I sat in awe as the dark sky started to light up. Each star appearing one by one like someone poked holes into a lid for a butterfly. The trees started to illuminate with the tiny specs of fireflies looking for a mate with the brightest glow. I took a breath on closing my eyes to feel the earth breathing around me one breath at a time lifting me into the air. I open my eyes to see the ground beneath me. I was calm for the flight to my new home, once I arrived I was flooded with family and friends who I had missed. Greeting everyone with warm hugs and a sorrow heart for the world I left behind but I knew it was like a butterfly coming out of the chrysalis beautiful things are coming but for now I’m going to take my time and watch from above.

I closed my eyes one more time, I heard the laugh of my past, The sky started to spin, And for that moment we could fly.

When I opened my eyes, The family surround around my bed, Wide eyed I smiled, As I exclaimed we could once fly.

As they all starred in wonder, The grandkids giggled, We turned the gaze upon them, As they proceeded to fly in circles.

I closed my eyes once more, Listening to my grandkids, Listening to the joy in the room, As I slipped away all I could say was we once could Fly.

Your honor, I come to you this evening on October 31st, 1953 with my final word. I understand I have committed the act of murder of Alexander Harris, i at this point in time feel no remorse for what I have done. I have taken the law into my own hands after being told for months there was nothing anyone could do for me. I have relocated five times in two months, I have made over a hundred complaints about him coming into my home or showing up to my place of work. I have refused to go to the grocery store and I have taken all my doors off every room so I could easily see into them. I can’t sleep and I can’t eat thinking he will come out while I’m distracted. Your honor when I got five restraining orders I was told I was “safe from harm” but when he continuously broke the order I had no aid. My family turned against me and I refuse to feel guilt for a man who tried to take my life constantly and I will not feel guilt for a system that refused to help me. This is all I have to say and for that I am ready for the verdict. With that statement I feel awful for the things you’d been through. But it is up to the jury to decide your fate. And to them I ask to please stand and tell the court what you have decided.

                 Guilty on all accounts.

I fear not my own death or even my living life, but I do fear that one day I’ll wake up and regret these feelings.

I fear not the night or even the Sun rays of the morning, but I do fear the thoughts the night brings or the idea I made it another day.

I fear not the loud noises of the day or the slight humming of the air, but I do fear the silence that even drowns out the humming and making my head pound.

I fear not the disappointment of myself or even the negative thoughts of myself, but I do fear the disappointment of others and saying out loud all the negative things at once.

I fear not the mystery of life or even the mystery of death, but I do fear that I’ll be going alone or that I’ll end up alone.

I fear not the unspoken words or even the gestures, but I do fear that I will speak to much or that my slight flinch will say something more.

I fear the things I can’t control.

I fear the things I have done.

I fear the things I have said.

But most of all, I fear myself, my mind, my life.

