APRIL 8, 2006                                                                                                                        Suddenly, I woke up to an unfamiliar ceiling. I briskly got up and looked around my surroundings. I was in a strange bedroom. From where I was at, I could count four windows with blinds almost shut enough so that only small rays of light shined through. The room was damply lit and a sense of doom filled the air. I walked to the door, the only door to the room and twisted the knob. It wouldn't budge. I tried it again several times. It still wouldn't budge. I began to panic and adrenaline starts to kick in. Somehow the only thing that mattered at that point was getting out of that room. I thought of trying to get out the windows, but something was telling me I was in a room on the 2nd or 3rd floor. And then something caught my eye. Next to the bed was a model house. The model house was sliced open so that the 2nd floor rooms were shown. Strangely, there was a room that looked exactly like the one I am in right now except of one small detail - the door had a string attached to it and a blank yellow post-it. Without thinking, I opened the small door.

The room suddenly was void of sound and quickly turned fiery red. It seemed that the room was exploding! My memory quickly came back to me as everything began to go dark. I was held hostage in the room by a robber. He set up and locked the door so that if I tried to escape, the room was set to detonate explosives around the whole house. All I kept thinking was that I didn't want to die... I have so many things that I wanted to do in life, but alas I felt I was fading away into nothingness by the explosion.

The next thing I knew, I woke up, but to the same unfamiliar ceiling. I got up and looked around. I was in the same room except upside down. The windows were covered up or so it seemed with black cardboard. I could see nothing through them. Did I just die? Is this hell or heaven? I started to cry. I wanted to go back to the living and live my life. All I could feel was great depression and regret.

Suddenly, I woke up. Again, the same unfamiliar ceiling. This time, however, the room was brightly lit with the window blinds fully opened. It seemed like morning. Through one window, I could see old style english buildings and doves flying. I tried the door - it finally opened. With astonishment, I stumbled slowly along the hallway. To the right was another room and with curiosity, I decided to take a look. I saw my brother sitting on a desk. Moments later, he looked up at me seemingly knowing that I was there the whole time. He quickly spoke, "Oh you finally woke up!"

"Oh, yeah" I said looking rather confused. My brother noticed my dazed look and asked what was the matter. I asked him where am I and who's house is this. I even asked who was I. He sat me down and with a smirk on his face (he thinks I was just playing around) he explained everything.

"Randy, you have a wonderful life. Your whole career is ahead of you, you have a beautiful girlfriend and speaking of which she's trying to get a hold of you for awhile," my brother said in the most reassuring voice I have ever heard. What was my brother talking about I thought to myself. It didn't sound like the life I would have. In fact, as I recalled, I stopped seeing that girl ...or was it that girl? And my career? I thought I was barely starting at pharmacy school.

Suddenly, I woke up. Now, I saw a familiar ceiling. I am back at Temecula...I am back to reality.