By: Gabriela Clavjio

Jason Chin's 8 Grade; Principal or Director: Judy Gewverz
Parsons Junior High School, Kew Garden Hills, New York, USA

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As usual, my mother was driving my sister and me to school while I was listening to my favorite rock songs. I was staring out the window watching the people go by fast when everything went quiet. I couldn't, hear my mother speaking or my sister's incessant humming. The car's engine sound went dead, but we were still moving. I looked around. My mother and sister weren't moving. They were in a frozen state. I looked outside and everyone was frozen too. Suddenly I felt a sharp pain in both sides of my head. I closed my eyes in agony and held my head hoping the throbbing would subside. Eventually it did.

Then I heard the sound of the car's engine and my mother's voice finishing the sentence she had started before the world froze. My sister's humming continued as if nothing happened. I opened my eyes and everything was back the way it was. The world unfroze! I ignored it thinking it was just some kind of weird headache. My mother pulled up in front of the school and I got out. I was ready to cross the street when the world froze again!

The pain echoed through every comer of my head. I closed my eyes and held my head in pain once more. All of a sudden, I felt another kind of pain shooting down my legs and back like knives. I fell violently to the floor. I was too scared to open my eyes. I was afraid I would see a crowd of people surrounding me laughing because I collapsed in the middle of the street. The strange thing was, I didn't hear anyone laughing, not even a small giggle. Nothing! The silence terrified me. At that point, I wanted to hear crickets, whispers, footsteps, anything. I opened my eyes and everything was gone, even the pain.

I stood up, I looked around, and there was nothing. I started walking. The walking turned into jogging. The jogging turned into a heavy run. I was frantic! Where was everyone? I suddenly saw five objects in the distance. I ran as hard as I could until I got there. The five objects turned out to be five doors. The first door was red as blood. The second door was old with cobwebs all around it. The third one was joyful with bright colors. The fourth one was glowing brightly and the last one was just a plain, wooden door.

I opened the first one covered in red and walked in. I suddenly felt rage. I wanted to hit something. I looked around with a hateful stare. I saw that the wall paper, that had once covered the walls behind it, was now ripped and torn with broken glass everywhere. As I looked at the walls, I heard screaming from a distance. Angry screams! It got louder. But as it did, a flame sprung out of nowhere and settled on the floor in the middle of the room. It grew larger and larger as the screams grew louder and louder. I got frightened, ran out, and slammed the door behind me in terror. I wanted to go home!

I tried another door. This time I opened the door with all the cobwebs. I walked in and felt extreme sadness. I fell to my knees, buried my face in my hands, and began to cry. I felt like no one cared. I felt like no one wanted me. I looked up from my tear-filled hands and saw cobwebs everywhere. Then all of a sudden, I heard loud crying. I got scared and ran out.

I couldn't take it anymore. I needed to get myself out somehow. I tried the bright colored door and ran in trying to see if there was some kind of exit. When I entered, I was covered in joy and happiness. I started jumping up and down. Butterflies were flying inside my stomach. Flower petals dropped gently from the bright, blue sky. I looked up and saw a small girl laughing and running around in a bright colored room with drawings of flowers and trees on the walls. I wanted to stay with her, but I was afraid if I did I would never find a way out of this nightmare. I got out. I shut the door and all of the joy and happiness leaked out of me like water in a net, making room for frustration.

I went into the glowing room. I was afraid of what this room might hold for me. As I walked in, I was smothered in love. I had a love for God, a love for my family, a love for life and a love for me. For the first time in my life, I had a love for myself. At that moment I was more determined to find a way out to live my life. I ran out eagerly and stood in front of the plain door. I clutched the knob of the door and slowly turned it. There, standing in front of me.. .was me!

It was me staring intensely back at me. I looked at me in bewilderment and for a split second, I felt what she felt. She was angry and sad with her life, but a part of her was joyful and in love. She was in love with herself and with her creator. I envied her, but then I realized that I was inside of my head. I was inside of my own thoughts. Standing in front of me was the real me. If she felt all these feelings, why wasn't she afraid of anything? Unless... I'm fear! I'm always afraid of everything, even me! The real me bugged me and whispered, "Wake up Gabby! It's going to be okay,"

Before I knew it, I was in a hospital bed. "What happened?" I asked holding my head.

A nurse in the room holding a chart replied, "You got hit by a car, honey."

Then my mother appeared out of nowhere and said with tears streaming down her face, "It'll be okay!"

I looked at her and said, "I know!"