I hear the scurrying sound of crunching leaves and twigs snapping below weighted feet.

With each shallow breath I take, I feel my pulse slowing. My heart beats softly reminding me I am still alive. My cheeks begin to hollow, and my tongue relaxes.

It smells like rain. I can feel the dampness in the air. It's late spring, and the ground is cold and moist.

The taste of copper and salt enters my mouth. The back of my head is throbbing. A pool of liquid, smelling like metal, soaks my hair and gently caresses my ears. Flashback to three summers ago when I cut my heal riding my bike barefoot.

My chest moves up and down slowly and then slower still. My body is melting into the earth. My legs feel hollow but heavy. I want to move, but movement is impossible.

My spine relaxes.

I float above my body. And I take my last breath.