You stood miles away, and watched your peers strolled proudly into those gates. They had received the coveted Golden Tickets, delivered right to their doorsteps in envelopes embrossed with gold print. On the verge of panic, you, along with the rest who were left behind, clean out the stocks in every candy shop you can find. One or two managed to find those last few Tickets, so they proceed on, racing through the gates as it snapped shut after them. Clang. A horrid sound.

On this side of the gate, Desperate left and its cousin, Deject, made its presence felt. The people fell to the mud, full of regret, disillusion and angst. Above all that, a heavy sense of Loss, an invisible weight that they could not remove.

Some sunk deeper into the mud, too caught up in themselves, too little faith, too little confidence, too much doubt, never to pick themselves up again. Some decided to wait for the next batch of chocolate bars, for they promised Golden Tickets too. Yet others see another gate further down the road, this gate which stays open come what may. They crossed the threshold of this gate, and promised themselves that they will find a way to get their hands on the next batch of Golden Tickets.

Finally the chocolates are ready. And in a strange twist of Fate, you look at your hands and you realise that you are holding a Golden Ticket. The people around you cheer and whistle. For you. For your Golden Ticket. All secretly wished they had your opportunity. When the celebration died down and the party ended, and you are collected, you suddenly shock yourself with your own hesitance.

You loosen your grip on the Golden Ticket.

There is an overbearing noise and an insane melody thumping, surrounding you, urging you through those coveted gates. There is a queer, subtle urgency.

You take the Golden Ticket and you move your feet forward.

You take the Golden Ticket and you stop.

The crowd mumbles, and then, Silence. A harsh silence.
A weird calm. A deafening silence.

You take your Golden Ticket. You stop. You look around you. You look at the coveted gates.