Paper surrounded me from previous school years, tests, report cards, notes, assignments, and my graduation cap on the floor. All of it is being organized while I’m in my blue gown. I needed to go soon and get packed for college. Something I should probably be more excited for, it just felt like another chapter. Graduation was just another hit of dopamine.

A sigh escaped my lips as I placed a neat stack of papers near a shredder. On my desk was an image of me with old friends eating ice cream; the photo was low quality, a selfie taken on my mom's camera. I was what? Seven perhaps. It was colorful, something far from today. A time when it wasn’t just day after day.

I woke up in my childhood bed, a smile still on my face. The printed picture of yesterday on my nightstand. Light giggles filled the silent room, previously occupied only by me and the soft brightness of dawn. My friends, Alyssa, Irene, and Sophia, went to the park swings, and then we went to this nearby ice cream shop. I got cupcake ice cream! I didn’t know they had that! Oh, and we rode our bikes to those places. Dad was also being nice yesterday, and Mom was well being mom and made us lunch. 

My bedroom door slams open. There stood a silhouette of what I would call a monster if I didn’t know better; belt in its hand. Dad was good; he was just strict. Everything had to be perfect, because I was his child after all. My mouth stood shut as I watched him silently. He was mad. Tears stood still in my eyes, not daring to fall.

“Willow, you know better than to not do your homework. It’s six in the morning!” He yelled

“And guess what?” He prompted, but I wasn’t actually supposed to answer it, though.

“Mrs. Vespucci called me. She told me that you weren't doing your work. You useless child!” He continued

His voice turned scarier next; it had no emotion. “Get up,” he demanded

I rushed to do as he said. Small limbs falling to get up out of bed. A belt met my skin cold and hard; like a dam breaking under pressure. Tears poured out into sobs as I wailed.

“You’re so nosy! It’s giving me a headache. Now get dressed. You have thirty minutes until your bus comes. Anything else I hear from your teacher better be nothing but perfection.”

I nodded. Tears still on my face. My only thought was ‘when I’m older, then it’ll be better.’

I stared more at the happy photo of me eating ice cream when I was younger. I wish I were a kid again. Not in this numb state of day and day, grade and grade, A to A, everything in the same cycle. The tale of Ouroboros, you could say. Silent tears fell down my face. I missed having no issues and just having fun. Things were better when I was younger.