I am awake. No, I am not. Am I?
I open my eyes. There I am, sleeping, my auburn mop of hair splayed across my face. In my slack hands rests a book, worn and yellowed with age, yet still managing to stay intact. I am slumped over in a raggedy cushioned chair underneath a ceiling of dimly lit lights. The ancient bookstore is deserted, or so it seems.
What is this? Am I dreaming? I wonder to myself. Or I try to wonder to myself. Instead of silence, I hear my own voice echoing piercingly, slicing through empty space like a blade through a smooth glass sea.
I try to close my eyes, to awaken from this reverie, but I find I cannot. My gaze sweeps back down, and I choke in horror.
I watch, terrified, as my fiery hair begins to grow from my sleeping form below. It lengthens, shrinks, then stretches out again, reaching its curling tendrils around me, around the chair. The scream never makes it out of my silent throat.

I open my eyes. Am I awake?
A blanket of velvety indigo is smothering me. I gasp, desperately gulping for sweet air, but in vain. Finally, just as I start to see black clouds dancing mockingly at the edge of my vision, the blanket falls away to reveal a million twinkling orbs of light.
Stars. They are everywhere, and they are beautiful.
I watch myself gaze around in awe and amazement. I realize I am floating, drifting in a starry sea. My eyes follow my alter ego’s hand as it reaches out towards the nearest glowing star. I grasp it and pull it towards my face. I watch, breathlessly, as I stare deeply into the shining orb, its radiance reflecting in my reverent jade eyes.
Suddenly, from above, I catch sight of a shadow, slight but growing. It is racing through the sea of stars, and in It’s wake smolders a flaming path of darkness. It is slaying the beautiful stars. It is a massacre. I am helpless, as I turn back to myself and watch as I stand obliviously. The darkness is barreling straight towards me.
I begin to weep, the crystal tears rolling down my face into emptiness. I am struck speechless with an immense force of pain, grief, and regret pushing down on me as the darkness comes into view.
It is a monster, a demon, and it is me. Not exactly, but I look into its eyes and see myself. Its rolling mass of shifting shadows bears all the lies I have ever spoken. Inscribed in its horrible, shapeless claws are all the sinful actions I have ever committed. And swirling in its bottomless black eyes are all the selfish, tainted, twisted thoughts that have ever crossed my mind.
The sobs rack my body violently, and I hear myself crying out wordlessly. But for what? Forgiveness? A second chance?
I close my eyes at last, knowing the darkness will destroy me in all those stars of goodness.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper hoarsely, “Forgive me,” and a last, single tear falls soundlessly away.
When I open my eyes, I am flying through the clouds and golden sunshine.