Dreams of Fire

Ahn knew their secret. The one they had been shielding from her ever since she had moved to Connecticut. Oh yes, she knew. Vietnam was in a war. Her home country, in war! She had been protected from this tragedy. If anyone at school or home were to talk about it, they would whisper, they would talk about it in another room. But Ahn still had nightmares about what might have happened.

Ahn had nightmares about herself tiptoeing on the roads of her hometown. Devastating damage on every house. Smoke went right up her nose and whipped like a sword through her black hair. Flames everywhere, sparks flew, a baby cried, and shouts of survivors hung in the air, ringing with every word. The sounds of the frames of houses collapsing could be heard miles and miles from her small hometown. The light was unbearable, even though in her vision it was night.

She kept walking; for some reason the road was clear. The only impediment was her feet, hesitating to go on. As she walked she saw the scorch marks on the ground and heard the loud crack of gunfire every so often. But still, the road was clear. Shadows of her neighbors seemed to haunt the street. The road was strangely still clear, all the same.

She told her mom about the dreams and asked her, “Why, Mom? Why was the road clear?”

Her mother smiled. “Ahn, you have a pretty good life ahead of you right here, in Connecticut,” and left the room.
    
Ahn was still puzzled. About a week later she realized. Life, here in Connecticut, was clear. The people were kind, and there was no war. The road represented the present. Not this evil land she had created, her small town could even still be the way it was! She didn’t know that it was gone! After having this sudden realization, she stopped having nightmares. They had left her forever.