CHAPTER 2

Trapped within a solitary chamber devoid of any entry or exit. It was like a prison of steel, its surface marred by the ravages of time, the galvanized coating etched with flaws that seemed to leer in the dim, artificial light.

I have been in this prison for days or so it felt. My thoughts have gone beyond the comprehensible. Realizing I couldn't be a prison in my own body no more, couldn't be controlled no more, live no more in isolation, and cannot abandon my parents who must and are always gruesomely worried about their only daughter. However, they have no choice but to keep me here.

I've done things beyond imagination, beyond the brain could ever comprehend, beyond mankind 'thanks' to Zephyr. Yet still breathing due to his powers rubbing off on me. This pitch darkness and extreme isolation from my kind is beyond the thinking. I have to help myself before others can help me. I have to get rid of the demon before it get rid of me. Time was running out. Every second was precious, a grain of sand slipping through an hourglass. The clock ticked relentlessly, a constant reminder of the finite nature of existence. 3 years have been wasted but no more will.

Zephyr, a malevolent entity, has been a sinister presence within me for three years. His arrival unexplained and unwelcomed marked a stark transformation in my life. Once a carefree child bathed in the warmth of affection-Memories, I lived in a world painted with hues of innocence and joy. That idyllic existence shattered an ordinary afternoon, a day etched incredibly in my memory, a day never to be forgotten, a day I wished and could have sworn to be a dream.

‹‹‹‹‹ FLASH BACK ‹‹‹‹‹

The park was a verdant oasis, a splash of color against the city's concrete canvas. Towering trees, their leaves whispering secrets in the gentle breeze, cast dappled shadows on the emerald grass. A riot of flowers, in every hue imaginable, painted a breathtaking masterpiece at the park's heart. It was here, on a sun kissed afternoon that Allison, her parents, her friends and their parents had gathered for a preschool reunion.

Allison and her friends all had fun. Played cards, took selfies, played pretend and their conversations danced from the excitement of the upcoming school year to the mundane details of everyday life.

"Allison, pass the card, what are you thinking?" Maya had asked. Maya was the life of the little get together.

"She's thinking about Dylan, right?" Sarah intervened, and they burst into laughter.

Dylan was the lonely kid at school. Nobody really knew him and only a few talked to him. However, Sarah and Maya had a knack for pushing Allison's buttons by often using Dylan as a playful target for their teasing.

As the sun began its descent, casting long shadows over the park, a sense of melancholy crept into their laughter. Tomorrow the carefree days of Summer would give way to the structured routine of school. The friend group couldn't wait for the next day. It was much too obvious, barely looking at their eyes. Excitement was clearly written.