As I sit in this dark unforgiving room, no where to go I think about all the things that led me here. All the conversations, all the actions, all the thoughts, everything led to this place of solitude and here I am stuck not sure where to go. I’ve had enough just sitting here, so I get up and start to walk around trying to find a wall with my arms stretched out in front of me. One small hesitant step after another trying not to trip over my toes. As I walk for what seems like hours I find a small light illuminating two doors for me to choose one. I sit and think when a voice come out “once you choose one you can’t turn back, but you can always come to find it again as this journey goes on.” I look around still in pitch black I don’t dare to tell out to see who it was. My gut tells me to take the left door but my mind is fighting and telling me to take the right door. Who do I follow? My guy never leads me wrong but the mind is the logical thinker right? I close my eyes and spin in a circle and go up to a door as I open my eyes I’m in a hallway with doors lining it. I start to walk inspecting each door, they all have a small number on them with plaques but the plaques are blank. “You won’t know what the rooms are by those until you go in, in this place you always end up here again but you have to make it through the room first and then the name will come to the plaque.” I turn around to see a tall male behind me, I jump and scream as I was just expecting a voice again. “What do you mean by I have to make it through the room?” I ask. He shakes his head indicating no, “ I am not allowed to answer that you must go through to see what you need to. I am just here for informational purposes. Be safe I’ll here when you’re finished.” He replies as he disappears right in front of me. I choose the door in front of me as I open the door I read the number 7 and continue to walk forward. It black but starting to come to light, it a baby I think it’s me, I’m in my cradle watching the spindal over my bed rotate with the little animals a small lullaby playing, a humming is coming from the corner I smile and look over to see my mother just watching me making sure I’m ok. As I just stare in awe something comes from the corner above her staring at me with the most coldest stare a little me could feel it creeps down behind her as I start to cry. Mom gets up to come check on me but the thing is still in the corner now sitting in her chair, as mom picks me up it darts forward and graces my face with it’s hand before disappearing into her. The once warm and caring stare she had is now gone and she just looks at me as I cry harder. She puts me down and leaves that was the last time I saw her after that. Dad came home a while later and heard me crying but before he got to me I heard him scream. I walk through the door now looking from the outside of my baby form. He’s on the floor sobbing looking into his room, I walk to him and put my hand on his shoulder and look over. Mom is hanging from the ceiling cold and lifeless, I see the thing in the corner now laughing taunting me and dad. I closed my eyes and ended up back in the hall of doors. The plaque now says “mothers anniversary”. I didn’t think I could go on but I had to push through the next door. I choose door 15, It looks like I’m in middle school in class. I got handed a note it’s just a bunch of scribble, I try to focus to see what’s on the paper not able to make a word out but as I look up there are tears in my eyes as the room is laughing. Even though I couldn’t read the words it broke my heart I was confused on what was going on. As I looked down again the paper finally came to sight “who would ever love someone as ugly as you? Your own mother couldn’t even stand looking at you...” I should have given it to the teacher but instead I crumbled it up and threw it away and called my dad to come and pick me up from school, the whole time trying not to cry the car ride home. I saw the disappointment in his face as he looked at me. I went up to my room and locked my door, I crawled into the closet and hid in the darkness hoping my sorrows would just leave my body. As I closed my eyes I came back to the hall of doors and the plaque now reads “first bully”. I always remembered that day like the back of my hand. I take a seat for a moment to collect my thoughts not sure how much more I can take. I stand up dusting myself off letting all the emotions release from me. I go to door 16 and push it open, as I enter I was back in school freshman year I can tell by the clothes I’m wearing. After I leave school I head to work and I I took the long way this week just because I was going to be early. As I walked down the ally cutting to work a group of guys approached me they were all from school I tried to ignore them and keep walking that’s when the main boy grabbed my arm and threw me against the wall. I hit my head up against the wall and everything went bright then dark. When I woke up my clothes had been torn and my pants were off, blood was coming from places that it shouldn’t have been at least not then it wasn’t that time yet. I had missed ten phone calls from my boss at work and he left at least three messages threatening to take fire me that day. I walked into work and he looked over at me then drugged me to the back room. “What in the hell happened to you? Do you have a change of clothes? Can I call someone?” I told him I was fine that I was going to put my work uniform on and get to work and I apologized all night for being late. Towards the end of my shift I ended up blacking out and then waking up in the hospital. The doctors had run many tests on me and done a rape kit. I jolt up and told them not to run the kit I couldn’t live with that and they looked at me hesitantly and said they already gave it to the police. I laid back as they told me I had a severe concussion and I needed to stay in the hospital for a couple days for examinations. They also told me that if the bleeding didn’t stop by tomorrow I would need surgery to cauterize the wounds. Finally the police came in and asked me some questions and I refused to answer them on any of it trying to avoid the consequences at school not knowing that the state would pick up my case and take it into their own hands. They sent the police to the school and pulled the five boys out of class. They walked them out of the school in handcuffs and then everyone’s phone started to ring. That’s when the video and pictures got out, I was blamed for it all everything that they had to go through but no one ever wonder what it was like for me. After that all the boys started rumors against me and I decided to just stay home more often then not always taking the fast way to work. I gave up on my life by then keeping everything to myself. I took a deep breath and ended in the hall once more. Up against the wall I have one more door to go before I’m finished. I go through the next door to see what awaits me I examine the door, Door 17 here we come. I step through the door to see my old house I’m up in my room listening to my music crying again, I did that a lot since mom died. I hadn’t heard dad come home, he’d been out late until the sunrise we all knew where he was those nights down at the bar drinking. He bursted into my room breaking my door from its hinges, he ripped my headphones off my head and started yelling at me. “This is all your fault, if it wasn’t for you your mother would be here. Your mother is dead because she decided to have you and instead of you dying she died in your place. You’re a pathetic excuse for a daughter.” He’d turn away and go back to his room to lay down as I sat on my bed balling my eyes out, he really hadn’t been the same for years especially around mother’s death. This day in particular was a mild day, dad was usually worse depending on what he was drinking. But most days he would come home to leave bruises, and tell me how worthless I am. Little did he know I was used to all this due to school, the kids there weren’t so nice about anything. The girls would hit me and start fights just because I wouldn’t fight back, the boys spread rumors about me after I rejected them just because I didn’t want anyone to meet my dad. I even changed my emergency contact to a stranger just because I knew they wouldn’t answer the phone. Often times I’d sit in the bathroom with the door locked crying in the shower with a razor blade next to me waiting to see if the next one would be my last one. Oh how I hoped the next one would be the last one, but after many attempts it all failed. I knew I was meant to stay but I decided I wouldn’t let it stay this way. I would leave school and go to work I even begged my boss to let me work doubles just so I didn’t have to go home and deal with my alcoholic father. I eventually got enough money for a car and I took off, I dropped out of school and left town. My father didn’t even notice I had left he was probably happier by then anyways. Eventually I got a call from the police telling me my father had passed away at home, they asked me to come home so they could talk. I came back and they informed me they found him at the bottom of the stairs and needed some information. We talked for awhile and they eventually ruled it as an accident. I refused to go to the house and I went back to where I was staying. I hired some people to come in and clean it and get it ready for sale. I left all the furniture and everything it eventually sold and I let it stay in my past. By then my alcoholic father couldn’t do anything and I was relieved by this. Just then I was pulled back to the hall of doors, I was crying silently as I read the plaque “Father Alcoholism”. It’s funny that day wasn’t even that bad of a memory I was happy he was gone. I walked to the last door of the hallway door 20 and opened it. It was after I had the money from my fathers house I decided to open my own business, it was the best feeling in the world. I got to do what I loved most in my life which was running my own flower shop. In the first months of it opening it was slow but once it picked up things were flying out of stock like no other. I hired in some people by then and we were a little family in there we’d go out after work and just enjoy what we had. That’s when I met him, I didn’t know he was going to be there and to be fair I never thought I’d meet someone like him. He was tall, with dark hair and the bluest of eyes anyone could imagine. He had come over to get some drinks for his friend but he got lost in conversation with me. Eventually we were the only ones around. I had told him about my company and he told me about his. We talked about our friends and our pasts. Eventually he walked me home it was the best walk of my life. We had discussed all kinds of things of what our hopes and dreams would be, and when we made it back he asked to see me again we exchanged phone numbers and talked the rest of the night. We went on many dates after that, about a year later is when he proposed to me and we had the wedding only a couple months later. Things were changing for both of us and we couldn’t have been happier. As I closed my eyes I was back at the hallway reading the plaque “changes”. I smiled and turned to see the man behind me. “I see you made it through your rooms like you were supposed to.” He says as I start to nod my head in agreement. “In this hallways was all the struggles you were meant to go through to get this kind of change in life. But one thing that changed all of this was what you had done to be here to have to walk through all these rooms. You finally made your last cut and it had brought you here. Even when happy you still let the sadness win your battle and to that my dear I’m sorry and I will kiss the wounds if you’d like to go home to live out better days from here.” He gently said while holding my hands. As I nodded my head with tears running down my face he lifted my arms to his lips and I woke in a hospital bed with my husband beside me, tears filling my eyes I let out a sigh of relief. He kisses my forehead as I tell him about my experience, he smiles and says “that’s how you heal from the wounds.”.

