Prologue

The mood was quiet yet calm and harmonious inside the car. My father was focused on the road, his hands gripping the steering wheel as if it runs the risk of flying off if he relaxes even a little bit. My mother, sitting in the passenger seat, continuously tapped on the car radio trying to find a station that played the kind of music she liked. Meanwhile, my younger brother and I sat in the back seat. We kept ourselves entertained by playing a game of who can spot the most dogs while on the road. Though it's not as entertaining as I had hoped since we're in the middle of nowhere, traversing a road that's devoid of any other cars.

Gotta love dad's sense of direction.

Still, despite the awkwardness of the situation, I still found myself enjoying the moment. Afterall, I've experienced this dream so many times now that I've gotten to the point of actually knowing that it's a dream. Which is why I'm basking in the calm before the storm comes.

A truck comes into view. It's driving very haphazardly on the other side of the road. In a few moments, it will lose control and come barreling towards us. It will collide with the car and throw us off the road, where we will roll three times before coming to a stop. The car, now upside down, will start to burn with all of us still in it.

The mind is an extremely interesting thing. It allows you to create an entire reality without any limits to what it may contain. However, it is also cruel. You have no control over what shows up in your dreams or what happens in them. For instance, I wasn't actually there when the accident that killed my entire family happened. But somehow, my mind made me dream of the accident so vividly, that I could even hear the sounds of their screams as they burned alive.

I've had this dream everyday for about half a year now. At first it tormented me. But now, I'm actually thankful for it. Living that nightmare everyday numbed me from reality, which will make achieving my goal all the more easier.

I'll join my family soon. Just have to finish high school.