Chapter 7: Where am I?

As I slowly rose from the bed, the disorienting shift from my vivid dreams to the real world left me feeling like an outsider in my own life.

I took careful steps toward the dining table, the soft carpet beneath my feet providing a comforting familiarity amidst the chaos of my thoughts.

The solitude of my parents' absence weighed on me.

My parents were brilliant scientists who had dedicated their lives to their research.

They lived and worked in different countries, sending money every month to support me.

It was a choice they had made to further their careers, leaving me nearly alone in our vast house.

Their absence had always been a part of my life, and I had grown accustomed to it over the years.

They believed in me and my potential, but their work was their priority.

Their unavailability had pushed me to become self-reliant, yet it also amplified the isolation I felt.

The fear of bullying from my senior and classmates due to my abnormal hand had haunted me throughout my life.

My hand, with its unique and strange appearance, had always set me apart from others.

The prospect of college, where I would be surrounded by new people and potential bullies, had terrified me.

I couldn't bear the thought of enduring the same ridicule and taunts I had faced in my earlier years. Instead, I had chosen to avoid college altogether, retreating further into the safety of my own world.

This isolation was a double-edged sword, offering me refuge from potential torment while also deepening the gap between me and the outside world.

As I sat down at the dining table, my solitary lunch seemed to mirror the isolation I had grown used to.

The silence of the house was a constant reminder of my situation, and the burden of my decisions weighed on me, creating a heavy atmosphere in the room.

I picked at my meal, lost in thought, and couldn't shake the feeling that the world I had just experienced in my dreams was much more appealing than the real life I faced.

My heart longed for the adventures and abilities I had believed were mine, and I couldn't help but wish for the sense of purpose and belonging that had always seemed out of reach in my own life.

Over the next few days, my life fell into a repetitive routine, a never-ending circle of things I did alone.

Mornings were for reading the same old books on my shelves, which never changed.

It felt like time had stopped for these books, refusing to let me move on.

Using the internet became automatic, my only link to the world outside.

But even that became routine, with nothing new or exciting. Sometimes, I tried to get better at my hobbies, but the progress was small.

After lunch, I'd go back to my room, choosing to be alone. During this time, I often escaped into the worlds of books and movies, getting lost in their stories.

One day as the sun began its descent, casting a warm golden hue over the world outside, I felt an unexplainable urge to break free from the monotonous routine that had become my life. It was an impulse I couldn't ignore any longer. With a mix of curiosity and apprehension, I decided to step out of my secluded haven and take a stroll in the evening.

Leaving the familiar confines of my house, I was immediately greeted by the serene beauty of the evening. The soft, golden light painted a canvas of warmth across the landscape, creating long, dramatic shadows that danced to the rhythm of my steps. The gentle breeze carried the fragrance of blooming flowers and the distant whisper of leaves in the wind. It was a moment of sheer tranquillity.

Walking for about 20 minutes, I spotted the familiar park that I had visited in my childhood. It was a place filled with memories of solitude and reflection, just like my own life. I pushed open the rusty gate, and as I entered, I noticed something unusual—the park was empty. Normally, it would be bustling with families, children playing, and people enjoying the beauty of nature. This emptiness added an eerie dimension to my surroundings, but I chose to ignore it.

I sat down on a weathered wooden bench, its peeling paint a testament to the passage of time. As I sat there, memories of my childhood flooded back. I recalled the days when I used to play alone in this very park, avoiding the taunts and mockery of my peers. It was a bittersweet nostalgia that brought both comfort and sadness.

As the evening sun dipped below the horizon, I realized that I had spent a peaceful and introspective time in the park. It was a moment of rare contentment that I hadn't experienced in a long while. But as I decided to return home, I began to notice something truly unsettling.

As I walked back toward my home, the strange silence and aloneness became even more noticeable. I couldn't see anyone on the road, not even in the park. This eerie quietness sent chills down my back, and I felt a growing sense of worry.

At that moment, I realized something was wrong, something that didn't make sense. This wasn't how things should be. So, I decided to check if my assumption was correct, determined to find out what was happening.

Approaching a random person's house, I rang the doorbell with a growing sense of fear. No one answered. I tried tapping it again and again, hoping for a reply, but there was nothing. My frustration and fear mixed in my thoughts as I thought about what to do next.

Finally, driven by a strong sense of urgency, I made a choice that I wouldn't have considered in normal circumstances. I entered the house without permission, and my heart pounded in my chest. The air inside was old and the silence was almost deafening. I moved carefully through the rooms, but there was no one to be found. My anxiety deepened.

With increasing desperation, I decided to check another person's house nearby. The same thing happened. The doorbell didn't get a response, and when I went inside, the house was empty. I visited ten more houses, and in each one, I encountered the same eerie emptiness. There were no signs of life, no evidence that people had been there.

Fear, confusion, and bewilderment overwhelmed me. I couldn't explain what was going on. The world I used to know had turned into a puzzling mystery. I had so many questions. Where had everyone gone? How had the world become empty? Was I the only person left on Earth? The uncertainty weighed on me, and I was left struggling with a deep sense of being all alone and scared.

As I kept walking through the empty streets, my steps got heavier, and my mind was filled with one troubling thought:

"Where am I, and what's happening to me?"

The world I had left behind in my dreams had become a stark and bizarre reality, and I had to figure out the mysteries before me, all by myself in a world that had turned into a deserted and strange place.

-----------------------A\N---------------------

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