Chapter 4: Accepting Help
Sarana's Gift will officially launch 1/29/2016. I hope you enjoy reading this segment. Also ... I would love to hear your comments and thoughts about the story. The next chapter will post on 1/20/2016 ... or, from now till 1/29/2016, you can get a complete copy of the story by leaving a note on the Email Us form on the right.
Artists: if this story inspires a piece of art, please share it and what it means to you. We'll share it here on the blog. Send us a note about your art and your email address in the Email Us form on the right.
Sarana's GiftChapter 4: Accepting Help(Available here until 2/17/2016)
Firefly
On … Off ... the light kept repeating until I finally recognized the pattern. “… a firefly! ... trapped here with me.”
I pulled myself back up to my knees and watched its flitting dance. “If I could just catch it, maybe it would give me enough light to go back up the steps.”
But the tiny light stayed just out of reach. I grabbed for it once again but tripped and fell against the bottom step, scraping my shin. I rubbed away the pain in the darkness, feeling for blood, relieved that it was just a scratch.
I wondered what was around me, but was afraid to move. “What if there is some gaping hole here in the darkness?“ I sat rigid with my back against the wall, watching the erratic pattern of the firefly flying back and forth into the darkness just off to the left. Every time it reached the edge of the gloom, it blinked on and I could see just a bit farther into the void. Then it came back and blinked close to my face before returning to the dark edge and blinking on again.
"It's trying to lead me!”
I stood up and shuffled one foot after the other to the place where that bit of light kept disappearing. I watched as it came back to me and then turned back toward the darkness. Each time it went a bit farther. I edged forward and then waited. Back it came, blinking its light and luring me on again. Another step. The pattern repeated, as I moved cautiously into that unseeable space.
I stopped. The firefly flew left again but I didn’t want to make a mistake. It blinked on and off again … once … twice … yes, it was going left, so I took one tentative step left and then another. I turned to look over my shoulder, blackness, even the stairs were gone. Heat rose in me again as fear and panic took hold. My chest was tight and I wanted to run, but was too afraid. I inhaled sharply, trying to hold down the nausea.
“What is this place?” I groaned. Sweat dripped down my face and my heart thudded. My knees buckled and I leaned against the wall for support. When the light blinked on again I inched forward.
I thought back … back to the time before I started running … back to that safe time ... before the fear started ... before I had stepped onto that roof. “I should have kept running.”
I followed the small blinking light step after step and then stumbled on the uneven ground. I fell onto my hands and knees, "I can't do this. It’s impossible. I just can't. Someone help me! Please!"
It was useless. There was no one here. No one could hear me. No one was going to help me.
I lay on the cold ground for a long time, wishing, wishing, wishing someone would come and save me. When I glanced up, that tiny light blinked on. “You again. Where are you taking me?”
Slowly, mindlessly, I followed the firefly crawling forward on my hands and knees. On and on I scrabbled after each blink of the tiny light. Until ... until the light stopped. I waited but it didn’t blink on again.
"No!" I wailed looking this way and that, trying to see anything. "Come back. Please come back." My heart plummeted as I lost that speck of hope. Cold, clammy fear claimed my body and I began to shake violently.
Nothing. Nothing broke the absolute darkness, the absolute silence. I wanted to curl up in a ball and go to sleep and never wake up. I wanted it all to be over. “It’s all too hard and everything is gone,” I moaned.
“I’m going to die here,” I said, holding my body rigid, refusing to move. My mind raced as I imagined myself falling off a cliff, being bitten by a snake or a bat, awaking a napping bear, dying of thirst or hunger, never leaving this dark place, never being safe again ...
“Stop!” I said, shaking my head to get rid of those images.
Suddenly, the silver-white horse flashed into my mind. I remembered us flying through the woods, his powerful muscles flexing along his back, his huge hooves thudding against the earth. Just thinking about him gave me a small jolt of strength.
“I can’t just die here,” I said, starting to move again. Blindly, I reached out to feel the air around me, crawling one hand and one knee at a time.
I inched several paces forward and then something brushed against my leg. I screamed, and screamed again as it whisked against my arm. I froze, barely breathing.
It stopped, soft hair still grazing my arm. My breathing slowed, “Fur,” I murmured as soft panting and a musky scent filled the air. In spite of my fear, I whimpered when it moved away. I didn’t want to be alone again. Tentatively, I reached my hand forward: fur.
"Take it."
I jerked my hand back at the soundless words. A long moment passed, and then, desperate, I reached out for the fur again and grasped a tail. It began to move and
I followed. Awkwardly holding its tail, I crawled after the animal using only one hand to pull me forward. Through the blackness we advanced one small, clumsy movement at a time.
The rough ground and pebbles scraped at my knees and the pain made my eyes water. The walls pushed in on me and I couldn’t get enough air. More than anything, I just wanted to rest ... close my eyes.
I blinked quickly to shake off those thoughts. “I have to keep moving.”
Still holding the tail of my unseen guide, I wondered how long I had been trapped here. Hours? Minutes? Days? Time was as unseen as the space around me. My mind slipped loose as on and on I crawled.
