Freedom

It was a cold winter night. The cold breeze hitting the window panes produced an eerie sound. The curtains swayed wildly, pushing the nearby objects onto the floor. The room was dimly lit. The room was perhaps a testament to her disarrayed mind, a chaotic display of memories past and future dreams. The main space hog was the bed, which was currently neatly done, giving the illusion of order with its frilly bed cover and neatly arranged pillows.

Above it, secured to the roof across the bed area, hung an array of dream catchers, illuminating her once strong sense of happiness and optimistic dreams. A chain of lights framed the room's sole window, the sill holding various trinkets to cast a nice shade of nostalgia for her and those who knew her stories—or do they?

On the bedside table, lay yet another plant, the last one in a series of failures, a futile attempt to nurture her green fingers.

She was in the far corner of the room. Under the illumination of the bulb above, she lay still, staring at the mirror.

She hated herself.

 

She was once a bright and bubbly girl. She had dreams, and wants. Her smile would brighten up the room.

Yet, one day, she stopped. Smiles ceased to happen, or if they did, they looked so dead. There wasn't any shine in her eyes when she smiled. It was like a plastic doll, eyes in a daze, distant. It was as if she was always somewhere else.

She didn't talk much anymore, either. She gradually became more reserved, distancing herself from others and fumbling for her words. It was as if she was afraid to utter a word. As if doing so would lead to punishment. She always seemed unsure of herself and insecure. Her body radiated the exact opposite of confidence.

She preferred to be alone, isolating herself in her room. She didn't talk to her friends much anymore. She didn't dream her dreams anymore. She didn't want anything anymore. Nothing mattered, because she felt hopeless.

And the gleam in her eyes never returned, nor did the smiles.

She couldn’t live like this anymore, and would end it tonight. She had her bags packed. She kept staring at them, knowing that escaping from the house would set her free—free from her disposition. She gathered some courage and was about to do it! "What would my parents think?" She paused. "What will everyone think when they find out what I've done?" Her head was spinning with the thought of the riposte to her action. "Ahhhhh," she exclaimed loudly. She could not take it anymore. Her body could not take it anymore. She wanted to be happy, she wanted to be beautiful, she wanted to be the old she. Taking a deep breath, she picked up the bags and sprinted out of her house to a new life, a life that would have all the things she dreamed off!

 

The subdued act had no witness but the lone mirror. The mirror beamed at her as she dwindled away from it. There was stillness in the air, albeit an uneasy one.

 Well, here she was! Breathing in the fresh air of the dawn and staring at her freedom. She wiped out the sweat from her forehead and happily boarded the ‘Titanic’! 

Alas, little did she know!