As I opened my eyes, I couldn’t see anything but darkness. Not a sound can be heard but the beating of my heart and my fast breathing. 

I found myself in an empty space with nothing around me. There was no sign of life here at all… I was alone. 

The funny thing is, I can’t remember anything.

I can’t remember how I got here. I can’t remember my name. And I can’t remember who I was at all. I closed my eyes again to see if I could recall something or anything, but all I saw was a blinding white light and distant screams. I wasn’t sure what they were or from where I encountered them. 

I was scared and alone. No matter where I am right now, I knew I’m not safe.

“Help!!! Please anyone!!!” I screamed, but nobody answered. I felt so hopeless and scared that I couldn’t move. I sat here alone on the ground and buried my face into my arms. Then I felt something warm and bright in front of me and for the first time since I got here, I somehow felt a bit secured. 

I looked up to see what it was. I saw a magnificent creature with sapphire blue eyes, silver hair that floated so beautifully in the air and a tall torso with wings that are glowing. It’s a mystical horse-like creature with wings. 

A pegasus!

As I stared into its eyes, I felt a sense of familiarity as if I knew this creature before. I carefully reached out my hand to touch its beautiful face and as I did, I felt gush of warmth and strength across my entire body. I whispered, “Breiveria?” 

The pegasus bowed and nodded. I remember, that was the pegasus’ name, but I didn’t know why I knew it.

After a long pause, Breiveria turned its back and ran away. She gestured for me to follow her, and so I did. She was so fast I could hardly keep up with her. Where is she taking me? Could there possibly be anywhere to go in this dark empty space? 

“Wait! Slow down!!!” I panted while running after her.

Breiveria ignored me and continued her pace. After a few moment, I could finally see where we were headed. There was a door in the middle of empty space. It was golden and it had the word “vox” carved on it. However, I wasn’t really sure what that meant. 

Breiveria then ran through the door as if she were a ghost and disappeared. I quickly ran to the door and hesitantly opened it, and in I went. I found myself in a circular room surrounded by nine colorful doors. Breiveria was nowhere to be found now, and again, I felt fear burning in my head. 

Why did she just leave me here? I tried to turn back and get out but the door I went through disappeared and I was stuck here. I had to choose another door, but I didn’t know what — there were just too many of them!

After a long pause, I finally decided to randomly pick the green door. As I reached out for the doorknob, I heard a voice. “No! Don’t open it, it’s dangerous there! Open the yellow door instead!” 

The sound seemed to have come from the yellow door. I was confused and scared and I really didn’t know what to do at this moment.

“Who are you?” I asked, but nobody answered. Filled with curiosity, I walked towards the yellow door and twisted the knob.

Just as I did, another voice called out, “STOP! Open the blue door!” 

“What?!? Who are you?” I yelled, but then again there was no answer. I went to the blue door and was about to twist the knob when more voices started to shout, each telling me to open a different door. 

It was all so confusing, and the voices never seemed to stop talking. I can feel th enerve on my temples pulsing. “Sshhh!!! Quiet!!! Please!!!” I yelled helplessly, but they all ignored me.

The voices got louder and louder with every minute I stayed in the room. I needed to get out, but I was so confused. There were so many doors that I could possibly choose and so many voices that spoke that I didn’t know which one to believe. 

I couldn’t take it anymore, I could feel the stress rooted deep in my core. My ears were hurting and my body was slowly failing… I’m falling to the ground. As my eyes started to close, the other voices started to block out from my mind and I heard another voice. This voice was different from the other voices. This voice was calm and loving and soft, yet clear.  

I concentrated more on this voice because I somehow knew that this voice was more trustworthy than the others.

“Avery,” the voice said ,“a million voices will confuse you, but there is only one voice that you should follow. That voice is in your heart.”

Avery, that was my name. Now I remember, and the voice, that was my mother’s. The words she spoke suddenly gave me strength and wisdom. I bravely stood up and ignored the voices around me. Instead I looked around and watched carefully and listened to my instincts. I  then noticed a huge gap between the blue and yellow door that the other doors didn’t have.

A million voices will confuse you, but there is only one voice that you should follow. That voice is in your heart.

I had a crazy idea, but I didn’t know if it was even possible. But I’ll be damned if I stay here any longer. So I took a deep breath, moved closer towards the blue and yellow doors, and, ignoring my nerves, reached out my hand into the gap. I instantly felt something hard.

I sighed, but whether because of relief or fear, I couldn’t tell. At least not just yet. But I was right — there was an invisible door. I felt for the knob, twisted it gently, and pushed. I felt something open, and as if in an instant, all the voices and noises around me suddenly hushed. I took another deep breath and walked through the door. 

