Well, it was a good try. This is the end, though.

I stepped away from the shed and stood in the open. I could see the glow of police lights in the distance above the dead orange groves. There were no police in sight, though.

I backed into the wall after I rounded the corner. I heard nothing except my and Greg’s breathing. He patted me on the shoulder.

“We can’t do this,” I said as I peeked around the corner.

Looking back, I could see the blue and red strobes of the cop cars, which were dimmer because they were behind the trees.

I turned around and ran ahead of him. We booked away from the clearing and through the rows of dead orange trees.

I felt my pulse rising through my closed fists. My breathing became heavy and hot. My vision of the present darkened as my sight turned into itself and back into the daydream.

“Hmm.” I stared at the commencement invitation. “Why do I even bother?”