I walked down the dirt path, through all the trees. Listening to the snow crunch under my feet, Thoughts of all kinds running though my mind. I found myself lost in thought and lost in motion not being able to stop. As I look up I see a cave in front of me, ice hanging down with a small breeze coming from within. Do I go in? Or do I turn back and try to find my way? Suddenly I feel my body take over as I rush into the cave. Cold and damp with water dripping here and there, not able to see a thing. I pull my phone out and turn the flashlight on and continue to walk. As I look up I see the top of the cave moving , I slowed my walking down to a tip toe at this point trying not to make a sound. Not paying attention I kicked a rock into the wall making a loud echo I look up as the ceiling as it starts to churn, it stops moving as I let out a sigh of relief. I press on curious on where the breeze is coming from when I come to a cloud of fog. Wondering where it had come from I press on to find a hot spring, I strip down and slowly walk in to warm my chilling bones. I close my eyes taking in the moment letting my body get it’s feeling back. I notice as the light started to die down from the holes in the cave. I found what I could and start a small fire something to just keep me warm for the night. As I laid my head down to sleep on my arm I hear something stirring around above me. Afraid to look I cover my head with the jacket, I feel something brush past my arm hesitant I pull my jacket down and look up to see the bats swarming leaving the cave. As the last bat passes by I try to get some sleep, suddenly I hear small foot steps approaching. Slowly getting louder turning into a shuffle, finally stopping in front of me. I was hesitant to look up and see what was possibly looking down at me. I uncover my head to see nothing around me, I looked around for a minute not able to even see a thing since my fire went out. Out of no where I hear a small giggle as I jolt up I see a little girl sitting on a rock with a small beam of the moon light coming in. I look confused for knowing no one was even around but now there is someone here. “Who are you?” I asked. “Oh me? I’m Skylar I’ve been here awhile.” She replied. I looked amazed as to my name was Skylar as well. And we studied each other for a moment I found some more wood for my fire. “How did you get down here?” I finally muttered out to break the silence. “I’ve been here just as long as you have maybe longer I’m not sure. I’ve always been with you though.” She managed to reply. I sat in silence a little longer putting her words together. What could she possible have meant she was always with me? Could that really be me? Am I loosing my mind? I haven’t even been in this cave for that long or have I? I finally managed to mutter a couple words “with me? What do you mean?” I stared at the fire for awhile when she finally gave me an answer, “yeah you could say I’m the little voice in your head, or the subconscious you have never been able to see or figure out where it was coming from.” I continued to look at the fire studying it at this point not knowing what was going on. “Am I still alive?” I replied. Of course it was a stupid question but at this point it was the only logical one. “Of course silly, at least for now that is.” I whipped my head up as she disappeared. For now I yelled out as I stood to take off running back in the direction I had originally came from. As I neared the entrance I found that the rocks had fallen closing me in. This has to be what she was talking about how am I supposed to leave now? I trekked back towards the fire to find that it had gone out once again. I figure at this point I might as well go on. I find the wall and I start to walk forward thinking it was the best way. That was until I tripped and fell at least. I got back up continued on taking small steps, “where are you going?” Skylar asked. At this point I had no clue I was just trying to find something to help me. I looked up as the rocks thinking and hoping for a way out. I wondered for hours when I seen the light come back though the rocks again in the cave. I followed until the little beams for what seemed like years I can see the light I saw yesterday maybe that really was my way out since it disappeared when the sun went down. As the sun started coming through more I took off in a sprint towards the light. “I’d be careful if I was you.” Skylar chimed in “you don’t always want to run to the light never know what you might find.” As she shrugged. “You’re not going to give me an answer on what that light is are you? Or do you only know as much as I do?” I asked slowing down to a walk. “Only as much as you do for I live in your mind no where else.”she replied before disappearing once again. I shrugged it off and took off back down the cave not caring for what she said I knew this had to be a way out. As the light gets closer and closer to me, I noticed that everything didn’t look right not like the rest of the cave. I stopped to look around and I noticed a giant shadow, I slowly approached it and I saw the brown fur on its back. I slowly stepped away, “I told you to be careful how do you think your getting passed this one?” Skylar said giggling. I rolled my eyes and tried to think of something I could do to get passed the giant beast. I walked back and fourth and that’s when I realized he has left a small opening near the right side that I could possibly fit through. As I start making my way around the beast it starts to move I closed my eyes hoping for a miracle. I made it passed and took off running like a bat out of hell. “Close call?” She asked as I slowed down out of breath and energy. Very close I thought to myself I take a minute to regain my breath. I look up as I’m so close to the light and just start walking. As I make it to the light I notice something about it. It’s not sunlight or moon light, it’s dense fog. I put my arm through it and followed my touch as I made my way everything became dizzy and there was no longer light anymore. “Now you’ve done it, I told you to be carful and you didn’t listen.” Skylar said before I blacked out.

