The sky was overcast, and the sun was sinking. The wind whipped through my hair and inside my half-buttoned shirt, hitting me hard in the chest. When I looked around, everything was green. The vibrant flowers of orange and yellow and red, flourishing in the midst of the green fields, were both eye-catching and peaceful during the mid-spring days. It filled the air with the scents of roses and lavender and jasmine and lily, and other flowers.

As the rain began to fall, I walked fast and looked for a shed, to cover myself from being wet. But I can’t find one. I wiped my face off with my left hand as the raindrops started to kiss my face. However, my hand was coated with mud, mud so thick that it resembled dense dark blood. It was not blood. I knew. But I started to feel sick and nauseated. I had to clean myself as soon as possible. I searched around for a place to wash my hands and I could not find one. I walked around for a bit and realized that I was on the top of a mountain. I saw a huge body of water at the far end. I stood on the edge and looked out. “It was actually an ocean.” I told myself and decided to descend towards the ocean. The trail grew steeper.

From nowhere, strangers of all ages appeared. They stared at me while they walked past me from behind. With the dark brown dirt on my face, I never wanted to feel unrecognised or unaccepted. I had to clean it no matter how hard the roads getting to the lake were. The mountain was not huge, but it was large enough for someone to become lost. As I walked besides all these strangers, I saw two trails in front of me. Some of them had already turned towards the trail that seemed to be the shortcut to reach the shore.

It was steeper for sure but it had man made steps. It has been used by people often. The other side of the trail was covered in green grass and plants, and had no steps. It was a sign telling me that it had not travelled much. I looked down and saw myself wearing a black hiking boot that I didn’t recall owning. I did not bother to find out, but I was committed to the trail. I decided to take the road less travelled.

Before I reached the lake, I found someone standing on one side of the mountain, near a cliff, wearing a black hoodie. I wondered and wanted to ask who he was and what he was doing alone in that lonely but serene place. So, I never stopped and kept walking. I came to a halt in front of him when I got close enough to view his face clearly and vividly. He seemed to know me. He took off the hoodie without saying anything. Shockingly, he perfectly looked like me except he looked sad, angry, tired, regretful, and resentful. I couldn’t imagine a face with all these emotions together, but today, it was the one, his face, in front of me.

I didn’t get a moment to think or to ask who he was, as he walked towards the edge. For every step I moved towards him, he took a step back. When he finally reached the cliff, he turned back towards me and said,

“ I am not you, and you are not me either. But we are the same somewhere beneath. Try to search for the answer of who you are and come to me to tell me who I am. “

And he jumped down from the cliff. I didn’t blink for minutes and forgot to breathe. I closed my eyes. The next moment, when I opened my eyes, I was on my bed, and my alarm clock was hitting hard at five.