DREAM: DALI, TAKBO...
I had a strange dream today.

It started with me and Ish at Tahanan Village park, watching the beautiful night sky. It was a quiet dream and we were just enjoying the moment. Enjoying the chance to be together again. She mentioned she was leaving for abroad and for a brief moment, I was staring at her, wondering (didn't you already leave for abroad and come back?)

Then the dream cut to a few hours later. I was with my Mom at the Church near the park. My best friend Marco was there too, although he was outside helping with some decors. I think the timeline suggested Simbang Gabi since it was dark, but I understood the sun was to be out in a few. While my mom was inside the Church, helping out with something, I stood out, walked back to where I was while I was with Isha, and noticed something peculiar in the sky.

It was a plane. A military looking plane. And no, not a jet. It looked more like the X-Men's blackbird. A stealth bomber. From it, a small tiny blue dot fell. And suddenly, there was a flash of light in the distance. An explosion of silent energy. It had dropped a bomb. The explosion had struck a nearby subdivision. And we all felt a wave of heat actually reach us from where we were.

I could hear other people around the area talking about it. How they heard rumors that something similar happened in Hongkong. Singapore. Korea. How they were hearing from loved ones (thanks to cellullar phones and text) that it just happened there too.

And then, I noticed. A second plane. And this time, it was flying in our general direction.

I ran back.

I ran like hell was after me. And looking back, seeing a glowing thing falling from the plane that seemed to be almost overhead, I knew it was. I got to the Church and realised I had to choose. Marco was still outside, on the other side of the Church. My mom was at the entrance facing the park. I chose my mom.

I grabbed hold of her, pulled her with me deeper into the Church, making our way to the side Marco was at. She was yelling at me to explain what I was doing. To stop. But I didn't. I just ran, practically dragging her with me, and only stopped when we were at the other side of the Church. I shoved my mother between the wall and a confessional and told her to wait for me. I then ran for the archway leading outside the Church, opposite the park, where Marco was. When I saw him, he was already staring at the sky. He was about to tell me there was something falling from a plane when I grabbed hold of him and pulled him back into the Church with me.

The explosion wasn't soundless this time. We all were screaming as the Church creaked and groaned from the heat. But miraculously, we seemed to survive it.

It was only when we stepped out that we learned the bomb that fell was at a side of the subdivision away from where we were. But it was close enough that a perimeter of burned houses and grass could be seen. We were at the edge of death. At it was not over. Staring at the sky, I saw the telltale signs of another plane flying in. I told my best friend and my mom we had to run. And we did.

And I wondered, somewhere beyond the sea, Isha was out there. Was she safe? Did the bombs get to her too? And I promised myself, no matter what, no matter how, I will find her.

I woke up.