I always knew I would die alone.

My feet were aching as they have been for days. Walking and walking and searching; there was no end to my madness. I had no recollection of how and why I was secluded to this damned place. Yet I still had a tiny flame that pushed me forward. To what I have no idea.

For miles I have found nothing but hot sand and blazing sun. Mirages often came to my mind, etching a hope so deep that I was desperate to find anything but what surrounded me. And when the final straw, or so I thought, came across my vision. I slowly dropped to my knees and sat in the sand. My head tilted to the ground as drops of sweat soaked the sand below me. Could I really have found something? Could this building save me? I had to believe in something. My flame was coming to an end.

So the first step was taken. And another. Until I found my way to the building. I was inches from the place, terrified to touch it. My flame might extinguish might this be another terrible dream. My hand ever so carefully reached out, and my flame began to fizzle. Until I found wood, soft wood. It was real. All of it was real. Then I took a bigger step.

Inside, the place was flooded with sand. Deemed abandoned by myself, I felt a teaspoon of sorrow mixed with a cup of hope. Maybe there was something more. Maybe if I looked around the corner or under the covered bed. What if I dug up the sand? There had to be something there. Ah! In the other room, of course. A living creature? No just a pile of wood. What is that? Oh it’s nothing. Have to dig here. There’s more over there.

So hours or days went by as I searched for nothing but my own sanity. I came up short. Nothing to do but sit. Maybe wait? They probably weren’t home.

I sat. I waited. I prayed, to whom I’ve no idea. I felt tired. Laid my head back. I exhaled. My head was heavy. It leaned against the wall. I couldn’t move. My eyelids were closing. I needed a nap.

I closed my eyes and went to bed.

The irreplaceable helper robot Was a sight to be beheld. It’s shiny arms and squeaky legs Were scary but held no bound. It walked around the grocery store And looked for customers in need. But then a spark came from its eyes And people began to scream. It clashed around the isles Of the sugar and the soup. It tore up all the tiles From the floor that had been cleaned. The grocery store employees were staring there in shock At the irreplaceable helper robot Who was only there to stock.

I awoke with a large gasp. Sitting up abruptly, I grabbed my chest as if I had just surfaced from being drowned. There were concerned faces looking down at me, and I realized I had been laying on the floor. But it was not just a floor I had been laying on, it was a stage. As I wobbled my way up, my eyes beheld a sight that they thought they would never get to see: a crowd, all supportively looking and listening to me. The stage crew, no sooner after my personal realization, grabbed my arms gently and led me backstage. They took me to a quiet room and shut the door. Once I knew I was alone, I took the time to study where I was. The room was tiny, but it appeared to be more of a dressing room rather than one you’re supposed to sleep in. The dressing room had a couch, a tv, and it had a stand with a mirror mounted on the wall. But most importantly, it had a glass of water on the stand that I desperately and so suddenly realized I needed more than anything. I practically ran to the glass of water, but something stopped me in my tracks; my reflection was not my reflection. It was a strange looking woman. She wore red glasses and had her hair tied in a bun. She had brown colored hair, and a tan pantsuit on. She looked like somebody important, somebody people cared about. Confused and still dehydrated, I searched for more clues on who this person could be. That’s when I saw the magazine on the couch. It was her! But this couldn’t be right. This women, however important, was a well know philosopher. She poses gracefully on the cover of the magazine, and I notice that there’s an article inside. It reads:

“Mayah Floy, a most intelligent, wise, dignified, and well spoken women, will be speaking on November 3 inside the Descola Theater. If you’ve ever wondered about the meaning of life and are lost on what we are supposed to live for, come on down at 8pm for a heart to heart with Miss Floy, the most famous philosopher of our time.”

This couldn’t be right. This isn’t me! I’m supposed to be living in my parents basement! I’m supposed to be eating junk food and strictly obsessing over what I’m going to wear to school tomorrow! I don’t know anything about the meaning of life! Suddenly, a tall figure walks in my dressing room and hands me a cool towel. He speaks to me as if I am some sort of goddess. As if I am someone important.

“I know you’re nervous, Mayah,” he spoke. “I get that this has been haunting you all week and would understand if you wanted to cancel the speaking, but I want you to hear me out. Those people out there came for a reason. Some showed up to get a look at you, some showed up for the food, and some might’ve just shown up because they had nothing else to do tonight.” He jokingly says.

A smile creeps on my face, and he continues. “But I want you to know that by the end of tonight, they will all be the same. After hearing you speak, they will be mesmerized of the words that come out of your heart. You bring people together and put meaning into their lives when they didn’t even know that was possible. You are the only one who can help these people find what’s really important in life. And trust me, I’ve tried to do it too, but I’ve realized that only you have that gift. Just you. No one else.”

I had nothing to say. I could only look into his eyes and realize that I was here for a reason. Whether I was chosen for some unknown destiny, or simply because some god out there was bored, I was going to change lives. I was going to go out there and tell them the words that have been stuck in my heart my whole life. And I could only hope that they listen and paint a meaning in their minds. I can only hope, that after I speak, they finally understand that each and every one of them is meant to be here. I stand up as confident as I have ever been and begin walking towards the stage once more.

