by: Lekha Kaushik
Doodling the equations of motion, I was so focused on my task that I didn't hear the slight crack in the silent room. When I got up to get some water, I saw a little puppy in my room. I was scared at the sudden presence, but it didn't seem bothered, and tugged at my pants. I followed as it led me to my backyard and into the old closet of my grandma that laid there untouched for thirty to forty years now. I was astounded to discover a new world inside the closet. It seemed like a scene from the fairytales my grandma used to tell me. I was in a dazzling palace and the puppy sat in front of me with six other animals - a wolf, sugar glider, black panther, lion, tiger, and a tiny bunny. While the animals were huge and dangerous, I felt not a single ounce of fear. In a flash, all of them changed into gorgeous men. “Welcome back darling”, said the silver-haired man with mesmerizing emerald eyes. It was the wolf. “D-darling? W-what the...” I stuttered. Before I could speak another word, a beautiful hazel-eyed man hugged me from behind and whispered, “We missed you, sweetheart.” My mind went blank. I didn’t understand any of the events going on around me. Am I in a dream? “No love, you are back home. This is not a dream,” whispered the lion.
Suddenly, I woke up and sighed. Whew! It was a dream, but when I looked around, I was in a magnificent room with seven men hovering around me with worried eyes. “Are you okay princess?”, the blue-eyed panther asked caressing my face. In response, my face heated up. I spoke in a tiny voice, “Who are you? Where am I? How is this...?”. They all looked at each other and then at me. “You are the princess of our kingdom, and we are your princes. We were supposed to unite on the full moon after your eighteenth birthday, but you were kidnapped by a witch and sent to the earth as a newborn. You forgot everything and we could only wait for you to grow up again. Now, we've brought you back home.”
After that, I lived with them for weeks until the full moon came. I was in the middle of the princes as they chanted the magic spells. A beautiful crown that sat graciously on my head appeared. A sudden wave of memories hit me as my attire changed to that of a princess. I remember everything. They waited and waited for me and made me realize my real worth. They were my Epiphany.