Awoken

The cold is seeping in, I shed a tear, and as it slides through my cheek, it freezes and shatters on the ground. Leaving a burning sensation on my hands as they touch the earth.

My knees throb with the pain of falling, my feet mutilated from walking on hot coals.

I blink,

Once.

Twice.

The memories come flooding in. This is my punishment.

Party. Smiles. Laughs. Phone ringing. Sobbing. Weeping. Screaming. Silence. Ice. Travel. Fresh start. Phone ringing. Rage. Anger. Silence. Travel. What will come next?

I lift my eyes from my bloody hands and look ahead, I see trees all around, I feel as if they are sucking me in. I fall backwards and I am looking at the canopy. The branches pull apart to reveal a night so dark that there isn't even one star shining. I am pulled underground. Dirt falling on top of me. Soon enough I can't breathe, I can't move, I can't see. I am dead? I wish it were so. Bones crushing under the weight, I cry out, pleading for a merciful soul to save me. I don't know how long I stayed there. Only that the flashes started again and they didn't stop. Closed my eyes, but only made them more vivid.

Please stop. Stop. Stop!

Please. Just stop.

They don't stop.

I claw my way out of my grave, nails breaking, blood wetting the earth, pain ripping through my arms and hands. Sucking in a breath, I drown in my own despair. Suddenly I am not under the earth anymore, I don't know where I am. What is happening? I can't feel anything, I can't see anything. A black void surrounds me, I strain to hear, something, anything at all, and I am graced with darkness. I realize what I just thought "I am graced with darkness", I notice that in my distress, I stopped seeing the flashes, and now, with that thought in my head I hear softly a music play. Far away I feel warmth, and a fuzzy feeling rises within me. Even though I don't have a body in this void, I feel myself walking towards the song. It gets louder with each step, the darkness fading away with each note.

Like being pulled on a rope, I follow to the unknown, light washes over me, and I start to see beyond the veil of brightness, I see a white, well lit room. The music surges through me, and I feel awoken. A presence beside my head yelps in surprise, I see a smile over my head, hands gripping my face, kissing on my hands and cheeks, laughter tingles my ears and tears fall down on me. I've never felt quite so happy in my life. The pain and suffering from before crumbles down, seeming like a long ago nightmare.

I have awoken, and I will not be afraid.