Everything was silent. I could count my own heartbeat. This was really strange as I have never experienced something like this before. I should be either dead or someplace else; if not I don't know what I am going through.

The place was so strange, I have no doubt I was dreaming this. But, when did dreams started to be this realistic? At least, not in my whole life have I seen such a dream that was so vivid and detailed. A part of me wants to feel ecstatic and enjoy the movement while a part of me wanted to escape from this unexplainable event.

I looked around and swallowed my surrounding, at least I tried to. I was in a garden with rose and lilies adorning the right side in a long row that was neatly arranged. I was really impressed with the mastermind of this gardening. The rows were breathtaking as the immediate one next to where I was sitting was of red rose, the adjoining row was of white lilies and the next one is a pink rose, the next line to be red lilies and so on.

But to my left, it was completely opposite to what I have witnessed on the right side. There was no discipline here as the flowers were like my hair on the most morning. I can never say I was never impressed because this one held something special because this side was bursting colors. I wanted to just dissolve into them without a care. I was never a sort of person who learned anything in school, it was sheer luck I used to pass with at least five A's to make me stand bearable. Thus I was lost to actually point out the flowers by its name. However, like I said, it was a sight to take in.

Did I mention the warmth the surrounding was blanketing me in? Well, I guess no. Ah, the sun was blessing me with a golden glow, wrapping the place in beauty which was a beggaring description. I have never seen the sun in such glory. All I ever remember the sun to be was either high up in the sky, least bothered to balance the chilling cold or all its Medusa rays on us with such heat that makes us only go around in a bikini. But, truth to be told I never had a bikini body and thus I was stuck inside loose baggy shirts and pants. Ah, that was really a nice outfit for me to trend the fashion for such a season, not to mention the endless rain of praises from all those tank-top-shorts-too-short-that-I-can-actually-see-their-bums girls. But, now as I stand here in the middle of such beauty, the warmth was too soft on my skin as if the sun was scared to hurt me.

Suddenly the flowers got crushed under such force with a booming voice, forcing me down to my knees. I don't know where the sound was coming from and what made the flowers die but the sound wave swept through me again and I was in pain. Strong waves of agonizing pain.

All I get to see after the scene change was the gray clouds gathering on me and bucket loads of cold water came crashing down on me. I felt frostbiting on me, freezing me, numbing me. My teeth made a rhythm clattering onto one another. Yet, I stayed there, never wanting to escape from the rain; escape from the cold.

I laid there watching my life as a movie. I never saw any other person but only me. I was alone in my movie; the sole survivor.

Somewhere far, my name rolled like ice balls to me; echoing through the void hitting on my cheeks. My whole body was convulsing. I felt like someone was shaking me forcefully. My name came running to me in haste, shaking me, waking me up from the frozen state I was. Nothing made any sense, I was crying now.

Suddenly I jolted up to bright light and many faces which were black masses staring at me. There was one face in particular with chiseled features and boyish looks staring at me with sweet chocolate eyes. His eyes crinkled and smiled at me. I did one thing which just came out like a thunder. I screamed. I screamed so hard that many faces went away from me, but Alex held me in his arms. Someone injected me something on my right arm and that lulled me to a deep sleep where everything went black.

Excited voices murmured around me. Shifting me from the uncomfortable deep sleep I was in. was I knocked out? What was happening? I groaned feeling a massive headache. It must have notified people around me because the next thing I felt was strong warm hands embracing me.

"Wa-water" My throat felt like a desert and the cool salted lemonade made me feel energetic. Wait, what? Why was my lemonade salty?

"Why is this salty?"

"Of all the things, you want to know why this was salted."

"Yea"

"I don't know, some Indian rider friend asked me to give you salted lemonade as it is used to energize fuzzy weak cells. How are you feeling?"

"Ok, but I want water. Cold oven fresh water..."

"What?"

"No, fridge fresh" Laughter echoed through me and the familiar voices was so fulfilling. I wanted to cry out loud.

"What happened?" I asked after drinking a full ice cold water feeling one or two sensitive teeth throbbing and pulsing.