Back home the news aired a missing persons case, “Skylar Williams has been missing since May 21st, if you have any information on this young lady please call the tip line for the police. Family is offering a $3000 reward for the safe return of their daughter. She was last heard hiking out in the woods by lake high rise and has not been in contact with anyone since then.” They flashed her face all over as crowds started to roll in to help find Skylar. They took the woodland area in grids sending fifty people to one grid each. Finally a searcher found the cave as he peered in he saw the light at the end of the tunnel and called on the walkie talkie that he found a cave and was headed in. He took his flashlight out and started his venture in.

The end

Forgive me father for I have sinned, This is my first confession, Possibly my last as well, Where to start? Any ideas?

Let’s start from the beginning, What’s troubling you my dear? Is it a blast from the past? Or have you done something you can’t live with?

Just last week I caught my boyfriend cheating, Just last week I planned my revenge, No I never kicked him out, But do you know anyone who can dig two holes?

My dear that’s a lot to say, What’s next? I know you have more I can feel the tension, Come out with it my dear

Last month I caught my best friend at the lake, Last month was the month I knew I wasn’t straight, Last month is when I figured out we were more then friends, Last month was the last time I saw her again.

My dear you know these aren’t good to confess? My dear what do you think will come of this? Murder? Same sex? What’s next? My dear what is next?

Last year I came to a church just like this, Last year I saw the women walk out of confession, Last year it wasn’t her confession she left, But last year it was the priest who was satisfied.

Oh my, My dear what church, What father would do such things? My dear tell me more.

Just today I came to say, I saw you that day, Just today I came with a mind of lust, For just today I though we could both be satisfied.

