The lights are closed, with only a half-melted number '14' candle lighting the room. I have turned fourteen, you see. My family, I mean what's left of my family, is singing 'Happy Birthday' around me. It's not clear though; as if I'm underwater. Their voices are bubbly, happy, but kind of distant, dissolving. My mother will tell me, "Close your eyes, sweety, make a wish." I always have made a wish, and it's always been the same wish.

       I'm walking down a road, It's sidewalks are striped with yellow and green. I look over at the happy children playing down the road. Smiles, real smiles, are pasted on their faces; smiles with no worry, sorrow, or sadness, smiles full of joy and optimism. If only I had one. A young lady waves my way. With her long brown locks that cover part of her face, ocean blue eyes that glint in the sunlight, and the simple violet dress she's wearing she looks beautiful, charming. The sound of my birthday song is now totally dimmed; as if it was never there. I'm now entering an orange-coloured building. It's full of bean bags and comfy couches. My parents are there my mother looks much younger, my dad is buoyant with a smile spread across his face. My two brothers come out of a room. Both of them look remarkably like dad. The same short golden hair, the same downturned eyes (although different in colour), and even the same heart-shaped face. A huge smile splits my face as I run to hug them each tightly. I haven't seen them in ages.

"Come on Candy, it's time for dinner," my older brother calls. His voice is weird, not really his, it has a manly tone to it. I haven't heard his voice for long years. I realize it's my dad's voice from a distant memory when he was younger as if my brother is slowly morphing into him. "Is dinner gonna be bread and cheese again?" I ask, my voice is surprisingly soft, I speak like I never did before. "Bread and cheese again?" says my mom visibly confused, "Sweety, we didn't even eat bread and cheese for dinner before." I look at the dining table and see what looks like chicken, but slightly bigger and darker in colour, the table is full of other food, a salad, corn, rice, and even cooked vegetables. "Let's all thank mom for this lovely turkey, huh?" says dad proudly. At this point, I'm confused, "But, where did you get the food?" My father laughs, something I never heard him do before, "We got the food from the grocery store, remember?" 

       I'm walking in a vast field, full of what I think is grass and ...trees, huge and beautiful. They're full of leaves and flowers. To my right, I see a tree standing tall and proud with leaves that join together to look like silk. Then near it is a shorter tree with light green leaves and round red things hanging from the branches. Apples. I never saw an apple tree before. I pluck an apple and bite into it with a wet crunch. I never tasted an apple so sweet and juicy. "You can't catch me!" I turn around to see the children I saw previously running in the field. "You're not that fast, I will catch you very easily," a blonde boy laughs. I watch as the children exchange laughs and giggles until I notice I have finished my apple. I sigh as I lay on the ground, watching the blue sky and animal-shaped clouds. Of course, I never saw them before, this is all from my imagination, from what my history teacher told me. I close my eyes in content and satisfaction. I love this world. The world with an actual blue sky, with no scorching heat, with loads of plants and trees. With happiness. Pure happiness.