Post by Mizagium on Dec 18, 2008 13:30:29 GMT -5
Adrift
Jonathan sat up on the raft and stared blankly into the open water. He glanced lazily at the rising sun and the land in the distance. There was land to the East, and land to the West but neither was close enough to reach on the raft. The water beneath him was as clear and flawless as glass. He dipped his hand into the water; it made no ripple. When he retracted his hand from the glass-water it was dry.
Where am I?
The question echoed in his head, but it received no answer. He simply woke up here, on this raft, adrift in this glass-water. The morning sun was bright but did not blind him. The Eastern land was covered with a sort of dreamy haze, while the Western land sat shrouded in an ominous dark fog. It did not seem as though the raft had moved at all in the glass-water. Nothing moved, save for the ever-rising sun.
I want to go home.
But, was this place any worse than home was? At home, he was miserable. Jonathan sighed. He was miserable at school, as well. Then, the Memories started to creep back into his thoughts. He fought against them, he tried to think about something else, but there was nothing else to think about. Against his will, the Memories took over his thoughts, no happy Memories, only those that made his life miserable.
Jonathan’s two friends Kathryn and Michael had dated for a few months, and they were happy. Then suddenly, it was torn apart. Kathryn accused Michael of cheating on her, and they broke up. They continued to fight for months after, often trapping Jonathan in the middle. It was terrible and it made him dread going to school.
Jonathan shook away those Memories, those painful Memories, and lay back down on the raft. He watched as the sun neared the highest point in the sky.
Almost noon, I think.
Lying there only stirred more awful Memories, these of his life at home. Home was worse than school. Jonathan’s mother and father constantly fought. His father worked late while his mother run the household. It was peaceful until his father came home. Then the house was full of screaming and shouting, often until two or three in the morning. Jonathan hated going to school, and he hated going home.
Jonathan jolted out of his painful trip down Memory Lane. Something was not right. What was it? What was wrong? Jonathan studied the sky. The sun was setting.
The sun was setting in the East.
This startled – no – it frightened Jonathan and he dove into the glass-water and swam towards the Western shore. He swam furiously for several minutes, until; at last, his had felt land. He hoisted himself up onto the land, only to find that he was back on the raft, totally dry.
I didn’t go anywhere.
Once more he plunged into the glass-water and swam to the East, and once again he arrived on the raft.
As the sun fell closer to the Eastern horizon, Jonathan tried desperately to remember what would have brought him here, to the raft. Maybe then he would be able to get home.
He remembered only awful and painful Memories. He remembered how much he wanted to be happy. He was tired of being unhappy, and depressed all the time. He just wanted it to be over.
No.
Jonathan remembered everything now. He buried his face in his hands as tears of painful understanding welled up and flowed down his face.
He was no longer on the raft; he was sitting on a small island about the size of the raft with land still to the East and West. Confused, he picked himself up and took a few steps toward the edge of the glass-water. He reached out his hand to touch the glass-water, but Something stopped his hand. He could not see or feel anything, but his hand would not go any farther.
Frantically, Jonathan tried to escape at every place around the edge of the island, but to no avail. Defeated, Jonathan fell to his knees and wept.
The sun began to disappear below the Eastern horizon.
No! Wait, please!
The sun continued to fall.
I’m sorry! No, please, I take it back!
As the light disappeared and the sun set in the East, Jonathan’s last desperate cry echoed in the darkness.
I don’t want to die.