The Last Dream

By Astitva Tripathi

It was a quarter past ten when Sylvia, preparing for bed, carried her

diary and pen to write her daily journal. Sitting on her bed, she wrote,

“Today, I saw a monster under my bed. It was black and had green

eyes. I heard the clanging of metal, someone screaming, and thudding

noises.” Finishing her entry, she placed her leather diary and pen in the

drawer and went to sleep. During her slumber, she dreamed of a mole

appearing on her hand and being hospitalized.

The next morning, Sylvia woke up at eight, had breakfast by eight-

thirty, freshened up, and got ready for school. Her father, a grim-faced

man of forty with a broad muscular build, scolded her for being late.

Sylvia, grappling with another episode of schizophrenia, felt a surge of

anger but kept it inside to maintain the peace she desperately sought to

preserve at home.

At school, Sylvia met Alex, her daily seat partner and best friend. They

sat together to finish their year-end project. Sylvia asked Alex to write

the preface and acknowledgment for her project. Alex, willingly set

aside his work to help. However, when their teacher noticed the

discrepancy in handwriting, Sylvia was reprimanded. Furious, she

clenched her fist and slammed it against the wall, an act that hurt Alex

more than it hurt her.

The school day dragged on, with Sylvia's anger simmering just beneath

the surface. She tried to focus, but her thoughts kept drifting back to the

monster she had seen and the unsettling dream. The feeling of being

out of control weighed heavily on her, but she was determined to get

through the day without another incident.

During lunch, Sylvia and Alex sat under their usual tree. Alex, still hurt

by Sylvia's outburst, was unusually quiet. Sylvia felt a pang of guilt.

"Hey, Alex, I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to take it out on the

wall,'Sylvia said softly.

Alex looked up, his eyes reflecting a mix of concern and something

deeper. "It's okay, Sylvia. I know things have been tough for you. Just...

try to talk to me next time, okay? We're in this together."

Sylvia nodded, feeling a bit better. They finished their lunch, and for a

moment, she felt a glimmer of hope.

However, things worsened in the afternoon. During her math class,

Sylvia heard the clanging noises again, the same ones she had written

about in her diary. Her hands began to shake, and she clenched her

fists to stop the tremors. The noises grew louder until she couldn't even

hear the teacher's voice. Desperate and overwhelmed, she decided

that she would end her life that day. She was done with her father's

scolding, the teacher's reprimands, and the relentless voices and

visions.

After school, she didn't say goodbye to Alex. She went straight to her

bicycle and rode to the nearest canal. Without hesitation, she jumped

in.

That’s when she woke up. Startled, she looked out the window and saw

there had been an accident at a nearby construction site. Turning to the

mirror, she noticed a mole on her hand.

By Astitva Tripathi