”What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?”

-Vincent Van Gogh-

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The night sky was still that of pitch darkness as she tossed and turned endlessly in bed.

“Go back to sleep,” she told herself, urging her empty brain not to wake up, fervently trying to suppress whatever it attempted to conjure. Too late. Everything came rushing, and hit like a hard wave amidst the serenity of the beach, attempting to drown her like the river rapids of the Niagara Gorge.

Annoyed, she pulled back the covers, but then changed her mind and decided to give herself one more chance.

‘Tick Tock’ went the clock. It was the only sound that reverberated throughout the room. You could not even hear the winds, and definitely not the traffic. The neighbourhood was still dead – not even the cicadas were awake. It was just, ‘Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock..’

She concentrated hard on the only item that diverted her attention away from the chaos of her brain.
‘Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock’
The rhythmic and incessant chant went on and on, but her brain refused to shut down, and soon grew louder than then chant that droned on and on. She turned – slightly irritated, but still convinced herself that she shall succumb to sleep soon.

She could feel the cool winds blowing against her feet. It was a cool night, but atlas, not a night of calm, neither was it a night of happiness.

“Stop!” she chided herself. Sleep, was what she wanted. She turned again.

Her mind was running on 100% power now, and the peacefulness of sleep started to seep away.

‘TICK TOCK TICK TOCK TICK’ the clock went on.

‘Sleep sleep sleep,’ she started to say to herself. She started to blank her mind, but it was a futile attempt as her thoughts merely grew louder and louder. And louder, and louder. And louder still. Soon, her chant went from ‘sleep sleep sleep’ to ‘forget forget foget’.

Frustrated, she threw back her covers and reached out to switch on the lights. One hour – that was how long she tossed about playing a game of catch with the evasive landlord of dreamland.

‘Forget it,’ she thought. Wanting to fall asleep now is akin to fighting a losing battle. She sighed and swung her feet to the sides of the bed.

It is at times like this that she really really really craved for a pensive.

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It was abrupt. It came without warning. It was sudden. It was intense. It was shocking.

The winds suddenly howled, the lightning above seared, while the thunder clapped overhead. It was an acute onset of... she-knows-not-what. Frowning, she looked up and saw the ferocity with which the dark clouds gathered overhead. She was stunned and stupefied at such a sudden change of events. She slapped her book shut and decided that it was probably time to make her way back.

The leaves rustled and danced in the winds, with some rushing at her, stinging her face and arms in the process. Her hair ran amok amidst the winds as she desperately tried to walk against it. The wind was strong. Oh, trust me, it was strong. Soon, the might and power of the dark clouds were evident as the path darkened tremendously such that visibility was down to 10 metres at the very most.

She cursed the weather for its erratic mood swings. It was going to be a long walk back to the tranquillity she had earlier.

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I just wish,
and fervently pray,
that history is
not
NOT
not
repeating.

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”My mind would definitely be put to better use, if it were focused on studies instead of nonsensical and rambling thoughts like this.. “