THE ESCAPE

“Where am I?” I muttered in a state of shock, surveying the strange and unearthly landscape that I had somehow stumbled into. The air seemed still and oppressive, heavy with a sense of dread, and the wildflowers that surrounded me — some of which I had never seen before — only added to the surreal atmosphere. “What is this place?” I asked myself, as I began to make my way cautiously through the unfamiliar terrain.

As I moved forward, the place felt eerily familiar, it was almost as if I’d always been there and somehow that certain part of my memory vanished into thin air just like that.

I stood there in disbelief, my voice echoing within me as I screamed out in frustration, “LORDDD why can’t I remember who it was?” I had faint memories of walking on a small trail with someone by my side to what felt like just yesterday, yet here I was, seemingly alone and confused. I ran my hands through my hair, feeling my heart race abnormally, unable to comprehend the events that had transpired. “But how could that be!!” I thought to myself, unable to make sense of it all.

Fear. Yes, it was indeed fear that was slowly crawling within me, trying to take over me. I was lost, lost in the middle of nowhere. I felt a wave of helplessness and powerlessness wash over me.

“NO NO NOOOO. I MUST GET MYSELF TOGETHER AND GET THROUGH WHATEVER SHIT THIS IS.”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before slowly opening them again. As my gaze swept my surroundings, I couldn’t help but notice the eerie atmosphere — twisted and gnarled trees stretching up like sentinels, their branches reaching out like grasping hands, and the stiffness that seemed to hang in the air.

As I made my way without any direction through the unfamiliar expanse, I began to hear faint murmurs that seemed to be coming from all around me. At first, I assumed I was merely imagining it due to my anxiousness, but then a loud crash echoed from somewhere behind me.

My entire body was overcome by a wave of terror, but I was too afraid to turn back and find out the source of the noise. I could only continue forward, into the unknown.

No matter what lay ahead, I pressed forward with determination, whispering ancient incantations under my breath. I heard rustling behind me, the sound of feet pushing through the undergrowth, and my strength began to wane. I felt myself wanting to give up, but I steeled my nerve, whispering, “This too shall pass.” I longed for an end to this seemingly never-ending ordeal. “How long have I been here?” I asked myself. “Has it been forever?”

I was scared.

What if I were stuck in an inescapable loop of déjà vu, with my memories of each iteration slowly unraveling? What would it be like to keep trudging down the same path, never knowing who I had been walking with or what adventures we shared? Would I ever be able to break free of this prison of forgotten moments?

***footsteps got closer and louder***

My legs began to quiver as I began to move them at an accelerated tempo, for fear of the unknown entity stalking me from behind.

I kept advancing, but the further I went, the more I felt the ominous presence of a looming cliff. My feet kept propelling me forward without my consent, as if my body had a will of its own. The shrubbery rustled behind me, as if something was following me, something unnatural and sinister. I had an unexplainable feeling that whatever it was, it was out for me. The thought filled me with dread and I was powerless to stop it.

Fear was slowly taking a toll on me, I was struggling to get myself in control and sane. A dead end. I was getting closer to a dead end. Maybe that was when fear completely engulfed me. I knew I had no way to get out of there.

I ambled down the way, my sense of foreboding increasing with each step. As I arrived at the end of the road, I peered over the edge into the abyss of uncertainty below. A chill ran through me as I contemplated the potential consequences of my journey. Yet, I was oddly at peace, for I had accepted what lay ahead of me.

But just in a blink of an eye, everything changed.

I was no longer gazing out over the cliff’s edge, but instead found myself standing a few meters away, in front of a figure that seemed eerily familiar. A chill crept up my spine as I asked myself, “What just happened?” My heart began to beat faster and faster, its thumps resonating in my chest as if it were about to explode.

Just then I heard those strange whispers again instead it was louder this time. I couldn’t comprehend what was happening. I knew I heard someone, the only thing was that I couldn’t find out where the sound was coming from.

“Maybe I do have an escape to all this.”

I turned back, making my way toward the source of the sound, trying to find an escape. It was almost as if I was getting hypnotized by those sounds. My body was getting heated up, my pulse quickening as I moved closer and closer to the source. I felt my stomach drop with anticipation, yet I felt no fear. I was drawn in like a moth to a flame, eager to discover what lay ahead.

Right then I stumbled over a rock, lost my balance, and was about to hit the ground, but in that instance, it felt as though my soul was being pulled from my body into the abyss of darkness before me. I was enveloped in a blanket of complete darkness, the darkness so thick and pervasive that it felt like a physical presence. Everywhere I looked, it was a void of blackness, a sightless and silent abyss. I was completely, utterly lost in the darkness.

I admitted my defeat.

………………………………………………..

“We did all we could to save her. We’re sorry.”

………………………………………………

“Maybe it’s the best for her, she struggled for 15 whole years after that accident…. It’s time we let go of her.”

“Poor one, she had a lot to see. May her soul rest in peace.”