Darkness and then light. My awakening was happening, so I opened the slits of my eyes.
A fresh, rectangular light slammed me directly in the face. It was hard to see. After a few minutes, my area of sight widened and lengthened, and I began to study the room around me. White walls, tiled floors, a man to my left, a picture frame in front of me- wait a minute. “Who are you?” I attempted to speak, but it came out as more of a gurgle sound. The mystery man had the audacity to laugh, and while he did so I studied him. He seemed to be in his mid fifties. He had grey stubble, messy brown hair underneath a cap, a simple brown coat that was unzipped. He had blue jeans and hunting boots to complete his look. Everything about him seemed so…familiar. “Don’t be ridiculous Miss Izzy, we’ve known each other for years,” he spoke. But that couldn’t be. I had only just met this man. I didn’t even know his name. Confusion hung over me, so I slumped my head down towards where I was laying. It seemed I was a patient somewhere, and I wore the clothes to prove it. “Miss Izzy, I understand that it may be hard to understand some things, but everything is going to be ok. Trust me,” the man reassured me. “I can’t trust you. I don’t even know your name,” I softly spoke. It seemed my voice was still trying to catch up to my consciousness. “My name is Charles, Charles Voyant. I’m your neighbor.” “Well then, Charles Voyant, if I am to trust you, tell me what happened. Tell me how I got here,” I demanded. “That is the one question I can’t answer, Miss Izzy. I only got the call while at the grocery store and headed straight to the hospital to see ya. You see, you have no fam-“ As he was about to finish his sentence, I began to unwillingly lose consciousness once more. I tried not to, but I succumbed to the heavy feeling of sleep and dreamt of the past. My dream held the scene of a driveway. It looked as if I was in front of a sage green house. The bushes were neat, but in need of a tiny trim. I had the feeling that I would’ve gotten around to it. I dreamt of myself walking. Walking with a recycle bin in hand, I set it inches away from the curb and turned around only to trip on a squeaky toy in the shape of a bone. It had been leftover from my dog, Red. Usually, I would have seen it. Usually, I would have been more alert, but not that day. Briefly, I could remember that I had little sleep the night before. For whatever reason, it didn’t matter now. I was falling face first to the concrete. My senses were still five feet behind me, so my hands had no time to help brace the fall. The next thing I remember was darkness, pure darkness, more darkness, and then finally light.

The ding of the elevator startled me as I stepped inside its cramped space. There wasn’t anyone else here, so I pressed the sixth floor, and I took a step back. With my hands in my pockets, I looked down at the decorative carpet covering the musty elevator floor and began to daydream. I started to imagine my life if it were normal; if I didn’t have the abilities that I have now, the secrets, the mystery, the lying to everyone I love. How now it was different. I had finally met someone. She had come into my life so quick, even my abnormal senses could not stop me from falling in love. With her smile, the way her hair moved when she walked. I fell in love with her laugh and her corny jokes. I fell hard and fast. Especially when she didn’t mind all of my sneaking around. It wasn’t that I was doing terrible things, it’s that I was doing good, special, and not normal activities for a human. My deepest fear fell at the very roots of her feet and flowed all the way up to the dandruff speck on her head. If I told her the truth, it would go two ways: she would run, or she would accept who I truly am; she would stay. And so the elevator ride was the longest of my superhuman life. Closer and closer and closer her room came. My hands began to shake, to sweat. Never had anything made me so nervous before. Not fighting criminals, masterminds, or even out-of-world aliens. The fact that I was going to tell her my deepest, darkest, scariest secret frightened me more than anything had before. But here I went… The elevator door opened. I took a step out and made a sharp left turn towards my future. I began scanning the signs all the way until I reached 654, which was Angela’s room. My Angela. I knocked on the door four times, and waited for her to open it. And suddenly I heard foot steps. A knob turning. Then there she was. She hadn’t dressed fancy, but she looked beautiful all the same. “Hey, what’s up?” She spoke. Her voice sounded like how honey tasted. I loved every bit of it. “We need to talk,” I blurted out. We both stepped inside, sat on the couch, and began the conversation that would change our lives.

The air was warm, The ground a bit shattered. Our souls were still in tact, But our bodies were battered.

Our armor could protect, But not for long. The monsters came, And sang their song.

Destruction rained down, Lasers were fired. They wouldn’t quit, I was getting tired.

My friends were falling, They tried their best. Their families would get the call tomorrow, receiving a heartbroken blow to the chest.

We carried on, The monsters did the same. We backed up further, And felt a little shame.

Then came the beast, The biggest monster of them all. Time seemed to slow, And we wondered if we should make the call.

Everyone ran back to the ship, And they began to close the ramp. The ship’s thrusters began, And we all felt terrible and damp.

Before heading away forever, I looked out the window once more. This world was lost to the crawlers, It closed another door.

Life seemed so distant. I felt alone, and I felt dark. Laying on the end of my bed, I closed my eyes as I had a million times before. I imagined that peaceful land. Where trees sent you kisses in the wind. Where light streamed through the clouds and you could make out rays from the sun. Where, if you stood quietly enough, you could hear a sliver of music. Once you heard the soft tune, it would grow louder. Louder and louder, the music would lead you to a river. Then, in my peaceful land, I would begin to walk. No matter the direction, I knew where to go. And once I arrived, there would be a tavern waiting for me. Right on the river, it was like no other. Anyone could go, anyone could leave. Every time, I imagined my face inches from the door. I would look through the little glass window at the top, and I would see marvelous things. Trolls and fairies and monsters dancing. Humans singing and animals laughing. There was enough fun and love and happiness in that tavern than in my whole life. And always, always I would try and open the door. But it would never allow me to go in. So I would wake up, and I would promise myself that I would find that tavern on the river. No matter the cost, no matter the time, I would be happy.