[CONTENTID1] 1 [/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2] Escape [/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]

I stand at the edge of a crystal-clear pond and breathe in the pure scent of water, closing my eyes and letting myself melt into the serenity of the atmosphere. It was completely silent, except for the soft rustle of tree leaves caused by a cool autumn breeze.

I inhale and exhale a couple more times before opening my eyes and couldn’t help but smile. This place is an example of nature at its finest. Big, sturdy rocks dotted the lush green grass, which gave a variety of spots to choose from. Red, orange and brown trees surrounded the area, their arms extending in as if welcoming any new visitors. Vibrant flowers made appearances along the sides, giving off a sweet smell. But perhaps, the most breathtaking of all was the beautiful pool of water in the middle of it all, completed with a small waterfall. Though it was stunning all hours of the day, it was most spectacular when the sun shone, a time the pond could show off its natural beauty.

Currently, it was evening, so the water was only lightened by the faint glow of the moon. I peer into the pond and a tired girl stares back. Dark circles sported her chestnut-colored eyes and she frowned. The result of not sleeping enough lately.

I sigh and sit back on my favorite rock. Usually, I come here to ‘escape the real world’. Some may say it’s silly, but when I’m here, I feel as if I’m in a whole different universe. Perhaps it’s the unrealistic beauty of the area, or maybe the pond is just that unbelievably pure. Either way, today was no different.

I feel my phone vibrate and take it out. It’s a text from my mom.

Hi sweetie, are you at your ‘secret place’ again?

I roll my eyes. Of course she didn’t notice until two hours after I left.

Not much has changed. When I was younger, I thought my mom would just grow out of her poor memory. Like it was a habit. But as I grew older, I realized she wasn’t forgetting about me. She simply didn’t care about me at all. In fact, th