An echo.
She turned around but all she saw was void. Still air matched with the pin-drop silence in contrast to the noisy thoughts running around in her head. She blinked twice, eyes furtive, trying to find who - or what the source of noise was.
The clouds began to shift, allowing the ball of orange in the sky to peek out of them. Strange, as it had rained earlier, she thought, as the golden yellowish hue of light seeped through the windowsill, illuminating the room.
The pages of her diary flipped as the cool misty breeze took charge, gentle but curious - as if trying to get a glimpse of her thoughts that were penned down neatly in the cream-colored sheets of paper. One detached from its comrades, and floated gracefully in the air, landing squarely on her palm.
It's time.
Nibbling on her lower lip, she watched as an aurora of light bathed her room in multifarious tinges of colors. Swirling, and ever changing. She looked outside and saw the once barren land bloom with blue dahlias and yellow lilies, dancing in the breeze. The sun had descended gracefully and nested itself cozily in between the mountains afar.
Something told her to run ahead. Don't look back. Leave no worries and leap ahead.
So she did. She shoved the paper in her pocket and took off. Dashing through the corridor and running past all the carefully hung up photographs on the wall. Some were dusty, some were framed but a few were just simple polaroids pasted haphazardly with tape.
Then, everything slowed. Her vision transduced into flickers of different moments, replaying in slow motion in bits and pieces.
Donned in a black, flowy dress, she linked arms with her friends as they swayed to nostalgic songs. They huddled together and made silly poses for the camera. Palms covering their cherry tinted lips, they giggled daintfully. She glanced at the flash and was blinded into another world.
The sky dusted pink and orange like blush on a cheek, while the waves frolicked like children prancing about on the sandy beach. A crane flapped its wings as it soared across the sky. Taking a deep whiff of the salty sea breeze, she let the wind tousle her hair as though a mother would caress her daughter's brown locks, letting herself be taken into another time of her own.
She straightened her rose-coloured dress, hands messily smoothing out the wrinkles. One look in the mirror and she gawked in astonishment - what did you even sign up for?She couldn't help but feel amused, adrenaline still pumping through her veins. Young, brave, adventurous. Her fingers gingerly traced the outlines of the flowers and stars on her face, cautiously so as to not ruin the paint. Many would describe her as pretty - like those dress-up dolls that kids play. But only she knew being pretty wasn't the star of the performance that day; after all, pretty faces were just porcelain vases: empty, fragile and decorative. Passion, dedication, and keenness to learn were things she valued more. She took one last glance before running off to another stage.
The rampant keyboard clicking brought her back from space. She saw herself hunched over a computer, reaching out to grasp some documents but almost carelessly knocking over the entire stack of papers. And then a thump as she set her pen down, leaving the room but coming back as soon as she left with an apple, presumably for recharge.
She saw herself on the train, checking her watch impatiently, fanning her face with her only free hand, the other flipping through notes she collated over the month. She hated the usual "why this and that", "what can you contribute for us", as if the one asking didn't know all the answers were fully rehearsed. Her white button up was already sticky with sweat, but she couldn't care less about that, for her future was at stake. In a time where footsteps were hastened, and even trains fought to be on the dot, humans were expected to strive for the best and let no time slip away.
She saw herself laughing over an animal video on YouTube. Turning her attention to her bowl fully packed to the brim, she smiled contentedly, taking another sip of her brown sugar bubble tea and chewing happily on the taro pearls. Times like this were some things she cherished - paying no heed to everything else around her. It's as if she was in her own bubble, blissful and shielded from the outside world.
Very soon, her footsteps padded onto the grass outside. All around her, birds started singing to one another, and butterflies danced around the blooming flowers.
Spring is arriving.
She sat down, legs outstretched, pushing her weight onto the arms behind and espied the sky that started to dim. A lone firefly pranced playfully around her, then two, then three. Her gaze followed them as they flew towards a subtle glow amidst the field of flowers. A tiny, pink light waved at her, so friendly yet so mysteriously. Even the stars that hung from the sky blinked in the same direction.
Is this a sign from the heavens above?
Yes, an echo resounded. It's your sign, not anyone else's, but yours and yours only.
She let out a gentle puff of breath, got up and treaded carefully towards the glow. The flowers bent away, like they were giving way for her to go ahead. A little owl landed on her shoulder, causing her to flinch but quickly relaxed upon seeing its innocent blink. Very quickly, she reached the end, the glow even brighter than before, causing her to squint and shield her eyes.
Thank you, she thought to no one in particular, for the past, for?everything.
She looked behind her, a wistful smile on her face. Steadying her breath and calming down her thoughts, she stepped bravely into the glow.
-
The sound of chirping caused her eyes to open. A light aroma, sweet like vanilla and freshly picked apples, wafted towards her. It was tranquil and peaceful, a rare state from the busy world outside. She lay in the grass and looked around. Her owl hooted at her, head tilting curiously to the side.
Everything felt the same, but at the same time, not quite. But it was fine. She'll need time, and time is, or will be, there. A gust of wind hugged her gently, fleetingly - like floating feathers in the air, cool - like fresh morning dew on skin.
It's spring.