As I sit in this dark unforgiving room, no where to go I think about all the things that led me here. All the conversations, all the actions, all the thoughts, everything led to this place of solitude and here I am stuck not sure where to go. I’ve had enough just sitting here, so I get up and start to walk around trying to find a wall with my arms stretched out in front of me. One small hesitant step after another trying not to trip over my toes. As I walk for what seems like hours I find a small light illuminating two doors for me to choose one. I sit and think when a voice come out “once you choose one you can’t turn back, but you can always come to find it again as this journey goes on.” I look around still in pitch black I don’t dare to tell out to see who it was. My gut tells me to take the left door but my mind is fighting and telling me to take the right door. Who do I follow? My guy never leads me wrong but the mind is the logical thinker right? I close my eyes and spin in a circle and go up to a door as I open my eyes I’m in a hallway with doors lining it. I start to walk inspecting each door, they all have a small number on them with plaques but the plaques are blank. “You won’t know what the rooms are by those until you go in, in this place you always end up here again but you have to make it through the room first and then the name will come to the plaque.” I turn around to see a tall male behind me, I jump and scream as I was just expecting a voice again. “What do you mean by I have to make it through the room?” I ask. He shakes his head indicating no, “ I am not allowed to answer that you must go through to see what you need to. I am just here for informational purposes. Be safe I’ll here when you’re finished.” He replies as he disappears right in front of me. I choose the door in front of me as I open the door I read the number 7 and continue to walk forward. It black but starting to come to light, it a baby I think it’s me, I’m in my cradle watching the spindal over my bed rotate with the little animals a small lullaby playing, a humming is coming from the corner I smile and look over to see my mother just watching me making sure I’m ok. As I just stare in awe something comes from the corner above her staring at me with the most coldest stare a little me could feel it creeps down behind her as I start to cry. Mom gets up to come check on me but the thing is still in the corner now sitting in her chair, as mom picks me up it darts forward and graces my face with it’s hand before disappearing into her. The once warm and caring stare she had is now gone and she just looks at me as I cry harder. She puts me down and leaves that was the last time I saw her after that. Dad came home a while later and heard me crying but before he got to me I heard him scream. I walk through the door now looking from the outside of my baby form. He’s on the floor sobbing looking into his room, I walk to him and put my hand on his shoulder and look over. Mom is hanging from the ceiling cold and lifeless, I see the thing in the corner now laughing taunting me and dad. I closed my eyes and ended up back in the hall of doors. The plaque now says “mothers anniversary”. I didn’t think I could go on but I had to push through the next door. I choose door 15, It looks like I’m in middle school in class. I got handed a note it’s just a bunch of scribble, I try to focus to see what’s on the paper not able to make a word out but as I look up there are tears in my eyes as the room is laughing. Even though I couldn’t read the words it broke my heart I was confused on what was going on. As I looked down again the paper finally came to sight “who would ever love someone as ugly as you? Your own mother couldn’t even stand looking at you...” I should have given it to the teacher but instead I crumbled it up and threw it away and called my dad to come and pick me up from school, the whole time trying not to cry the car ride home. I saw the disappointment in his face as he looked at me. I went up to my room and locked my door, I crawled into the closet and hid in the darkness hoping my sorrows would just leave my body. As I closed my eyes I came back to the hall of doors and the plaque now reads “first bully”. I always remembered that day like the back of my hand. I take a seat for a moment to collect my thoughts not sure how much more I can take. I stand up dusting myself off letting all the emotions release from me. I go to door 16 and push it open, as I enter I was back in school freshman year I can tell by the clothes I’m wearing. After I leave school I head to work and I I took the long way this week just because I was going to be early. As I walked down the ally cutting to work a group of guys approached me they were all from school I tried to ignore them and keep walking that’s when the main boy grabbed my arm and threw me against the wall. I hit my head up against the wall and everything went bright then dark. When I woke up my clothes had been torn and my pants were off, blood was coming from places that it shouldn’t have been at least not then it wasn’t that time yet. I had missed ten phone calls from my boss at work and he left at least three messages threatening to take fire me that day. I walked into work and he looked over at me then drugged me to the back room. “What in the hell happened to you? Do you have a change of clothes? Can I call someone?” I told him I was fine that I was going to put my work uniform on and get to work and I apologized all night for being late. Towards the end of my shift I ended up blacking out and then waking up in the hospital. The doctors had run many tests on me and done a rape kit. I jolt up and told them not to run the kit I couldn’t live with that and they looked at me hesitantly and said they already gave it to the police. I laid back as they told me I had a severe concussion and I needed to stay in the hospital for a couple days for examinations. They also told me that if the bleeding didn’t stop by tomorrow I would need surgery to cauterize the wounds. Finally the police came in