Darkness surrounded me as a comfy blanket during the cold winter nights. It made me feel safe and secure. I entrusted my life to it and it protected me for my entire existence.

I admit I was a bit curious about the world outside my blankie. But it was not like I would have to be forced to leave my safe haven, right?

Well, one fateful day I was proven wrong when a small part of the darkness lifted itself to form a gate to another world. It felt cold and extremely different from my world of blankieness.

I never wished to know about this other world... Oh wait, I actually did. But that doesn't matter. Oh why have you betrayed me, dear blankie? I entrusted my life to you and now you show me this horrible new world. I hate you SO MUCH.

Oh no. I felt myself being pushed by the darkness towards this world I was fated to be in. I'm sorry, blankie. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. Please, don't make me go there.

The blankie of darkness simply ignored my thoughts and pushed me on. I pointlessly tried to move my body to escape my sorrowful fate. No no no NO NO NOOOOOO.

And there I was, thrust into this cold world. I felt my body being touched by soft foreign hands.  

I wanted to call anyone for help. I somehow managed to open my mouth...

A wailing baby is being held by the doctor, who is checking for any complications. The exhausted woman on the hospital bed is watching her crying child anxiously. She let her thoughts wander. Is she really ready to be a mom?

Will she be able to comfort the baby from crying? What if she makes a mistake raising the baby?

The mother of the woman standing by her bedside softly squeezes her hand to try to set her at ease. The delivery room is only filled with the noise of the crying child.

When the doctor is finally done with his examinations of the baby, he walks towards the anxious mother of the baby.

"It's a healthy boy. There seem to be no problems."

The women in the room ease up on hearing this. The exhausted mother expectantly has her arms open to receive her baby.

The doctor hands over the baby boy and gives the women some privacy by moving away from the bed. Even though he has seen countless deliveries throughout his life.

It does not take away from the heartwarming scenes and fulfillment he gets from watching a family receive a new member. He smiles fondly thinking about those memories.

She looks at the precious life she is holding in her arms. He is her child. Her baby boy. She panicks a little bit as he is still crying, and she looks towards her own mother for help.

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"Calm down and try to rock him."

Then she slowly rocks him and makes "sshhhhhh" sounds to calm him down.

As he is being rocked, the crying slowly dies down.

She starts to notice how his little chest is slowly rising and falling as he breathes in and out. How tiny his hands are in comparison to hers. She imagines how his curious little eyes will watch this world.  

She forgets all about her previous doubts. They do not matter.

Then she looks at her own mom.  

"Mo.. mom, this is John."

The mother of the woman lovingly smiles at John. She moves her finger towards the tiny hand of John. John reflexively takes hold of her finger.

"Hello, little Johnn. I'm your grandmother. I will be the one helping your clueless mom to raise you properly."

A small chuckle escapes the new mom.

"I hope you will love us as much as we will love you."

After a moment of silence, the doctor steps back forward.

"I think it is time to cut the cord."

The doctor prepares little John by clamping down the umbilical cord and he gives a pair of scissors to the grandmother. The grandmother takes the scissors and cuts the cord.

Afterwards, little John gets cleaned up and the nurse swaddles him into a new soft blankie. Comforted by his new blankie, little John falls asleep.

When I woke up, I expected to be comforted by my soft blankie in a strange world. But I am back in the darkness. Was it just a dream? Or maybe it is a vision of what will happen to me?

As I'm letting my thoughts fill with possible explanations for the strange phenomenon, an opening is formed again in the blankie of darkness.

This time I let myself be forced into the outside world, while anticpating to get swaddled into my new soft blankie.

However, it's different. There are no soft hands to grab me and lift me. No, they are rough through the use of swords for years. Confused by the contradiction between my expectation and this reality, I start to cry.

I'm still slightly hopeful to get my soft blankie. Maybe that part of my vision is not wrong.

Huh? The hands just put me on a cold wooden floor. Where is my new blankie or the person that will hold me lovingly?

What is going on? The hope for my vision is fading. This is a different world. It can't get worse, right?

And as if to spite my thought process, I get splashed with water.

What the hell?