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| - "Goodnight mom, goodnight dad" I said tiredly as I started into the portrait of them that rested in my hands. Ever since I've been brought into this orphanage, I knew my family had never left me. My mother and father died in a car accident, I was sent into foster care until my new parents would come and pick me up. Five years, and still nothing. Ah well, I thought as I set the portrait gently on the floor, there's always next year. I rested my head on the soft pillow, the moonlight shimmering down the windows, lightening up the nearly spooky room. I drifted off to sleep. The next thing I knew, I woke up. Not to the morning sun or the very loud chatter of the caretakers, but to a voice. A voice that seemed familiar to me. "Welcome to the world of Pokemon!" It said with joy. I opened my eyes, wasn't paying much attention. I looked around, confused, and scared. The room I was in was not the bedroom, it was filled with stringy colours that seemed to change ever second. "Wha? Where am I?" I said, scratching my head. The voice replied the same line, again with joy. It seemed as if I was destined to be here. I sat up, noticing that I didn't have any blanket on me. I looked at my hands. They were not there. I screamed so loud that it could've shattered glass. I was very, very afraid. Then I told myself. "It's just a nightmare...don't get scared now..." Somehow it calmed me down. The voice then asked me, "You must answer all of the questions before entering the Pokemon world!" I stomped for attention. "No!" I screamed, "I want to know who you are-"Too late, the voice begun with the first question. "First off, have you played Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Time, or Darkness?" It asked. Pokemon? That three year old game? I wondered if I ate something last night that caused this dream. I gotta lay off the chocolate for awhile, I thought to myself. But Pokemon, that's a game I haven't played ever since I was four. I was so inspired by the game, that I wanted more, but my parents never thought that video games were a form of entertainment. Just another "mind squishing media propaganda" thing. I shook my head into reality. "Oh, wha? Yeah..." I began with the lie, "I've played Pokemon Explorers of Sky, such a sad game..."The voice however fell for it, it proceeded on to the next question without warning. "Are you a city person or a country person?"Country person no doubt, I grew up on a farm near the rural areas of Calgary, before the new perimeter was built. But I have grown accustomed to city life. I enjoyed the shimmer of headlights and city lights in the night. I also liked the way how the buildings stand strong and tall even towards the most fierocious winds. I was a city person no doubt."City person" I replied calmlyThe voice didn't respond, it was waiting for me to state the place. I caught on quickly."Oh" I said with a hint of sarcasm, "Calgary, Alberta" "A Canadian eh?" It replied jokingly.I honestly hate it when people joke around with us Canadians. We're not hippies, tree huggers, or bobsledders. We don't live in igloos, watch hockey all the time, and say "eh?" at the end of each sentence. We're a proud country to begin with, even though we rely on the Americans for money and products. But in my point of view, Canada just stands strong. "Yeah yeah..." The voice, as impatient as it was, proceeded on to the final question. Thank the makers this was going to end when I wake up in the morning. "Third and final question" My mind buzzed with excitement at the word "final". "What does life mean to you?" Now this was a challenging question. All my life was not as miserable as it seemed. I have good friends, neighbours, everyone cared for me. I even have a job, to do a paper route every crisp autumn morning. Before my parents died, I lived a happy city life. I enjoyed the technologies and school that life provided for me. Of course, life does have its downfalls. I am very very poor, with little money to spare. I spend my afternoons wandering the streets, picking up the occasional penny or nickel, and maybe if I'm lucky, quarters. My paper route boss never pays me, its a volunteer work. The foster home does provide food, but can't even afford a simple sidedish. Oh how I craved a bowl of fruit. In both situations, life is pretty much well balanced. It seemed as if thought I was trapped in my own realm, until the sound of the voice broke the walls of that realm. "Well?" It asked I looked around, rubbing my head. I wasn't even paying much attention to the voice's impatience. I looked down, and replied maturly. "Life means so much to me"There, I said it. I didn't even need another long explaination."Alright then" I was getting impatient too, I tapped with my invisible foot. "Come on wake up..." I muttered to myself. The voice heard my mutter. "There will not be another tomorrow for you" I then thought as if my time had come, but it didn't feel like it. "What?!" I screamed as I backed off. The voice did not reply, and the room grew sun-bright white. I can feel every cell of my body starting dissapear. I tried to scream, but my voice seemed to fade away with the light as well. It was not painful, it felt rather peaceful. Only my concious remained on the spot, my eyes had faded away along with my voice. I felt the heat surging into my brain, sharp pain being inflicted on it. Then, everything stoppped. I felt a cold surge bugging my lower body, and sand in the grip of my hands.I woke up, not in my room, but on a beautiful beach. Palm trees swayed with the wind as bubbles flew by my face. Bubbles? There must be a circus somewhere. But with a circus, there's litter. There wasn't a wrapper in sight. I stood up, and looked on towards the cold water that waved on shore. I looked past that and into the ocean. The sun sat on the horizon as it began it's setting. Setting? Was I not sleeping? I began to walk, correction, stumble around. It felt awkward, as if I were walking on all fours, but I was too confused to pay attention. I lost my footing and stumbled face first into the sand, all that came next was blackness.
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