A new world

She opened her eyes and looked around at the forest surrounding her. It was fall the air was crisp the leaves were beautiful reds, oranges, and browns. She didn’t know where she was but she wasn’t scared. She felt a strange sense of peace and calm. It was an unfamiliar sensation in her life. She began walking feeling the lush forest floor beneath her feet. The vegetation brushing gently against her skin. She felt the breeze gently blowing cool through the air across her face and through her hair like a gentle reassuring hand. But where was she?

She slowly inhaled a deep cool breath of the cool fall air. With each breath she felt more keenly aware than ever of her senses. She felt the air passing from her nose to her lungs. She felt the feeling of her heart beating in perfect rhythm inside her chest. With each breath she felt more alive and at peace.

As she wondered around she found a path near a beautiful creek and she decided to follow it. The creek seemed so crystal clear. The air felt clean as she breathed in deeply she leaned down and drank some of the ice cold crystal clear water it tasted so good. Then she continued following the path. Eventually it led her to what looked like the ruins of an old fortress or temple of some sort. She wondered up to the entrance. Suddenly she felt as if someone was watching her. She looked around sharply but didn’t see anything. Then she heard a sound she wasn’t sure what it was it sounded animal. She saw motion above her and saw an owl swooping down gently. Then she looked up and saw an owl rather old looking with sweet brown eyes looking down at her. It spoke to her and said I have been waiting my whole life for this. I didn’t think I would live long enough to see you come to our forest. To her surprise she wasn’t shocked to be speaking to an animal but she wondered in her heart what this could mean?

“Am I dreaming?” she asked. “Not exactly.” Well then am I dead? Dead? What does that even mean? What is death? Can conscience be killed? Can someone’s passions and dreams be silenced? Who you are can’t be stopped. She replied. Our life can’t be stopped it only takes another form. She then asked her how she got here. Well she told her “I’m not really sure about that?” There are many ways to our world and many reasons people are brought here. Some come after death. Some are brought here in flashes because the pain of their own world. Some have a very special purpose I was promised I would live to see your arrival. Promised? By who? Night had set in and the stars were more clear and beautiful than anything she had ever seen. Then the beautiful colors and scenery began to fade to grey. Everything slowly faded to black. She felt utterly cold like the feeling had been sucked out of her and all reality strayed into thoughtlessness. Then slowly her senses came back. Then she began to feel again. She felt a sharp pain in her leg. She didn’t see anything but she could hear a sound but what was it? It sounded like drops slowly dripping to the floor. Drip drip drip…. As her eyes slowly opened she saw she was back in her bathroom. The feel of cold steel in her hand. She saw the blood flowing down her leg from the cuts she had made. She cut not to numb the pain of life. But to feel something at all. When you’re drowning in a pool of pain you stop feeling it all. For once in whatever that world was she felt alive. She felt peace and her heart beating. But now well now she was back.

As the reality and pain of the “real” world had set in she began to panic. Then she closed her eye and began to picture the world she had just witnessed with its beauty, and peace. It calmed her. She longed to go back. She longed to return to that sweet place. But how?