In a dark room, I was feeling my way around.

I was stopped short when a flash erupted in my face, out of nowhere, and I recognised it to be the flash of a camera.

The room was silent, and I heard no other sounds asides from my own shallow breathing.

Brushing my hands slowly over the table top where I had last seen the flash, I found the culprit camera, still in its position, just as my other hand found my own camera a little to the side of the table.

Picking up the stray camera, I fumbled as I tried to find the on switch. Finally managing, I pressed the button to see the last photo taken...

And stared.

I was pretty sure that when the flash went off, I was posed awkwardly, still bent over the table. Yet, in the photo, there I was, sitting to the far right on the couch that was now behind me, together with many other familiar faces.

And I was smiling, as though prepared for a nice family photo.

I recognised the other faces to be that of my ex classmates, and I turned, half expecting them to be sitting on the couch, laughing at me. But all was silent, and I stared, somewhat blindly in that darkness, at more darkness.

It didn't make sense, I thought to myself. And as I further scrutinised the display on the camera, my breathe cut short as I saw a face in there that I knew should not have been there. Never mind that this was a photo of me and people who were not even in the room right now, this person should not have been inside; because she was no longer around.

One thought connected to the next, as I wondered if the other people in the photo were also like her, and wondered why this had happened, why I was staring at a photo such as this.

Were they trying to tell me something?

I turned back to where I thought the couch was and called out, "Are you there? Is... Is anyone there?"

Still, only silence replied me, and I slumped my shoulders.

While it might have been scary if someone had really answered, I did not feel afraid, instead, I was sad that they were choosing not to reply. I was now sure that the inevitable had happened to them and that they were here, in this very room.

It was then, a banging sounded from a door to the far end of the room, voices were calling out, "I know you're in there! Open the door!"

More banging, "Come out now!"

I recognised one voice to be the owner of the camera in my hands and panicked. If she saw the photo, she would use it against me!

Despite my better judgement, I knew there was no way I could transfer the photo to my own camera, and in a split decision, deleted it. I would regret later.

Striding over to the door, which was now illuminated by white light peeking from behind it, I switched on the light in the room and unlocked the door.

*Rest of dream sequence omitted... Not due to sensorship or personal reasons, but actually because I can't remember clearly, lol.*

-

They say that every dream you have is a manifestation of your thoughts and feelings when you are awake. Yet I have never understood any of my dreams.

Sure, most of my dreams have me running away from danger, from people. Sometimes I am looking for someone, sometimes I am trying to fly but someone is grabbing my ankle to prevent me from fully taking flight. Most times, I wake up in fright and lament why I've never yet had a good dream.

I see in these dreams, anxiety, worries, and perhaps more. But what do you make of dreams, such as the above?

Strangely after I awoke and thought about it, I wondered why I didn't think that I too was dead, considering I was in the photo. Hmm...

On a lighter note, perhaps my subconscious mind is telling me that I've been neglecting my almost new camera that I bought at the end of last year. Lol.

-