I woke up to the silence that accompanied my house late at night. It was most likely 12:00 as usual because my thoughts never did want to shut up. Slowly I climbed out of bed making sure I didn't send enough noise to wake anyone up as I lumped my pillows in an odd shape throwing the covers over it in the process. I tried my hardest to quietly put on a random pair of shoes I had lying around and threw on my favorite sweater, which I always left out at this time of night, before making my way to my only window. I turned around to take a peek at my handywork just to see that the chances of it convincing anybody were as high as the chances I would get to skydive into a lake full of mermaids. I grudgingly went out the window pane only to land on a pile of leaves which crumpled under my weight, scaring the complete crap out me. I froze as I quickly looked into my room to see if anyone had woken up to the sound of my carelessness but as usual no one I finally calmed down my frantic nerves I slid the window closed as much as possible while still leaving a small opening that wouldn't be noticed till given closer inspection. I turned around to look up into the starry sky while the wind roared with a piercing cold that made me glad I thought to bring my sweater with me. I played with the string attached to my hood as I slinked across the yard more aware as to what I was stepping on this time since I wasn't out of the clear yet. I mean come on who would wanna wake up my dad at this time of night he sleeps with a knife for crying out loud. Yet I was always too stupid to care. When I finally made it out of the fence I ran as fast as I could, I always did. The wind whipped by me, while the foliage blurred into a mesh of green and brown only to be seen thanks to the slivers of moonlight that went through the forest's canopy. I wish I could say I knew these forests like the back of my hand but I never could tell where the hell I was going. I only knew that wherever there was a shimmer of bright light I would find myself by the only lake in the entire forest. As soon as I saw the sign that would lead me to the lake I followed it with my heart soaring high above the skies yet racing from all the exercise I was doing to reach the lake in the first place. I was always met with the chirping of birds and the relaxing sounds of the ripples from their movements crashing against the nearby rocks. I was always alone here and even though it sounds desolate as hell it was somehow the most calming feeling in the world. Here I could let my thoughts roam free and venture off into huge ideas that could get lost in the wind for all I cared. Yet that wasn't the only reason why I always snuck off in the middle of the night with a high possibility of never seeing the light of day again. I came because by myself surrounded by nature and it's oh so calming presence, I could finally let go of the mask I held over myself that I used only to appease others. Here I could be free, free from my worries and insecurities because there was no one with me to judge me because of them. I let my mind wander into the night sky questioning all my fantasies while being consumed by them at the same time. I became a child again because during they day I was told off if I did. I succumbed to both the good and bad thoughts crying when they became too much and smiling when they weren't enough. I let myself be free and let my thoughts run wild, just for the night an hour more if anything really, because I didn't want to lock them all up again but I knew I needed to. Finally giving up to the dreariness I felt I got up to leave looking back one more time before leaving behind my paradise, my sanctuary, and my savior. I placed back the weights of my worries and insecurities before finally placing in the mask I didn't want anyone to see me without. I looked up to the night sky dreading the day but knowing quietly that I would be free once again, if only for an hour, or more.