I was out in the woods, surrounded by pink roses and falling leaves. I was searching for something in the meadow. Pink butterflies were roaming around the field, forming a heart like shape. The place may seem strange but I was quite certain that I didn’t leave the Villa. This place is still part of the bizarre home of the Mercedes, as mysterious and fascinating as the aristocrats who own it. But I couldn’t remember seeing this place before. And when I passed by a small cemetery, I was totally sure that I was in a different place, far from the Villa.

I was wearing an old-fashioned long sleeve pink floral dress with a ribbon tied at the back. The scene may not be in black and white but I knew I was in a different time, far away from the time I should be in. I suddenly panicked. What if I won’t find the right way home? Will I be caught in this world forever? Will I ever see my parents again?

I tried to pinch myself a couple of times. I had dreams before where the scenarios seemed real but I knew that I was fast asleep and everything was just a dream. Unfortunately, it was still difficult to wake up when I’m in the middle of those bizarre dreams. Even if I knew I could go back to the real world and leave the dreamland especially during nightmares.

I wish I have the ability to interpret my dreams. Even the books I bought in the bookshop about the meaning of dreams were inaccurate and useless as my dreams were not covered by those books.

It’s been thirty minutes and I started thinking that this is not a dream anymore. I should be awake by now. Today is my first day of school and mom should be furious right now because I’m already late for my first class. I sat by a huge rock and waited for the time when I would wake up from the terrible nightmare. I’m a bit scared just looking at the graves through the iron gate of the old cemetery but I don’t want to walk further as I may get lost even more. Suddenly, I found myself going inside the cemetery .

″No, Denise! Don’t go inside!″ I heard myself saying but something may have hypnotized me, as I tried to enter the dreary place. The names in the tomb were blurred and I couldn’t remember any of them even if I knew I was trying to read them.

″Denise! Come back!″ I heard my voice again. ″You need to wake up now!″

I found myself forcing my eyelids to open. I was trying to wake up from the nightmare I was experiencing. I knew everything was just a dream. But how come I couldn’t wake up?

″Shout, Denise!″ I told myself.

I tried to scream, hoping that my mom would hear it and would come to my rescue. Although I could hear my voice, asking for help, I knew in reality, no voice was coming out. I saw a vision of myself, sleeping soundly in my bed.

As I was about to give up and accept my tragic fate, being a prisoner in this world, I heard a voice from behind. There he was standing beside a dilapidated statue of an angel, a few meters away from me, a mysterious boy in white.

″Don’t give up. They need you. Don’t give up, Helen.″

His voice frightened me that I felt the need to run. He was still there, trying to call me and I couldn’t understand the things he was trying to say. I suddenly tripped off a grave covered with wreaths of wilted garlands and melted candles. Unintentionally, I brushed the dried petals off the tomb when I tried to stand, exposing the marble marking the grave.

HELEN LIM

February 13, 1956 - October 27, 1969

May her soul rest in peace with the angels of the Lord.

″Helen! Don’t give up!″ the voice of the mysterious boy echoed throughout the cemetery. ″Helen!″

Although I was horrified with what I had discovered, I tried to get up and continued running until I reached the road. Suddenly, a light coming from a car blinded my sight and it was too late for me to avoid the fast running car. I knew it was going to hit me and that would be the end of my life. I closed my eyes, waiting for my death.

″Helen!″

I felt the front of the car bumping into me and I could feel my whole body went numb. Although I couldn’t feel my body, I could sense someone touched my hand and started shaking me.

″Helen! Please wake up! Wake up, Helen! Helen!″

″Denise! Wake up, Denise!″ Mom was furiously shaking me.″ You’re going to be late for school!″

I opened my eyes and saw my mom, standing in front of me, with her arms folded across her chest. I could tell she was furious.

″What are you still doing in bed? Come on you need to hurry or you’re going to be late.″

I took a deep breath.

″Thanks, mom.″ I suddenly told her.

″For what? For waking you up? I always do that for you but this is the first time I heard you thanking me.″

I looked around my room to make sure that I was not dreaming anymore.

″Is everything alright?″

″Yeah. I just had a bad dream.″ I replied. ″Thanks again for waking me up.″

″Oh. For the second time, I was being thanked by my beloved daughter. You should have a nightmare often.″

″You’re really mean.″ I snorted.

″Anyway, I really have to go. Get ready for school. The school bus will be in the plaza in forty minutes.″

As soon as I heard what mom said, I quickly get off my bed and went inside the bathroom to take a cold shower. I didn’t even bother fixing the bed covers. The plaza is quite far from the house and I need to run in a speed of a cheetah in order to get there on time.

As I went inside the shower, my mind was filled with thoughts about my dream. Who was Helen and what was her connection to the Villa and the people living in this mysterious manor?