I cried.

I felt the pain of a chick coming out from its own egg.

I cried more.

Each drop of pouring rain pushed my body downward.

I couldn’t open my eyes. I sensed the darkness. I felt time pass by. The warmth covered my fragile body. I saw a stream of light brighten the sky.

Yes, I opened my eyes. I blinked. Then, I saw a tree across the street. The tree was bulky and I caught sight of lots of people resting under it.

My body suddenly shook. Two young men were kicking the body of my mom, and within a second, not a lot of children were left on her.

I held tight, wanting to be the one percent who survived.

I tried, but I wasn’t strong enough.

So I let go.

My body twisted and flipped as I was on the air - to the ground. Nothing stopped me. I thought I had lost my spirit, but I felt the moistness of the grass. That was when I fell asleep. I couldn’t wake up. A bruise from the unexpected fall lasted long. The stillness brought peacefulness.

I needed air. All I felt was the sun - and how hot it was. Slowly, I was changing from green into yellow into brown.

I looked up and saw others who survived. They were well and their bodies reflected the sun. I envied them.

The sun wouldn’t go away. I was parched and so were the others who were on the ground. I was ready. I chose the peaceful way. I slept. I do not know when, but I stopped breathing.

If I was alive a day more, would it have been different?