IT IS NEAR! My end is approaching! Let me share how I ruined my life and the lives of those around me. This may help relieve the pressure building in my heavy chest.

Ever since I was young, I have been a kind girl. With sun-kissed brown hair and pearl-like blue eyes, people often told me I resembled an angel. My name, Perla, seemed to suit me perfectly. However, as time went on, I failed to realise that my jealousy and the challenges I faced in life led to my arrogance and lack of sympathy.

I had warm-hearted and loving parents, and I always believed I had the best family—until my mom tragically passed away from cancer. The last time I was with her, my small eight-year-old hands were tightly clasped around hers. My eyes were swollen and lifeless from crying. I still remember those painful moments like they were yesterday. I try to erase them from my mind, but they always haunt me in my nightmares.

After her death, my dad couldn’t cope with the loss. He turned to alcohol and became abusive. One night, he left for the pub to drink away his sorrow, as usual, but he never came back.

After my father’s tragic death, I moved in with my Aunt Luna, who had recently separated from her husband. Her home was inviting, filled with the comforting scent of lavender. Aunt Luna, a strong and determined woman, was raising my younger cousin, Lily, on her own.

One day, with a heavy heart, Aunt Luna sat me down and urged me to be strong. She explained how my father had died in a car accident—his judgment impaired by alcohol, leading to a devastating crash into a sturdy oak tree. Her words pierced through the sadness, leaving an emptiness that would remain with me forever.

As Lily and I grew up, I became increasingly jealous of her. I had always thought I was the prettiest until her beauty blossomed before my eyes. She became the most beautiful girl in our tenth grade, perhaps even the entire school. With her bright blonde hair and enchanting green eyes, she earned the highest marks in every class; she was a true genius and the top student. Her angelic voice captivated everyone, and people would stop in their tracks to listen whenever she sang. She was the girl I wished I could be in my life. Once, someone even told me how lucky I was to know Lily!

One gloomy night, after returning home from basketball practice, I felt the urge to knock over anything in my path because Lily had once again outperformed me. On my way home, I noticed a very ugly cat with a missing left ear and patchy fur that made it look almost naked. We’ve all done things out of anger—it’s just part of being human. No one is perfect—well, except for Lily, right? In a moment of frustration, I kicked the cat hard, sending it flying as if it were a football. It hissed loudly when it landed. To be honest, I never liked animals; they always seemed like little creeps seeking attention. Just as I turned to continue on my way, the cat leapt at me in the blink of an eye and scratched my face!

The blood was smeared all over my face, and I could taste it. I didn’t cry; the scratch was nothing compared to the painful memories I had already confronted. Still, it was one more thing that could have been avoided today. I could not hold my anger back anymore. Without thinking, I grabbed the cat and drowned it in the nearby pond.

Many people asked about the scratches on my face, and I managed to brush it off with a casual response. I’d say things like, “I just wanted to pet a random cat on the street, but you know how animals can be. It just leapt at me and scratched my face; it was probably a stray.”

One night, I had a dream about that ugly cat with its disturbing smile, and in the dream, I was covered in blood. Honestly, it terrified me, but I never mentioned it to anyone. I was afraid they might think I was going mad or something.

One night, as I lay in bed, a chilling voice pierced the silence—a deep, ominous whisper urging me to kill Lily. The impact of those words haunted me throughout the night.

When morning arrived, I learned that Lily had died horribly in her sleep, with no explanation for her sudden loss. A wave of horror washed over me as I struggled to reconcile the night’s dark command with the heartbreaking reality of her absence. How could this have happened?

She died so young, her life brutally cut short—so innocent and full of potential. It’s truly a tragic loss that weighs lightly on my heart.

At Lily’s funeral, the sight of my Aunt Luna, her face streaked with tears and sorrow, strangely brought me a sense of happiness. She has devoted herself to me for years, nurturing me as if I were her own daughter. Yet, at that moment, a chilling thought crept into my mind: Am I becoming a monster mentally? The lines between reality and illusion blur, leaving me feeling as though I’m a marionette, manipulated by unseen strings, a lifeless doll.

On those dead silent nights, when the world is wrapped in darkness, my mind spirals into overthinking. I repeatedly ask myself, “What have I done?” Surely, I couldn’t be the one responsible for taking her life, or for the cat—for it lies cold and lifeless, doesn’t it? Just as these thoughts swirl around like a tempest, my phone buzzes, breaking the silence. Who could be reaching out in the middle of the night? I hesitantly unlock my screen and read the message from “The Unknown,” and a shiver runs down my spine as I read, “IT IS NEAR… YOU CANNOT ESCAPE REALITY, PERLA MARTINA!”