Tiara couldn't figure out who trailed behind. Lost and exhausted after running hard to lose the hooded man or a bear, Tiara climbed a tree for safety. The thunderstorm with lightning added misery to her poorly-trained frail body. 

“What was I thinking?” She cried out loud looking at the camouflaged sky that played hide and seek with Sun and cursed her ill-equipped impulsive decision to undertake this journey. 

Around pre-evening, the thunder subsided and birds started chirruping again. Tiara crawled through the dense foliage to reach the clearing overlooking the long valley. She couldn’t hear the serpentine river escaping from the clutches of hard rocks but the whistling wind singing the death song. The view was breathtaking but without a breathing soul anywhere in sight. Not even a dilapidated hut perched high on the mountains. She slumped against the rugged cliff edge and gazed at the endless azure canvas. The white monkeys were hopping on the giant giraffes and peeking back their necks together to watch for the chasing specks of roaring black panthers. 

Her solo hike might have had an unexpected turn but her childlike heart swiftly glided with the wild charms floating around her. The incessant rain drenched her layers, and the breeze chilled her to the core, bluntly waking her to reality like her father’s admonishes.

“You’re nothing but your dreams, but they need perseverance to see the light of the day.” 

The fading lights left Tiara shrouded in uncertainty. Yet, she held onto hope like her father’s assuring smile, yearning for a rainbow's promise. She munched on the last chocolate protein bar left in her bag. Tears inadvertently brimmed her eyes as the scene of that delightful day replayed in her mind. 

“Had I listened to Papa, Matt would’ve been alive. The adventure that turned tragic with one wrong turn,” She reminisced.

The night was cold, but her thoughts warmed as she spotted the ethereal spectacle unfolding over the barren mountains. The moonless sky exhibited a dance of vibrant hues of pink and green, electrifying the darkness. Tiara glimpsed down the ghosty valley and wondered if anyone would ever find her.

A lone, flickering light beamed zigzag in the dark. She wondered, “Is it a car’s headlights, or a torch?”

Hope brought peace despite fears, the cool breeze soothingly caressed her to sleep.

She heard Papa calling her name, “Tiara! Are you alright?”

She opened her eyes surrounded by concerned familiar faces. Lying still on the dewy lawn, she pointed to the sky, “Aurora Borealis!”

Watching the magic with moistened eyes, her father asked, “How did you reach the hill ground? Your phone’s location puzzled me to death.”

“I accepted Matt’s challenge and...” Tiara stopped midsentence as the reality struck.

Tiara’s father hugged his paraplegic daughter, “No, you’re dreaming, dear.”

Soaking wet in soiled clothes, gaze fixed at the fireworks, she asserted, “It’s not a dream. I won.” 

After settling her down in the wheelchair, Tiara’s father gently murmured, “Let’s train harder to live your dreams.”