s e v e n t e e n

"Mum? Dad? Lily? Where are you?" I call out.

Everywhere around me is white, pure white.

I'm lost in a world of emptiness.

I can hear their voices.

But they are too diifcult to grasp.

"It's me, It's me Grace!" I yell out.

I try to follow the voices but where?

All of sudden, I hear their familar screams.

"Stop! No! Mum! Dad! LILY!"

I sink to the ground and try to block my ears.

It hurts too much.

I can't help but start to tear up.

I'm all alone.

I'm not strong, I'm weak.

I'm not brave, I'm scared.

I let a tear fall and it lands on ground, echoing.

It becomes silent, eerily silent.

All of a sudden, the tear stain on the ground grows, darkness starts to spread all over.

Releasing my emotions and showing weakness causes the darkness inside me to show outside.

I run.

I don't know where I'm going but I run as fast as I can, wherever my feet take me.

I feel stinging on my ankles and from the corner of my eye, I see that the darkness is catching up, trying to engulf me.

I speed up.

I try to escape but... it's no use.

But what's the point?

Why do I still choose to run?

Can't I just give up?

What's pushing me to continue on?

Can't I just throw myself into the darkness and give in?

Why am I still running, running from... myself?

~Grace