Suddenly, my free hand came down in empty space and I tumbled, falling head first, then feet first, then head again. Down, down through the blackness, until I splashed into cool, dark water and sank, automatically holding my breath as I fell deeper and deeper into the pool. Question: What's going to happen now? What is your greatest fear?(Please add your comments or questions in the Comment section below.)
Artists: if this story inspires a piece of art, please share it and what it means to you. We'll share it here on the blog. Send us a note about your art and your email address in the Email Us form on the right.
Sarana's GiftChapter 4: Accepting Help(Available here until 2/17/2016)
FireflyOn … Off ... the light kept repeating until I finally recognized the pattern. “… a firefly! ... trapped here with me.”
I pulled myself back up to my knees and watched its flitting dance. “If I could just catch it, maybe it would give me enough light to go back up the steps.”
But the tiny light stayed just out of reach. I grabbed for it once again but tripped and fell against the bottom step, scraping my shin. I rubbed away the pain in the darkness, feeling for blood, relieved that it was just a scratch.
I wondered what was around me, but was afraid to move. “What if there is some gaping hole here in the darkness?“ I sat rigid with my back against the wall, watching the erratic pattern of the firefly flying back and forth into the darkness just off to the left. Every time it reached the edge of the gloom, it blinked on and I could see just a bit farther into the void. Then it came back and blinked close to my face before returning to the dark edge and blinking on again.
"It's trying to lead me!”
I stood up and shuffled one foot after the other to the place where that bit of light kept disappearing. I watched as it came back to me and then turned back toward the darkness. Each time it went a bit farther. I edged forward and then waited. Back it came, blinking its light and luring me on again. Another step. The pattern repeated, as I moved cautiously into that unseeable space.
I stopped. The firefly flew left again but I didn’t want to make a mistake. It blinked on and off again … once … twice … yes, it was going left, so I took one tentative step left and then another. I turned to look over my shoulder, blackness, even the stairs were gone. Heat rose in me again as fear and panic took hold. My chest was tight and I wanted to run, but was too afraid. I inhaled sharply, trying to hold down the nausea.
“What is this place?” I groaned. Sweat dripped down my face and my heart thudded. My knees buckled and I leaned against the wall for support. When the light blinked on again I inched forward.
I thought back … back to the time before I started running … back to that safe time ... before the fear started ... before I had stepped onto that roof. “I should have kept running.”
I followed the small blinking light step after step and then stumbled on the uneven ground. I fell onto my hands and knees, "I can't do this. It’s impossible. I just can't. Someone help me! Please!"
It was useless. There was no one here. No one could hear me. No one was going to help me.
I lay on the cold ground for a long time, wishing, wishing, wishing someone would come and save me. When I glanced up, that tiny light blinked on. “You again. Where are you taking me?”
Slowly, mindlessly, I followed the firefly crawling forward on my hands and knees. On and on I scrabbled after each blink of the tiny light. Until ... until the light stopped. I waited but it didn’t blink on again.
"No!" I wailed looking this way and that, trying to see anything. "Come back. Please come back." My heart plummeted as I lost that speck of hope. Cold, clammy fear claimed my body and I began to shake violently.
Nothing. Nothing broke the absolute darkness, the absolute silence. I wanted to curl up in a ball and go to sleep and never wake up. I wanted it all to be over. “It’s all too hard and everything is gone,” I moaned.
“I’m going to die here,” I said, holding my body rigid, refusing to move. My mind raced as I imagined myself falling off a cliff, being bitten by a snake or a bat, awaking a napping bear, dying of thirst or hunger, never leaving this dark place, never being safe again ...
“Stop!” I said, shaking my head to get rid of those images.
Suddenly, the silver-white horse flashed into my mind. I remembered us flying through the woods, his powerful muscles flexing along his back, his huge hooves thudding against the earth. Just thinking about him gave me a small jolt of strength.
“I can’t just die here,” I said, starting to move again. Blindly, I reached out to feel the air around me, crawling one hand and one knee at a time.
I inched several paces forward and then something brushed against my leg. I screamed, and screamed again as it whisked against my arm. I froze, barely breathing.
It stopped, soft hair still grazing my arm. My breathing slowed, “Fur,” I murmured as soft panting and a musky scent filled the air. In spite of my fear, I whimpered when it moved away. I didn’t want to be alone again. Tentatively, I reached my hand forward: fur.
"Take it."
I jerked my hand back at the soundless words. A long moment passed, and then, desperate, I reached out for the fur again and grasped a tail. It began to move and
I followed. Awkwardly holding its tail, I crawled after the animal using only one hand to pull me forward. Through the blackness we advanced one small, clumsy movement at a time.
The rough ground and pebbles scraped at my knees and the pain made my eyes water. The walls pushed in on me and I couldn’t get enough air. More than anything, I just wanted to rest ... close my eyes.
I blinked quickly to shake off those thoughts. “I have to keep moving.”
Still holding the tail of my unseen guide, I wondered how long I had been trapped here. Hours? Minutes? Days? Time was as unseen as the space around me. My mind slipped loose as on and on I crawled.
Suddenly, my free hand came down in empty space and I tumbled, falling head first, then feet first, then head again. Down, down through the blackness, until I splashed into cool, dark water and sank, automatically holding my breath as I fell deeper and deeper into the pool. Question: What's going to happen now? What is your greatest fear?(Please add your comments or questions in the Comment section below.)
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