The "Real" Reality?

                I’m Sandy. I’ve been depressed because of certain things because, yes, I do over-think things. I’ve been through a lot. My life has so much drama in it. Though, I’m only a junior high school student from Cavite National Science High School.

                I’m into reading something, that’s what makes me entertained. I’m also a lover of music. They help me escape my reality. Well, I guess because of these things and over-thinking them, I dreamed of something. Something that I am not really sure if I have finally escaped reality or it somehow brought me to the “real” reality.

                The last thing I remember before having this I don’t know if this is a nightmare or what, is I am seated on my sofa located in my room, my legs are stretched, lied on the center table in front of the sofa. I was reading a novel. My mom came from her work. She noticed me. She said “Hi.” I responded, “Hello.” Then I proceeded to reading the novel again. That’s all.

                So here's how my dream goes..

                I just woke up from a long sleep. I decided to go out of my room and have something to drink. After having a drink, I glanced at our window in our kitchen. I was captivated by a beam of light. I went out of our house, I followed the beam of light. I was shocked when I noticed that I am heading into a strange forest. I’ve never seen or been into a forest as creepy and as strange as that was. But still, being too curious, I followed the beam of light. I even got more shocked when I saw the gate of our school. Yes, the gate of Cavite National Science High School.

                Upon seeing the gate of our school, I stopped. I hesitated to continue walking and from following the beam of light. So, I walk back again heading to our house, but after taking just a few steps, I got so curious again. So I ran fast, as fast as I could. The gate suddenly opened. The beam of light stopped moving. It shined more brightly. I cannot resist its brightness. I covered my eyes. After a few seconds, I saw a guy standing in front of me. He introduced himself. He was Noris. A guy who resides in this strange place. A guy who belongs in this unbelievable place. I thought it was our school but it seemed like it was not.

                I introduced myself too. He seemed so nice. He even offered me a tour in their place. Of course, I said yes. My curiosity remember? That’s what brought me here. So without further ado, I said yes.

                He first said something about him. He’s a resident of this place, but he wasn’t that bad. He belongs to the first station, the gate itself. He just got late three times, and his reasons are, for me somewhat valid, but still, he had violations. Because of that, he was assigned to be one of the residents who list the names of the students who are late. The late students are being punished by having their names listed and being considered absent on their first subject.

                We’ve moved on to the next station. Here, I saw students with something wrapped around their mouths. I asked Noris why. He answered, “That’s how they were being punished; they have something wrapped around their mouths so that they wouldn’t be able to speak.” I nodded. I turned my gaze into a corner of the room, I saw an enormous sign, “This station is the LRC.”, then below it is another enormous sign, “YOU MUST OBSERVE SILENCE!” What’s with the all capital letters? Seems like you must really observe silence, huh?

                As we continue our tour, I saw a comfort room. I told Noris that I have to pee. He asked me if I could still hold it because it’s not the right place to pee, for it is the third station. The prisoners there are punished for not flushing after peeing. And so, they are punished by balancing pales of water on both of their hands. For every pale that falls, then 1 year in their stay there will be added. Just imagine how that would hurt their arms.

                Because of that, I didn’t feel like peeing that time anymore. So, we continued walking. And we reached the fourth station, the Canteen. The prisoners that belong in this station are the ones who have excessive love for food and beverages. Well, too much is deadly. They are punished by being prohibited from eating and drinking, and when they eat or drink, they just grow hungrier and thirstier.

                We went out of the fourth station. We were walking again, walking on the fifth station which is the pathway. All I can see are heads. Heads of the prisoners, their bodies are sunk in wastes and litters because they love to litter. They do not observe proper segregation of wastes or even proper disposal of wastes.

I sighed. I don’t know if I should continue my journey. But then, I heard a whistle. I think it’s from the court. Noris asked me, “Shall we continue?” I nodded.

                We headed to the court which Noris says is the sixth station. The court is surrounded by very high cement walls. I was forced to cover my ears when I entered this station. The sound was deafening. Loud whistles and shouts were all that I can hear. “Can we get out of here?” I asked him. I can see his mouth open but I could not figure out what he was saying. I also couldn’t hear him, definitely because of the noise. So, I tapped him and pointed the next station. He nodded in agreement.

                “That sucks. The noise was deafening!” I exclaimed. “That’s how the prisons there were punished. They love playing basketball, that’s why all you can hear there are whistles and shouts. The prisons would never be deaf, because if they will be deaf, then there’s no more sense of the torture.” He explained.

                The next station is the Gym. The violators in this prison are the ones who never paid attention to the speaker. As a consequence, each one of them are tied on a chair with fixed sound speakers. The volume was so high then there’s a voice note playing saying “YOU MUST PAY ATTENTION! YOU MUST RESPECT!” If the prisoners attempt to remove the rope tied around them, their stay there will be double and the volume will also be doubled.

                We continued our journey, we’re on the second to the last station of this creepy place. This station is called The Room. The violators here are the ones who cheat. As a punishment, their eyes are taken off of them, so that they could not see anymore, therefore, could not cheat anymore. Their hands are tied by a rope.

                And so, we walked to the last station. I curiously examined the last station. The last station was covered with ice. Yes, it’s freezing cold. I saw a letter placed on the table. Noris got it and he opened it. I tried to stop him because I know that it might be something private, but he told me that he’s allowed to read it and so I let him. After reading it, he gave it to me. I hesitated in reading it, but he requested me to read it and so I did. I don’t know what to call it. I know this isn’t the right term to call it but I would call it “the forever-imprisonment-in-ice-letter”. The prisoners in Guidance Center or the ninth station are the worst prisoners. They did the most horrible things. The prisoners may be school facilitator, staff, or student. As their consequence to the horrible things that they did, their bodies will be covered with ice, from their toe to neck, so that they would freeze and could not move anymore.

                Noris told me that it would be the last station. “I hope....”

                I felt someone tapping my shoulder while saying my name. “Sandy?” I opened up my eyes. I was agitated. I felt the book fell down from my hands. It was my mom who tapped my shoulder. She went to the dining room. “You had a pretty long sleep, huh?” “Ummm. Yes, mom!” I felt thirsty. I went to our kitchen, got some water. After drinking, I saw a beam of light outside our house. I went out of our house, followed the beam of light. This time, my surroundings did not transform. It was still a yard. It did not turn into a strange, creepy forest. Still in my mind, are the last two words said to me by Noris. What does he want to tell me? What does he hope for me? I was left wondering about the place and the man only found in my dreams. The products of my imaginations.

Does Texting Ruin My Knowledge in English Language?

A lot of us people, needs to communicate with each other for whatever concern it may be. There are many forms of communication. Way back years ago, the most common way of communicating was through the use of pen and paper, through sending a letter.

Speaking of sending a letter, it's still one of the most usual way of communicating especially to someone that isn't near enough for us to see perSonally. But, today, it has changed. Sending a letter has changed. We are now living in a world that the only permanent thing is change. Years and years had passed, many great inventions were produced and one of those is the cellular phone.

These inventions kept us near our loved ones. They let us know what and how were they doing. We found this invention, the cellular phone, essential to our lives, until it became a part of our every day living for a reason.

Through phone, through texting, we make friends. We often talk to strangers. In texting, there are no limitions. No rules. Because of that, there came the different kinds of typing, like jejemon, bekimon,  and such. But, I do not let them ruin my English knowledge. I do not shorten words if I text. I do not put extra letters to a word just to fit in in being that so called JEJEMON. Or when I put extra letters, it's to emphasize how I feel or let the reader know my emotions, that's all. I do not let their own language ruin my knowledge in English language.