to me, on my bedroom window… “

I could hear a slightly feminine giggle.

“ Hey, you said you wouldn’t laugh! “ I said in anger.

“ Aww, come on, I didn’t mean it! “ Mey said to me laughing even more than before. Our last lesson was about to start so we headed our way to the science lab.

    When the lesson finally ended it was 4 o’clock, so I headed my way to the back of the cafeteria. Firstly I didn’t see anyone, but then…

“ Hey there. “ I heard a nervous voice whisper to me.

“ Who’s there? “ I said since I still hadn’t figured out who it was.

“ You still haven’t figured it out, have you? “ she said with a bit more strength in her voice. This woman, whoever she was, had a very soft voice, smooth as butter almost. If it wasn’t for the fact that I couldn’t see her I would go up to her and compliment her voice.

“ A riddle, “ she said. I assumed she was going to give me a riddle of who she was, which I was correct assuming.

“ Five words of approval, A handshake of respect. My voice you’ve heard before, Who I am you should detect. “ The riddle said, it was weird but still made sense to me, a mix of mystery and illusion. In my mind, I could see a silhouette forming of a woman. She was at my length and didn’t have an outgoing body posture, then it clicked within me.

“ Mey? “ I said without a second thought. I started hearing footsteps coming from the roof of the cafeteria, slow but delicate footsteps.

“ Yup, in the flesh, “ she said, looking down at me from the rooftop. Mey was the person giving me that note as a way of coming out from her shell.

“ Come up here! “ Mey said to me. I went up to the rooftop and felt a weird feeling in my stomach. Was this how serendipity felt like?

     Without warning me Mey kissed me under the moonlight. Yes. It was almost 6 o’clock when this happened. I got goosebumps from the kiss, but eventually, I let in. This feeling was incredible, was it destiny? I mean, I just got dumped by my girlfriend about a day ago and now I get a new one? Anyways, I let into the feeling of it, a feeling you just can’t describe with words. I wanted it to last forever, but sadly it didn’t. I got a phone call and the kiss broke apart, it was a number I didn’t recognize. First I wanted to ignore it and let this moment last forever, but I decided to answer and the words coming back to me were soulbreaking.

“ I have to go, I’m so sorry, “ I said to Mey, her facial expression told me she didn’t understand.

“ Why? “ she asked me. I already knew she would ask. So I spit the bitter truth…

“ My parents just died in a car crash. “

Text: Morgan Simonsson Björk, 7D