The Void

I woke up.

Darkness.

I'm surrounded with darkness.

I can't see anything.

Everything was pitch black. Am I dreaming? Where am I? My head hurts. I lie on the cold black floor, I struggled to get up. Slowly, my memories from earlier flooded in my head and everything came back to me. The lady, the monster, the strange soothing nostalgic voice.

My first concern however was to get out of wherever I am, I looked around hoping to see even a small glow of light but to no avail. How did I came here?

My eyes were almost hurt because of the darkness that enveloped me. Now, that was weird but darkness, like the light, could almost be as blinding too. I stood up and tried to walk, nothing will happen if I don't do something about it.

I kept a hand stretched out in front of me so that I won't bump or stumble myself into anything. Avoiding large movements every now and then, in case I would bump into anything big. I continued to walk for almost one and a half hour or so, expecting that I have reached the end of this room but there wasn't any wall yet or furniture, I was hoping long after.

I still can't see anything not a speck of light. I almost felt I don't exist anymore. A thought struck me. Could it be? A thought so dreadful I tried to shook it out of my head. Even though it is a possibility. That I might no longer exist. Am I dead?

Automatically, I placed my hand on my chest. That confirmed that I'm still alive. My beating heart. There's still hope. I breathed a sigh of relief. I continued walking in this void, there wasn't any wind, all is still. Where exactly am I? How did I get here?

Completely nothingness, even myself I cannot see. It was as if I was thrown into the deepest depths of the abyss. My footsteps I cannot hear as well, it was gobbled up by this vastness. How strange.

This place is empty like a universe, no end nor beginning but this universe is so void of stars. No faint twinkle of hope.  How can I find the exit then? My chances of getting out of here is getting thinner by the minute .

The more I discover this "space" the more I get stuck in it. Even so I continued to head to the exit, if I was thrown here there might be certain opening, if there's a way to get in then surely there's also a way to get out.

I am certainly like Alice in wonderland right now. I scoffed at myself. I wonder if I would find a cake with the words "eat me" written on it then I would grow tall enough to pull the lever above me to switch on all the lights in here or, maybe a tonic that could bring me back to my original size, so I would be tall enough to determine which way is the exit in this maze and go straight home at once.

Probably most people would panic if they experience this, but not me, in this situation I'm in, I have to keep a calm head in order to think, as they say, a sound mind can hear intuition over fear.

Maybe I have been too lonely long enough to be afraid when I'm all by myself, in the the dark. I tried to wait for fear to seep through me. I cannot hear any sound which was very queer .

I tried to open my mouth to speak but I stopped myself thinking I was being silly. Although I thought I lost my voice. Everything inside me felt numb. I started to get anxious. I can't be stuck in here and turn into nothingness.

Where is that exit?

I was walking for a very long time but there was no living soul in sight.

What if I came across a creature like the lady who attacked me?! The thought upset me. I shook it away. My imagination knows no boundaries, even at a time like this.

I begin to wonder of who might be the one to rescue me. Who am I kidding? It is clearly obvious. Nobody would be looking for me here.

I smiled a half smile. Which reminds me of my life outside. It is the same as what I can see around me, the same as everyone would see me, the way I see myself.

Everything covered in thick deep layers of blankets of darkness.

People avoid me like a plague, as if you are nothing to them, unworthy to be spoken to, unworthy to be acknowledged. Sometimes, people doesn't waste their time on me, even just for a moment, well why would they?

With no friend, always alone. It's hard to live more than anything, I admit that, what if I stay here? I paused to think, and I remember my mom, my dad, my little brother, they must be the ones who are surely worried of me right now.

They would surely wait for my return. They are the reason why I don't try to harm myself and end my life. I don't want them to worry, I don't want to cause them problems. I still can say I was blessed because I have them. I have to live for them. They are my strength and hope. I also know that God will never abandon me and everything will be alright in the end. I just have to carry my cross until the very end.

Around this time I felt exhaustion, I continue to walk but, I have no destination as to where. Confusion reigns in my mind.

The voice inside my head that appeared, it was so soothing and very familiar, it was s gentle voice of a lady, that weighed most in my mind than the monster that almost killed me, this never ending darkness, all of this is something to be pondered of, it's all full of mystery.

I'll afraid of the thunderclap and the dark. Yes, I'm afraid of them, sadly they make me sick to my stomach but that's the truth *snif* oh no. I sobbed. I was holding back the tears that slowly formed on my eyes.

I'm not afraid of the dark but I'm afraid to be alone surely I'm used to it but at this time I wanted to hold someone's hand, I didn't notice I was already crying, all the pent up anxiety and confusion isn't doing me well that I don't try to stop this breakdown. It's about time that I let it all out.

