Neverland [✓]

[ Ten Years ]

Irene observed the deserted land of her home country. Now that the season have changed throughout the fleeting days, she hoped that the conditions of the townspeople and her parents will return back to normal. 

It did not feel intrinsic whatsoever.

She was used to being a home person. She preferred to stay at home, be an introvert for the time being until she felt things settle right. It had been this way since she entered the education institution. She wasn't that much of an outgoing person and would rather go with close friends. 

Sadly, she did not have a true friend that was close enough to even be labelled as one. She wasn't able to abide or even adjust to the circumstances. 

Maybe, Irene was already used to the verbal torment from the women in town. Perhaps, it was already a cycle that would've made her stronger than yesterday. However, what Irene did not know was that she had already passed her breaking point and visiting Neverland was the savior to her problems. 

No matter how much Irene contemplated on the cons and pros of staying in Neverland, it felt all too peculiar. She felt like a different person in her hometown before everything changed. She could not adjust well in both worlds and everything felt conflicting. 

Irene examined the conditions of her slender fingers with sudden extreme caution. It had never dwelled to her mind that she would care so much about the smallest details. Perhaps the strangest occurrences resulted in a change of character. She had never really understood the definition of freedom unless it applied to herself. 

She never understood the chances of freedom until you've felt the bristle wind pass refreshingly. without feeling any distractions following you. 

Brushing off the details of her fingers, she continued to observe the simplistic scenery of her hometown. It never occurred to her how much she's been staring. She would only watch for an hour or a half whilst sorting out the issues in her conflicted mind. She would tirelessly get sleepy staying in one position for an hour, albeit moving around the house did not help much whatsoever. 

She had hopped through to too many dimensions that she forgot the original home. 

What was home to Irene?

Home would be a place of comfort with her parents. As a family, there would be complications and fights once in a while, yet it realistically never occurred to them. Their wars were always towards the townspeople and they humbly fought with kindness. 

She moved away from the windowsill and headed downstairs with blankness etched around herself. Irene lost the original identity of herself and the world revolving around. She lost sight of what's real and what's fake. She could not differentiate them easily and was on the brink of losing her mind.

Trutting down the set of timber stairs, she noticed a familiar figure working at the kitchen. For this dimension, her said Mother preferred to spend her time a lot cooking meals. Even if they weren't there for the whole day, Irene's Mother spent her occupied times there. 

Irene treaded with ease, tiptoeing on her foot in silence ─ afraid that she would be noticed. She knew which dimension she was in right now and overreacting to her surroundings were no longer pliable. 

"Afternoon Irene, dull weather we're having today, right?" Her Mother proposed a new conversation, easily stirring the mushroom soup with sliced cube potatoes. Irene brushed her question off with a smile and replied a solid hum. She could not be bothered to play along with the day. She already knew the identity of her own Mother and this was nothing alike.

Occupying the seat on the couch, Irene continued to gaze at the so called dull weather outside. It dawned to her how less she went outside before this all changed. She wanted to walk away from this house, but she was physically stuck in it.