Faces and Facades

My Past, Present, and Future

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Blurry scenes flash by my eyes as I stood unmoving in the dark and humid room. Every once in a while a familiar image would flash up and I would either smile or frown. A birthday party, a school event, a death. Embarrassing and wonderful and exciting and detrimental all at the same time. My heart switched paces so many times, I felt as if it stopped working completely. A soothing voice beckons me from behind. I turn around hesitantly and came face to face with my reflection. But this girl was aged, older than I was now. She took my hand and led me to a flight of rickety stairs, a light shone down form above on the rotting wood tugging me toward the illumination.

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Before I could blink again, I was standing in a room where so many scenes were taking place it was overwhelming. Hanging out with friends, laughing and fussing with my parents and family, swimming in a pool. All of them so familiar. The aroma of freshly baked brownies was so thick in the air it was almost tangible. A smile threatened to adorn my lips as I recognized my favorite scent.

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A loud and sharp ding pierced the air along with an electric hum. I whipped around and saw an elevator with the doors agape. The soft melody of the elevator music flitted out of the small space and drifted into the living room. Almost instanteously, the action and scenes that were so vivid and wonderful ended and the lights cut off. The only brightness came from the elevator and I knew what I had to do. Once the thick metal doors closed behind me, I sighed and readied myself for what I knew was to be my future. The doors opened and I dashed out of them. I was already clothed in sterile scrubs and a surgeons mask covered my mouth and nose. A nurse rattled off stats to me as I gloved up and readied to operate on my patient. It was a life or death situation, and I was ready.