On the third day of August 201X, I have finally returned. After stepping off the plane, I rushed through the airport to grab a cab. After a 2 hours’ ride, I have entered mid-town district of S-city. I came to my apartment, a place I had called home for most of my life. I rushed in, barely closing the door as I dropped everything to rush into the shower.

“Damn its hot here!”

Cursing lightly, I take a full hour to soak and relax in the bathtub, after washing myself clean. After 19 hours of travelling, I felt disgusted and tired, so I cleaned myself and got refreshed. Drying myself, I got out of the bathroom, in my birthday suit. I had forgotten to take out a towel before rushing in so, everything is packed in my bags still.

Coming out, I check my room that looks vacant. This is the room I had left behind before travelling abroad. A full 6 years have gone by. The apartment is my personal space, given to me by my parents. I left it in the care of the building manger until my return.

Truthfully, I never thought I’d be back. I was rushed. I wanted to flee. After the nightmare that haunted me, I just got on the next immediate flight out and came back. I only gave a call to ‘Jixi’ the uncle manager at a stopover. He was quite surprised, but he still warmly welcomed me back. I should thank him later.

After checking the condition of the room’s furniture, that was cleaned and the bed that was set ready to sleep in, I walked out to the main room. The living and dining room is absolutely empty since I left almost none of the previous furniture. However, the kitchen still had a few things. Other than the fixed cabinets, a fridge, microwave, inbuilt stove and oven were there. Checking the fridge, the manager seems to have added a few things in here just before I arrived.

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I grab a yogurt from the fridge and a plastic spoon from the pack left on the counter. I gobble it down quickly since it was refreshingly cool. Seriously, the weather is so hot here.

After finishing it up, I left the empty cup on the counter as I returned to my room. I have 03 travel bags and a backpack and side bag scattered on thr floor. I don’t have the mood or strength to go through the trouble yet. I flop on to the bed and close my eyes. I try to forget for now. To scatter everything from my mind.

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Girl A:  You can never succeed. Dogs shit.

Guy A: You are nothing but a pawn. A pion. Know your place.

Girl B:  Honor student? Pu...

Guy B: You are just shit. Remember you and I are not on the same level. Don’t even dream of it shit bag!

Guy C: Stay at the bottom of the pile.

Group: Hahaha!

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“Ah!”

I wake up in the middle of the night, drenched in cold sweat. Distraught. The one word to describe me right now. Ragged breath, cold sweat and heightened senses.

‘Why do I have to remember those cold words?’

My world, dreams, fantasy, all came crashing down in that instance back then. An instance I wished never happened. A meeting a long to have never happened. But it is the reality I live in. A memory that haunts me. The destruction of me from back there. Hoping to forget it all, I ran. I ran away, back home. Broken, emotional, sentimental. These are what I came back with. Not souvenirs. Not achievements.

Getting off the bed, I walk to the curtains hiding the large window in the room. Dragging open the curtains, I gaze at the bright partial moon up in the cloudless night sky. A tear threatens to escape me. I entered the bathroom once again to freshen up. I will unpack everything after.

‘I will start a new life here. New goals, new ambitions. I will find something for myself. I will change.’

I loftily thought to myself as I washed up. It was 3 am by the time I checked my phone. With only the thought to unpack my luggage, and work out other things later in the morning, I started to open my bags and busied myself.