"I have no idea. You and Nat came back from the washroom and you started crying and kept on saying that I was in danger and you are scared. I tried to assure you to no avail. After half an hour of crying you just fell. At first, Nat asked me to leave you alone. But even after five hours you never got up. I panicked and tried to get you up. Again to no avail. I brought in the doc and he said it must have because you were in some kind of panic or trauma. Well, you are here and that's all that matters. Don't you dare do that again?"

"But... how long have I been knocked out"

"To be honest, eight hours and twenty-three minutes"

"No... did I miss Nat's performance?"

"You did honey."

"No..."

"Shh... it's ok..."

"I was so scared."

"Tell me why you screamed?"

And then I get to be in the narrative mode telling them about my weirdest dream. Alex listened attentively. We were once again alone and I was so much thankful for that. Nat and other teammates were standing outside to hear the announcements. I told him what I felt, what I heard and what made me crash and what I dreamt of. "I am scared."

"Dear, don't you be scared. It's no wonder why Inspector Jenkins has his troop set out here with some of his best men. Nothing will happen, because of their special request this whole place was checked and scrutinized with special consideration and nothing was out of place. We are in safe hands."

"But... but... what if... what if I lose you?"

"You won't, I promise."

He held me while I sobbed to his chest. I saw a white man coming in my blurred state and Alex told him a little about what I said. The doc mentioned I was in a kind of relapse because my body was facing a lot of stress which forced my body to shut down. He assured it was quite normal and it was nothing to fear about. Well, he can smile and walk out patting my shoulders saying everything is going to be alright, he doesn't have to lose Alex if anything happens.

I don't know how time passed by because Alex held me close to his chest; his heart soothing me. Finally, Nat burst in crying when Alex excitedly saying she was first in the second round. Alex had to let me go and congratulate her. I was too much exhausted to get up so she kneeled down and I hugged her congratulating. Because she was extra chirrupy and bouncy, we fell back to the mattress hugging each other. Her laughter dragged me to laugh with her and that eased my senses a little bit. She got up and dragged me to my feet. At first, I was all shaky and jittery. Gradually I was all right and went outside.

Rose, David, Brono, Marvin, Josh and the other teammates hugged me. I was so happy yet somewhere inside my brain, someone was constantly whispering that something was going to happen. Right now, I made myself engross in Nat's victory because somewhere in my pathetic mind, I heard Alex say that when the grades are calculated in the end, we have a high chance to win the championship. Now, I understood why Alex was grumpy when they were in the third position in the first round.

After half an hour of mini celebration and pizzas, the announcement for the final round was up. My heart constricted and my smile faded away but Alex assured me everything was going to be fine. When Alex was called to collect the lot, I was practically hearing my own heart in the ears. Alex came back saying it was one and he was not too happy with the number.

Finally, a buzzer rang throughout which was high and loud compared to the other ones. I learned it was because this was the final and the most important round. From all the elimination now it was only eight teams. Wow. When I asked about the price, Alex told me it's all win but we really have to be in the top three at least in the top two to earn the jackpot.

All dressed and ready to go, leaving me behind in a crazy mess. Alex kissed me hard and his team lazily moved to the ground zero. I was standing in the entrance seeing the crowd cheering them. But my heart was in my ears. Suddenly something caught my ears and I strained.

"...something got messed up, Alex's team lot was 7 but he said it was one. Quick, something's wrong." And the voice faded away with the man in a crisp suit holding a board clipped to too many papers trying to escape his firm grip.

I don't know how the lot collecting was for the last round but hearing what he said, it was enough for me to panic. I saw some other group coming from the opposite entry and the judges were too stunned to even comment; they looked at each other as well as the crowd went down to a low murmur, trying to find out why the two groups were on the ground at the same time.

I only remember dialing Jenkins when there was a loud earsplitting sound and dust everywhere. Inside the dust dance, I could see fire and I don't remember when I started running, but I ran and ran into the dust dance. Someone pulled me from behind and I heard it was Jenkins. Soon after, I heard the unmistakable sound of siren and ambulance as well as a fire engine.

I shall never forgive myself if something happened to Alex. But I shall kill Jenkins for me stopping me too. In middle of it all, I never realized what happened because I was already a lump piece of meat embracing obscurity in hands of Inspector Jenkins.