and asked me some questions and I refused to answer them on any of it trying to avoid the consequences at school not knowing that the state would pick up my case and take it into their own hands. They sent the police to the school and pulled the five boys out of class. They walked them out of the school in handcuffs and then everyone’s phone started to ring. That’s when the video and pictures got out, I was blamed for it all everything that they had to go through but no one ever wonder what it was like for me. After that all the boys started rumors against me and I decided to just stay home more often then not always taking the fast way to work. I gave up on my life by then keeping everything to myself. I took a deep breath and ended in the hall once more. Up against the wall I have one more door to go before I’m finished. I go through the next door to see what awaits me I examine the door, Door 17 here we come. I step through the door to see my old house I’m up in my room listening to my music crying again, I did that a lot since mom died. I hadn’t heard dad come home, he’d been out late until the sunrise we all knew where he was those nights down at the bar drinking. He bursted into my room breaking my door from its hinges, he ripped my headphones off my head and started yelling at me. “This is all your fault, if it wasn’t for you your mother would be here. Your mother is dead because she decided to have you and instead of you dying she died in your place. You’re a pathetic excuse for a daughter.” He’d turn away and go back to his room to lay down as I sat on my bed balling my eyes out, he really hadn’t been the same for years especially around mother’s death. This day in particular was a mild day, dad was usually worse depending on what he was drinking. But most days he would come home to leave bruises, and tell me how worthless I am. Little did he know I was used to all this due to school, the kids there weren’t so nice about anything. The girls would hit me and start fights just because I wouldn’t fight back, the boys spread rumors about me after I rejected them just because I didn’t want anyone to meet my dad. I even changed my emergency contact to a stranger just because I knew they wouldn’t answer the phone. Often times I’d sit in the bathroom with the door locked crying in the shower with a razor blade next to me waiting to see if the next one would be my last one. Oh how I hoped the next one would be the last one, but after many attempts it all failed. I knew I was meant to stay but I decided I wouldn’t let it stay this way. I would leave school and go to work I even begged my boss to let me work doubles just so I didn’t have to go home and deal with my alcoholic father. I eventually got enough money for a car and I took off, I dropped out of school and left town. My father didn’t even notice I had left he was probably happier by then anyways. Eventually I got a call from the police telling me my father had passed away at home, they asked me to come home so they could talk. I came back and they informed me they found him at the bottom of the stairs and needed some information. We talked for awhile and they eventually ruled it as an accident. I refused to go to the house and I went back to where I was staying. I hired some people to come in and clean it and get it ready for sale. I left all the furniture and everything it eventually sold and I let it stay in my past. By then my alcoholic father couldn’t do anything and I was relieved by this. Just then I was pulled back to the hall of doors, I was crying silently as I read the plaque “Father Alcoholism”. It’s funny that day wasn’t even that bad of a memory I was happy he was gone. I walked to the last door of the hallway door 20 and opened it. It was after I had the money from my fathers house I decided to open my own business, it was the best feeling in the world. I got to do what I loved most in my life which was running my own flower shop. In the first months of it opening it was slow but once it picked up things were flying out of stock like no other. I hired in some people by then and we were a little family in there we’d go out after work and just enjoy what we had. That’s when I met him, I didn’t know he was going to be there and to be fair I never thought I’d meet someone like him. He was tall, with dark hair and the bluest of eyes anyone could imagine. He had come over to get some drinks for his friend but he got lost in conversation with me. Eventually we were the only ones around. I had told him about my company and he told me about his. We talked about our friends and our pasts. Eventually he walked me home it was the best walk of my life. We had discussed all kinds of things of what our hopes and dreams would be, and when we made it back he asked to see me again we exchanged phone numbers and talked the rest of the night. We went on many dates after that, about a year later is when he proposed to me and we had the wedding only a couple months later. Things were changing for both of us and we couldn’t have been happier. As I closed my eyes I was back at the hallway reading the plaque “changes”. I smiled and turned to see the man behind me. “I see you made it through your rooms like you were supposed to.” He says as I start to nod my head in agreement. “In this hallways was all the struggles you were meant to go through to get this kind of change in life. But one thing that changed all of this was what you had done to be here to have to walk through all these rooms. You finally made your last cut and it had brought you here. Even when happy you still let the sadness win your battle and to that my dear I’m sorry and I will kiss the wounds if you’d like to go home to live out better days from here.” He gently said while holding my hands. As I nodded my head with tears running down my face he lifted my arms to his lips and I woke in a hospital bed with my husband beside me, tears filling my eyes I let out a sigh of relief. He kisses my forehead as I tell him about my experience, he smiles and says “that’s how you heal from the wounds.”.

