She awoke with a gasp, bolting upright in bed. Gathering the soft fabric of her nightgown about her neck, she clutched tightly and frantically searched the room.
No. The room was devoid of life, aside from herself. And Darkness.
She tried this every night, to no avail. Every time she woke from these furtive but desperate attempts, only Darkness and her own haggard panting greeted her.
They were partners in an arranged marriage. One she didn’t want to be in, but Darkness was insistently insidious.
~
The visit to the weathered old woman was a pointless endeavor. Give up. That’s what the old woman had said. “You’ll find no light there, no redemption. This isn’t hope; it’s desperation. Stop now before it’s too late.”
If the old crone wouldn’t help her, she’d go it alone.
From that day forth, she spent every day in bed. Flat on her back, hands clasped over her heart, she sank into a trance state.
Through the void, she reached, fingers grasping at the viscous mass of nothing. But they found no purchase; what she sought simply wasn’t there.
For days she was like this, until finally. Finally, something happened.
~
She stood at the foot of the bed looking down upon her own sleeping form. The brief flutter of hope immediately crushed under the weight of what had actually happened.
She had peered too long into the darkness, mining its depths for some glimmer of light. Only now did she realize she had faced the wrong way.
Of course! There is no light in Darkness. Darkness is the very absence of light, cast aside by it. It was all consuming of those who plumbed its depths for answers to futile wishes.
And now? Now?
She was Darkness.
~
By the time the reclusive woman was found some months later, her corporeal form had withered into a corpse.
Only Darkness remained. Insistent. Insidious. Lifeless.
Creepy…..
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🙂
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Ooh that gave me chills!
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Thank you 🙂
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Yet…peaceful, ya know? Embracing what you are…embracing your fate. Acceptance. No more fighting.
I’m in a dark mood today…. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9Dg-g7t2l4
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As am I. There’s something to be said for the path of least resistance.
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Surrender and succumb aren’t always the wrong answers.
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Certainly not. You’re right.
For me, where I am right now, though, it would mean something too dark to recover from. So I’m holding on with all my strength.
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Oh…I hear you loud and clear. Or dark and quiet. I get ya.
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I was afraid you did. Sending good thoughts your way.
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Love this song but I am not strong enough to hear it today xx
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It’s a tough one, for sure.
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Great work toasty
More please
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Thank you, Sheldon. 🙂
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I hear you ❤
The strangest thing is I started singing this same song a few days ago out of nowhere …hadn't heard it in quite awhile .
Hugs Steph
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Hugs, turtle.
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Hope your Tuesday is a little lighter and brighter than your Monday 🙂
Turtle Hugs ❤
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One day at a time, right? Thank you, Turtle…hugs! (And right back at ya!)
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That’s the way 🙂 step by step , day by day 😉
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🙂
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Bam!!! Wow, Steph
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Thank you, Rita 🙂
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My pleasure
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🌺
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American Gothic, a touch of Ray Bradbury perhaps …
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Oooo wow, thank you!
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A chill went up my spine while reading this. Actually, that is not true. Several chills went up my spine. Well written.
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