Almost instantly after birth we are taught what is right and what is wrong. What is acceptable and what is considered unacceptable. We are taught how to act, speak, look, feel, and be in a specific way and if you refuse or are born differently, then you're a social reject. Living everyday with pressures to conform or be forced to live in isolation and segregation for the rest of eternity.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Darkness.

Black shadows pool over me, my body numbs and it becomes hard to breath.

Fire.

Flames crackle all around me, licking at my toes, circling like a predator stalking its prey.

Blood.

I could feel my mouth bleeding, the sweet crimson liquid coats my lips and drools slowly down the side of my face.

The smell of smoke thickens, it lingers through the air before rushing into my lungs. I cough violently, blood spurts from my mouth, and pain rams through my chest like a raging bull.

Ironic.

Fire. Chaos. Corruption.

It all surrounds me as I lay motionless upon the cold, hard ground. Lumps of what used to be flesh cover the earth, blending in with the terrain with the thickening smoke. Broken pieces of the train litter all around, joined the heaps of the charcoaled corpses. It's a miracle I even survived - if I survive.

I lay like a flattened starfish, limbs bent out of shape yet spread apart from my body. In my left hand, I can feel the smooth surface of my phone. It was flipped open and a sound was ringing from it, the old screen was cracked and dimply flickering on and off.

A voice picks up from the other end, it sounds cheery, yet the ringing in my ears overpower it and the only thing I hear are mindless mumbles.

"H...he... hel... help...p... m-m...me...e...." My voice is raspy in need of water, dry from the heat that circles in closer. In my mouth I taste the iron from my blood, at least I hope it's my blood.

The voice on the other end mumbles more nonsense, their tone trying to sound reassuring, but I doubt there's any hope left here for me.

I slowly close my eyes and reopen them, my eyelids reject, they are heavy and beg for me to keep them closed, but I know they'll never open again if I do.

I let out a low groan, hoping someone is nearby, hoping that help will arrive soon. Time seems to pass slowly, any bit of light is slowly engulfed by the darkness.

The fires of chaos nip at my body, hissing with every breath I take.

The smoke of destruction draws in nearer, slowly suffocating me in its grasp.

The flames of corruption dance around me, laughing as they slowly roast me alive.

My vision begins to blur.

The darkness begins to roar.

My light begins to fade.

My eyes yearn to be closed, the smoke slashing at them and making them sting. My lids grow too heavy, and slowly, they fall. In my mind I scream, it can't end this way! The darkness cannot win! Good always wins.

My eyes close and my breaths draw short, the sounds around me begin to fade, and soon, I find myself drifting away.

For the darkness has extinguished the light.

The darkness has blown out my light.

The darkness has won.

As I lay motionless upon the burnt ground, a light ringing echoes in the distance, and bright flashing lights break through the darkness' grasp.

And then...the light returned.

And then...I began to hope.