I thought I knew you… I thought I could tell you everything… I thought those late night night talks were something… The 3am phone calls… Texts all day…

We used to stay up until dawn. But you found someone who was better I guess. I wonder did you tell them my secrets? Even when I held onto yours… Did I give you guys some good laughs?

I still have some secrets you never got. I thought you would have been hurt… Now I just look like a fool… Now I look like the one who ended things.

In the end I never knew you, Only what you wanted me to see, You only had me tell you things to hurt me, And in the end I thought I could trust you…

As death walked out his door, not knowing if he’d be back or not. He gathered his staff and some snacks, he locked his door and placed another stone in the garden for good luck and departed for his adventure. He walked down the path to the portal to welcome the new comer for the new journey. As they walked through the portal they looked around in the moonlight ombré of the vast unknown. As they stood in silence death stretched his hand out to the path. The man follows the direction of the hand not saying a word. As they walk death offers a snack of walnuts for the long walk, the man reaches his hand out and received some of the nuts. The man looked around seeing his friends, family, pasted lovers to the last long love. To scared to break the silence he stands in silence starting at his wife and children with a single tear falling. He gets a warm touch on his shoulder as death Guides him down the path further. They continue the walk into the the depths. As they approached the light the man sighs in relief. “Thank you for the walk I hope you make it back alright” the man says. “No, thank you for my final walk now let’s go arm and arm to the light and see what’s awaiting for us.” As death replied they walked through the vail.