1000 Word Story

The smooth walls makes a hideous noise as my fingernail scratches down their side. Another day has passed. Another day of darkness. Another day of solitude. Another day of nonexistence. The walls were gray … or were they green? Its been so long since the light has touched them one wonders if the walls themselves even remember. Long ago I had given up trying to find my previous marks to keep a tally. Now I just scratch the wall anywhere, hoping that maybe someday, when the light returns, I can make sense of them. The idea of time is somewhat arbitrary anyways. In a land of darkness days are not treated the same. You count meals, or times you have slept. Time loses all meaning. Infinite time and limited resources lead you to a life of simple pleasures.

I lay back against one of the walls. In a world of darkness it really makes no difference if your eyes are open or closed. I run my hands across the walls. I can feel the scratch marks. So many lines. I can feel the ones from back when I used to keep them in line. That did not last long. Time is so relative here. Funny that even though I don’t use them, my eyes still get itchy. Sometimes, if I rub my them, yes. That is it. The little white squiggly is back. It is amazing how you find yourself passing the time. You can never look directly at this squiggly, yet you can never seem to look away either. Such an odd thing, to have something be a part of you, yet not under your control. It is like when you lay on your leg, and it falls asleep. It’s part of you, but it doesn’t behave as you want it to. Such an unruly thing our body can be. No matter how many times I do this it still amuses me. Simple pleasures.

I close my eyes. I look back and I can see snow. The street outside is empty and dark. Even my dreams are dark now. A few cars line the street, but nothing moves except the snow. The houses look like mountains, standing tall and reaching towards the dark sky. The only light comes from the street lamps, with their faint orange glow that seems to cut sharply through the darkness. Snow drifts in and out of the beam of light, giving the idea of a brief spark of existence. Touching the world so briefly. No snow touches the ground. The image is foggy, like looking through a frost covered window. Memories fade and twist. I cant remember if this is actually a scene I have experienced or if it was just thrown together. I would give anything to see snow again.

The snow grows more intense. The mountainous houses seem to be pulled away. The cars and the street seem to fall into nothingness. The street light seems to grow, brighten and become white. The snow though … The snow seems to keep growing. A wall of fluttering shiny white flakes fill my mind and seem to be dancing for me. This is quite a serene picture. Wish I had a camera. There is a floor now. Not so much a floor, though, as a squishy white surface. Oh, I’m outside. Some wind has picked up. It seems I am moving now. Moving very quickly. The ground is angled, and I am moving down. Not quite running, not quite falling, not quite flying. The snow is blowing past me. The light seems to come from everywhere. Faintly trees appear in the snow. They become sharper as I near them, but I seem to wind through them. They quickly pass behind me. I remember I was here once. I remember I found bliss here.

Lazing on the floor, lost in the visions in my mind, something begins to pull at me. A noise. A noise from outside. The room has a strong echo, almost as if the sound is coming from everywhere and nowhere. Maybe … yes, it is coming from this way. I stand and move towards the sounds. My hands reach the smooth metal bars and I press my head against them to try and hear better. The voices are quiet, and the echo does not help. What are they saying? Voices in the dark, beyond the borders of my cell. What could be going on? It has been so long since I have heard voices so close. It is like they are just outside. So close.

A door opens. An explosion of light. My eyes. It’s been so long. Such an incredible sensation. Has it really been so long? The light from beyond the door seems to reach towards me. So intense. It feels like an explosion in my mind. The voices from outside are louder now, but the light is too fascinating. Things seem to be calming down now. It is almost as if the floor is made of calm water, and the light has created a safe path for me. A path to freedom. A path out of this world that has been my home for so long. The bars are much less intimidating now that I can see them. They almost look like those chimes that some people hang in their doorways. I have been anticipating this day for as long as I can remember. The scratch marks on the wall don’t seem to matter anymore. Now that I am so close, I don’t know how to feel. What will happen to my visions? Will I still be able to chase them? Everything is happening so fast. The light, why does it have to be so bright? Let me just close my eyes for a minute. The warm glow of the light against my eyelids is much better. Soothing. Maybe I’ll just lay here for a while. The light is so inviting. Maybe I’ll just lay here for a while. Enjoying the light.