After crying my heart out I continue to walk, I didn't know but it seems the burden in my heart was now a bit lighter. I continued to walk but I still can't see a thing. What if this has no end because this place is circular by nature? I've walked far enough but nothing has happened yet. I did all the walking in complete silence. It was like I was deaf.

I'm so tired. I'm not getting anywhere, I made a sign of the cross and kneeled. I whispered a silent prayer. I don't know how long I prayed but I think I was crying again all the while, afterwards I felt my eyelids heavy, then I felt so weak I never thought to lay on the floor but there was nothing again.

I woke up with a start, it was all the same. Still the "space" I tread was filled with darkness. I wiped my tears. I'm enough crying. I placed both my feet on the smooth floor and slowly made longer strides.

Sometime after, I noticed that there was something queer about this place, my instincts tell me that there is something around me which made the hairs on my neck stand to no end. Chill ran down my spine. For a moment I didn't want to look back. If I look back I might see something horrible or someone. I stopped walking. I felt different than earlier, this time I can feel someone was watching me from afar. I calmed myself and observed my surroundings, up until now, I still can't see anything, touch nothing, but the thick veil of darkness that lingers in every inch of this place. I continued walking.

I stopped abruptly when I felt a sudden surge of pressure occurring around me, like something invisible was pressing me to my knees, but the pressure, I was able to bear without any problem so I was still standing. It was not bothersome, I could walk well without thinking about it but I can feel, it's still there. It was a sinking feeling, almost making you out of breath.

I feel uncomfortable though. I took another step and without warning I feel a splash of water around me. Only there was no water. Only the feeling.

The cold deep deep water wherein I was slowly sinking. I'm almost drowning I cannot feel my feet on the ground. I was lifted up a few meters high from the ground and boy did it scared me. Like I was under deep waters floating around with no swimming gears.

I confirmed that there was no water because, when I came to my senses I can say that I'm not wet.

It was weird to say that I heard the splash of water only to find out now that I barely imagined it. Panic struck me when I noticed I was having difficulty in breathing. The water pressure, if  I happened to be submerged, it was overwhelming.

I experienced to fall into the 8 feet pool unexpectedly. I nearly died. It was such an experience I don't want to repeat.

My imaginary water pressure was hard to handle. This time my lungs did not shout for air but it made me dizzy the air that entered my lungs was so thin, making breathing almost painful, the last experience I had when I almost drowned in the pool was unnerving, my lungs burned for air, it was horrible.

After a moment of floating around I felt my feet was on solid ground again, then slowly like a moon finally passed by thick clouds there was a faint light. The light was not bright at all and it was pale blue but it was enough to erase the sinister darkness around. I was right I'm not inside a body of water. Only the moist wind that was blowing, I stood and looked at the light, slowly I was aware of my surroundings. The wind never stopped blowing, my long hair swayed gracefully.

With the faint light as my guide, I saw short grey grasses underneath my feet as I quietly walked. The cold wind blow on my skin I can't help but shiver in response.

I can feel the wind coming in all directions. Sweet scents of flowers mingled in the air. Maybe I'm near the exit. My little tinge of hope blossomed. Excited but careful I began to walk again. There was hectares of plains covered in grasses which was a bit gray. I can see vast flower beds ahead, a flower valley, it was such a sight for me to behold. It didn't take long when I passed the flowers, I admired them, the light was a bit strong in these parts that I can determine the color of the flowers. I recognized tea roses among them it was interesting for me to see different colors of this kind in the same flower bed. It looked like a massive bouquet of roses.

The roses which grew in vines were full of thick long thorns. Maybe they have been here for a long time too, to take root and grow like this. The vines were thick and covered with long lance-like thorns maybe a foot in length.

The roses looked very tempting I was wondering if I could take one. I tried to pluck one large red rose but, I retrieved my hand the moment I feel the pain. I was already pricked.

"Ouch" I cried.

Pain seared through my fingertip. I looked at it. My wound was deep, and the blood that went out of my finger dropped to the flowers on the ground. I saw the tip of the thorn that was left on the wound, I was trying to take it out even though it hurts as a result more blood went out of the wound, but I didn't stopped I have to get it out.

"This time, having an infection is not an option" I thought.

At last the tip of the thorn went out, I throw it in one of the giant flower beds so that no one would get hurt by it again. I suddenly noticed something shining behind the flower beds. When I looked closely and carefully, I saw a glossy shining glass. It was long and shaped like...

I stepped backwards and looked at the figure and I knew I was right. I starred blankly at it.