I wake up startled. Though I look around for something, anything, all I see is black. My body is drenched with cold sweat. I am shivering from the cold. My lack of clothing makes my body vulnerable to the still, frosty, air. Where am I? What happened? Everything is a blur to me. Paranoia clouds my mind. I can’t think then again walk straight. I stumble around on this black ground. I continue to walk aimlessly. I’m hoping to find some sign. Some hint of salvation. It feels like I’ve been walking for hours. But I know it’s only been a few minutes. My legs are burning from exhaustion. I still attempt to walk this black desert. After about a minute I trip over my feet and hit the ground. It seems flat. It feels like cement. Yet I haven’t ran into any buildings, no cars, nothing. It’s just flat, cement, ground. Now my heart is really pumping. The adrenaline begins to flood my veins. Now my head is pounding. Not only that, but I can taste the blood dripping from my nose. I still try to walk. Even though I know something terrible is going to happen.

After a few more minutes of a treacherous step after step, I begin to feel wearier. I shake my head in hopes that I’ll be able to stay awake. In the process of doing so I trip over my feet once again. I flail my arms out in front of me out of panic. But this time my hands catch a wall. I stand here dripping sweat and blood still processing that there’s a wall in front of me. It finally clicks in my head. I feel around excitingly. I feel a stone wall. I still see no light though. I back up slowly to catch my breath and I hit another one behind me. These two walls that are so close to each other just gave me a theory. I dared to feel above my head. I figure it out. This wall that I felt so happy to see is now one of the most horrifying fears. I slip down onto my knees shaking back and forth. I debate to myself whether i should go through with it or not. One of my worst fears is my last hope. I know this is the only possibility for me to get out of this dark, gloomy, place. So I have to take a risk. I have to make a sacrifice. I slowly step forward. The first step echoes regret through my head. I stop and think once more. I shake and grind my teeth. I begin to walk once more. I continue to walk through this dark, eerie, tunnel.

I use the walls that confined me in this narrow tunnel to keep me up. I can still walk on my own. But I feel that would be a waste of energy. Whether that makes sense to anyone, it makes sense to me. Then again being in this place just further supports my lack of sanity. Step after step I continue to swallow my fear. But I can tell that if I don’t get to the end of this tunnel soon, it’s going to kill me. I stop out of paranoia. I could have sworn I heard something. I lift my head and listen. Somebody’s whispering. It’s far away though and I can’t hear what they’re saying. It’s echoing down the tunnel in the same direction I’m walking towards. The voice I’m hearing sort of sounds like an old lady. There’s no shaking in the tone. It just sounds like an aged woman. Oh no, not her.

“Stay away!” I yell. She still continues to whisper. It sounds like it’s coming closer. Then it just stops. I start to shake even more. My hands become clammy and loose. The whispers start again only this time it’s behind me. I jump and turn back towards the voice.

“What do you want?” I shout. I was excited at the idea that I wasn’t alone. Now I’m dreadfully scared of it. Whatever it is, it keeps on whispering. Suddenly it comes from both sides. I can almost hear what its saying. I back up slowly. I try to keep my feet from making any sound. I still try to make out the words. I turn slowly to face the direction I was previously walking. Then I hear it.

“Adrian.” She is calling my name. Now my heart is beating faster than it ever was before. It’s difficult to keep steady feet when my head is pounding again. It keeps on calling my name still. I almost trip again, but I catch myself. Unfortunately I made a big thump on the hard ground. The bang echoed throughout the tunnel. Then the voice stopped. I continue to stand but my eyes are closed tight in futile hopes that she did not notice the sound. After a few seconds of waiting, I hear the voice again. “Hi Adrian.” She said right next to my ear. My eyes spring open and I sprint off down the tunnel.

My lungs burn along with my legs like battery acid. After everything I’ve gone through I don’t want to be anywhere around her. The voice is now mocking me by laughing.

“Adrian! Don’t Run Adrian!” It keeps on repeating itself over and over. I keep running towards the nothing that gives me so much hope. My nose is now bleeding more than it was before. But I can’t tell because there’s too much cold sweat running down my face. My body is starting to lock up from the anxiety of being in a small tunnel. I can’t do this much longer. There is no hope for this. But I’m doing it anyways.

“Why are you running Adrian?” It doesn’t even sound like it’s running behind me. It’s just there.

“Go away!” I scream at her. But it keeps laughing. I keep looking ahead at the never ending darkness. But just then a sparkle pierces through the thick curtain of black. I can see light. It’s the end of the tunnel. I can feel it’s warmth from all the way back here. I run more and the light passes through the tunnel. I look back to see this monster that’s been torturing me. But nobody’s there. I stop running and catch my breath. It’s even silent. The light seemed to chase off the evil wench. I turn around towards the light. Still standing I try to make out what’s there. I can’t see though. The light is shining so brightly. It feels good though. “Adrian.” I twist my head back to the darkness. Still I see nobody. “Over here Adrian.” I look back towards the light where the voice came from. Still I see nobody.

“Where are you?” I yelled. My deteriorating sanity is just about to fade away.

“I’m everywhere.” She replied so calmly. I start stepping towards the light.

“You don’t want to do that Adrian.” She said. I stop. I look at my feet. They’re blistering and bleeding.

“Why not? Does the light scare you?” I ask. She’s not replying so I creep even closer to the light, ever so slowly.

“Its torture, its pain, its nothing you want Adrian.” She seems scared. Unfortunately she’s as scared as I am about this light. I look towards the light again with my hand over my eyes. Its getting brighter and warmer the closer I get to it.

“I think I’d rather take the light than you bitch.” I smirk thinking I came up with a good come back. I steadily walk towards the light. As I approach the light my eyes start to hurt from the brightness. My skin starts to burn from the heat.

“Why do you hate me Adrian? All I’ve done is what was right. What needed to be done.” She seems content with her choices. I understand everyone has their own perceptions in life, but this was just too fucked up. “Eventually you will understand that the choices I have made will end for the better. It was all for a divine purpose. You’re reasoning might not exceed that of your mortal being. But it will all eventually come together. Trust me Adrian.” I begin to clench my fist. But only for seconds, the light is starting to sear my skin.

“I didn’t want anyone to die.” I couldn’t bare this conversation. It’s becoming clear to me of how negligent she has become. She laughed harder than any time before.

“You of all people know that you wanted it to happen.” The rage now engulfed my conscious. I screamed and sprinted towards the light. The heat became so intense that my skin was singeing off my body. The light is now very close and is unbearable. About body’s length away from it I trip.

“You made sacrifices! You washed your hands with blood! You infectiously deceived everyone you know! This is your fault! But don’t let it all go to waste! You can make things better!”

I crawl towards the light. I’m pleading to god that he will cleanse me of this disease. I think of all the things I’ve done. All the things she told me to do and I willingly have done. I realize now it was my fault. I’m so close to the light and I reach out. My Hand has no flesh on it. And the tissue is now burning away. I reach out towards the light nearly touching it. Vines of the light entangle with my finger. I move a little closer. It starts to come around my arm.

“Pull away now and you can fix everything!” She cries desperately.

My fingers start to burn to dust. I open my eyes to be blinded by this end. I think of everyone I’ve hurt. Everyone I’ve deceived. I especially think of the girl I loved. I crawl in to the light. With the little energy I have left I whisper,

“I’m sorry.”

Suddenly…