You suddenly find yourself in a white void. Where there's absolutely nothing. Nothing to see, nothing to hear, nothing to touch. When all of a sudden, three portals appear just inches away from you...
The first portal you come across, feels to be quite freezing, and appears to be rather dark inside.. A white figure though appears to be sitting just inches away from the portal... Yes you cannot make out their face, for their back is turned to you. Yet you can still hear their enchanting melody, from the other side of the portal...
The second portal you come across, feels rather hot and humid.. The burning light within the portal seems to be emitting from some sort of massive fireplace.. A houndoom like figure can be barley made out in the far off corner, of the dungeon like place... There the mon simply is resting its head against a big black pole of the sorts, yet snarling its fangs at something to far off in the distance to he made out...
The third and final portal you come across, appears to give off a a distinct scent.. A scent of dampness... Within the portal appears to lie but a vast and lucious forest, full of many different and unique plants from the blurs of color you can make out from your side of the portal... You then, see something not to far off from the portal. A peculiar creature that appeared to have horns, and many glowing eyes... You try to call put to thr creature, but it appears it cannot hear you...
When you were growing up, you were never made aware of what your father did for work. You knew your mother stayed home with you and your brother, raising you in a very loving and stable home. Your father often showed affection towards the two of you, he rarely yelled, he loved your mother, showing his love for her everyday. You often watched as they would get dressed up in fancy dresses and suits for nights out, and often had many other men in suits roaming the house you lived in.
You felt very fortunate to live the life that you had and that fact that you had been sheltered from certain dangers of the world. So when you turned 18 and your parents sat you down and explained their life, who they were and what they did, you were shocked. You had no idea that your father ran the world's largest organization for the mafia, and your mother had been taking part in it where she could help. They had never given a clue through your life that you were in a family of criminals, and you didn't know how you felt about it, at that time. However, as you got older and were introduced into the world and showed how things ran, and what trades and exports your family was involved in, the more you wanted to be a part of it.
When you turned 26, your father and mother sat you down once again but this time it was different. "I'm getting older, baby. I can't run things like I used to. I want you to take over. Your brother.. he's just not built for this life. But there is something else I need to talk to you about.." he sighs. "EXO has 8 small subdivisions of a larger company, each one being led by the sons of some of the top men within this world. They want to merge, and that will only happen by marriage." He pauses, waiting for your reaction but you give him nothing yet.
"You want me to marry a stranger?" You ask.
"Not quite." Your father says, looking at your mother. "You would spend 24 hours with each man, and at the end of the 8 days, you would decide which one you wanted to marry." He tells you.
"And if I choose none of them?" You ask.
"Then that's your decision. We would never force you, we would just like you to give it an honest try, love." Your mother smiles, patting your hand.
"Can I think about it?" You ask, taking a deep breath.
"Of course." They both reply. You stand up from your chair, walking to your room while your head spins.
You spent hours in your room, fighting the urge to think about it while also fighting to kick it out of your mind. You were going to take over the largest organization in the world, and you didn't have years upon years of knowledge about this life, like the men you were going to meet. If you were going to succeed, unfortunately you would need one of them. You could possibly do it on your own, but then you might also miss out on your chance to find someone perfect for you.
That night, at 10:43pm, you walked downstairs to the table where your parents were chatting and stood before them with your head held high. They both looked at you, waiting to hear what you had decided.
"I'll do it. I'll meet them and do whatever, but there is no guarantee that I will pick one, okay?" You announce.
Your father and mother nod their heads, agreeing with you. "So when does this start?" You sigh. Your father smiles.
"Tomorrow morning, at 8:00am, the first one will be here. You're to spend 24 hours with him and then the next one will pick you up a little after you've been dropped off." He explains.
Here, I was a preteen or probably just started teenage. That day, I was being given the birds and bees talk. I had some prior idea about it, acquired in bits and pieces from various sources. The talk was nearly done. And then came the part related to periods. And my mother told me, Everybody has periods. Guys and girls.
I was stunned, to say the least. So I turned to my trusted companion, the internet. I read about periods, what how why, the whole deal. The conclusion was plain and simple. The biology doesn’t agree.
Praising myself on my new-found knowledge, I shared the news with my family. They are going to be proud of me right? This is a new discovery, isn’t it? Will I be rewarded?
When I was done explaining, I looked around to see shocked faces. My parents immediately dragged me into what I assume was my room, and told me that I am never to speak of this again. I must forget whatever it is I know about the matter. They sternly warned me against telling anyone, adding as they walked out, that there will be consequences if this goes out.
I gazed outside the window to see bleak overcast skies. Wait.. Is that smog? Why do the leaves on those trees there look grey? Why is it so quiet? I turned back inside. Gloomy. Apart from the light entering through the window, there was a lone incandescent bulb in a corner, flickering every now and then. I rushed outside the room to investigate further. I peeped down the strange staircase and it seemed to go on forever. Forever. No doubt, into the depths of hell. This is not home! Why are there oil lamps lighting this corridor? And why does this place reek of dust and darkness and doom?
The shock was enough to end the dream.
Epilogue:
As soon as I woke up, I had three pressing thoughts running through my mind.
1. Periods can be such a pain. But I guess everybody knows that.
2. One of the underlying themes is probably that capitalism and corporates compel us to buy things we don’t really need.
3. At times, you’ll be silenced even when you’re right. People aren’t always ready for the truth. They choose to live in denial. Or to be ignorant. It’s easier that way. Remember Cypher from The Matrix?
Bonus: This is perhaps the most important part of this whole post, so pay attention!
Your thoughts and ideas could be revolutionary. The dream-me could have chosen to remain silent. Or unleashed chaos of hope in what was likely a doomed world. One choice. Someday you could be making that choice. The rest of the world may or may not agree with you. You might have to stand alone. One idea. One thought. One decision. It could change your life. It could change the world. And when that time comes, I hope you’ll take the right decision.
I would love to hear your interpretations or thoughts on this.