I found myself in a large room with big rectangular mirrors. In the first mirror, I saw my reflection for the first time ever since I got here. I had long messed-up brown hair, emerald green eyes that had dark circles underneath (perhaps because of stress), fair skin with sweat dripping all over my face and body, and rosy cheeks that seemed redder than ever. I looked really tired, but despite all that, I think I still looked pretty.

As I looked into the second mirror, this time, I saw a little girl that looked just like me. She was crying and apparently she was being bullied by the kids in her school. I watched in horror as they threw her lunch bag away while laughing at her. 

“Make them stop please, make them stop!” the little girl said as she closed her eyes and cried. 

“Who are you talking to weirdo?” said one bully, but the poor little girl trembled and stared to the ground. “ANSWER ME!!!” the bully yelled.

“B-b-breiveria,” the trembling little girl answered.

“Breiveria? Who is that?” asked another bully with a smirk.

“She i-is a pe…pegasus,” the little girl stuttered in tears. “She is ma…my f-f-friend.” The bullies burst into laughter and started mocking and making fun of her even more.

“How pathetic, she has imaginary friends!” one girl said while rolling her eyes sarcastically.

The little girl buried her face in her arms as the bullies surrounded her and chanted, “Poor little Avery, can’t defend herself because she doesn’t have the bravery.” As it faded away, I realized that the little girl was me and this was my memory.

I went to the third mirror and saw myself again, but this time, I’m a little older than I was in the last memory. This time, I was around the age of 12 or 13 and I was sadly packing away my violin when a woman came to me.

“What’s wrong Avery?” the woman asked.

“My teacher and classmates told me to quit, mom,” my younger self sobbed.

“But you love the violin!” 

“Yeah I do, but I suck.”

“Avery, always remember this,” my mom said while staring at my younger self’s eyes, her expression is quite serious, “a million voices will confuse you. While you cannot help but hear them all, you have the choice which ones to listen to. Always remember, there is only one voice you should follow, and that voice is in your heart.”

As I looked into more mirrors, I saw more happy and sad memories about myself. My mother died in one mirror.  I became rich and successful, and I was able to prove to the world that I wasn’t just a weak little girl. But as I looked deeper into the mirrors of my memories, I realized how sad and lonely I’ve become everyday.

Then I went to the last mirror in the room. It was a recent memory since I looked as old as I am right now. 

I was getting out of my car when I saw a little girl aged  9 or 10, with dark brown eyes and dark hair, crossing the road. I didn’t mind her at first, but then I saw an out of control van running towards her. Without thinking, I quickly ran and pushed her aside… and that’s where I saw and heard the lights and the distant screaming of the little girl.

I remember now… I saved her! But does that mean… I’m dead? I didn’t know what to do, I was feeling different emotions all at once. I was relieved that I finally remembered, but I couldn’t process it all just yet. Everything happened so fast… I didn’t realize how sad this was. 

I wanted to go back home but then I didn’t know how. I was desperate to find help. I wanted to know that I wasn’t alone. I was crying and screaming, afraid of what was happening to me. After a while I saw a blue-and-white light coming to the room, and then I turned to look at what it was.

To my surprise, I saw a woman, she was so beautiful. Her hair was flowing and her body seemed to be made out of light since it somehow illuminated the room. She was also wearing a blue dress that trailed behind her. 

“Who are you?” I asked,

“I am your guardian angel,” she replied.

“Am I dead?” I asked fearfully

“Well I think its much better to say that you are stepping into the unknown.” she said 

“I-I-I don’t understand…”

“Everyone has a purpose in life,” she explained with a smile, “and I think that you have completed yours.”

“But what’s gonna happen to me?” 

“Only one way to find out…” she said as she pointed to a well that just magically appeared. “Go through the well… it will help lead you to your next life.”

Tears went down my face and a million things were happening inside me. I didn’t know what to do. I realized that I couldn’t argue anymore and so I carefully went near the well and looked at it. The water looked deep and I really wasn’t sure about this. 

Everyone has a purpose in life.

I looked backed to my guardian angel and she gave me an encouraging smile. I tried to jump but I just couldn’t. Something about this life is holding me back. It couldn’t have just ended like this.

“Wait!” I said.

“I’m sorry,” the guardian angel said sadly before blew me into the well.

I was screaming and crying… but the longer I fell the more I forgot about my life. I was screaming and crying and I didn’t even know why anymore. I felt myself shrinking and my mind clearing. I am falling but falling where? I couldn’t remember anything. I am now devoid of any memory.

Who am I? Why am I here?

There’s a bright white light and I could voices and some screaming. I felt myself being squeezed closer to the light…. Is it the end of the tunnel? Two large hands pulled me out and put me on something warm and sticky.

I can’t seem to stop crying.

“She’s so beautiful…” a woman’s voice said with tears streaming down her face.

“What are we gonna name her?” the man beside her asked.

“I want to name her Avery…. after the woman who saved me from death, when I was just a little girl.”

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