Sweet Nightmare

01

Sweet Nightmare*

I grew up in a wealthy life.

My mom combed my hair as she sang. I kicked the pillows out of my feet’s reach.When they all fell, I 

stopped. My short legs, they say, looked cute for a four-year-old like me. I am perfect to be a model citizen 

of Dystopia because I am pretty. My mom disagrees, I don’t understand her that time. In my four-year-old 

age, what revolves in my mind is my prettiness.

Where everyone was teaching me lies.

Since I turned five yesterday, blood came dripping in my hand. I’ve killed approximately ten people in a row. 

I don’t want my father to leave us, even if I don’t want to, I need to kill. When he’s not around, I letting the 

human who’s in my hands to run and save itself. What happens to her next is not my problem. Living in a perfect town, I need to act perfect. Perfect just like what the son of the maker of dystopia should be.

Yet I successfully managed to see the truth

I looked in horror as my father was hit by a robot. Tears fell but no words dared to fall off my mouth. I had a 

hundred questions in my mind yet I only managed one word. “Why?” he’d been a model citizen, right? We’d 

been a model citizen, then why take my father away? My hands began trembling. My mom tugged me 

closer to her.  “Shhh,” she whispered. I’m just seven, they whispered. Maybe they don’t understand why I 

need to see this. My mom’s pregnant. I’m going to be a big sister. Now I know why we need to hide. My 

mom and my sister are about to be killed too.

As I just wish to close my eyes and just look at the lies.

When I turned seven, no more robots are looking at how I would kill. I used spears and pocket knives. 

Shotguns and swords. I made my father proud. I was so happy that I forgot how to give sympathy to the 

people I kill. I don’t bury them as I do before. Until I was told to kill a pregnant mother. A woman who 

looked exactly like my mother. The sword that I was holding shake as my hands trembled. What had 

I become? I looked at the woman and finally gave up. I threw the sword and told her to run. She did. I 

buried my face in my palms. I became a monster.

Until I learned that being blind means that you’re weak.

I hugged my one-year-old sister before a robot fall onto her and used my expandable baton to wreck one 

bot out of sight and put my sister to safety. Everything will soon be okay.

So I fought.

I beat the last robot in sight.

I killed the person that I thought would be last.

I took hold of my sister’s hand and pulled her close even though she’s smeared free and I’m dirty.

The blood dripped in my hand unto my gun as my assistant pulled me out of that place. Finally over. My 

father’s evil is over.

Sweet Nightmare*

A finger of a robot twitched.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Sweet Nightmare*

I smiled and showed the paper bag I was holding. I walked closer to her bed and placed the paper bag on the small table that has a sunflower in a blue vase. I sat on one of the chairs beside the bed near Aqua and gently tapped her head.

“So… how’re you monkey?” I asked. Aqua smiled. The sound of her irregular heartbeat became louder.

“What’s in the paper bag?” she asked.

“Oh…” I rummaged at the paper bag and took out two Tupperware with food inside. “I brought you bananas. That’s what monkeys eat right?”

“Hey!” she beat my arm gently.

“I was just kidding. These are just rice and meat. Just your lunch kiddo.” I messed her hair.

“I wish I could get out of this place…” she whispered.

“Hey cheer up. You would get out of here. Soon. Don’t worry, it’ll be soon.”

A doctor came in. “Ms. Xyrie, visiting hours is finished.” I stood up and arranged my things. I’m about to leave when Aqua tugged my hoodie’s sleeves.

“Stay. Please. Just for a little while…” Xyrie smiled then faced Aqua. I knelt so we can look eye to eye. I pinched her cheek.

“I’ll be back later okay monkey?”

“Be quick.”

“Okay.”

Aqua let go. I left and said goodbye to Aqua. Outside Aqua’s room, I talked to her doctor the moment the doors closed.

“Since the day she’d been here, well, we’ve seen no sign of improvements of her leukemia. So as long as we’re taking tests, this might be the last day you are allowed to visit her until after sixteen days. After that, you can visit her and see the results as well.” Painful it may, I still smiled and nodded.

I visited our parent’s grave after visiting Aqua. I dropped flowers and stared at their grave.

“Don’t worry, we’re doing fine. Mom, Dad.” I whispered. I almost jumped when someone with a very low voice spoke from behind me.

“Are you Xyrie Amenueba?” I faced the person at my back and I saw a man in all black. It may be a secret agent or police. I can’t tell. But in movies, the guy with a muscular body who wears an all-black outfit with black sunglasses is a secret agent. I looked at the guy’s eyes or his glasses rather since I can’t see his eyes.

“Yes. Why?” I asked.

“Are you free to attend a meeting this evening?”

“Meeting for what? For whom?”

“The president didn’t mention anything.”

“No, I’m sorry. I’m visiting my sister. Maybe some other day.”

Without warning, more black-suited men went out of their cars and grabbed me. What…

“Hey!! Let me go!!” I yelled. I fought but it’s no use. They took out a syringe and injected me. Everything went black.

Sweet Nightmare*

I removed my mascara that’s covering my face. My hand with the mascara slowly went down. Things are getting interesting in a minute.