Things went unnoticed

I.                   The maze behind school:

She stood in front of “the maze”: an ancient labyrinth where hazardous traps guarded invaluable treasures. An adventurer, she had ventured into such place countless times, each escapade more dangerous than the last. She was used to battling powerful monsters and avoiding gruesome ambushes.

She sneaked her way into the tight opening.

Her pace quickened with the heavy footsteps of armed men. Ducking behind a big carton box, she put a hand on her chest and smiled excitedly. They were walking straight to her trap. Leaving the bandits tumbling after each other into a deep hole on the ground, she ran to the opposite direction. 

By the time she rounded the final corner, she was panting, but not without a little triumph.

Maneuvering her way around a heap of old logs, she squealed in ecstasy when the other side of the maze finally came into view. Her pace quickened and she started to run. With a half-giggle half-huff, she busted out of the crack and into the school yard as the thundering drum called out the end of recess.

Another successful expedition.   

That moment, she realized: she was born to be an explorer.

She was seven years old.

II.                The haunted room:

Inhale. Exhale. She tried to keep her breath even as she ran.

Even though the sun had yet to slumber, the scorching heat of late summer had already cooled. The sky had turned a grey-ish blue and wind gusted through the tiny green leaves, sending them tumbling down in a rain of green and yellow. Her pace slowed as she reached her destination: a dark, obsolete hallway, thought to be haunted. The deafening sound of silence greeted her like a cold wind to the face. Footsteps echoed between the walls, making her breath involuntarily huddle inside her lungs. It was eerily peaceful here, with the yellow walls that held so much memories and secrets. Dust specs flied in the air, dimly illuminated by the leftover light. Darkness had painted a dark patch over the usual green, but she could make out a small puddle of water. She remember a voice, boy’s, whispered in tamed excitement about a weeping ghost or foreign substance. She came closer to inspect the wet spot, her breathing blatant against the still air. The sun was emitting its last ray.

She watched her dark reflection on the water, its eyes boring into hers challengingly. A small leave fell from her hair, disturbing the surface as it landed. She laughed and ran out of the corridor.  

She would come back for more, she knew.

Adventures awaited her in the dark, mysterious corridors. 

She was twelve years old.

III.             A new sky:

Most people first see her as a shy and quiet girl, polite, but forgettable.

Her friends and family call her gentle and caring, a good person. Homely. 

Her teachers view me as contentious and knowledgeable.

All are her. And all, are not.

She sees herself an explorer.  

She can never seem to stop moving, trying, searching for something new. Even though she only does so behind the watchful eyes. 

When she was young, she explored the world of imagination, stealing herself away to the deepest corners of her schools.

When she can't run, can't move, confined in the walls of her classes and her bedroom, she read. Books under the desk, hidden from the teacher's eyes. Late night wrapped inside the blanket, with only the light from her phone to light up the pages. She travels back in time and into the future. She sees the Earth and the universe, worlds that are real and worlds that are not. 

Inside the quiet girl, is a reader. A writer. An adventurer. 

And her adventure has just begun.