When Hope leads you astray.
Short Stories Dark
Many nights, I thought I awoke from a dream only to find another nightmare waiting for me. Darkness wasn’t done telling me its story, showing me my destiny, and leading me to my inescapable fate. Night after night, I’m reminded that there are some things one can’t ignore or run from. My eyes were still heavy from the slumber, and I stood in front of an ethereal tunnel shrouded in a thick fog. A golden light glowed at the end, beckoning me to enter with its warmth and beauty. Despite feeling drawn towards it, my inner voice screamed for me to stay put, warning me that danger lay ahead. Unwavering in curiosity, I took my first step and heard a gentle yet powerful voice singing my name. It was like a balm on my soul, and I dropped to my knees in awe. His rich, melodic words washed over me. His voice spiraled through the fog and brushed against my cheeks like a gentle caress. Tears welled up in my eyes. His words were like a tender hand on my face, wiping away the tears before they could fall. “Stand,” he whispered. His soft words created an invisible force that lifted me from where I was standing and drew me toward the golden light of the tunnel ahead. I could feel my body almost gliding with focus, guided by the sweetness of his Latin love note. A letter I remember reading many lives before this one, words I never imagined hearing again. My vision strained to penetrate the inky blackness that enveloped the light ahead. I searched for him, my heart pounding in anticipation. Could he be waiting for me in that light, or was something calling for me from these shadows? Would I feel his warmth on my skin? A moment I’ve begged for many times seemed so close. “We can be together now.” His siren call grew louder and filled me with a longing for what once was. I blocked out the reality that he offered only danger and kept moving forward. The light at the end of the tunnel beckoned me closer. My heart raced faster with each step as the air around me tightened and thickened with anticipation. The faint silhouette of a man became brighter, and I knew, much too late, that his whispers and promises had drawn me in. I couldn’t help but feel hope swell in my chest until fear began to creep in with every footstep closer to him. As he stood silhouetted against the glowing horizon, I finally understood why I had let him pull me in too far. I ached to be close to him again, my first love. Even if it was to see his face. I longed for even one more moment with him. My feet were unsteady, so I took a few more steps forward. The tunnel walls seemed to whisper secrets of my past as I moved closer and closer to the source of the soft light. Every ounce of my being screamed that this figure would lead me astray, but something strange compelled me to keep going. Though I knew the perils ahead, nothing could stop me from approaching this familiar silhouette who promised hope. I held my position in the golden darkness, watching the mysterious figure walk closer. I had come to him expecting answers, but instead of being able to identify him, the beautiful tunnel faded to black, and silence hovered as he advanced. All that remained was my labored breathing and the pounding of my heart. Before I could pull myself together and move again, I went cold. Ice seemed to trickle through my bones, and my blood hardened. His muffled voice filled my head like an echo of the past, saying, “Everything is as it should be now.” His hands caressed my insides. The last remnants of my voice had been stolen away, leaving me mute and unable to cry out or plead for my life. Without control over my body, it no longer responded to my will. I could no longer run away. As he promised, we were indeed together again. As he promised, he would live again, but not for me. He lives again through me. My life was stolen by false hopes of reuniting with love.