Track 9 – Surreal Dreams

“Pray,” Sunny said with a serious tone. “Come on, pray to the shrine child.” I glanced at the poster of the idol she’d taped to our living room wall, right next to the Jesus pamphlet a cult member handed us on one of our walks, surrounded by the odd trinkets we’d accumulated. “Will my cramps get better if I do this?” “Yes!” Liz answered from the couch. “Let me demonstrate.” She bowed before the cursed shrine, chanting, “Oh, our savior, grant me the energy to go to 7/11 and buy a Melona ice cream!” Sunny joined in, “And please, don’t let me get paired with Tobias in language class tomorrow!” As I filmed them prostrating, thunder rumbled outside. We all stared at the lightning. “Well, I guess I should pray too. Our idol seems to have great powers,” I sighed, sitting down next to them. And we all could not stop rolling around on the floor holding our bellies while laughing. I realized then, great friendship meant being insane together. It reminded me of my best friend Sofie back home, who I hadn’t spoken to in a while. But I quickly pushed the thought aside.

Taipei’s nightlife was a blur of music and laughter, the city’s vibrant energy flowing through the streets like an electric current. It was Friday night, and we were heading to a rooftop party around Taipei 101. As usual, someone had invited someone, and now everyone from our program was going. “Did you see the view from the invite?” Sunny asked, practically bouncing with each step. “Yeah, it looked amazing!” Liz replied, fixing her hair as we turned onto a bustling avenue. When we arrived, the view was even more stunning than we’d imagined. Taipei tower was an arm’s length away, its green lights illuminating the sky, while the city sprawled beneath us in a sea of shimmering lights. The music pulsed with the flashing lights, and the warm air carried the scent of night-blooming jasmine.

“Let’s see if we can get someone to buy us drinks!” Liz shouted over the crowd, already making her way to the bar, her favorite mission. Sunny and I laughed and followed her, the mood warming our chests. While Liz was chatting someone up, I heard a voice beside me. “Hey,” said Henry, a guy from class. “Hey!” I smiled back, a little shy. Henry was tall, thoughtful, with a quick smile and a talent to make people feel at ease. We hadn’t spoken much before, but tonight the conversation flowed easily. Every time our eyes met, my stomach flipped pleasantly. Yet, a small uncertainty gnawed at me. Did I want to complicate things right now? Did I even have the energy to date? Henry said something that made me laugh, and I felt a twinge in my chest. This was supposed to be fun, uncomplicated. Why couldn’t I just enjoy it?

But it was work that lingered in the back of my mind. To finance the exchange, I was still working remotely while everyone else traveled the island in between parties and long days at uni. The repetitive tasks were starting to wear on me – each night at my computer, it felt like water dripping relentlessly onto the same spot, slowly torturing me. While I was typing, I suddenly felt hot anger wash over me. I ran to my bed, and started screaming into my pillow, my body shaking intensely. After calming down a bit, I glanced at the clock and decided I could use a break. Leaving my work for a moment, I entered the kitchen, where Liz was flipping pancakes with a ridiculous amount of flair.