Derealization

“Have you ever felt like you are trapped in a different time-space dimension?

You are interacting with everyone as you usually do.

Nothing is amiss.

But...

You simply felt like you are not supposed to be here.

In your real world, your family is watching you sleep...

While you are dreaming, thinking here is real.

…

You have been sleeping all this time.

When do you plan on waking up?

Or rather...

How do you plan to wake yourself up...

…when you are not aware...

…that you have been sleeping all along...

…?

“Hey, wake up!”

I heard a woman’s voice. She was shaking me, trying to rouse me from sleep.

*inhale*

*exhale*

I felt like I was dreaming... I can’t remember.

“Come on now, or you’ll be late, young lady.”

Late for what?

Slowly, the young lady’s eyes opened. She blinked as the light from the window behind the woman hit her eyes.

“Who...?” she focused her vision in front of her.

“Your mother! Come, the bus will arrive any minute now,” the woman nagged as she pulled the young lady up from her bed. She said, “It’s on along the way of the bus’s route, so you can ride in it and ask the driver to drop you off at the south gate.”

“South gate?” she asked in confusion.

This sounds familiar to me. Where have I heard it before?

“Come now, young lady. Tidy yourself up and eat your lunch. Stop dozing!” The woman urged her daughter and left for the kitchen. On the other hand, the young lady fixed her bed and tidied herself up while thinking about the dream she had before waking up and what her mother said about being late and the south gate.

Am I supposed to go out somewhere today? I feel like I am forgetting something important.

The woman set the table. As she looked up, she saw her daughter coming out of her room dressed in a black trench coat. She gestured for her to sit and eat. “Eat more. You’ll need it. It’s a 3 to 4-hour journey to the south gate,” she said as she placed food on her daughter’s plate.

The young lady looked at the food and called, “Mother.”

“What is it, darling?”

“What is it that I need to go to... this south gate?” She looked at her mother with uncertainty in her eyes.

“Did you forget? Your father’s stepsister called the other day. She asked you to come to her house to look after her toddler because she and her husband had to go arrange the funeral for their friend who died not long ago,” the mother explained as she placed food on her own plate.

“Why do they need to go themselves? Where’s the relative of their friend?” she asked.

And I never knew father had a stepsister. Why am I only hearing this now out of the blue?

“Unfortunately, that friend was alone.” The mother sighed sadly. “Now, hurry up. The bus will be here soon.”

Do I really need to go?

Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed the calendar hanging on the wall in their living room. She had the urge to ask her mother what was the current date.

“Mother, what’s today’s date?”

“31st October.”

31st... I feel like it was 31st yesterday... Nah. Impossible.

The young lady shook her head and started eating.

Maybe this is just deja vu, feeling like it happened but actually it didn’t.

It wasn’t long before they heard the bus approaching their house. In a rush, the woman helped her daughter, who had only eaten half of her meal, and immediately gave the young lady her sling bag and put a beanie on her.

She said, “The address is on a piece of paper in your bag. Good luck! Now off you go!”

Mother pushed me. I look up and see the bus stopped right in front of our house. Looking back, my mother is smiling at me and waving for me to leave.

… Must I go?

The young lady took a deep breath as she decided to go.

The bus driver opened the door. “Hello!” He greeted the young lady with a smile as she climbed up, and asked, “Where are you heading?”

“Uhmmm... The South Gate,” she answered.

Though, I have no idea where that is.

“Alright. Have a seat.” The driver gestured with his head. “It’s a long ride. I hope you ate a lot or have some food with you.”

“Thank you.”

I forced a smile and turned around. I found an empty seat at the very back and made my way there.

...truth is...

...I only ate half of my meal and I don’t think my mother placed some food in my bag.

She sighed.