I lost myself. Gave myself over to the lazily ebbing waves and the plasmatic sky, littered with stars, glistening and surging and surrendering. I lay there, afloat in this abyss. The sun bore down on me, its relentless rays baking my parched figure. There was an empty feeling in my heart, hollow. I knew that this time would come, but still I resented it.

There.

Right there.

A knowing.

I could feel my paper walls slowly caving. My folded body crumpling. Each flowing wave rocking me closer to my depth. I think back then. My mind but only a vessel for that image. A young and pure face looming above me. They gave me life, gave me purpose, made me into something that was valued, adorned, loved. Each thumb creasing my imperfections, each eye looking on with such care, and that grin. Oh that beautiful grin when they saw what beauty I had become. And so, as my body lurched and lashed, twisted and twirled, caved and crumpled. I kept that image in my mind, so even when I finally was overtaken, crushed, cursed. I was never truly lost.