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A Light in the Dark

By: Julia Sherinian

Crunch. Crunch. Huff. Crunch. Crunch. Huff. I desperately limp across an empty
forest path. The air is heavy on my aching shoulders. My head throbbing, making every
leaf look like a wild beast whenever the wind howls past me. I feel as if someone had
punched me in the gut, and created a dent in my shivering skin. Every raindrop that falls
onto my weak body pulls me down along with the sky's tears. My tears in sync with the
steady rainfall. Why did I have to run away from my almost perfect life? I look across
the empty world. If only they would understand. They will never understand what I have
been through. I punched a tree in my anger. It hurt, but it didn't hurt as much as it did
inside of me.

I limp through the bare trees until I see a venue packed with emptiness. A town
stripped of its happiness, peace, and soul. The town and I have so much in common.
Houses resembling rickety old churches with tall spires, cracked walls, and broken
windows. As the clock struck twelve, I felt as if I could see the noise rippling through my
dizzy vision. For each ring of the church bells, I was hypnotized even more to enter the
suspicious darkness. It made me question whether anyone had ever occupied this
dismal village with its houses resembling the crumbling churches.

Although there were no traces of light in my mind in the distance, I could see a
small house, vines climbing up the sides, trying to engulf it. A faint tinge of ashes that
tingles the side of my nose. The cottage had something different about it, making it
stand out from the other expressionless faces on the surrounding abandoned buildings.
It seemed to have someone still depending on its wooden walls for protection from the
temptations of the world. The windows stare down at me as they pass judgment,
reaching down to the bottom of my empty soul. I felt drawn to the house like a mosquito
to the light. The wooden door had dark brown paint chips peeling off of its helpless
surface. My curiosity captured the best of me and I found myself on the doorstep.

The hairs on the back of my neck stand up like swordsmen, preparing for an
attack. I collect my courage and extend my shaking hand. Knock. Knock. Knock.

I should have dodged the blow when I was still alive…

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