Mori

We fear for death to take us with its claws though it's something we all have in common. It is a thing we cannot escape from; whatever measure we do, it'll be a shadow at our back, haunting us. It has become humanities' worst nightmare, that we spend the entirety of our life preparing to escape it until we realize that there's nothing we can do. We wanted and hoped that we could go to the promised land without the need of going through it. We all thought that it's our end but who's to say that it's not our beginning? That death is just a door to another world.

......

I took a deep breath and the smell of moist dirt hit my nose. I coughed hard as a dribble of blood dropped at the corner of my mouth. My lungs were giving up on me. It's a drag to take in a single gulp of air let alone breathe. My breathing hitched until it became labor. A lone ant traveled to my arm, it went to my ear and bit me. I didn't give a dam with the pain until the lone ant became an army of hundred soldiers. I laid there unmoving, unable to swat the little insects feasting on my flesh. I dragged the last breath out, it was too much body pain that I wanted badly it to stop. I closed my eyes as a small bark ended my life.

"No! No! NO!" I cried, dragging the words as I wailed into the dark still night. My body was covered with sweat and the teddy bear shirt I was wearing clung to me like a second layer of skin. My breathing hitched, I could still feel it, the pain in my lungs like I was still trapped inside the awful dream. I covered my eyes with both of my hands afraid it would happen again.

A loud banging sound entered my room. My mom clicked the switch open and she gave me a worried look. She sat beside me, two long arms wrapped around my trembling body and I cried harder.

"Baby, what's wrong? It was just a dream." She crooned in my ears trying to calm me.

I didn't believe her, it wasn't just a dream. It was never just a dream.

"No," I said as I took my hands down, looking my mom straight in the eyes. "Mrs. Gonzales' dog is gonna die. It's sick, mommy."

"What!? Mara, we've talked about this for over a month now. It's just a dream, the dog is not going to die! Are we clear? You're thinking too much of it." She held my shoulders slightly shaking me, her eyes clouded with fear.

"But..."

"No buts. Go back to sleep. It's a dream and it's not true. Will you please give me a break, Mara?" Mom with pleaded me.

I nod my head and I lied back down, taking the blanket up to my chin. My mom tucked me in and pressed a kiss on my forehead.

"Mommy loves you, you know that right?"

"Yeah."

She when out and clicked the lights off, leaving me again, alone with my nightmares. I was afraid to close my eyes and let it take over. I hated feeling it, I hated being the dog. I laid still, looking at the twinkling blue stars in the ceiling, wishing for them to save me. I didn't want to sleep but the need was too much and my eyes closed on their own. Darkness took over until the dream caught me and it played on a repeat. Making me suffer from the dog over and over again.

I pried my eyes open as the little rays of sunlight from the slightly open window hit my tear-stained face. My lungs burned from the residual effects of the dream, making it a little bit hard to breathe. I shook my head and jumped off the bed.

I headed downstairs to the sound of murmuring voices. I followed it and I saw mom talking to someone on the half-opened door. The old lady living next to ours was crying her eyes out.

"I'm sorry for your lost, Martha." My mom told her in a grieving tone.

"It's just...it's out of a sudden. I thought Steve was just having a phase but I guess...it was the signs." The old lady started crying harder.

My eyes widened in shock and I stayed glued in my position just steps away from my mom's back. I wanted to reach out for Mrs. Gonzales' hands and tell her that it was because she kept feeding him avocados.

"I got to go now Agnes but thank you a lot for consoling me. It's hard enough that my dear Mathew left me a year ago and now my dog." My mom patted her on the shoulder and the old lady gave my mom a sad smile.

The two bid goodbye and mom closed the door. When she turned her back, she caught me in my eavesdropping. She went to me and kneeled, taking both of her hands on my face, forcing me to look her in the eyes.

"Mara, listen to me. It's just a coincidence, okay? Don't tell this to anyone. No one, understand me?"

"Mom..." My mom cut me off with a hand.

"No. No more of this subject. This ends now. Got it? Do you understand me, Mara?" She said a bit harshly, scaring me.

"Yes, mommy," I said quietly.

I kept quiet but it never stopped.