Photo by Steinar Engeland on Unsplash
Poetry

A Dream by T. Jones

A dream. 

30 seconds of an 8 hour journey. 

I blink. 

Where am I?

There is a concrete jungle covered in ferns and vines. 

A whisper. 

Calling my name each time I close my eyes. 

She calls my name. 

I look down the streets.

Empty. 

No one in sight. 

I’m all alone, in a city unknown to me. I call out into oblivion. 

No answer. 

There it is, out the corner of my eye. 

Frantic, unsteady. 

I turn quickly to my right. 

Nothing. 

I pause. My heartbeat fastens. 

I’m jolted back to reality by a giggle. 

A white dress. A little girl.

She runs.

“STOP”! I screamed.

Trying to keep her pace. 

I turn the corner and she vanishes. 

I pause. Trying to collect myself.

Another giggle.

The race is on. 

She runs into a building.

A hospital?

No hesitation, I run after her.

BANG!

The stairs begin to fall below me. 

Weaving, jumping, trying to make it. 

I hit the last step. 

Silence…..

White dress, the girl. 

Why is she crying? I know I can help her. 

I gently place my hand on her shoulder. 

She slowly turns my way. 

The little girl…is me. 

Eyes closed, as if she were sleeping. 

Crumbling. 

The walls around me begin to fall. 

We need to get out of here. 

I bend over to see the little girl. 

Her eyes shoot open. 

Black.

She grabs my hand and begins to scream. 

My skin is on fire. The burning of flesh.

I can feel myself losing control.

The room is growing darker.

The vines begin to rot and the walls continue to crumble. 

Darkness.