Circumstances

Lin Zhou parked the car near the main road, after all, they need to walk through the mountain path.

Lin Fan couldn't help but feel dread while walking here, he couldn't help but shudder when he remembered that he had to walk through this path

every day to and from school, he felt like crying 'I want to live somewhere else,'.

after entering the house Lin Fan announced: "I am going to get myself some sleep, goodnight".

"So early! not going to have dinner?" wondered Jasmine.

"I really don't feel like eating"

Jasmine looked at her son and couldn't help but worry, "tell me if you need anything then,"

"I'll do, thanks mum," said Lin Fan before heading to his room, a room not too small nor too big, just enough for his closet, studying desk and a bed, with a few football players posters on the wall, even though he wasn't particularly skilled at football, he was a huge fan.

Lin Fan slammed his body on the bed, forgetting his shoulder which caused him to exclaim from pain, "argh, how can I be this idiotic. this sling sure is uncomfortable though,"

he couldn't help but feel down-cast at the thought of having to wear this for almost 6 weeks.

almost immediately Lin Fan's eyes started to close, falling into dreamland.

....The same darkness, the same stillness, the same blindness, the dream repeats itself again, in every

aspect, every detail, the same feeling of being controlled, knowing this is a dream but feeling its too real, the dream kept repeating itself, again and again, every single day, this had been going on for 4 days, the only difference is that the distance between his hands and the flame keeps decreasing every day.

This time thought Lin Fan briefly touched the flame.

Lin Fan woke up to an intense feeling of heat, his body was sweaty and smelly.

'What's with this heat, It's winter, how can it be this hot,'

he went out of bed to turn on the ceiling fan, 'augh, I have to turn on this noisy thing again,'

feeling his dry throat, he went out to get a glass of water.

returning to his room, passing by his parent's room he heard the sound of them arguing.

"Jasmine, there is no other way, we can't go on like this, your salary alone can't keep this household going and you know it, tomorrow I will go out to find a labour job"

"No, absolutely not, your body isn't able to handle such work, your health will go down the hill if you do manual labour"

"And our health will also deteriorate if we can't feed ourselves, Jasmine, don't be stubborn, the circumstances call for this"

"But-"

"No Buts, how can I let you work all day while I doze off at home,"

"I- I am sorry, If only I was more than just a nurse,"

Lin Fan couldn't help but feel his heart clench at his mother weeping voice, 'If only I wasn't so useless as well,'

"sigh, don't say that again Jasmine, to begin with, it's all my fault for losing my job, your's was only

for you to not feel bored at home, It was never a real pillar, tomorrow I will wake up early in the morning to look for a job"

Jasmine looked at her husband not knowing what to say, in the end, she nodded in defeat.

Lin Fan quickly returned to his room, he didn't want his father to know that his son has seen his weak side, his father was always a stern but caring man, never showing weakness in front of him.

'Tomorrow, I must convince mum to let me have a part-time job, in the end, that's the least that I can do' thought Lin Fan,

he tried sleeping again, but he couldn't let the matter out of his head, his mother already had contacted the school informing them that he won't be attending for a few weeks because of his injury.

The problem was how he was going to do anything with this stupid sling, he can take it off and work but that is really painful for now, 'I guess I need to push through for now with this pain'

'Maybe working in a food stall might work, If I remember correctly there was a noodle stall that I occasionally pass by while returning home, I will see if the boss there can find something for me to do,'

thinking back to that dream that he always has he couldn't help but shudder, maybe calling it a dream is a little off, nightmare would be a better way to call it, just Imagine yourself in a place where you can't see a thing, feel a thing, and you just keep moving without being in control of your body.

'Is this some kind of a trauma' pondered Lin Fan.