By CATALINA FERNANDEZ
Staff Writer

I was sitting in my room when I heard a strange sound coming from downstairs. Confused and a bit scared, I walked hesitantly in the direction of the noise. The sound led me all the way down to my empty, forgotten basement. Once I entered the room, I marveled at what I saw, a portal of some sort. There was an antiquated wooden desk beside it. Suddenly bursting with excitement and curiosity, I walked toward the portal and desk. Unexpectedly, the portal triggered a certain familiarity within me. I had an immediate feeling that I had previously encountered the portal in a previous dream. Once I approached the desk, I noticed a small piece of paper placed neatly on its center. In typewriter script, the note read, “Use the portal to control your future.” Baffled, I approached the portal and stood there, looking through the magical swirl of possibilities that lay before me. The prospect of choosing my own destiny astounded me. I thought of the success I could achieve by altering the future to my liking. With this opportunity, I could create a perfect life for myself. I could not only change my life, I could change the world. Suddenly, my mind flashed to the memory of the recurring dream in which my entire being was clenched with an overwhelmingly negative sensation. Yet, I could not precisely identify what about this dream devastated me to such an extent. Then, my excitement vanished. I realized that although it originally sounded like the perfect solution, for some inexplicable reason, the portal would lead solely to my disappointment and desolation. I did not need to control the future. How was I to enjoy my life as much as possible without preserving the spontaneity and promise of the unknown? My mind then led me to the wonder and adventure of living in the moment. With this, I took a step back and the portal disappeared.